Almost a Knight to Remember

Posted on 07. Apr, 2010 by Paul Sochaczewski in Articles, Personal essays

Almost a Knight to Remember
I rather liked being called “Sir Paul.”

The author, practicing his knight persona before declining the honor.

CAN’T-TELL-YOU-WHERE, Soon-To-Be-Nation of Savantis

I turned down a knighthood. It was a tough decision — I liked the sound of “Sir Paul.”

In the early 1990s I replied to a notice in the International Herald Tribune that offered “an economically available, State Sanctioned Hereditary Knighthood.”

Turns out that some wannabe nobles had resurrected The Knights Templar, a prominent and powerful group of medieval Christian noblemen and monks who protected pilgrims on the crusader routes to Jerusalem.

The original Knights Templar were created by the Catholic church in 1127. With their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, they were not only skilled fighters but the non-combatant members, some 80% of their number, managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom, developing innovative financial techniques that were an early form of international banking.

But these warrior monks became victims of their own success. Their inability to secure their holdings in the Holy Land, plus rumors about the Templars’ secret initiation ceremony created distrust. King Philip IV of France was drawn deeply into debt to the Templars and, instead of repaying the obligation, decided to kill his bankers. In 1307 he pressured Pope Clement V to have many of the order’s members in France arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, and then burned at the stake. The Pope disbanded the order in 1312, despite its being vigorously championed by notables such as Dante Alighieri. Jacques de Molay, the group’s 23rd Grand Master, was tried and burned at the stake in 1314.

Miniature of Maître de Virgile from des Grandes Chroniques de France, c. 1380. British Library

Jacques de Molay and Geoffroi de Charnay were burned at the stake in 1314.

The literature surrounding the Knights Templar weaves historical fact, fantastical tales, conspiracy theories, metaphysics, and religious geopolitics. Historian Captain Sam J. Tangredi, U.S. Navy (Retired), writing somewhat tongue-in-cheek in the U.S. Naval Institute website Naval History, suggested they “controlled the destiny of the world, having learned unimaginable secrets from ancient Hebrew manuscripts, Arab philosophers, or perhaps, extraterrestrials. And with the boldness they always displayed in battle, they sailed their treasure fleet across the Atlantic and to the New World where their secret hoard (including the Ark of the Covenant) still resides under New York City…or in the hands of a cabal of billionaires.” Some writers claim that the image of what is now called the Shroud of Turin is actually Jacques de Molay’s. An abundant shadow literature claims that the Knights Templar were the origin of Freemasonry, that they had links to the fabled continent of Atlantis, and that they possessed the Holy Grail. You might remember them as supporting characters in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

In the late 1980s a group of mostly-British visionaries created a Knights Templar-type organization — a non-profit organization registered in Israel they grandly called the Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar. For just a single $5,000 fee, and fees of $500 year (less than my golf club fees), I could be honored in a memorable investiture in a historic chateau. I’d get to wear a blingy ring, have use of castles in Italy and Spain, and the opportunity to buy privately bottled Knights Templar Bordeaux.

And even better, the title comes with citizenship of a new country they’re creating, code-named Savantis.

Sir Graham Renshaw-Heron, Chancellor Savant of the newly incarnated Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar, replied to my letter and asked to visit. It was a recruiting mission, I thought, and I was flattered. I invited him to lunch at my golf club. He happily got stuck into a bottle of Côtes du Rhône and explained the group’s plans: “Only five people know where Savantis is.” He refused to tell me the location, but from reading between the lines I figure they’re buying an island in the Caribbean. Sir Graham, enjoying his wine, explained that the thousand or so locals are enthusiastic about becoming Savantists and living under five dukes who will control the country. The nation will become a beacon of hearty, mostly British-bred, enthusiastic capitalists, with economic benefits accruing from the planned casinos, resorts, golf courses, offshore banking, and flags-of-convenience shipping.

Sir Graham assured me that Savantis (Latin for “savior”) is “just an inch away from receiving United Nations recognition.” I could see myself as social director at the Savantis Golf Club, perhaps, or professor of creative writing at Savantis University.

