On the Verified Genealogy of the Royal Sheikhs El Chemor of the Royal House of Ghassan

LEGAL MEMORANDUM
Subject: Verified Genealogy of the Royal Sheikhs El Chemor of the Royal House of Ghassan
Date: 31 May 2025
From: Rev. Dr. Christian Dominic Boyd, Grand Chancellor and Chief Administrative Officer
To: Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Embassies, and Permanent Missions of Member States of the United Nations; Heads of State; Intergovernmental Organizations; Ecclesiastical and Dynastic Authorities

I. PURPOSE

This memorandum formally sets forth the genealogical and legal basis for the recognition of the Royal Sheikhs El Chemor of the Sovereign Imperial and Royal House of Ghassan. It confirms the identities of six living individuals as the only verifiably documented heirs of the Royal House, as substantiated by ecclesiastical authorities and academic scholarship. This clarification is issued in accordance with the Royal House’s policy of 10 May 2025 regarding the recognition of dethroned sovereign families, noble titles, and dynastic honors.

II. BACKGROUND

The El Chemor family descends directly from the last Ghassanid Christian ruler, King Jablah, whose descendants established the sovereign Principality of Akoura (1211–1633 CE) and later ruled Zgharta-Zawiya (1641–1747 CE) in Mount Lebanon. The El Chemor Sheikhs ruled autonomously and retained their royal titles continuously, never having their titles bestowed upon them by the Ottoman Empire or other temporal powers.

This dynastic sovereignty was ecclesiastically and academically preserved through:

• The Encyclopedia of Maronite Families (Vol. IV), published by Notre Dame University–Louaize, under the Maronite Order of the Holy Virgin Mary;

• The chronicles of Maronite Patriarch Stephen Duaihy (1630–1704);

• The historical work of Father Ignatios Tannos El Khoury (1947);

• The independent expertise of Arab monarchist scholar Professor Dr. Joseph Kechichian;

• And formal genealogical affirmations by the Augustan Society, among others.

III. VERIFIED DESCENDANTS OF THE HOUSE OF GHASSAN

The genealogical record—cross-verified by Maronite Church documentation and scholarly consensus—establishes that only six individuals are verifiably descended from the Royal Sheikhs El Chemor and thereby form the legitimate nucleus of the modern Sovereign Imperial and Royal House of Ghassan:

A. Kfarhata (Primary) Branch

1. HIRH Crown Prince Sheikh Selim El Chemor of Ghassan

2. HIRH Prince Sheikh Michel El Chemor of Ghassan

3. HIRH Prince Sheikh Khalil El Chemor of Ghassan

4. HIRH Prince Sheikh Antoine Majid El Chemor

The first three princes are the sons of the late HIRH Prince Sheikh Antonios El Chemor of Kfarhata and HRH Princess Laudy Chehab Al-Chemor, whose dynastic marriage links the Ghassanid line with the ancient House of Chehab and the Quraysh lineage.

HIRH Prince Sheikh Atoine Majid El Chemor is the son of HIRH Prince Sheikh Maurice El-Chemor, brother of HIRH Prince Sheikh Antonios El Chemor.

B. Chiyah (Gharios Habbaki) Branch

1. HIRH Prince Gharios El Chemor of Ghassan Al-Numan VIII

2. HRH Sheikh Dr. Naji Gharios

These individuals are documented descendants of Sheikh Gharios bin Youssef El Chemor, whose cadet branch is recorded in both the Maronite baptismal registries and formal family histories. Their genealogy is confirmed by both ecclesiastical authorities and archival research, including their recorded presence in Chiyah (Baabda District) since at least 1757 CE.

IV. LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC SIGNIFICANCE

In accordance with the 10 May 2025 Official Statement on the Recognition of Dethroned Sovereign Families, Titles of Nobility, and Honors, the Sovereign Imperial and Royal House of Ghassan:

1. Recognizes titles and dynastic rights only of those lineages verified by international academic and ecclesiastical authority;

2. Confirms that no other individuals claiming descent from the El Chemor family are verifiable under accepted genealogical or historical standards;

3. Asserts that no other branch or claimant may be recognized as part of the Ghassanid nobiliary structure or as a representative of the Royal House of Ghassan;

4. Upholds that all titles, investitures, and dignities associated with the House must derive from these six individuals or their direct descendants.

V. CONCLUSION

This memorandum serves as a formal and legal attestation of the verifiable lineage of the Royal Sheikhs El Chemor and the Sovereign Imperial and Royal House of Ghassan. It is issued for purposes of diplomatic reference, genealogical verification, and international recognition. This policy safeguards against fraudulent claims, title inflation, and misrepresentation of Ghassanid heritage.

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All inquiries for verification or engagement with the Royal House should be directed through its Chancellery or its accredited diplomatic representatives.