The Association of the Arundell Counts and Countesses of the Holy Roman Empire - HREA

All descendants of the 1st Count Thomas Arundell of Wardour, have the Universal Right to the formal usage of the Imperial Titles of Count or Countess of the Holy Roman Empire, being issued within the Imperial  Letters Patent dated the 14th day of December in the year of Our Lord 1595 by Decree of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. The Association and Imperial Order of the Nobility of the Holy Roman Empire (SACRI ROMANI IMPERII NOBILIUM ORDO), has formally issued a decree to ratify the right of claim of all descendants of the body of the 1st Count Thomas Arundell of Wardour of the Holy Roman Empire, to the Titles and Styles of the aforesaid Imperial Count.

The Chancellor and Grand Master of the Association and Imperial Order, has granted by Imperial Decree and Letters, the right of usage of the  appellation style and title of Excellency, upon all descendants of the 1st Count Thomas Arundell of Wardour, who may formally Petition the  Association for full recognition of their rights to the Imperial Titles of Count or Countess of the Holy Roman Empire, and to be listed upon the  official register of the Imperial Rolls of the Nobility of the Holy Roman Empire, which will be granted with full rights of usage to the Armorial Bearings of the aforementioned 1st Count Thomas Arundell, by sanction and decree of the Holy Roman Empire Association and Imperial Order. 

The Translation of the Imperial Letters Patent of 1595: We have desired not to forget the notable virtues by which more and more you bring honour to your distinguished race at home and abroad, as when first you imbued your mind with the liberal arts, you went to foreign provinces, you saw many customs and many cities, you learned the use of great things, and finally out of such distant and remote places you came animated by a rare and singular zeal in Hungary at your own expense to this sacred war that we are waging against the Turkish host, common enemy of the Christian name; you conducted yourself bravely and vigorously in open battles and in sieges,  that you were greatly commended by the Most Serene Prince Archduke Mathias our dearest brother and by the first commanders of our army to Our admiration and that of all nations, for this notable example among others observed in the storming of the citadel of Víziváros near Esztergom, when you seized the Turkish standard with your own hand and offered yourself to be seen at the very beginning of the battle, but we have desired to kindly honour you and your legitimate descendants by some eminent mark of our grace; 

Therefore of our own motion, certain knowledge, mature deliberation and with good counsel, and in the plenitude of our Imperial authority and power, We have created, made and appointed you, the said Thomas Arundell , whose kinship with counts is already accepted by the more prominent in England, and to all and singular your natural heirs, successors and legitimate descendants of either sex to be born in perpetual succession, true Counts and Countesses of the Holy Roman Empire, and by this title, honour and dignity of Imperial Count we have raised and distinguished you, as by these present we create, make, appoint, raise and distinguish  you, willing and by this our imperial edict valid in perpetuity ordaining firmly and expressly that you, said Thomas Arundell, and all your issue and legitimate posterity male and female in infinity might and shall hold, receive and obtain the name and dignity of Count of the Empire henceforth for all times and be honored, called and known by it in all pronouncements written and verbal in all matters spiritual and temporal, ecclesiastic and lay, and finally that you might and shall  use, enjoy, and possess, freely and without any impediment, all honors, ornaments, dignities, graces, liberties, privileges, rights, concessions, customs, preeminences and prerogatives such as our other Counts of the Holy Roman Empire use, enjoy, and possess, by right or custom.  

Notwithstanding any thing to the contrary even if such should exist of which in these present special and express mention should have been made, to which any and all things insofar as they are or could in any way be contrary we of our imperial authority knowingly derogate and want and declare by these present that have been sufficiently derogated; and the rights and superiorities of the Most Serene Princess and Lady Elizabeth, Queen of  England, France and Ireland our dearest sister and cousin always  inviolate and saved. And thus be it permitted to no man of whatever rank, status, order, condition and dignity they might be or whatever eminence they might hold, to transgress or be so bold as to dare  contravene this page of our confirmation, ratification, approbation, corroboration, erection, authority, will, grace and decree. And whosoever should do so, he will find himself incuring our most serious wrath and that of the Holy Roman Empire and the pain of one hundred marks of pure gold, of which half we grant to our imperial treasury and the rest to the usage of those who have suffered injury, removing any hope of relief or pardon.  In witness these letters signed by our hand and our Imperial seal appended. Given in our royal city of Prague, the 14th day of December the year of the Lord 1595, of our reign of the Romans the 21st, of Hungary the 24th and of Bohemia the 21st. Rudolph, By his Imperial Majesty's command Johann Barwitz.