Mgr. Franz Hippolyte Courtens is a mysterious figure about whom little is known at present. He was born in Vive Saint Eloi, part of the bigger municipality of Waregem, Western Flanders Province, Flanders Region, Kingdom of Belgium.

He also lived for many years in a Roman Catholic College in the French city of Tourcoing, Northern France.

During World War One and beyond he served as an intelligence officer for the Vatican and possibly for other Allied governments.

A Roman Catholic, he was awarded the Cross “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” and admitted a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. He also held the Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thorns, and was appointed a (lay) Monseigneur of the Principality of San Luigi.

In the photograph reproduced above, Mgr. Courtens wears the decoration of a Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thorns on his right breast.

The Prince-Abbot has received the Commemorative Cross of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Marshal Józef Piłsudski. This is a joint decoration on the initiative of several Polish veteran organizations, patriotic associations, monarchists and former military men. It was made in a circulation of only 300 medals. The Secretary for this award is San Luigi Grand Prior H.E. Dr. Norbert Wójtowicz.

The Abbey-Principality and its constituent institutions have entered into mutual treaties of partnership, accreditation and recognition with the Academie Héraldique de Saint Paul, which is a registered non-profit association in France.

The Annual Dinner of the Institute of Arts and Letters (London) was held at the Civil Service Club in London on the evening of 3 November. The Fellows and their guests numbered fourteen. A decision had been taken to change the format this year to a less formal event than had previously been the case, and as a result the focus was on enjoying the company of a very diverse and interesting group of people and on some excellent food and wine.

In the course of proceedings, a presentation was made to Mr John Balsdon, Registrar of the Institute, who was presented with the honorary degree of Master of Business Administration awarded by the Western Orthodox University (Commonwealth of Dominica). This award was made in recognition of John’s considerable work as proprietor of a successful record label that has established itself as a distinctive contribution to classical music.

The International College of Arms of the Noblesse was founded in 1925 at the International Convention of the Noblesse de Race in the United States of America, by virtue of powers previously confirmed to the noblesse by Francis II, King of France and extended to French-speaking Canada. King Francis II recognized the right of the noblesse to govern themselves in all matters heraldic, which was then confirmed and extended by Ordinances of the Kings of France dated 1725 and 1744 respectively, as recognized and maintained by Articles XXXVII and XLV of the Capitulation of Montreal 1760, and guaranteed by the Quebéc-Canada Act 1774 and by Articles II and XXVI of the Treaty of Paris 1763.

At the International Convention in 1925 the College was placed under the control of Count H. Victor Cherep-Spiridovich, formerly aide-de-camp to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. From him, it passed to the British Orthodox Archbishop Mar Frederic Harrington, and on Archbishop Harrington’s death in 1942 he was succeeded as Supreme Herald-Marshall by Mar Jacobus II, British Patriarch. In 1945, Mar Jacobus II appointed as his successor Mar Georgius, Catholicos of the West.

The College was incorporated under Act XXI of 1860 in India on 20 February 1950 (registration 5/1950) as a constituent corporation of the Catholicate of the West. In 1953, Mar Georgius separated his work from the Catholicate, abandoning the Indian incorporation, and founded a new organization. However, the Catholicate continued in existence independently from Mar Georgius and on 6 August 1977 was formally united with the headship of the Apostolic Episcopal Church in an act registered with the Secretary of State of California, USA. In February 2015, the present Prince-Abbot of San Luigi also became Presiding Bishop of the Apostolic Episcopal Church and Catholicos of the West, whereby the College became part of a common administration with the Abbey-Principality of San Luigi under the Prince-Abbot as Supreme Herald-Marshall.

The International College of Arms of the Noblesse, Limited, is incorporated in England and Wales with number 13020067. Contact details are contained on the contact page.

John The Duke of Avram, born John Charlton Rudge, is an Australian citizen and the leader of a micronation called the Grand Duchy of Avram. He has represented and issued documents in the name of the International College of Arms of the Noblesse without any legitimate authority and in contravention of the rights of the rightful owners of the College.

Representations were made by us in 2015 to John The Duke of Avram asking by what right and authority he used the name of the College. The response was “We took over the organisation in good faith by Letters Patent in 1987 and have been issuing Letters Patent from that date”. This was interpreted by our office as meaning that any such authority had been entirely self-assumed. Despite being made aware of the rightful representation of the College within the Abbey-Principality of San Luigi, no adjustment or retraction has been forthcoming from the Grand Duchy of Avram.

Consequently, this notice is published to make the public aware that the use of the name of the College by the Grand Duchy of Avram is without legitimacy and in contravention of the rights of the genuine College, and that any heraldic grants that may have been made by the Grand Duchy of Avram using the name of the College will not be recognized within the genuine College.