CHARTER

Clause 1.—Exclusive Charter—

We ordain that this Royal Charter is and shall be the sole Charter of this institution.

Clause 2.—Title—

We hereby further ordain that the name of the institution is “The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom”.

Clause 3.—Rights and Privileges—

We hereby further ordain that The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom shall have a Common Seal and have perpetual succession, and that it may by and in the said name and style be competent to do all other acts, matters and things incidental or appertaining to a body politic and corporate and to enjoy all rights and privileges lawfully appertaining to bodies politic and corporate.  This honour is senior in rank to the Order of King Erekle II and junior to the Order of King David.

In witness whereof We hereunto subscribe Our Name and Title and affix the Royal Seal

Nugzar

Act Number 1 of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom

Performed at Tbilisi, Georgia, on the 17th of June, 2013.

THE STATUTES OF THE ROYAL ORDER OF THE CROWN OF THE GEORGIAN KINGDOM

1. Short title

These Statutes may be cited as the “Statutes of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom”.

2. Motto of the Order

The Motto of the Order shall be “Verba movent, exempla trahunt” (Words move people; examples compel them).

3. Objects and Purposes of the Order

The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom shall be an honour for persons who have served the Royal House of Georgia and contributed to the well-being of the people of Georgia.  It is available to both Georgians and non-Georgian persons.

4. The Grand Master

(a) His Royal Highness Prince Nugzar Bagrationi-Gruzinski is the Grand Master of The Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom.  The Head of the Royal Family of Georgia will perpetually serve as the Grand Master of the Order.

(b) The Grand Master shall make such appointments to and within The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom as he/she in his/her absolute discretion shall deem fit.

5. Ranks of the Order

(a) The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom shall consist of six Ranks, from lowest to highest in precedence:

1.      Knight or Dame of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom

2.      Knight Officer or Dame Officer of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom

3.      Knight Commander or Dame Commander of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom

4.      Knight Grand Officer or Dame Grand Officer of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom

5.      Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom

6.      Knight Grand Collar or Dame Grand Collar of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom (this Rank is reserved for the Grand Master of the Order, Georgian Royal family members, and Heads of State)

Every recipient can be awarded a rank as a Knight or Dame of Grace.  However, if the recipient is determined to be royal or noble, as determined solely by a Royal Commission with exclusive jurisdiction, the recipient can be awarded a rank as a Knight or Dame of Justice.  This determination will be noted on the Letters Patent.  The insignia designs, dress, and all other aspects, barring the Letters Patent, are consistent between Knights or Dames of Grace and Knights or Dames of Justice.  However, under special circumstances, a recipient could be appointed as an honorary Knight or Dame of Justice.  This would occur if a person is not of noble descent, but he or she has performed works of merit to such a degree that an award as a Knight or Dame of Justice is warranted.  This designation would be noted on the Letters Patent.  Recipients of an honorary Knight or Dame of Justice are not ennobled in any way as a result of this honorary status.

Recipients of the award at the various ranks are entitled to the following:

The honours of this Order are for the life of the recipient. They are not hereditary.

(b)  Males who receive the award are entitled to the style of “His Honour”, unless he has another title that has a higher style.  Likewise, females who receive the award are entitled to the style of “Her Honour”, unless she has another title that has a higher style.  This tradition dates from the reign of King Giorgi XII, when gentlemen who were not titled but still honourable were accorded the style of “ghirseuli” (ღირსეული).  Modern recipients of the Order are also entitled to use the title of Raindi (Knight; transcribe [Ræɪŋ'dɪ] - რაინდი) if male, or Mandilosani (Dame; transcribe [’Mændɪlosænɪ] - მანდილოსანი), if female, as a prefix to his or her name.  Recipients of the higher ranks likewise use the style of “His Honour”, if male, or “Her Honour”, if female, and the title of Raindi, if male, or Mandilosani, if female.  However, the recipient’s post-nominal should reflect the person’s Rank within the Order. The post-nominal for the various Ranks are:

1.      Knights = KGK, which stands for (K)night of The Royal Order of the Crown of the (G)eorgian (K)ingdom

Dames = DGK, which stands for (D)ame of The Royal Order of the Crown of the (G)eorgian (K)ingdom

2.      Knight Officers = KOGK, which stands for (K)night (O)fficer of The Royal Order of the Crown of the (G)eorgian (K)ingdom

