On the auspicious 630th anniversary of the foundation of the County of Nice and of its common destiny with the House of Savoy, H.R.H. Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Grand Master of the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy, convened in Nice on 21 and 22 September 2019 the General Chapter of the Knightly Forces that abide by the glorious motto “Savoye, bonnes nouvelles”.
On 21 September the ceremonies began with the remittance of the diplomas of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus and of the Order of Merit of Savoy, which took place at the Hyatt Hotel theatre in Nice and saw the participation of a large number of members who came with their families and friends.
At the sound of the Royal March, H.R.H. Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Grand Master of the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy, H.R.H. Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia, Prince of Piedmont and Venice and H.R.H. Prince Serge of Yugoslavia entered the hall and were greeted with affection and devotion to the Dynasty. H.E. the Grand Chancellor of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, Johannes Theo Niederhauser, was also present. He welcomed those present with a warm welcome speech.
At the end of the awarding ceremony, H.R.H. Prince Emanuele Filiberto presided over the General Assembly of A.I.C.O.D.S. during which a video was shown summarizing the charitable work the association has done over the last year. The results achieved are excellent, with over one million euros destined for charity projects. The August Prince reiterated the importance of promoting so-called “zero-mile” charitable initiatives in the territory, supporting and enhancing small community-rooted charities.
On the evening of Saturday 21 September, the members and their families gathered again for the usual gala dinner in the evocative setting of the Chateau of Cremat, on the hills over Nice. In addition to the above-mentioned RR.HH., H.R.H. Princess Marina of Savoy, H.R.H. Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parme, H.R.H. Princess Eleonora of Yugoslavia and H.R.H. Prince Michel of Yugoslavia were also present.
The proceeds from the gala were used to finance a major child surgery project in Africa for five consecutive years in favour of Mercy-Ships, a Swiss association that operates in more than 50 countries worldwide, whose representatives participated in the evening illustrating the charity’s work.
On Sunday 22 September, at the Church of Notre-Dame de Nice, H.R.H. Mgr. André Marceau, Bishop of Nice, presided over a solemn Eucharistic celebration, which was attended by around 1,000 people.
At the end of the service, a charity party was held at the Hyatt hotel.
Once again, the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy testify to their active presence in the world with over 1 million euros destined for charity projects. The objectives that the Orders have set themselves for next year are even more important: new Delegations and Vicariates will be born and communication strategies will be improved.
Several challenges and new solidarity goals await us, so that we can give hope and dignity to those most in need.
