The grand master of the Order of Saint Lazarus (statuted 1910) is the leader of a confraternal order claiming legacy and contingency to the medieval Catholic military order known as the Order of Saint Lazarus. The Holy See does not recognize any other organization using the name "Order of Saint Lazarus" as a legitimate order of chivalry outside of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus of the House of Savoy."Note of Clarification from the Secretariat of State", 2012. The note explicitly states: "The Holy See confirms that it does not recognize any other Orders... whether of recent institution or derived from a medieval original."

During the period from 1814 to 1841, the order was under the direction of a Council of Officers, with King Louis XVIII (1814–1824) and King Charles X (1824–1831) as protectors of the order. It was then passed on, evolving into the current list of grand masters.

Council of Officers The order lost its royal protection in 1831 but continued to function under the direction of the Council of Officers.Almanach Royale for 1830.

Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes Administrator General de Ordres Royaux, Militaires et Hospitaliers de Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel et de Saint-Lazare de Jérusalem Réunis 1814 1824 President of the Council of Officers de Ordres Royaux, Militaires et Hospitaliers de Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel et de Saint-Lazare de Jérusalem Réunis 1824 1831 Members of the Council of Officers (1831-1841): Father Picot, Comte Vincent Vienot de Vaublanc, Baron de Silvestre. Members of the Council of Officers de Ordres Royaux, Militaires et Hospitaliers de Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel et de Saint-Lazare de Jérusalem Réunis 1831 1841 Members of the Council of Officers: Father Picot, Comte Vincent Vienot de Vaublanc, Baron de Silvestre.

Order of Saint Lazarus in the modern era The period following the loss of temporal protection by the French Royal Family in 1831 until 1910 was controversial. Some argue that the order did not survive, while others argue that the period is, at best, shrouded in mystery, as no contemporary documentation appears to have survived.

The issue was resolved, on the one hand, by H.R.H. Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of France, Head of the Royal House of France, who in 2004 reinstated the temporal protection of the Royal House of France over the Order of Saint Lazarus, and on the other hand by the Melkite Patriarch of Antioch Gregory III Laham, who on 27 May 2012 confirmed the uninterrupted protection of the Melkite Patriarchs of Antioch over the Order of Saint Lazarus from 1841 onwards.

Modern tradition of the order maintains that, after 1841, the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchs assumed the leadership of the order, as Hospitaller Nobles of Saint Lazarus.

Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes Administrator General of the Order of the Hospitallers of Saint Lazarus 1841 1855 1856 1864 1864 1898 1898 1902 1902 1910 Protector of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem 1910 1916 In 1910, new statutes were promulgated whereby the management was assumed by the Council of Officers, while the Melkite Patriarch assumed the position of Protector. In 1935, a new Grand Master was appointed. 1919 1925 1925 1935 Duke of Seville (jure uxoris) Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem 1935 1952 Grand Bailiff of Spain, nominated as Lieutenant General of the Grand Magistry in 1930, then elected as Grand Master in 1935. 1956 1967 Son and Coadjutor of Francisco de Borbón y de la Torre. Nominated as Lieutenant General of the Grand Magistry, then elected as Grand Master in 1956. Duke of Nemours, First Prince of the Blood of France 1967 1970 Also served as Bailiff of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. In 1969, internal strife split the Order into two fractions: the Malta Obedience and the Paris Obedience.Each had its own separate administrators and Grand Masters.

Malta obedience Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem in Malta 1973 1995 Also served as Bailiff of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. 5th Duke of Seville 1996 2008 Son of Francisco de Borbón y Borbón; appointed Grand Master Emeritus in 2008.

Paris obedience Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes Pierre de Cossé, Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem in Paris 1969 1986 Previously served as Administrator General (1956–1969). 13th Duke of Brissac 1986 2006 Son of Pierre de Cossé; appointed Grand Master Emeritus. In 2004, strife within the Paris Obedience led to a further split that was to assume the name of the Orleáns Obedience.In 2008, the old Malta and Paris Obediences reunited under a new Grand Master, with the previous Grand Masters being appointed emeriti.The Melkite Patriarch Gregory III Laham remained the Spiritual Protector of the Order until he was succeeded by Patriarch Youssef Absi.

Malta-Paris obedience (reunification of the former Malta and Paris obediences) Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes Marqués de Almazán (jure uxoris) Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem 2008 2017 He took the solemn oath in Manchester Cathedral, England. Francisco de Borbón Graf von Hardenberg 2018 incumbent Son of Francisco de Borbón y Escasany; elected and installed as Grand Master in Madrid on May 5, 2018.

Orléans obedience (since 2004) Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem in Orleáns 2004 2010 Re-established the temporal protection of the Head of the Royal House of France. Resigned; now Grand Master Emeritus. 2010 2023 Resigned; now Grand Master Emeritus. 2023 Incumbent Installed as Grand Master at Maredsous Abbey in Belgium on September 16, 2023.

References

External links Malta-Paris obedience of the Order of Saint Lazarus (under the Grand Mastership of Francisco de Borbón Graf von Hardenberg) Orléans obedience of the Order of Saint Lazarus (under the Grand Mastership of Prince François d'Orléans) Research Library maintained by the Office of the Grand Archivist & Historian of the united MHOSLJ (this source provides access to the full original cartulary of the Order with original documents, including all the relevant original Papal Bulls, dating back to the 12th century)