| Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild | |
|---|---|
 Arms of the Order | |
| Awarded by Spain | |
| Type | Order of merit |
| Established | 28 November 1814 |
| Motto | PREMIO A LA CONSTANCIA MILITAR (Award to Military Constancy) |
| Eligibility | Military personnel and Guardia Civil |
| Status | Currently constituted |
| Sovereign | Monarch of Spain |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Mention in Dispatches (Without Insignia) Distinguished Service Award (Without Insignia)[1] Cross of Military Merit (Army) Cross of Naval Merit (Navy) Cross of Aeronautical Merit (Air Force) |
| Next (lower) | Long Military Service Cross[2] |
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 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 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.
... recompensar y distinguir a los oficiales generales, oficiales y suboficiales del Ejército de Tierra, de la Armada, del Ejército del Aire, de los Cuerpos Comunes de las Fuerzas Armadas y del Cuerpo de la Guardia Civil, por su constancia e intachable conducta en el servicio, a tenor de lo que establecen las Reales Ordenanzas para las Fuerzas Armadas.
It is declared that The Order intends "to compensate and to distinguish to the general officers, officers and warrant officers of the Spanish Army, Spanish Navy, Spanish Air Force, Common Corps and the Spanish Civil Guard, (the militarized police service depending on both Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense which holds different risponsabilities such Crime Investigation Department, Intelligence, Coast Guard , Fiscal and Borders responsibilities, Green Police, Public order and Security, Administrative Police, Traffic Police, Airborne Command, Scuba divers, weapons and firearms control etc among others) by their faultless and exemplary conduct in the service of The Crown."
The monarch of Spain is the Sovereign of the order. The Order is governed by three governing bodies: the Chapter, the Permanent Assembly and the Chancellery.
