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King Richard the 1st - 'Coeur de Lion' (The Lion Heart) >>
With acknowledgement to Mark Burckhardt (Artist) who painted this portrait.
It was used on the cover of 'Warriors of God' a Doubleday publication authored by James Reston Jr
The Teutonic Order - The Principality of Lichtenberg - Lichtenberg Foundation
The Knights of the Teutonic Order are directly descended from Charlemagne, 742-814 whom many Historians believe was the greatest King and Military genius of all time. Charlemagne was the Father of Modern Europe and of all Chivalry, an extraordinary human being who ruled over an Empire so vast, that today it would include most of the European Union - vis-a-vis; Germany, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Northern Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary. Charlemagne’s Kingdom, produced a succession of European Kingdoms, the likes of which the world had never seen since the collapse of the Roman Empire and quite likely, will never see again.
Many Kingdoms were subjugated, through Wars, Fascism, etal, but a Royal family name never dies and today Charlemagne’s family line lives on through the direct descendant of Charlemagne, HSH Princess Maya The Baroness de Haynau and The Principality of Lichtenberg. Although today there are No Lands, like the ‘Knights of Malta’, Constitutionally Lichtenberg is a Regnant authority and Elector Principality, reconstituted as a ruling foundation and wholly Sovereign in Law. HSH is also Patron of both our Teutonic Knights and also the Lichtenberg Foundation, our Chivalrous Humanitarian and Philanthropic arm.
Charlemagne was a fearless King, but also a compassionate benefactor - Improvements he made in 800, to St John Hospice in Jerusalem attest to this. His achievements in life, in battle and as founding Father of Europe and Chivalry, resulted in Charlemagne receiving the exemplary honour from the most prestigious Chivalric Organisation in Europe, The Almanach de Chivalry, of being named, The Supreme Guardian & Patron of Chivalry. All legitimate Royalty of Europe are members, as is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II - and Princess Maya The Baroness de Haynau and her family, are rightly proud of this universal honour to their ancestor.
On the banks of the River Thames, stands an Elizabethan masterpiece, the British Houses of Parliament, shadowed by the Majestic Tower of Big Ben, (arguably the world's most recognised Clock). In the forecourt of this magnificent structure, stands a bronze statue, a striking figure on horseback and one of England's most venerated Kings, the indomitable King Richard 1st 'Coeur de Lion' or The Lion Heart of England.
Richard was the Son of Henry the 2nd and Eleonor of Acquitane and brother of infamous Prince John. In the most romantic traditions of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table, King Richard even named his own sword Excalibur. When people conjure images of valiant crusaders, Richard the 1st is a figure who most often comes to mind. Defining Chivalry, it was King Richard, who said, 'Brave Men Conquer Nobly, or Die Gloriously'. Richard of course was just one of many who fought what was destined to become The Holy Land Crusades, covering a period of around Three (300) years.
Many European Nobles answered the call of Pope Urban the 2nd at the Council of Clermont November 22 1095, ( see picture below ) and touched off the first (1st) crusade in 1098, which saw the capture of Jerusalem by the venerable Military and Hospitaller order of St John of Jerusalem, later Knights of Malta.This victory was followed by the disaster of the Second (2nd) crusade, and saw the rise of the incredible Muslim warrior, the mighty Saladin, one of the greatest mediaeval leaders of all time, and set the stage for a period of religious conflict, never to be witnessed before or since in History.
 ‘Knights of The Teutonic Order and Barbarossa
Whilst Barbarossa in 1189 (descendant of Charlemagne) took our Knights to the 3rd Crusade in Mediaeval times, our origins began under Charlemagne, who in 800, supervised renovations to the St John Hospice in Jerusalem. Whilst most of the Orders of Chivalry were subjugated wrongly in later centuries often by illegal Government decree, thankfully, our Order was restored to it's rightful place in history, when Officially Recognised in 2000, by the Habsburg Family Dynasty who for centuries controlled the Catholic Teutonic Order. After Frederick Barberossa their Prussian leader drowned, Teutonic Knights fought valiantly at the 3rd Crusade 1189-1191 under King Richard the 1st of England, 'Coeur de Lion' - the Lionheart.
