Royal and Military Order of St. Hermenegild

The Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild (Spanish: Real y Militar Orden de San Hermenegildo) is both a general military honor and a legion created by King Ferdinand VII of Spain on 28 November 1814.

The Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild is a military distinction of the Spanish Cavalry created by King Ferdinand VII of Spain at the conclusion of the Spanish War of Independence in 1814.

The purpose of the Order was to serve as a maximum means of reward for those soldiers who exceeded their military obligations and fought on, surpassing their suffering in battle, and who thus would serve as examples of bravery to His Spanish Majesty's armies.

Given the desire of the King to create a distinction of extraordinary rank, comparable to others traditional honours, it was decided to put the Order under the Patronage of Saint Hermenegild, who was the Visigoth King of Seville who was martyred in defence of the Christian faith in the sixth century and who is the patron saint of the Spanish Armed Forces.

Its first promulgation was published in 1815, being renewed later in 1860, 1879, 1951, 1994 and its most recent modernization in 2000.