Statutes of the

Dynastic Orders of the House of Savoy

The Order of Merit of Savoy

VICTOR EMMANUEL

Duke of Savoy, Prince of Naples

Head of the Royal House of Savoy

By the Grace of God and by Hereditary Right

VI Grand Master of the

Civil Order of Savoy

Having resolved as a result of Italy’s changed circumstances, to conform to the modern world, and in order to take the opportunity to reward and recognize specific acts of merit which have brought honor to Our Family, by virtue of Our Magisterial authority and as Head of the House of Savoy and VI Grand Master of the Civil Order of Savoy, a Dynastic Order of Our House, We decree as follows:

Article 1

Within the Civil Order of Savoy, we have created, instituted and founded in perpetuity, an order of merit which shall be known as the Order of Merit of Savoy. We declare Ourselves to be its Head and Grand Master, and We desire that Our supreme dignity should, after Ourselves, pass on to Our successors and heirs to the Royal Crown.

Article 2

The Order is divided into five grades of knight:

- Knights Grand Cross with Grand Cordon, whose number shall not exceed one hundred,

- Grand Officers, whose number shall not exceed one hundred and fifty,

- Commanders, whose number shall not exceed three hundred,

- Officers, whose number shall not be limited,

- Knights, whose number shall not be limited.

For Dames there are three grades:

- Dames Grand Cross with Grand Cordon, whose number shall not exceed

one hundred.

- Dame Commanders, whose number shall not exceed three hundred,

- Dames, whose number shall not be limited.

Article 3

The insignia of the Order of Merit of Savoy is a gold Cross, enameled in white, with a circular shield of blue enamel bearing the founder’s cipher, "V.E.," on the reverse, and the phrase "Merit of Savoy 1988" on the obverse. The ribbon is striped with a white band between two bands of blue.

Article 4

The insignia of the Order’s different grades are described in the Appendix annexed hereto and which is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of these Statutes.

Article 5

We shall award the Order of Merit of Savoy for special and specific acts of merit done in the name of Our House, either through Our own Magisterial decree, or upon the recommendation of the Council of the Civil Order of Savoy.

Those who have performed acts of merit, but who, either due to the nature of those acts, or to their youth, do not yet qualify for admission to the Order, may be decorated with the Cross of Merit of Savoy, in gold or in silver, according to their qualifications in each case.

Article 6

New members of the Order shall refrain from wearing their insignia until their appointment has been registered at the Grand Magistry.

Article 7

Upon satisfactory completion of proceedings for the review and investigation of the candidate’s loyalty, fidelity and good will towards Our person and towards the Royal House of Savoy, the President of the Council of the Civil Order of Savoy shall prepare the decree and present it to Us for signature. The national and regional Delegates of the Dynastic Orders of Our Royal House shall have the responsibility to assemble and examine the qualifications of each candidate.

Article 8

Members of all classes may wear, when expressly requested or authorized by the Grand Chancellor, for the Order’s religious ceremonies or for the religious ceremonies of any of the other Dynastic Orders of the House of Savoy, a cape of turquoise blue cloth, closed at the neck with a white and blue cord with white silk tassels and with the embroidered Cross of the Order on the left side of the cape in the following dimensions:

Knights Grand Cross with Grand Cordon, 34 mm wide;

Grand Officers and Commanders: 31 mm wide;

Officers and Knights: 26 mm wide.

Article 9

The Grand Master shall administer the Order through the Council of the Civil Order of Savoy. The Council may delegate all or part of its duties to the administrative bodies of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.

Article 10

All Knights of the Civil Order of Savoy may also wear the insignia of Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Savoy with the Grand Cordon.

Article 11

A member of the Order whose dishonorable conduct or disloyalty to the Order, to its governing principles, or to the House of Savoy, shall be struck from the Order’s registry and stripped of his right to wear its insignia and bear its titles. Revocation of membership shall be effected by Magisterial Decree upon advice of the Council of the Civil Order of Savoy. Prior to rendering its decision, the Council shall notify the accused party of the proceedings and the accusations, and shall set a date for submission of a written rebuttal. This procedure is unnecessary if the allegation is proven by documents of indisputable authenticity, or is confirmed by court ruling.

APPENDIX

(Relating to the insignia of Knights and Dames)

Knights Grand Cross with Grand Cordon:

Sash: made of silk, in the colors of the Order, to be worn from the right shoulder to the left hip, and measuring 100 mm in width, fastened with a bow, from which is pendant the Cross of the Order measuring 67 mm, with a superimposed gold royal crown 55 mm wide.

