"The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (Spanish: Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, German: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded ...
in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430. Today, two branches of the order exist, namely the Austrian (Habsburg) and the Spanish Fleece; the current grand masters are Karl von Habsburg, head of the House of Habsburg and Felipe VI, King of Spain, respectively. The chaplain of the Austrian branch is Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna.
The Order of the Golden Fleece is called the highest order of Christianity. The entire treasure of the order, which also includes the "Ainkhürn sword" of the last duke of Burgundy and the centuries-old oath cross, which contains a cross splinter of the True Cross, is located in the Vienna Treasury and, like the archive and the old insignia, is the property of the Habsburg branch. Having only ever had around 1,300 recipients since its establishment, the Order of the Golden Fleece has been referred to as the most prestigious and exclusive order of chivalry in the world, both historically and contemporaneously." - (en.wikipedia.org 10.04.2020)
