Ludovico Chigi della Rovere-Albani (10 July 1866 – 14 November 1951) was Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1931 to 1951.
[2] After Chigi's death, the Order spiralled into difficulties and Pope Pius XII forbade the immediate election of a new Grand Master which would have been usual.
The Order was governed by a Lieutenant appointed by Rome (first Antonio Hercolani Fava Simonetti and then Ernesto Paternò Castello di Carcaci) and a Commission of Cardinals until the Constitutional Charter was approved by Apostolic Letter of Pope John XXIII in 1961 and Angelo de Mojana di Cologna was elected as new Grand Master.
Cardinal Nicola Canali had attempted to become Grand Master after the death of Chigi in 1951 and a great controversy errupted about the status of the order as a religious and sovereign one.
In addition to this, there was the controversy of Yves Marsaudon (a Freemason in Paris who had become a prominent member of the Order of Malta during the time of Chigi as Plenipotentiary to France and promoted ecumenism).