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The Order of Saint Stanislas

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Order of St. Stanislas

On the 7 May 1765, King Stanislas II Augustus Poniatowski founded the Order of the Knights of Saint Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr. The Order was raised to do honour to his patron saint and to give conspicuous recognition to knights who served the monarch. It was awarded in three classes. (The Russians later added a fourth class in 1815).

The original design of the badge was a red enamelled eight-pointed Polish cross superimposed on a white Polish eagle with a plaque in the centre depicting Saint Stanislas in full bishop's regalia. The design was later altered to a red, eight-pointed Polish cross with white eagles between the arms of the cross and the image of Saint Stanislas depicted in a circular plaque in the centre of the cross. The ribbon for the Order was red with a white border.

The number of knights in the Order of Saint Stanislas was limited to a hundred; this figure, however did not include the king or members of the Order of the White Eagle who were admitted into the Order automatically.

All Poles and Lithuanians admitted into this Order had to prove nobility through a minimum of four generations via both paternal and maternal lines.

The ceremony of investiture into this Order was distinctly western, requiring the individual to genuflect (kneel on his right knee) before the king, being dubbed with a sword, and thence kiss the monarch's hand.

Originally it was worn as follows:

Class I was worn as a scarf draped from the right shoulder in the same fashion as the Order of the White Eagle. Class II was worn as a neck badge, and Class III members of the Order wore the decoration on a suspension ribbon on the left breast - chevalier fashion.

The motto of the Order was: "PRAEMIANDO INCITAT" (be inspired by reward).

 

                    Praemiando Inctitat  - By awarding encourage

 

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