The Sovereign Council (SC) represents the international structure of the Order. It is composed of all the High Officers and General Officers of the Order, as well as those other officers and consultative bodies, all of whom have a responsibility to the universal Order. The geographical jurisdiction of the SC is wherever in the world the Order exercises a presence. It serves as an umbrella for all of the subordinate jurisdictional units of the Order and for all the members of the Order belong to them.

The officers of the SC are chosen from the worldwide membership of the Order. It is their duty to adopt and implement policies and programs for the Order in conformity with the Constitution of the Order and the will of the Chapter General.

 The SC defines procedures on membership, promotions, oblations, and other matters affecting the operation of the Order. It works to insure that Order policy is uniformly followed throughout the world, it administers the Order's property, and it is the nucleus through which the Order's fons honorum is exercised.

Grand Master

The Grand Master (GM) is the Sovereign of the Order and of all its dependencies and the immediate government of the Order is vested in them. The Grand Master is Chair of the Sovereign Council, over which they preside, as well as of the Chapter General of the Order. They nominate and upon confirmation by the Sovereign Council appoints all High Officers, appoints all General Officers with the agreement of the Magistral Council, and appoints all other officers upon their own authority.

Where by law a corporate president may be required, the Grand Master possesses the same powers as the President of the Corporation serving as the chief executive officer of the Order. Consequently, they sign all certificates, contracts, and other instruments of the corporation. By their office they are an ex-officio member of all boards, colleges, commissions, committees and other assemblies of the Order at whatever level.

The Grand Master is nominated by the Sovereign Council and elected by the Chapter General of the Order. Upon assuming their high office, the Grand Master must execute a special oath in which they promise to govern the Order in accordance with the Constitution. By decree of King Peter II the Grand Master is invested with the style of "Most Serene Highness". To the Prince Grand Master alone has been conveyed the right to create or dub knights, a right which they may on occasion delegate under
special circumstances.

The Lieutenant Grand Master

If the Grand Master should be prevented from discharging their duties, they may appoint a Lieutenant to act for them and discharge those of their duties which relate to their capacity as Chairman of the Sovereign Council or President of the Corporation. If there is a vacancy in the office of Grand Master, the Sovereign Council may likewise appoint a Lieutenant. All official acts and deeds of a Lieutenant of the Grand Master are subject to the sanction of the Grand Master or, in the vacancy of that office, of the Sovereign Council.

The High Officers of the Order

The High Officers of the Order are appointed by nomination of the Grand Master and confirmation of the Sovereign Council. They serve at the pleasure of the Grand Master and
their normal term of office is four years, and they may be reappointed. 

While a High Officer may hold one or more General Offices concurrently, it is not the policy for more than one High Office to be held permanently by a single individual. The general duties of the High Officers of the Order are as provided below.

The Grand Commander of the Order

This officer ranks third in precedence after the Grand Master and Lt Grand Master and acts as their personal deputy. They also have under their authority the Grand Prelate of the Order, the Almoner General, the Hospitaller General, and the Director General of Education; and they oversee the charitable work of the Order. In addition to these, they perform whatever other duties are assigned to them by the Grand Master.

The Grand Chancellor of the Order

This officer is the functional head of the Administration of the Order. Among their duties are the issuance of notices of all meetings of the Sovereign Council and the Chapter General, the keeping of accurate records of these meetings, the charge of the Great Seal and the corporate books, and they make such reports and performs such duties as are incident to their office. To assist them in their work, they have under their direct control the Attorney General of the Order, the Registrar General, the Keeper of the Great Seal, and the Secretary General. They serve as the Grand Master's representative to all levels of the Order.

The Grand Marshal

This officer exercises complete authority over all matters relating to arms, heraldry, genealogy, honours, titles, ranks, and orders of chivalry; and their duties require that they have some specialized knowledge or experience in these areas.

