His Royal Highness, Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, presented Fra’ John Dunlap, Prince and 81st Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, with the Collar of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation. The ceremony was held in Rome in the Magistral Palace on 27 September.

“My father Vittorio Emanuele has given me the privilege of initiating you into the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation as one of the Knights of this ancient, historic Order,” said Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy in his speech. “The mandate entrusted to me,” he continued, “contains the fraternal greeting of Prince Vittorio Emanuele to Your Most Eminent Highness, mindful of the historical and happy relationship that has always existed between the House of Savoy and the Order of Malta. Along with the personal relations between the Royal House of Savoy, the Grand Masters and the Grand Magisterium, this rapport has had significant moments in times of peace as in times of war. When King Umberto II and Queen Maria Josè were forced to leave Italy, they received full diplomatic support from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and my father, my family and I have never forgotten this.”

The Grand Master, for his part, recalled “the ancient bonds of friendship that unite the Order of Malta with the Royal House of Savoy”, saying he was certain that “the already excellent relations between our two Orders will be further enriched in the name of our shared ideals.”

In the same ceremony, the Grand Master bestowed the insignia of Knight of the Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion on Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, a member of the Order of Malta since 1997. He also admitted Princess Clotilde of Savoy to the Order of Malta.

Grand Commander Fra’ Emmanuel Rousseau, Grand Chancellor Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo and Receiver of the Common Treasure Fabrizio Colonna were present at the meeting.