Breast Star: eight groups of faceted silver rays measuring 85 mm in diameter with a 55 mm wide Cross of the Order superimposed.

Miniature: a 13 mm wide miniature of the breast star pendant from a silk ribbon of the colors of the Order, 12 mm wide.

Rosette: a miniature of the breast star at the center of a silk rosette of the Order’s colors, 12 mm wide.

Uniform ribbon: in silk, of the Order’s colors, 37 mm wide, surmounted by three royal crowns.

Grand Officers:

Neck ribbon: made of silk in the Order’s colors 50 mm wide with a 55 mm wide cross of the Order surmounted with a 41 mm royal crown.

Breast Star: four groups of faceted silver rays measuring 75 mm in diameter, with a 41 mm Cross of the Order superimposed.

Miniature: a 16 mm miniature of the breast star pendant from a silk ribbon of the Order’s colors 13 mm wide.

Rosette: miniature of the breast star at the center of a silk rosette of the Order’s colors,

Uniform ribbon: in silk of the Order’s colors 37 mm wide, surmounted by two gold royal crowns.

Commanders:

Neck ribbon: the same as for Grand Officers;

Miniature: a 16 mm Cross of the Order surmounted by a gold royal crown pendant from a 13 mm wide silk ribbon of the Order’s colors, with a gold royal crown superimposed.

Rosette: a gold royal crown at the center of a silk rosette of the Order’s colors 12 mm wide.

Uniform ribbon: in silk of the Order’s colors 37 mm wide surmounted by a gold royal crown.

Officers:

Chest ribbon: made of silk of the Order’s colors 35 mm wide, with a 41 mm wide Cross of he Order pendant, surmounted with a 30 mm wide gold royal crown;

Miniature: a 16 mm Cross of the Order surmounted by a gold royal crown pendant from a 13 mm silk ribbon of the Order’s colors.

Rosette: a silver royal crown at the center of a 12 mm silk rosette of the Order’s colors.

Uniform ribbon: in silk of the Order’s colors surmounted by a silver royal crown 37 mm wide.

Knights:

Chest ribbon: made of silk of the Order’s colors with a Cross of the Order without crown pendant, 35 mm wide.

Miniature: a 16 mm Cross of the Order without crown pendant from a 13 mm silk ribbon of the Order’s colors.

Rosette: made of silk of the Order’s colors 12 mm wide.

Uniform ribbon: in silk in the Order’s colors 37 mm wide.

Dames Grand Cross with Grand Cordon:

Sash: to be worn from the right shoulder to the left hip;

50 mm wide in silk of the color of the Order; fastened at the hip with a bow and serrated gold trim, with a 55 mm Cross of the Order is pendant, surmounted with a gold royal crown 38 mm wide.

Miniature: 16 mm wide miniature of the Cross of the Order surmounted by a royal crown in gold pendant from a silk ribbon of the colors of the Order in a bow made of silk ribbon in the colors of the Order 13 mm wide and trimmed with serrated gold.

Dame Commanders:

Bow: made of 37 mm wide silk in the colors of the Order with a 41 mm Cross of the Order surmounted by a Royal Crown in gold pendant.

Miniature: 16 mm Cross of the Order, surmounted by a Royal Crown in gold 38 mm wide, pendant from a silk ribbon in the Order’s colors with a 13 mm wide bow.

Dames:

Bow: made of 37 mm wide silk in the colors of the Order, with a 41 mm Cross of the Order without royal crown pendant.

Miniature: 16 mm high Cross of the Order, without crown, pendant from a silk ribbon in the Order’s colors with a bow made of 13 mm wide silk ribbon in the colors of the Order.

Cross of Merit of Savoy

Gold Cross:

Chest ribbon: 37 mm wide silk in the Order’s colors, from which a 41 mm Cross of the Order without enamel, in gold with a satin finish, is pendant.

Buttonhole bow: a bow made of silk ribbon 3 mm wide in the colors of the order with a gold star at its center.

Silver Cross:

Chest ribbon: 37 mm wide silk in the Order’s colors from which a 41 mm Cross of the Order without enamel, in silver in satin finish, is pendant.

Buttonhole bow: a bow made of silk ribbon 3 mm wide in the colors of the Order with a silver star at its center.

Signed at Geneva on January 23, 1988

Victor Emmanuel

Revised in Geneva on October 10, 1996

Victor Emmanuel

G. Balbo di Vinadio