I asked my friend Dan about whether he too wanted to sign up — I figured we could get a two-for-one deal, maybe even a free toaster. “Those guys don’t need their own country,” Dan said. “They’re already on their own planet.”

* * *

The idea that the new Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar might start their own country has a certain fuzzy logic — after all, the original Knights Templar bought the island of Cyprus. And they certainly knew about geography and the technique of conquering real estate and managing a huge business. The medieval Knights Templar had a fleet larger than that of most countries and managed dozens of trading ships that carried goods and pilgrims from ports as distant as France’s Atlantic coast, through the Mediterranean, and on to the Holy Land. Some say Columbus flew the Templar’s red cross on his sails. William Mann, author of The Labyrinth of the Grail, claims that the Knights Templar “possessed the ‘secret’ of being able to fix longitudinal positions long before it became common practice.” Like modern-day franchise owners, they created branch offices that managed dozens of castles, churches, and fortifications along the various crusader routes,

* * *

Over lunch Sir Graham gave me the group’s prospectus. The Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar is boisterously individualistic and would appeal to anyone who thinks there is entirely too much government in our lives.

Sir Graham’s pointed out that Savantis will be a free, proudly libertarian nation where, according to the documentation: “Further and more self-evident human rights such as the absence of oppressive alimony laws, childish seat belt laws, alcoholic consumption laws, the punishment of success by the successful being forced to support the unsuccessful, or the energetic being obliged to support the slothful, shall also be Constitutionally and conspicuously absent, while the inherent rights of self defence, privacy, protection of property, etc. shall be immutably enshrined in The Constitution of Savantis, which shall become blended with the Constitution of this Noble Order.”

These bold statements, however, are startingly contradictory with traditional Knights Templar values and constrictions as defined the “Rule of the Templars,” which, according to the history.com website, “Outlined a detailed code of conduct governing every aspect of daily life. The first draft, composed in 1129, dictated 68 rules [later expanded to several hundred] designed to keep Templar knights on a tight leash, reflecting their vows of poverty, chastity and especially obedience.”

Some notable contradictions:

These non-negotiable rules of the original Knights Templar included chastity. According to history.com: The company of women is a dangerous thing, for by it the old devil has led many from the straight path to Paradise and … the Knighthood of Jesus Christ should avoid at all costs the embraces of women [including] widow, young girl, mother, sister, aunt, by which men have perished many times … If a brother is found guilty of lying with a woman … in a wicked place with a wicked woman, he should be put in irons.” And, if the knight does transgress (boys will be boys, and monks will also be boys, apparently), he is not allowed to tell others: “We prohibit any brother to recount the pleasures of the flesh that he has had with immoral women.” However, the modern Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar takes a more lenient view towards heterosexual sex. Although women are lesser creatures and are forbidden to hold prominent office in the modern Order, judging from my mano-a-mano conversation with Sir Graham, the Order imposes no restrictions on, let’s say, the mingling of the genders.

The original Knights Templar were teetotal; the knights of the modern Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar not only enjoy a tipple but make and sell their own wine.

The original Knights Templar instructed their members to don “robes without finery and without any show of pride… And if any brother out of feeling of arrogance wishes to have as his due a better and finer habit, let him be given the worst.” The modern Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar however, promises that modern inductee knights would participate in an initiation ritual reminiscent of a scene out of a Henry VIII film spectacular, with apanages and escutcheons, be presented with a gold signet ring, and henceforth have access to the Order’s luxurious chateaux in Italy and Spain.

The original Knights Templar were created specifically to fulfill a stern, no-nonsense Catholic-oriented agenda; the modern Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar promises to “never insist on any religious affiliations.”

The original Knights Templar were conspicuously homogenous — white, mostly British and French, males. However the modern Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar promises to pursue a free-wheeling, all men-are-brothers secular path, declaring in their constitution: “There are no, nor shall there ever be, any political or racial affiliations.” To prove it Sir Graham showed me the list of men who had already signed-up; it included several prominent scions of industry who hailed from distinctly non-European locations and ethnicities.

