The Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic () is a Spanish civil order of chivalry and honour granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations and cooperation with other nations. By law, its Grand Master is the King of Spain, and its Grand Chancellor is the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Order is open to both Spaniards and foreigners.
The Order was created 1815 by King Ferdinand VII in honor of Queen Isabella I as the Real y Americana Orden de Isabel la Católica ("Royal and American Order of Isabella the Catholic") with the intent of "rewarding the firm allegiance to Spain and the merits of Spanish citizens and foreigners in good standing with the Nation and especially in those exceptional services provided in pursuit of territories in America and overseas." The Order was reorganized by royal decree on 26 July 1847, with the name "Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic", reflecting the secession of the mainland possessions in the Americas after the Spanish American wars of independence.
In the realm of services to the homeland, the Order of Isabella the Catholic is the de facto highest civil honour granted by the Kingdom of Spain, since the Order of the Golden Fleece is a dynastic award (not under the control of the State), and the Order of Charles III is primarily reserved to heads of State and high-ranking government officials (typically national Ministers and Presidents of the national government). In the realm of foreign affairs, the Order of Isabella the Catholic is Spain's highest honour.
The great prestige that the Order of Isabella the Catholic enjoys in Spain and abroad is due to several reasons. First, it has become a powerful instrument of international relations, with awardees inducted from all over the world. Second, it is a higly selective and rare honour: Since its creation in 1815, only 72,398 people have received the Order of Isabella the Catholic (in comparison, the also prestigious French Legion of Honour has been awarded to over 1,000,000 people over the same period of time, and the Order of the British Empire has over 100,000 living members). Third, it is the only Spanish civil honour that confers personal nobility, with the right to an individual coat of arms (with heraldic mantle and pavilion), an official style of address (Excellency), and full membership in nobiliary corporations (e.g., the Real Asociación de Hidalgos).
History
The Order of Isabel the Catholic was instituted by King Ferdinand VII on 14 March 1815. The original statutes of the Order were approved by Royal Decree of 24 March, with membership made in three classes: Grand Cross, and Knights of First and Second Class. Ferdinand VII was declared the Order's Founder, Head, and Sovereign. On 7 October 1816, at the suggestion of the Chapter of the Order, the Knights of the first class were renamed Commanders and the second class were renamed Knights.
By royal decree of 26 July 1847, Isabella II reorganised the four royal orders in Spain: the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Langues of Aragon and Castile of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, the Order of Charles III, and the Order of Isabella the Catholic. The latter was reserved to reward exclusively the services rendered in the Overseas territories. The classes of the order became Knight, Commander, Commander by Number, and Grand Cross. The concession and tests of nobility was suppressed in all the Royal Orders. By royal decree of 28 October 1851, no concessions of Grand Cross of any orders were to be made without the proposal of the Council of Ministers and concessions for the lower classes with the proposal of the Secretary of State.
After the establishment of the First Republic, the Order was declared to be extinguished by Decree of 29 March 1873 as deemed to be incompatible with the republican government. Use of the various insignias was allowed to those who possessed them. When King Alfonso XII ascended to the throne, the Order was reestablished by Decree of 7 January 1875.
During the minority of Alfonso XIII, his mother and Regent, Maria Cristina, signed the royal decrees of 15 April 1889 and 25 October 1900. Among other things, they sought to impose entry into the Order by the category of Knight, to prohibit the use of decorations until the corresponding title was obtained, and to ratify the obligation that the Grand Cross be awarded with the agreement of the Council of Ministers and for conferees to be published in the Official Gazette. By Royal Decree of 14 March 1903, the Silver Cross of the Order was created, and by Royal Decree of 15 April 1907, the Silver and Bronze Medals.