| Fra' Andrew Bertie | |
|---|---|
| Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta (more) | |
| Reign | 11th April 1988 - 7th February 2008 |
| Full name | Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie |
| Born | 15 May 1929 |
| Birthplace | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 7 February 2008 |
| Place of death | Rome, Lazio, Italy |
| Buried | Church of Santa Maria del Priorato, Aventine Hill, Rome, Italy, 16 February 2008 |
| Predecessor | Fra' Angelo de Mojana, 77th Prince and Grand Master |
| Successor | Fra' Matthew Festing, 79th Prince and Grand Master |
| Royal House | Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta (SMOM) |
| Royal anthem | Ave Crux Alba (Hail, White Cross) |
| Father | Lt. Cdr. Hon. James Bertie |
| Mother | Lady Jean Crichton-Stuart |
Fra' Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie (May 15, 1929 – February 7, 2008) was the 78th Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, serving for nearly 20 years from 1988 until his death in 2008. Bertie was the first Englishman elected Grand Master since 1258.
He never married and had a younger brother. He was the fourth cousin twice removed of Queen Elizabeth II.[1]
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Bertie was born in London, the son of the Hon. James Bertie (son of The Earl of Abingdon) and Lady Jean Crichton-Stuart (the daughter of the John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute). He was educated at the English Roman Catholic public school, Ampleforth College, and graduated in Modern History from Christ Church, Oxford. He also attended the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London. From 1948 to 1950 he carried out military service in the Scots Guards, becoming a commissioned officer in 1949. After a short experience in the commercial sector, he taught modern languages (particularly French and Spanish) for twenty-three years at Worth School, a Benedictine public school in Sussex, England.
Bertie was admitted to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) in 1956. He became a Knight of Justice in the order by taking Perpetual Vows in 1981 (the equivalent of a monk).[2]
He also joined the government of the Order in 1981 as a member of the Sovereign Council and in April 1988 he was elected the 78th Grand Master. Subsequently, he was Hospitaller of the Sanctuary of Lourdes, which is the annual pilgrimage site of SMOM.[3] He succeeded the late Fra' Angelo de Mojana, the Milanese nobleman who had served the Order as Grand Master since 1962 and accomplished a great deal of modernization to the organization. Although it is considered sovereign, the Order of Malta is also a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, so Bertie's election needed the ratification of Pope John Paul II, which was obtained on 11 April 1988.
Bertie described the aims of the Order as “to help the poor and the sick; that is and always has been our primary aim”:
Bertie never married or had children. He died in Rome from cancer on 7 February 2008, aged 78.
His full title was: His Most Eminent Highness Fra' Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, Most Humble Guardian of the Poor of Jesus Christ.[5]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Angelo de Mojana di Cologna |
Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller 1988–2008 |
Succeeded by Matthew Festing |