Honorary Knights
The Most Illustrious Lord Count of Carrión de Calatrava
Cradle of the Order of Calatrava
The Spanish nobility has played a vital role in the forging of our nation.
The Christian Knights, the Nobility, with their specific laws and obeying their moral and spiritual values, maintain as their objective the preservation of the Faith and the unity of Spain, for which their ancestors have fought throughout the centuries preserving the values that govern it and its moral codes.
Values such as Loyalty, Fidelity, Justice, Honor and the protection of the weakest.
Thousands of Christian knights fought and died to preserve what we have inherited today. Among them were those who defended the fortress of Calatrava La Vieja, from which the Order of Calatrava, the oldest military order in Spain, would later emerge.
The fortress of Calatrava La Vieja was a frontier, a breakwater that became the vanguard against a vast territory from which a great threat loomed.
Abbot Raimundo and Friar Diego Velázquez, the Cistercian monks, the Christian knights and the army that defended it, made up of men of all social classes, achieved a great victory that secured a strategic position which facilitated the subsequent offensives that led to the triumph of the Christian armies at Las Navas de Tolosa.
Their faith and dedication, even fighting at a disadvantage against a very powerful rival, finally prevailed in that remote border region of the Kingdom.
We have an obligation to honor their memory, because thanks to the sacrifice of thousands of men who fought for their land they contributed enormously to the creation of the germ of what is now Spain and, in turn, to the subsequent existence of the great legacy of Hispanidad.
The current nobility inherits the values and obligations passed down to us by our ancestors. As is only fitting, this is done with the utmost respect and obedience to His Majesty King Felipe VI, and in accordance with the foundations of coexistence established by the Spanish Constitution of 1978.
It also maintains its principles of helping and protecting the most disadvantaged, participating in soup kitchens or collaborating in social aid programs such as those in which the Deputation of the Grandees of Spain and Titles of the Kingdom actively participates.
Like our ancestors, he openly expresses his Christian faith and defends its values, an obligation we maintain today.
It also expresses recognition of the work of our Armed Forces and State Security Forces, their great sacrifice and selflessness in defending the unity of Spain and guaranteeing our security, often at the risk of their own lives.
Today, new and not-so-new threats loom over our culture and values. Therefore, defending the family is a fundamental pillar, as it is within the family that the legacy and teachings of our preceding generations are transmitted. In turn, we share our beliefs and traditions with a large family of fellow citizens, and outside of Spain, with a large part of European and American society that shares our roots and values.
Contributing to society should be a civic duty. We must maintain our continuous efforts to uphold values, defend the unity of Spain, and promote harmony and unity, because we must not allow our country to become divided and, therefore, more vulnerable.
As happened back then in Calatrava La Vieja, just like those who came to its defense in 1158, we must be at the forefront of the new threats before us and defend our culture and civilization.
We must be active and tenacious in defending the pillars of our society: our tradition, our identity, and, of course, our faith. We must be the parents of tomorrow and, at this moment in history, pass on the legacy we have received to future generations. This is our duty.