Female order of the Band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Female Order of the Band | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the Female order of the Band. | |
| Awarded by John I of Castile | |
| Type | Chivalric order in one class |
| Established | 1387 |
| Status | Disestablished |
| Grades | Dame |
The Female order of the Band is a female honorific order founded in 1387, bestowed upon the women of Palencia, in Castile and León (Crown of Castile, current Spain). It was founded by John I of Castile in 1387 in order to honor the memory of the knight women who helped the defense of Palencia in the siege by English troops; their courage contributed greatly to the defenders success in inflicting significant loss on the besiegers.[1] He gave the Palencian noble knight women the privilege of carrying the golden bend "such as bringing the knights of the Order of the Band" created by Alfonso XI in 1332.[2]