Dame Officers = DOGK, which stands for (D)ame (O)fficer of The Royal Order of the Crown of the (G)eorgian (K)ingdom

3.      Knight Commanders = KCGK, which stands for (K)night (C)ommander of The Royal Order of the Crown of the (G)eorgian (K)ingdom

Dame Commanders = DCGK, which stands for (D)ame (C)ommander of The Royal Order of the Crown of the (G)eorgian (K)ingdom

4.      Knight Grand Officers = KGOGK, which stands for (K)night (G)rand (O)fficer of The Royal Order of the Crown of the (G)eorgian (K)ingdom

Dame Grand Officers = DGOGK, which respectively stands for (D)ame (G)rand (O)fficer of The Royal Order of the Crown of the (G)eorgian (K)ingdom

5.      Knights Grand Cross = KGCGK, which stands for (K)night (G)rand (C)ross of The Royal Order of the Crown of the (G)eorgian (K)ingdom

Dames Grand Cross = DGCGK, which stands for (D)ame (G)rand (C)ross of The Royal Order of the Crown of the (G)eorgian (K)ingdom

6.      Knights Grand Collar = Knights at this rank should not abbreviate the honour, where possible.  Given the dignity of the rank, the recipient should state the full Knight Grand Collar of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom

Dames Grand Collar = Dames at this rank should not abbreviate the honour, where possible.  Given the dignity of the rank, the recipient should state the full Dame Grand Collar of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom

If a person is later elevated in Rank for continued service, the recipient may keep the original Letters Patent and may keep the narrow neck riband or silver breast star.  The person would then be eligible for the higher Rank’s riband or breast star.  A new Letters Patent will also be issued that will supersede the previous Letters Patent.

If the recipient is a subject or citizen of a country that prohibits the use of titles, either in general or titles from other countries, the title from the Royal House of Georgia may be considered as honorary in nature.  An honorary title under this definition is afforded the same precedence as a non-honorary title of the same within The Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom.

The formal name and style for a male recipient is His Honour Raindi First Name Surname, KGK (or whatever is the appropriate post-nominal for the recipient’s Rank).  Similarly, the formal name and style for a female recipient is Her Honour Mandilosani First Name Surname, DGK (or whatever is the appropriate post-nominal for the recipient’s Rank).

6. Qualifications for Membership in the Order

(a) No person shall be qualified for membership in The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom unless he or she:

(1) makes a declaration to comply with the provisions of the Royal Charter, the Statutes, and the Regulations and Rules of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom.  The candidate must also relay to the Royal House or designated party any other Order to which he or she currently belongs and any noble or royal titles received or self-assumed.  These Orders and titles must be found to be genuine and authentic; if necessary, the authenticity will be determined by a Royal Commission so as not to bring dishonour upon the Royal House of Georgia.  The candidate must also grant permission for a background check to be conducted upon him or her for the purpose of an investigation of his or her character, should there be a need.  Any statements made by the candidate during this investigation that are later found to be false are grounds for barring entry or dismissal from the Order after entry.  Additionally, any future Orders or titles deemed false by the Royal Commission that are gathered by the recipient after entry into this Order are grounds for future dismissal.  These requirements may be waived by the Grand Master of the Order or his or her designee;

(2) has performed or is prepared to perform good service for The Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom and its objectives and purposes, in accordance with the Motto of the organization;

(3) has attained the age of 21.  Exceptions may be made for the Royal Family of Georgia.

7. Declaration before Admission to the Order

Subject to the provisions of Statute 6, before the honour is granted, a Declaration in the following terms shall be signed by prospective members:

I also affirm that any statements I made to the Grand Master of the Order or his or her designee are accurate regarding other Orders to which I already belong; noble or royal titles I have, whether granted to me or self-assumed; my educational background; and my professional background.  I understand that if these statements are later found to be false, or if I engage in new outside Orders or titles after entry that brings dishonour upon the Royal House of Georgia, or that I bring any dishonour upon the Royal House through another method, that I may dismissed without honour from the Order.”

*The words in brackets may be adapted according to the circumstances of the candidate.

The Grand Master of The Royal Order of Crown of the Georgian Kingdom may waive or amend this requirement for Heads of State, other Royal persons, or any other persons at his/her discretion.

