The Sash of the Three Orders is a decoration that combines the insignia of the Grand Crosses of the Military Orders of Christ, Aviz and St. James of the Sword. It is the symbol of the Portuguese presidential magistracy, in their capacity as the fount of the Portuguese honours system; therefore, it cannot be conferred on nationals or foreigners, nor can it be used outside the exercise of office of the President. Unlike other decorations, the Sash is not granted to Presidents upon their inauguration, but rather only worn by them during their terms in office. It can be worn with any of the Grand Collars of the orders possessing that grade, but without the sash and wearing the respective order's star that gives precedence to that of the Three Orders Sash.
History
The decoration, along with the similar Sash of the Two Orders, was officially founded in 1789 by Queen Maria I. However, its origins can be traced further back to 1551, when Pope Julius III—under great diplomatic pressure—issued the Praeclara ClarissimiPapal Bull of 30 November, surrendering his position as Grand Master of the three Catholic knightly orders to King João III of the House of Aviz, who proclaimed it hereditary in the Portuguese Crown. Despite this, the monarchs often wore only the insignia of the Order of Christ. It was during the reign of Maria I that the orders were secularized from religious orders into military orders of merit; the queen further decreed that the insignia of all three orders were to be combined into one, to ensure that no one order was favored above the others. The Sash thus became a unique decoration worn by the monarch, distinguishing them as Grand Master of the Three Military Orders, along with all other Portuguese orders of chivalry. It was also entitled to be worn by the heir to the throne as "Grand Commander of the Three Orders", and on occasion gifted to the consort of the monarch upon their marriage. Other princes of the blood royal belonging to the House of Braganza, meanwhile, were entitled to wear the Sash of the Two Orders. During the era of the constitutional monarchy, it was customary to confer the Sash on foreign monarchs and heads of state as a diplomatic gesture. In the wake of the revolution of 1910 and the proclamation of the Republic, the Sash was abolished in conjunction with all royal orders. It was later restored in 1918 by decree of President Sidónio Pais, after which it continued to be awarded to foreign heads of state. In 1962, a new decree restricted the Sash of the Three Orders to a decoration exclusive to the President, and thus could no longer be conferred.
Insignia
The badge of the decoration is an oval in gold filigree, enamelled white on both sides; before 1823, it was made of plain silver or gold with a blank reverse. The medallion depicts within three smaller ovals with the crosses of the three military orders: the order of Christ on top, the order of Aviz on the bottom left, and the order of St. James on the bottom right, each surmounted by a Heart of Jesus decoration. During the era of the monarchy, the badge was surmounted by the royal crown; after 1910 the crown was replaced by a laurel wreath.
The sash of the decoration is constituted of three equal stripes, its colors in the following order: green, red, and violet ; before 1796 the colors were red, green, and red.
The star of the decoration is a gilt circle depicting the crosses of the three orders, superimposed on a eight-pointed star in silver with a gold border. Prior to 1962 the decoration used a silver "splendor" of 22 or 24 rays.
The rosette of the decoration was first introduced in 2011, and designed to be worn with civilian clothing. It is 12 millimeters in diameter with gold trim, with the same colors as the ribbon.
In the official portraits of many of the Portuguese Heads of State from the 19th and 20th centuries, the Sash of the Three Orders, is one of the main piece represented:
