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THE INTERNATIONAL AND ROYAL
COUNCIL FOR ORDERS OF CHIVALRY
THE ALMANACH DE CHIVALRY 2008
( Founded 2002 by Royal Charter )
The Register of Orders of Chivalry
Registre des Ordres de Chevalerie
The Official Listing of The Imperial
and Royal European Orders of Chivalry
The Royal Orders of The Kingdom of Sweden
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(Above)
His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
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THE KING OF SWEDEN
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Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus) (born April 30, 1946, at Haga Palace, Solna, Uppland), is the head of state of the Kingdom of Sweden. He is the only son of the late Prince Gustaf Adolf (1906-1947) and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1908-1972). He ascended to the throne on September 15, 1973, upon the death of his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf.
He was Christened at the Royal Chapel on 7 June 1946 by the Archbishop of Uppsala, Erling Eidem. His Godparents were The Crown Prince of Denmark, The Crown Princess of Denmark, The Crown Prince of Norway, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, King Gustaf V of Sweden, Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, The Crown Prince of Sweden, The Crown Princess of Sweden, Count Folke Bernadotte af Wisborg, and Countess Maria Bernadotte af Wisborg.
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THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD IN THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN
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Religious - monastic - orders were formed at an early stage in Christian history. Several such orders came to Sweden in medieval times, including for example the Franciscan Order, which established monasteries and churches in Stockholm, Visby, Skara and elsewhere during the second half of the 13th century.
The official system of orders
It was not until 1748, with the foundation by Fredrik I of the Orders of the Seraphim, Sword and Polar Star, followed in 1772 by Gustav III's institution of the Order of Vasa, that Sweden acquired an official system of orders primarily intended for Swedish recipients.
The King is "Lord and Master of all Swedish orders", or "Grand Master" as the term now goes. The Swedish orders (except for the Order of the Seraphim, which has one only) know five degrees: Commander Grand Cross, Commander First Class, Commander, Officer First Class and Officer. Women and clergy are called "members", not "officers", of the orders concerned.
Only foreign citizens
Under a law passed in 1974, Swedish orders can only be conferred on foreign citizens or stateless persons for personal services to Sweden or Swedish interests. The only exception to this rule is the power of The King, since 1995, to confer the Order of the Seraphim and degrees in the Order of the Polar Star on members of the Swedish Royal Family.
Other orders
Apart from the national, official system of orders, Sweden, like most other countries, has a number of official and quasi-official orders, foremost among them being the Order of King Carl XIII, of which The King is Grand Master. The quasi-official orders include the Order of St John in Sweden.
Other recognised orders are the Grand Order of the Amaranth, instituted by Queen Kristina in 1653, and the Order of Innocence, both of which are to be regarded as fraternities/sororities or "social orders".
Several orders - the Order of Carpenters, the Order of Good Templars and the Order of Odd Fellows, for example - work for various scholarly, idealistic and humanitarian purposes.
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(Above)
The Ceremonial Breast Star
of a Knight of the Order
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THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE SERAPHIM
( Kungliga Serafimerorden )
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The Order of the Seraphim (in Hebrew for a category of Angels) or the Order of His Majesty the King (Swedish Serafimerorden or Kungl. Maj:ts Orden) is a Swedish Royal order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Polar Star. After the reorganization of the orders in 1975 the order is only awarded to foreign heads of state and members of the royal family. The order has only one grade with the dignity of Knight (Member for women and clergymen), and is the foremost order of Sweden.
When a knight of the Order dies, his coat of arms is hung in the former royal burial church Riddarholmskyrkan in Stockholm, and when the funeral takes place the church bells are rung constantly from 12:00 to 13:00.
Knights and Members of the Order wear the badge on a collar (chain) or on a sash on the right shoulder, and the star on the left chest: The collar of the Order is in gold, with eleven double crosses enamelled in blue and eleven seraphim. The badge of the Order is a white-enamelled gilt Maltese Cross, with a gilt double cross on each arm of the cross, and gilt seraphim between the arms of the cross. The obverse central disc is in blue enamel, with a white-enamelled "IHS" Christogram amongst Three Crowns; beneath this are three nails with which Jesus Christ was crucified. The reverse central disc is also in blue enamel, with white-enamelled letters "FRS" (Fredericus, Rex Sueciae, Frederick King of Sweden). The badge is topped by a gilt crown.
The star of the Order is the same as the obverse of the badge, except the crosses and seraphim are in silver and without enamel, and is not topped by a crown.
