The Imperial Order of Guadalupe it was a one of merit. Nevertheless, because it granted the nobility privilege, it meaned the end of the tensions between a legal inteligence and one more costumary of the nobility. The first one, imposed by Spain to its ultramarine possessions in the end of the viceroyal period; the second one developed in New Spain, of hispanic inspiration, but with its own notes. The Order, therefore, played a significant role in the process of juridical organization of a self defining society and served to link the ancient nobility with the new one. It was part of the intent to strengthen the Empire.
Mayagoitia, A. (2010). La orden imperial de Guadalupe: ocaso de la nobleza novohispana, orto de la mexicana. Revista Chilena De Historia Del Derecho, (21), Pág. 555–582. https://doi.org/10.5354/rchd.v0i22.22029