The Grand Receiver of the Common Treasure

This officer is the chief financial officer of the Order. Their duties require that the person holding the office have experience in accounting, banking, and/or financial management. Their general duties consist of collecting, safekeeping, depositing, and disbursing all funds and securities of the Order.

The Grand Councillors

In addition to the High Officers of the Order there may be six Grand Councillors – two from each country, chosen to advise and assist the Grand Master, who are nominated by their respective Grand Priories and approved by SC.

The General Officers of the Order

The General Officers of the Order are appointed by the Grand Master with the agreement of SC. All members of the Order are eligible to fill these offices, but during their
incumbency they hold the rank of Knight or Dame Commander, if they do not already hold a higher rank. Their normal term of office is four years, but they serve at the pleasure of the Grand Master, and they may be reappointed.

The Grand Prelate of the Order

This officer is the premier ecclesiastic of the Order and should be of Episcopal rank. Their duties are as may be assigned to them by the Grand Master, and they are within the department of the Grand Commander of the Order, to whom they report. All the Grand Prelates of the Grand Priories are to make an annual report to them of their activities, which reports shall be incorporated in their annual report to the Grand Commander. The Grand Prelate of the Order has nominal authority over all of the ecclesiastical members of the Order of whatever rank or denomination.

The Secretary General

This officer, who is within the Grand Chancellery of the Order, is responsible for giving official notice to those concerned of all meetings of the Chapter General. They also maintain the list of members of the Chapter General of the Order, which list is updated every six months to preserve its accuracy. In conjunction with this, they are
responsible for sending, receiving, and counting any mail ballots of the Chapter General of the Order, and for forwarding a report on the same to the Grand Master and to the Grand Chancellor of the Order.

The Attorney General

This officer is within the department of the Grand Chancellery of the Order, reporting to the Grand Chancellor. They should be an Attorney at Law who is familiar with the laws of the United States of America and Canada, and conversant with the laws pertaining to the Order in other legal jurisdictions. Their primary duty shall be to give opinions on legal matters affecting the Order when such questions are referred to them by the Grand Master or the Grand Chancellor of the Order.

The Archivist General of the Order

This officer is under direct command of the Grand Master, to whom they report. They have official custody and responsibility for protecting and safeguarding all documents, files, registers, and records relating to the membership, activities, business, and history of the Order. They also arrange for the acquisition, cataloguing, and housing of all additional collections of the Order documents, or family archival documents, which members of the Order may wish to contribute to the Order Archives to insure their preservation. In maintaining the same, they work closely with the Librarian of the Order. Subject to the approval of the Magistral Council, they may
solicit gifts for the Archives; and they are responsible for the formal acknowledgement on behalf of the Order of all such gifts. By virtue of their office, they are a member of the Board of Acquisitions and Properties.

The Director General of Insignia

This officer is within the department of the Grand Marshal, to whom they report. They are responsible for all the insignia requirements of the Order. They commission from independent manufacturers the fabrication of insignia at the direction of the Grand Marshal, this upon approval of the designs for the same by the Sovereign Council. They accept all orders for insignia from the Grand Priors in anticipation of Investiture requirements and dispatches the same upon receipt of payment.

The Blanche Croix Juge d'Armes

This officer is within the department of the Grand Marshal, to whom they report and should possess a special knowledge of arms, heraldry, genealogy, and ceremonial. They are the head of the Order's Heraldic Administration and presides over its College of Arms, which advises the Grand Master and the Grand Marshal on matters of heraldry and genealogy.

The Pilgrimmaster

This officer is under the direct command of the Grand Master, to whom they report. They are responsible for organizing and overseeing the official pilgrimages of the Order; and also, for making a written and photographic record of the same. They also maintain the Pilgrims’ Register, wherein they report the information on pilgrimages made by members of the Order; and they issue the Order’s Certificate of Pilgrimage, which entitles its recipients to apply to the Director General of Insignia for the Order’s Pilgrim Shell. They submit an annual report to the Sovereign Council on the pilgrimage activities of the Order for the preceding year.