On February 17, the distinguished intellectual and politician from Seville received the Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Ketel from Count Miklós Cseszneky, Grand Master of the Order, which is based in Hungary.

The Order of Duke Ketel was established in the last century, under the auspices of the House of Savoy, by a Hungarian-Croatian aristocrat Count Gyula Cseszneky as a dynastic honour of his lineage, which is one of the most ancient noble families of Hungary and Croatia. The name of the Order refers to a legendary ancestor of the House of Cseszneky: Duke Ketel was a Khazar-Pecheneg leader who, according to mediaeval chronicles, at the end of the 9th century joined the Magyar confederation led by Grand Prince Álmos, and then participated in the conquest of Hungary. The Grand Cross is the most prestigious grade of the Order, inferior only to the Grand Collar, which is reserved for heads of state and the Holy Father.

Francisco José Contreras Peláez (Seville, 1964) is a distinguished Professor of Philosophy of Law at the University of Seville and member of the Spanish parliament.

Contreras is a prolific author, whose scholarly works focus on the history of legal philosophy, theory of justice, and political philosophy.