8. Protocol for Members

Provided that the member does not terminate his or her membership under Statute 11 or have his or her membership revoked by the Grand Master of the Order under Statutes 7 or 11, the honour will last throughout the original recipient’s lifetime.  At the death of the original recipient, the honour ceases to exist.  Therefore, formal notification of the death of a member is requested by the Grand Master of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom or his or her designee.

The family of the deceased member may retain the original Letters Patent, narrow neck riband, breast medal, breast star, broad riband with or without the insignia of the Order, the gold collar, or other physical manifestations of the honour, but none may claim to have inherited the honour itself.

9. Composition of the Order

There is no maximum number of members of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom.

A Chancellor will be appointed; the Chancellor will serve as the deputy for the Grand Master.  The Chancellor will also be responsible for all official record-keeping of the Order, including appointments, significant meetings, and associated matters.  Furthermore, in the event that a member conducts an activity that is grounds for expulsion from the Order, the Chancellor is responsible for investigating, or delegating the investigation to a competent party, to determine the guilt of the offending member.  Additionally, the position shall oversee a Royal Commission to determine whether an applicant qualifies to be a Knight or Dame of Justice.

The Chancellor will serve a life appointment, although he or she may be removed by the Grand Master at any time.  The remaining organizational structure of the Order will resemble the structure that existed in the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti in the 18^th century, although it will not be identical.  The Great Council of the Order will be appointed by the Grand Master and consist of the Chancellor and the following:

a. The Patriarch-Catholicos. This position will always be filled by the Patriarch of Georgia. This position is the chief spiritual advisor for the Order.

b. Chief Secretary  (Mtsignobarth-Ukhutsesi). This position is responsible for the official record-keeping of the Order. All appointments, significant meetings, and associated record-keeping will be performed by the Chief Secretary.

c. Lord High Steward (Mandaturth-Ukhutsesi). This position manages the administration and logistics for the international Delegations. He or she is the primary contact for the operational questions related to the management of the Delegations.

 d. Lord High Treasurer (Medchurchleth-Ukhutsesi). This position has the responsibility of coordinating the Order’s finances, including receiving reports of the international Delegations.

e. Lord Great Chamberlain (Msakhurth-Ukhutsesi). This position is responsible for all garments associated with the Order. He or she will coordinate the manufacturing of the insignias, robes, and associated items.

f. Grand Armourer (Meahjret-Ukhutsesi). This position is responsible for the construction and safekeeping of any swords or other weaponry used in the investitures or other events of the Order. The Grand Armourer is also responsible for the heraldry, flags, and other related items of the Order.

g. Lord High Constable (Amir-Spasalari). In the event that a member conducts an activity that is grounds for expulsion from the Order, the Lord High Constable is responsible for the investigation, or delegation of the investigation to a competent party, to determine the guilt of the offending member. Additionally, the position shall oversee a Royal Commission to determine whether an applicant qualifies to be a Knight or Dame of Justice.

The Patriarch-Catholicos has a life appointment and can only be removed from the Order if he is so removed as Patriarch-Catholicos by the Georgian Orthodox church. All other Great Officers of the Order will have five-year appointments that can be renewed by the Grand Master of the Order in perpetuity. However, the Grand Master may remove any Great Officer for cause at any time.

10. Precedence within the Order

Precedence within The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom shall be as follows:

1. The Grand Master of the Order

2. Members of the Royal Family of Georgia

3. The Chancellor

4. Royals who are currently sovereign

5. Heads of State if different from royals who are currently sovereign

6. Royals who are not currently sovereign

7. The other members of the Grand Council in the precedence of a. – g. outlined in Statute 9.

8. Members by Rank, as determined by the original date of appointment to that Rank.  Within each Rank, Knights of Justice will be higher than Knights of Grace.

11. Termination of Membership

Membership in The Royal Order of the Crown of the Kingdom of Georgia may be renounced by a member at any time and for any cause.  The renunciation must be in writing, signed by the member, and witnessed by two individuals not related to the current member.  Both witnesses should sign and date the renunciation along with the member and deliver a written copy to the Grand Master of the Order or his or her designee.  Upon signing, the title and honour are immediately extinguished as if the member immediately died.  The rules of Statute 8 remain applicable as the original Letters Patent, narrow neck riband, breast star, breast star, broad riband with or without the insignia of the Order, gold collar, or any other physical manifestation of the honour may be retained by the member’s family, although the former member may no longer claim to be a member.