But brotherhood extends only so far. There will never be a Gay Pride Day in Savantis — the modern Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar constitution preaches that “the group draws the line on the issue of homosexuality…. While it may be recognized that certain governments… have de-criminalized acts of homosexuality, it is the avowed policy of this Noble Order to unreservedly condemn and decry all such activities.”

Such a forceful statement resonates with the group’s historic disavowal of homosexuality. According to history.com, the original Knights Templar forbid sodomy as “filthy and stinking and repugnant.” Historians seem to be divided about the accusation of homosexuality made against the medieval monks, but it is likely that it was one of the standard conspiracy theory charges leveled by Inquisition judges against those people accused of heresy, such as Jacques de Molay. He spent seven years in prison undergoing extreme tortures to force him to issue a confession that would damn the order in the eyes of the people and the Catholic Church. Although de Molay confessed under duress to denying Christ, trampling on the Holy Cross, and idolatry of a mummified body shaped like a cat, he steadfastly denounced the accusations that the initiation ritual consisted of homosexual practices.

(According to the a historical note published by the Manorial Council in the UK, during his last moments Jacques de Molay “showed no fear and resisted the pain, but in the last minutes before his death, his voice was heard to invoke a curse upon Philip [King Philip IV] and [Pope] Clement V. He called upon Christ to prove the innocence of the Templars by bringing judgement from God on their persecutors. Within one year and one day, he cried, may both Philip and the pope be dead, and Philip’s bloodline reign no more…. Whether you put credence in such superstitious practices is up to you. However, within thirty three days, Pope Clement V had died of an unspecified disease. And within seven months, Philip had fallen victim to a terminal stroke whilst hunting. De Molay’s additional clause regarding Philip’s bloodline took a little longer to fulfil… but it was fulfilled. Over the next few years his Capetian dynasty, The Accursed Kings as they came to be known, too disappeared as each monarch died childless.”)

I don’t like the idea of the Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar telling people how to run their lives. Nevertheless, I grudgingly admire their libertarian spirit — encouraging the “abandoning of all wimpish thoughts whether this or that cannot or should be attempted.”

I ordered another bottle of wine, and questioned the civil liberty issue. Sir Graham argued: “Your golf club wouldn’t allow me to play in just a bathing suit. They’re allowed to set their own standards of behavior. So are we.”

* * *

While rewriting this article in early 2025 I checked to see if the Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar still exists. It does, with a fancy website and an evolution of the principles espoused by Sir Graham some 30 years earlier. The homepage shows some 30 men and women wearing loosely fitting white floor-length robes emblazoned with large red crosses. The garments are open at the front, revealing a golden medallion worn by each member. They stand in front of an ancient and noble building named Rothley Court, which, after a quick Google search, seems to be the historic Rothley Court Hotel by Greene King Inns in Leicester, England. From the hotel’s website it looks like a lovely old (and reasonably priced) getaway in which to spend a weekend retreat while being relevant in the modern world with like-minded Templars.

I sent an email to them asking for more information about membership. While waiting I had a good read of their website:

“Our Order does not claim to be a direct descendant [of the Knights Templar] in the strict sense but it was formally registered in Jerusalem where the original Knights Templar were legitimised and, so far as we are aware, is the only Order originally so registered and which was also empowered to grant hereditary Knighthoods. It is the intention of this Order to modernise and refine the codes of conduct of the original Templars, so as to be of relevance in the modern world. The militarism is not part of our remit; rather we prefer to concentrate on the philanthropic aspects on a worldwide basis.”

They are an equal opportunity society: “Membership applications will be considered from all who have attained the age of twenty-five irrespective of gender, race or creed.”

The Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar lists a number of “impediments” to membership, including being “of an unsound mind,” having been “convicted of a flagrant offence,” and “complicity in an act of terrorism.”

To be considered for membership at the Associate (entry) level an applicant must submit “copious and somewhat expensive documentation … to provide references as to his personal, professional, social and community standing.” No specific fee to become an Associate is mentioned in the website.

