Prospective Candidates must be a Master Mason, a Royal Arch Mason and a Trinitarian Christian. Constantine, a Roman, was destined for the college of Emperors, but following the death of his father, he was hailed by the Legions in York as Augustus and became the Governor of Britain and Gaul. After several successful battles across the Alps and Italy he eventually established himself as Emperor of both the East and West and transferred the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium, the latter afterwards to be renamed after him. It is said that his conversion to Christianity began one evening after a long day’s march with his army. He believed he saw a sign from heaven; a pillar of light in the form of a special cross. A standard bearing this cross was ordered to be carried before him in battle. Several Christians in his army came forward and avowed their faith, following which Constantine directed that they should wear on their armour a red cross. Having been successful in battle it is said that Constantine with the help of his chief bishop, Eusebius, opened a Conclave of the Knights of the Order, whose members became the bodyguard of their Sovereign.Versions of the Red Cross degree were being worked in Ireland, Scotland and the United States in the early eighteenth century and possibly earlier. In England, the order was reorganised in 1865 and the ceremonies rewritten. The first ceremony consists of the Candidate’s admission, obligation and Installation as a Knight-Companion of the Red Cross of Constantine, in which the historical basis of the Order is explained. Progression through the Offices of Viceroy and Sovereign involve two additional ‘chair’ degrees (Priest-Mason and Prince-Mason). When the Red Cross Order was reorganised in 1865, two Appendant Orders were added: Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, centred on St. Helena’s discovery of the True Cross, and Knight of St. John the Evangelist, based on an unsuccessful attempt to rebuild the Holy Temple at Jerusalem. These, are undoubtedly among the most impressive in the whole of Freemasonry. 

One must be a Royal Arch Companion and profess a belief in the Trinitarian Christian Faith. The Marks to be suffixed after the signature of each Member and the Titles of Honour applicable to the Ranks in the Order

In March 2020, R.Ill.Kt. Marc Burton, then the Intendant-General for Transvaal, Orange Free State, and Northern Cape (now South Africa), initiated a series of mini-lectures for the members of the Red Cross of Constantine in South Africa. 

His goal was to maintain regular communication and sustain interest in the Order during the lockdowns imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. What began as a single dispatch grew unexpectedly into a comprehensive project that engaged him and entertained his fellow Knights through November 2021, resulting in over one hundred mini-lectures. 

These lectures cover nearly all topics of interest referenced in our rituals or closely related themes. These works are now available on a dedicated website, where, with kind permission, they may be read and downloaded for use in Conclave meetings, fostering greater understanding of our rituals and their associated figures, artifacts, and places. 

If you wish to use any of the lectures, please ensure proper acknowledgment of the original source, to whom we extend our sincere gratitude. You can click on the image or the button below, to access the lectures. 

Experience last Grand Imperial Conclave Meeting

On Tuesday, Worthy Knights from the English Constitution of the Red Cross of Constantine and delegations from Sovereign Grand Conclaves gathered at Freemasons' Hall for the Annual Assembly of Grand Imperial Conclave. Presided over by Grand Sovereign Most Illustrious Knight Graham Lesley Flight, G.C.C., the meeting included the reappointment of Deputy Grand Sovereign Christopher John Macdonald, G.C.C., and Grand Eusebius The Revd Timothy John Nicholas L'Estrange, G.C.C. Four Knights Commander of Constantine were appointed: David John Palmer, Samuel John Manby, Denis Dixon Leigh, and David John Roach, receiving traditional salutes. 

Additionally, 133 Worthy Knights were appointed or promoted to Grand Rank, with investments carried out by the Grand Sovereign. The event concluded with a lively gathering in the Grand Temple and dining room, marked by congratulations and encouragement for future attendance.