The Royal Watcher - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
Today marks the 300th Anniversary of the Accession of Empress Catherine I of Russia, who acceded to the Russian Throne on this day in 1725! The illustrious Imperial Order of Saint Catherine was the primary insignia of most European Royal Women for the 19th Century, which instituted on the marriage of Empress Catherine to Peter the Great!
The Imperial Order of Saint Catherine was instituted on 24 November 1714 by Peter the Great on the occasion of his marriage to Catherine I of Russia. Every Russian Grand Duchess was conferred the Grand Cross of the Order at her christening (or marriage into the Romanov family), and Princesses of the Imperial Blood were invested upon attaining their majority at 18. In addition to the royal members, a fixed number (106) of other members were permitted by the statutes: 12 Dames Grand Cross 94 Dames Small Cross.
The 12 Dames Grand Cross were typically female members of foreign ruling houses. For the majority of the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the only award for women not just in Russia but in Royal Courts around Europe, when Royal Ladies were depicted wearing the distinctive scarlet sash, with notable appearances at the Wedding of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in 1894, the Coronation of Tsar Nicholas II in 1896, the Wedding of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of Wales in 1896, the Accession of King Haakon VII of Norway in 1906, and the Wedding of Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia and Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia in 1938.
The Insignia of the Order consists of:
A Riband (sash) of scarlet moiré with silver edges embroidered with the inscription: За Любовь и Отечество (Za Lyubov’ i Otechestvo, “For Love and the Fatherland”).
The Badge (or Jewel) of the Order consisted of a cross with a large medallion set in the center of it. On the medallion was depicted the order’s patron saint, Catherine of Alexandria, holding a large white cross, the symbol of her martyrdom. In the four quadrants formed by the cross are written the initials, “D.S.F.R.” (Domine Salvum Fac Regem, God Save the Tsar). The Badge was attached to the Riband. On the obverse is an image of eagles destroying a nest of snakes at the foot of a ruined tower, at the top of which is a nest of eaglets. Above is the motto Aequant Munia Comparis (“By her works she is to her husband compared”).
The Star (or Plaque) consisted of a medallion set on a silver, eight-pointed star with rays, encrusted with diamonds. On the red medallion in the center is depicted the wheel of Saint Catherine (symbol of her martyrdom) surmounted by a cross. Encircling the medallion is the motto of the order (the same as on the Riband).
Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia
Awarded: September 12, 1864
Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia
Awarded: April 20, 1894
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna
Awarded: November 16, 1895
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna
Awarded: June 8, 1897
Grand Duchess Maria
Awarded: June 25, 1899
Awarded: June 18, 1901
Princess Irina Yusupov
Awarded: July 14, 1895
Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia
Awarded: November 22, 1894
Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna, Princess of Prussia
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia
Awarded: February 15, 1884
Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna
Awarded: January 29, 1884
Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
Awarded: May 6, 1890
Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Vladimir
Awarded: April 21, 1874
Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Awarded: August 7, 1860
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia, Duchess of Leuchtenberg
Queen Olga of Württemberg
Awarded: September 13, 1822
Princess Charlotte of Wales
Queen Victoria
Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom
Queen Mary
Awarded: March 15, 1910
Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna
Awarded: October 25, 1853
Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught
Awarded: May 23, 1896
Queen Louise of Denmark
Awarded: March 29, 1855
Queen Lovisa of Denmark
Awarded: March 16, 1881
Queen Alexandrine of Denmark
Awarded: September 3, 1902
Queen Olga of Greece
Awarded: October 1, 1851
Queen Sophia of Greece
Awarded: August 14, 1892
Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, Princess Nicholas of Greece
Awarded: February 27, 1882
Princess Alice of Greece
Awarded: May 17, 1908
‘My St Katherine’s star had exceptionally fine, white diamonds, much finer than Auntie Ellen’s even,’
Queen Maria Josepha of Portugal
Awarded: June 1737
Queen Anna Pavlovna of The Netherlands
Awarded: January 14, 1795
Queen Louise of Sweden
Awarded: June 18, 1850
Queen Maria II of Portugal
Awarded: July 20, 1850
Princess Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Dadiani
Awarded: October 13, 1853
Empress Elizabeth of Austria
Awarded: October 15, 1853
Empress Eugénie of France
Awarded: May 31, 1857
Princess of Battenberg
Awarded: October 10, 1864
Queen Margherita of Italy
Awarded: December 2, 1868
Queen Elisabeth of Romania
Awarded: December 27, 1877
Infanta Maria Theresa, Archduchess Karl Ludwig of Austria
Awarded: May 19, 1883
Queen Victoria of Sweden
Awarded: January 24, 1892
Queen Maud of Norway
Awarded: July 23, 1894
Queen Amélie of Portugal
Awarded: June 8, 1895
Queen Marie of Romania
Awarded: May 23, 1896
Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria
Awarded: July 29, 1898
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Awarded: April 24, 1899
Queen Saovabha of Siam
Awarded: January 16, 1906
Queen Elena of Italy
Awarded: March 15, 1910
Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia
Awarded: May 18, 1911
Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain
Awarded: May 27, 1911