After two years an Associate “will be put forward to be considered for the award of an Hereditary Honour”: Templar (Knight or Dame), followed in due course by Commander, and Seneschal. Here’s the first (vague) mention of the cost: Acceptance will be determined “When an acceptable sum has been raised, or other humanitarian works have been undertaken on behalf of or in conjunction with The Order during that time.”

There is, notably, no mention of the nation of Savantis.

As of March 5, 2025, I have not received a response to my simple email request for more information about membership.

* * *

What to make of this group? Crackpots? Self-important dreamers? Charitable visionaries? Rich men and women who enjoy the buzz of wearing ceremonial cloaks and belonging to an exclusive club?

The truth is, 30 years ago I was tempted. I liked the sound of Sir Paul. I left myself a phone message (“Sir Paul, this is Steven Spielberg. I’d like to make a film of your novel.”) to see how it sounded. It sounded just fine. (Full disclosure: Other acquaintances have called me more colorful titles.)

But I’ve always rejected honors. I refused to join my high school honor society. At university I refused to join a fraternity. I’m sympathetic to Groucho Marx’s dictum that he wouldn’t join any club that would have him as a member.

But still, “Sir Paul” has a certain ring (and a reasonable price tag). Maybe I was too hasty. Maybe I could work my way up the Templar Totem Pole of Nobility. Since I’m a writer, I might eventually come to be known as “The Prince Formerly Known as Artist.”

You too, can become a knight!

My dance with the Ancient and Noble Order of The Knights Templar wasn’t my first foray into the world of “buy a noble title.” A few years previously I had replied to another small classified ad in the International Herald Tribune offering the title of “Prince.” In return I received a nice letter from a lawyer in Germany, who explained that a well-placed member of German royalty was offering such titles at the bargain price of $50,000. When I turned it down the lawyer responded by noting that they had other, cheaper titles available.

Actually, it’s not too difficult to get a knighthood or other noble title. Four strategies:

Befriend a legitimate royal and do good works

The world is awash with royals, Some are powerful, some are low-key, some are heads of state, some sit forlornly by the fireplace dreaming of past glories. Many are exiled European potentates, others hail from countries you might not think of when the world “royal” pops up.

When I was with the Switzerland-based World Wildlife Fund International, several of my colleagues were awarded the Order of the Golden Ark, proffered by Prince Bernhard, at that time consort of Queen Juliana of The Netherlands. As knights of the realm, these men were then permitted to use the title “Sir.”

But if you aren’t on close terms with a senior member of some royal family, there are two other options.

Scour the internet and buy a title

A group called the Manorial Council, in England, lists 717 Barony and Lordship Titles for sale throughout England. These are surprisingly inexpensive (and were even cheaper during a 20% sale from 7 February 2025 – 7 March 2025). You could become the 13th Baron and Baroness of Helion Bumpstead in the county of Essex for £9,500 (it has a recorded history from 1066 to 1449 and is mentioned in the Domesday Book). Too rich? Hundreds of Lordships are more reasonably priced. The Lordship Title of Watchet Haweye in Somerset, for instance, with a history dating from 1275 to 1718 is available for £2,145. For the same price you could opt to purchase the Lordship Title of Droungelow in Cornwall, which has only a two-year recorded history dating from 1463 to 1465; the undocumented centuries could, perhaps, offer opportunities for “creative history” genealogy on the part of the new Lord and Lady. And rest assured, “Every title [is] confirmed by three UK registered solicitors (lawyers).”

Okay, but let’s say you have your heart set on being a relatively modest Knight. Consider joining The Knights of the Royal Oak, which were created in 1660 by King Charles II who “rewarded 687 of the English landed gentry for supporting him in his period of exile.” This group adheres to the marketing principle of “exclusivity,” restricting membership to only that original number of worthy men and women (Knights and Dames, respectively).

