Sintra/Estoril/Coimbra/Fatima, July 2014. HE Mr Anthony Bailey, OBE, GCSS, in his capacity of Secretary General of the Royal Order of Francis I and Magistral Delegate for Inter-Religious Relations of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George, visited Portugal from 3-5 July 2014 at the invitation of the Head of the Portuguese Royal House, HRH The Duke of Braganza.
HE Mr Anthony Bailey accompanied TRH The Duke and Duchess of Castro, and their two daughters, HRH Princess Maria Carolina, Duchess of Palermo and HRH Princess Maria Chiara, Duchess of Capri. Other senior officials of the Constantinian Order were also present at this important visit.
The visit commenced with a formal dinner hosted in honour of The Duke and Duchess of Castro by TRH The Duke and Duchess of Braganza at their historic Sintra home. Among those attending were senior members of the Portuguese, French, Austrian and Spanish royal and noble families.
As a mark of the longstanding and cordial relations which exist between the two Royal Houses, the Duke of Castro as 59th Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George, invested HRH Dom Afonso de Bragança, Prince of Beira, as a Knight Grand Cross of Justice. TRH The Duke and Duchess of Braganza are both longstanding and senior members of the Constantinian Order.
The three-day visit to Portugal also witnessed the presence of the Neapolitan Royal Family together with the Portuguese Royal Family at the traditional festivities honouring Saint Queen Isabel of Portugal in Coimbra. During Holy Mass of Saint Isabel celebrated in the Convent of Santa Clara in Coimbra, the Duchess of Castro was invested with the insignia of a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saint Isabel by the Order’s Grand Master HRH The Duchess of Braganza. Among other recipients of this Order are senior female members of numerous European Imperial and Royal Families.
The delegation also visited Fatima and offered prayers to Our Lady of Fatima at the small Chapel of the Apparitions. Another highlight of the visit was Royal Lipsanotheca where Mr Bailey viewed an exhibition of relics of the Foundation Oureana / D. Manuel II presented by Mr. Carlos Evaristo, a leading expert of relics and Chairman of the chapter of the Patrons of the Vatican Museums. Among the exhibits were the relics of the Seers of Fatima, the Sicilian Saints and the major relic of the Blessed Maria Cristina, Queen of Naples, who was recently beatified by Pope Francis in a ceremony attended by members of the Neapolitan and Portuguese Royal Families.
The delegation headed by the Duke and Duchess of Castro also visited and prayed at the Shrine of Fatima. HRH The Duke of Braganza; HSH Prince Peter von Hohenberg, grandson of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary; HE Dr. Miguel Horta e Costa, Baron of Santa Comba Dão, Delegate of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George in Portugal; the Marquis of Rio Maior, D. João Saldanha Vicente; Sir Gavyn Arthur, former Lord Mayor of London; Eng. Domingos Patacho of the Royal Association; Dr. José Carlos Ramalho Royal Association of Ribatejo, Dr. Francisco Ramalho, Dr. Alberto Calafato Janelli, Private Secretary to the Duke of Castro and Dr. Carlos Evaristo, who led the visit to the Shrine.
The visit to Portugal ended with a farewell dinner set in the beautiful surroundings of the Castle Forte da Cruz on the Estoril Coast, the residence of Dona Diane Barros de Polignac and hosted by the Constantinian Order’s Delegate to Portugal HE Dr. Miguel Horta e Costa, Baron of Santa Cumba Dão. Among those attending were the Mayor of Cascais, the Ambassadors of the Italian Republic and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to Portuguese and members of leading Portuguese and other European noble families.
Anthony Bailey said “This is an important visit of the Duke and Duchess of Castro to Portugal which comes at the invitation of the Duke and Duchess of Braganza. The warm relations which exist between Their Royal Highnesses and in general between the Portuguese and Neapolitan Royal Families are very strong and cordial and founded on centuries of familial ties”.
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