Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Carlos III, knight was instituted by King Carlos III by Royal Decree on 19 September 1771 to reward activities that benefited Spain and the Royal House. It has always been Spain’s highest civil award, though until 1847 it was both a military and civil decoration. The Order is still in existence and is now awarded to ‘citizens who, with their effort, initiative and work, have brought a distinguished and extraordinary service to the Nation’. The Immaculate Conception, 1660, by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo on which the image on the face is based is in the Museo del Prado, Madrid.