The website of the Knights of the Royal Oak is as welcoming as a Florida time-share sales pitch, announcing “We are actively recruiting Knights.” Lest you think that this is not a serious group, they point out that “Being a member of the Knights of the Royal Oak stands for something.” Their motto, In Mensura Hominus (“The Measure of Man”), suggests good works and understanding. In keeping with this positive theme applicants are required to provide “an Inspirational Statement [that reflects] an ethos by which the Knight lives by. The Statement [should] reflect what makes you feel good about yourself or what drives you. We hope that by showing what is possible it will inspire others to improve the quality of their lives.” Have difficulty in putting your rousing thoughts on paper? The group realizes that wannabe Knights are busy lads, so they suggest “If you would like to take your time writing your Inspirational Statement then you may submit your Inspirational Statement later. Editing assistance available.” Once that hurdle is hopped over, entry couldn’t be easier (or cheaper). “Set up an annual subscription of £75” and bingo, you will join the Knights on the Knight’s Roll, be allowed to join private forums, receive a “Sealed Declaration Certificate” and a ”sterling silver lapel pin to wear with pride.” You can then proudly “add the suffix “KRO” to your name.” And, if your image of a knighthood includes bloodthirsty duels, the Knights of the Royal Oak encourage members to “challenge another Knight to a game of skill,” such as chess or backgammon.

Set your sights lower

Don’t overlook the wealth of titles available in so-called Micro-Nations, defined by Encyclopedia Brittanica as “an entity that claims to be an independent state but whose sovereignty is not recognized by the international community.”

There is an international convention for being able to call a geographical entity a true country. The Montevideo Convention on the Right and Duties of States, accepted by 198 signatory states, and adopted by the League of Nations in 1933, says that any entity that meets its four criteria — population, territory, government, and the capacity to enter into negotiation with other states — can be regarded as sovereign under international law. Note that under the Convention a country does not have to be recognized by other states; it only has to have the capacity to do so.

One can spend many happy hours wandering through the stories of such fantasy countries. Their leaders, who might be muffin-like grandparent-types or trident-wielding war-mongering bloodthirsty pirates, are generally happy to sell noble titles.

So, why not become a Knight of Sealand? In 1967 Englishman Roy Bates re-invented himself as Prince Roy of Sealand and took over an abandoned World War II anti-aircraft tower off Britain’s east coast. “I have always liked the idea of liberty,” he told the British newspaper The Mirror, “and this was the ultimate way of achieving it.” In common with other offers of noble titles, the Principality of Sealand promotes global altruism by “raising the quality of life of others throughout the world.” The Sealand website offers three methods by which a man or woman can “become a Sir or Dame.” The Digital Knighthood is, well, digital and “Environmentally responsible… Enjoy Sealand Nobility without packaging or shipping.” This option includes a promise to remove “1 pound of trash from our oceans with every order.” The mid-level Classic Knighthood will mail you a physical “Luxury parchment Deed of Title featuring embossed gold Coat of Arms,” while the Premium Knighthood includes the same parchment Deed but it is “personally signed by Sovereign Prince Michael of Sealand.”

Start Your Own Country

Or go one step further. New countries require leaders, whether they be presidents, kings or queens, celestial emperors, beloved leaders, grand wizards, or lord high executioners. But how difficult is it to create a new country? The world is awash in micro-nations,

It’s fun. It’s easy. It’s done all the time. I explore this option in greater detail in my article The Real First White Rajah of Borneo. And if it’s your country, you can give yourself whatever title you damn well please. Emperor? King? Beloved Guru of Infinite Wisdom, Master of the Sun, Rain, and Tornadoes, Bestower of Riches, Enabler of Big Juicy Mangoes to Flourish and Butterflies to Flutter, and Disemboweler of Miscreants? Once that’s settled you can anoint your family, friends, and poker buddies as Knights, Dames, or other significant titles. If you’re clever with manipulating social media and generating online sales you can probably even make some money by selling royal titles and royal merch. Go for it, Your Almost-Majesty.

This article is expanded from a chapter in:
Quests: Searching for Heroes, Scoundrels, Star-Gazers, and a Mermaid Queen