Order of St. Lazare

The Order of St. Lazare is a chivalric order that appears in Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo as a subtle but significant marker of aristocratic and royal favor. It is mentioned in the novel as one of the decorations worn by King Louis XVIII, who is described as wearing it above the order of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel and St. Lazare, alongside the cross of St. Louis and the Legion of Honor. This placement of the order among the highest honors of the French monarchy serves to underscore the social and political prestige of the characters who bear it, particularly within the context of the Bourbon Restoration, and to highlight the contrast between the old nobility and the newly risen figures like the Count of Morcerf.

The Order in the Royal Context

The Order of St. Lazare is first mentioned in the novel during a scene at the Tuileries, where King Louis XVIII is described as wearing it over his blue coat, near the cross of St. Louis, above the order of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel and St. Lazare. This detail, though brief, is significant because it places the order within the constellation of honors that define the highest echelons of the French court. The king's decision to detach the cross of the Legion of Honor from his own person and bestow it upon Villefort, while the Order of St. Lazare remains part of his own regalia, emphasizes the distinction between the ancient, hereditary orders of the monarchy and the newer, more meritocratic Legion of Honor. The order thus functions as a symbol of the old regime's enduring prestige, even as the political landscape shifts around it.

The Order as a Symbol of Social Distinction

The order's presence in the novel also serves to highlight the social aspirations and anxieties of the characters. The Count of Morcerf, a man of humble origins who has risen to the rank of lieutenant-general and peer of France, is depicted as being acutely aware of the distinctions conferred by such honors. His uniform, adorned with the ribbons of the Legion of Honor, the Order of the Saviour, and the Order of Charles III, reflects his service in Greece and Spain, but the absence of the Order of St. Lazare from his decorations suggests that he has not been fully accepted into the inner circle of the old aristocracy. The order thus becomes a marker of the divide between the established nobility and the parvenus, a theme that runs throughout the novel.

The Order and the Theme of Legitimacy

The Order of St. Lazare also contributes to the novel's broader exploration of legitimacy and power. In the scene at the Tuileries, the king's regalia, including the Order of St. Lazare, serves as a visual reminder of the divine right of kings and the continuity of the Bourbon dynasty. This is contrasted with the figure of Napoleon, who is described as having been overthrown and exiled to Elba. The order, as part of the king's attire, thus becomes a symbol of the restoration of the monarchy and the reassertion of traditional authority. Its mention, though fleeting, reinforces the novel's engagement with the political upheavals of the early nineteenth century and the struggle between the old order and the new.

The Order's Narrative Significance

While the Order of St. Lazare is not a central plot device, its inclusion in the novel is characteristic of Dumas's attention to historical detail and his use of such details to enrich the social texture of his narrative. The order's appearance in the context of the royal court and its association with the king's person serve to ground the story in a specific historical moment, lending authenticity to the novel's portrayal of the Restoration era. Moreover, the order's symbolic weight as a marker of aristocratic distinction contributes to the novel's themes of social climbing, legitimacy, and the precarious nature of honor in a world where titles and decorations can be both earned and lost.