Pope Urban the 2nd - and The Famous Council of Clermont ( see picture opposite ) >>>>>>>
Pope Urban the 2nd - called Nobles to arms at the now famous Council of Clermont on the 22nd day of November, 1095. - The reason ? Other than cults, there was no Christian faith save the Roman Catholic Faith. Later, the Protestant reformation, along with Napoleon’s routing of Malta, and other acts of History, all conspired to cause breakdowns in the religious affirmation of Knights from these crusade order’s.
There was a fundamental reason for this of course, The Reformation ! - so (e.g.) Knights of Malta (Catholic Order) who fled Malta for England as an example, found themselves living in what had become a protestant nation, so they were forced to retreat from the original Catholic Order’s, for very fear of their life. This resulted in the creation of protestant branches of the three original Order’s, The Teutonic Knights, The Knights Templar, and Knights of Malta which became The Sovereign & Military Order of Malta 'SMOM'. In Britain former KOM Knights formed the Venerable Order of St John giving rise to the ‘St John Ambulance Service’, today an icon in England, the Commonwealth, Asia and elsewhere, and a simply wonderful voluntary and charitable Hospital and Ambulance Order.
N.B. "Sadly though, these religious separations gave rise to another phenomenon, the establishment of many fraudulent Order’s of Chivalry over the centuries, perpetrated on all three of the original crusade orders. Of course, such organisations rarely survive long term, but like the tides they tend to come and go in new guises, therefore, it is prudent to be wary of unauthorised, and/or in some cases, "fraudulent organisations".
As students of history know, organisations like the St John Ambulance Service, which was formed during the reign of Queen Victoria in England, (1837-1901) descended from the Venerable Military and Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, and is the protestant equivalent of the SMOM Catholic Order noe located at the Palazzo Malta in Via dei Condotti 68 - Roma Italia.
Chivalry in time, came to be associated with such attributes as Courtesy, Loyalty, The Protection of Women, Honour, Valour and Bravery, and people like King Richard the Lion Heart, or Richard the 1st of England, seemed to embody all these virtues, even when one looks beyond the legend and examines the reality of the human condition. History records for example, that not only was a Supreme Strategist and indomitable General, he was also Kind, Compassionate, Chivalric, and even as he lay dying from a snipers bow, he pardoned the archer who fired the fatal arrow. The Teutonic Order, as one of the oldest Orders of Chivalry in the World, is no longer a military order, today enjoying the distinction of a Sovereign Order with a Sovereign Titular Ruler, and proud of the part it has played in History, for more than Eight (8) hundred years.
Today the remaining Chivalric Orders enjoy respect and recognition of Governments, the Vatican, Royalty, the Nobility, Aristocracy, and the world’s people in general. As with major crusade orders, St John (Malta) and Templars, our Order's ecumenical endeavours today through Lichtenberg Foundation, are both Humanitarian and Philanthropic and centre on 'Surrounding a Hurting World with a Legacy of Love and Hope'.
Our goals and aims strive to meet the needs of hurting people anywhere in the world, especially vulnerable Children and for the aged and as an Hospital Order, especially those who cannot afford Hospital care. We are blind to the discrimination of ‘Race, Colour or Creed’, and place special emphasis on the daily medical, food, and educational needs of the world’s children. In recent years through Lichtenberg Foundation, we provided funding for Two (2) ‘Children’s Orphanages in Romania’ and donated one of our own 'Jet Aircraft’ for a missionary outreach in the United States.
We support the work of The Happy Birthday Foundation, dedicated to giving fabulous birthday parties of hope and renewal, for terminally ill children and give support to the Job Creation Foundation. These and other support activities we provide have been cornerstones of our work for all the centuries of our history and The Teutonic Order. In being able to provide these services, we are blessed with wonderful help from people who share our ideals and heart, and to whom we owe so much. The selfless commitment of Knights, Dames, Peers, others of Nobility and especially too the Public at large - Our work is enable only by the enormous generosity and willingness to assist with financial help, through our many friends and members of our various orders of chivalry, for without their giving each year, as well as the generosity of ‘ordinary people’ across this world, we would not be here and it is to all of YOU, that we owe the greatest debt.
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