Order of the Tower and Sword, Valour, Loyalty and Merit

: Collar’s Grand Cross Badge (1808-1834)

The Order of the Tower and Sword was founded in 1808, at Rio de Janeiro, by the John, the Prince Regent of Portugal to commemorate the safe arrival to Brazil of the Royal Family, fleeing from the invading armies of France.

Initially intended to be conferred to British Royal Navy Officers whose squadron safely escorted the Portuguese Fleet on the voyage to Brazil, soon was realised its impossibility since they professed a reformed religion. Henceforth, was born the project of creating a new order of knighthood for that purpose like it had occurred in the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily.

The aim of the order, as stated in the statues published on November 29^th, 1808, was to reward relevant services to the Crown by both Portuguese and foreigners, in military, political or civilian activities and considered as the only Portuguese Order without a religious origin, being primarily an Order of Knighthood.

The Order had three classes – grand cross, commander and knight and it was the first order to bear a collar for the grand cross class.

Commander’s Badge (Type 1) 1808-1810

Among the first nominations to the new order were members of the diplomatic corps credited at the Court in Rio de Janeiro, Officers of the British Royal Navy and high dignitaries – Ministers and Secretaries of State, Councillors of State and other High Court Officials, most of them members of the titled nobility.