12. Arms and Flag of the Order

The armorial achievement of the Order is a field of Gules (red) with an Or (gold) Bolnisi cross that is balled on each point.  Near the center of the primary Bolnisi cross are four (Or) Georgian letters, with one in each quadrant.  Each letter represents an abbreviation of the Order’s name in the old Georgian Asomtavruli alphabet.  Also, in each quadrant of the primary Bolnisi cross is a smaller Or (gold) Bolnisi cross.  Surmounting the arms is the Georgian Royal Crown.  The flag of the Order is a Per Cross Gules (red) upon a field of Argent (white) with a Gules (red) Bolnisi cross trimmed in Or (gold) in each quadrant.  In the center is an inescutcheon of Gules (red) charged with a Royal Georgian crown).

13. Insignia of the Order

The insignia of the Order is a primary Or (gold) Bolnisi cross that is balled on each point and trimmed with Azure (blue).  Behind the primary Bolnisi cross is a red cross with four Georgian letters upon it.  In each quadrant of the primary Bolnisi cross is a smaller Or (gold) Bolnisi cross.  These crosses rest upon the gold fleece with the head shown below.  Surmounting the design is the Georgian Royal Crown.

14. Seal of the Order

The Seal of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom shall contain the official arms, as laid down in Statute 12, with the whole surrounded by the legend: “Official Seal of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom”.  The Grand Master of the Order shall make Regulations providing for the custody and use of the Seal of The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom.

15. Medals

The Royal Order of the Crown of the Georgian Kingdom may award medals, certificates of honour, and the like in accordance with such provision as may from time to time be made by Regulations.  The award of medals or the like shall be made by the Grand Master of the Order or his or her designee on behalf of the Grand Master.  If any person to whom a medal or the like has been awarded shall be deemed by his or her subsequent conduct to have become unworthy of it, his or her name may be erased by the Grand Master of the Order from a register of those entitled to display the award.

16. Alterations Prohibited

No addition to, nor alteration nor modification of the official arms, official insignia, nor of any other item in these Statutes may be made except as through the processes laid out herein.

17.  Investiture Ceremony of the Order

An investiture ceremony will be held as needed with the permission of the Grand Master at the request of the respective Delegate.  However, whatever the ceremony, the date of the Letters Patent signature is the true entry certification for the member, and an investiture ceremony is not mandatory.  The Letters Patent shall be signed by the Grand Master, the Chancellor, and the Chief Secretary.  There also will be two official seals – one of the Grand Master and one of the Chancellor.  After the Royal Commission consents to the admission of a member, the member will receive a Letters Patent within a short time frame that is mailed directly from the Chancellery of the Royal House.

18.  Heraldry of Members

For members whose ancestors come from parts of the world that have and/or have had heraldic customs, all members of the Order who desire to have heraldry are entitled to display supporters and a basic knight’s coronet, either alone or atop a helm, if they desire to signify their status as members.  The insignia of the Order may also be draped from the member’s escutcheon.  Members at the Rank of Knight Grand Officer, Dame Grand Officer, Knight Grand Cross, and Dame Grand Cross may display the collar of the Order around their heraldry instead of draping the insignia of the Order from the member’s escutcheon.

19.  Prevailing Language

Given the international nature of this Order, in the event of a conflict between the English and Georgian translation of these statutes, the English version shall prevail.

20.  Delegates

Delegates are the official chief representatives of the Order in countries other than Georgia.  Only one Delegate is to be appointed for each country, and the Delegate will be responsible for all activities of the respective Delegation for his or her country.  The Delegation is the chapter of the Order body that performs Order’s activities within his or her country.  The Delegate will have a Chain of Office and be appointed at the rank of Grand Cross, unless the Delegate qualifies for the rank of Grand Collar.

While investitures in Georgia for the Order will be conducted by the Grand Master, each Delegate will have operational authority over the investiture ceremonies of his or her Delegation.  The Delegate will have the investiture ceremony for his Delegation approved by the Grand Master.

21.  Dress for Official Functions

Regulations regarding the appropriate wear for official Order functions will be established by the Lord Great Chamberlain.  Capes for members of the Order will also be designed.  The official capes (kabalachi, the Georgian traditional cape) will be black in color and contain an embroidered insignia of the Order.