The Order of Saint Joachim

One of the pictures in the Forum banner is Joachim Murat, who named himself Grand Master of the Order of Saint Joachim 1806-1808.

Murat (March 25, 1767 – October 13, 1815) was born to Pierre Murat-Jordy, an innkeeper, and Jeanne Loubieres.

Murat enlisted in the cavalry at the age of 20. In 1791, he joined the King's Constitutional Guard, but left it soon for the regular army. In 1792 he became an officer. His valour and his daring cavalry charges later earned him the rank of général in these important campaigns, the battles of which became famous as Napoleon constantly used speed of maneuver to fend off and eventually defeat individually superior opposing armies closing in on the French forces from several directions. Thus, Murat's skills in no small part helped establish Napoleon's legendary fame as a general's general, and enhance his popularity with the French people.

Murat married Caroline Bonaparte on January 20, 1800 thus becoming a son-in-law of Letizia Ramolino as well as brother-in-law to Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon I of France, Lucien Bonaparte, Elisa Bonaparte, Louis Bonaparte, Pauline Bonaparte and Jérôme Bonaparte.

His brother-in-law Napoleon made him a Marshal of France on May 18, 1804. Napoleon also granted him the title of "First Horseman of Europe". He was appointed Grand Duke of Berg and Cleves on March 15, 1806 and held this title till August 1, 1808. He was named King of Naples on August 1, 1808.

Murat was equally useful in Napoleon's invasion of Russia (1812), and in the Battle of Leipzig (1813). After Leipzig, however, he reached (1814) an agreement with the Austrian Empire in order to save his own throne. He fled to Corsica after Napoleon's fall. During an attempt to regain Naples through an insurrection in Calabria, he was arrested by the forces of his rival, Ferdinand IV of Naples, and was eventually executed by firing squad in 1815.

(From Wikipedia)

When he was appointed Grand Duke of Berg and Cleves on March 15, 1806, he assumed the possessions of several German princlings, which included (he believed) the Grand Mastership of our Order.

In the portrait below by Gerard, he is wearing the variation breast star of the Order of Saint Joachim,visible just off the bottom of the portrait.

Here is a period drawing based on the above portrait showing the breast star in full.

A longer article about Murat will appear in the next edition of The Herald.

I'll also post this in the regalia forum. Here is a recently-auctioned French style breast star from the Murat period.