WI: Alternate Orders of Knighthood To Survive

[Byzantion]

Any others (besides the FMC that @krieger mentioned) who could do the same? Didn't another Ansbach prince try to do the same with the Livonian Order. Or how Kettler wound up with Courland?
I don't expect a shitload of knighthood-turned-kingdoms in Europe (particularly western Europe), but it makes for interesting thought.

It might be easier for German Catholic orders in the North-East after reformation, because you could easier justify secularisation, hereditary rule and coversion. Would be intersting if for example the Malta-knights somehow establis a kingdom. Problem is the Catholic celibacy. Otherwise a Grand-Master could declare himself king with the rest of the knights becomin regular army officiers and officials. An alternate option would be a Catholic monarchy (Maybe a Spanish Dynasty for example) being installed under the supervision of the knights, who in turn rule as a "Shogunate"-like government.

 

[piratedude]

. An alternate option would be a Catholic monarchy (Maybe a Spanish Dynasty for example) being installed under the supervision of the knights, who in turn rule as a "Shogunate"-like government

A magister militum perhaps? Not sure how that'd be rendered in Spanish