The ribbon (sash) of the Order is pale blue.
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(Above)
The Ceremonial Medal and Sash of
a Knight Grand Cross of the Order
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF THE SWORD
( Kungliga Svärdsorden )
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The Order of the Sword was instituted February 23rd, 1748 by King Frederik I, renewing an older order version of the Order from the 12th century.
It was originally awarded to officers for long and faithful service in both peace and wartime, and could also be awarded to foreigners. The reigning monarch (King Carl XVI Gustaf) is head of the Order.
The sash and ribbons for the Order are made from yellow silk with blue trim - the national colors of Sweden. The sash is worn from right shoulder. Since 1974 the Order is no longer conferred. The Order has three classes, with the second class and third class divided into 2 classes each
The Grand Cross insignia is a white-enameled Maltese cross in gold suspended under the royal crown. The obverse features a blue medallion with 3 golden crowns arranged around an upright sword. The obverse features an upright sword with a laurel wreath around the tip and the motto "Pro Patria" (For the Fatherland). A crown is placed between each arm in the cross. Crossed swords with blades pointed downward are placed under the crown
The Grand Cross breast star is a silver Maltese cross with the same medallion as the insignia. The breast star has gold crowns between each arm in the star. The Grand Cross collar is made from gold and consists of the following links: 11 swords in blue-enameled sheaths and 9 blue-enameled helmets.
The Commander Class in divided into two classes, Commander 1st Class and Commander. Commander 1st Class wears a breast star in addition to the Commander insignia, while Commanders wears the insignia only. The Commander insignia is worn by men in a neck ribbon and by women in a bow. The breast star for Commander 1st Class is slightly smaller than the Grand Cross breast star.
The Knight 1st Degree & Knight insignia is worn by men in a ribbon and by women in a bow. The insignia for Knight (not shown) is made from silver rather than gold, but is otherwise identical. Unlike the Grand Cross and Commander classes, the Knight insignia features only two swords as opposed to six.
The Sword Cross & The Sword Medal, The Order of the Sword has two additional decorations not included in the classes above. The Sword Cross is awarded to NCOs and The Sword Medal to troops for at least 16 years of service. Both decorations were instituted June 26th, 1850.
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(Above)
The Ceremonial Medal and Sash of
a Knight Grand Cross of the Order
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF THE NORTH STAR
( Kungliga Nordstjärnesorden )
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The Order of the North Star was instituted February 23rd,1748 by King Frederik I. Its present statutes are from 1975. The Order was originally awarded to Swedish and foreign citizens for meritorious achievements in science and literature as well as service to the state and society. Since 1975 it is the only Swedish order in use except for the Order of the Seraphim. The Order is awarded for service to Sweden and Swedish interests to foreign citizens only.
The reigning monarch (King Carl XVI Gustaf) is head of the Order. The sash and ribbons for the Order were originally made from solid black silk, today the sash and ribbons are made from blue silk with yellow trim – the national colors of Sweden. The Order has three classes with Commander grade divided into two classes: Grand Cross, Commander 1st Class, Commander and Knight.
The insignia is a white-enameled Maltese cross in gold suspended under the royal crown. The obverse features a blue medallion with a white North Star and the text "Nescit Occasum" (It knows no descent). The reverse is identical. A gold crown is placed between each arm in the cross. The collar (not shown) is made from gold and consists of the following links: 14 crowned blue-enameled back-to-back F’s for Frederik I and 7 white North Stars.
The Commander class in divided into two classes, Commander 1st Class and Commander, Commander 1st Class wears the breast star in addition to the Commander insignia, while Commanders wears the insignia only. The Commander insignia is worn by men in a neck ribbon and by women in a bow.
Knight is Insignia worn by men in a ribbon and by women in a bow. The full-size Knight is in immaculate condition, flawless enamel and a perfectly frosted gold finish. Even the stones and enamel tips in the crown are intact.
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF THE POLAR STAR
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The Order of the Polar Star was until 1975 intended as a reward for Swedish and foreign "civic merits, for devotion to duty, for science, literary, learned and useful works and for new and beneficial institutions".
The cross of the order is of the Maltese type and was originally worn in a black sash; since 1975 the sash is blue with yellow edges. The emblem bears the device of the order, "Nescit occasum" (It knows no decline.)
This order also has a medal, "the Polar Star Medal". As from 1975, the Order of the Polar Star is presented to foreign nationals or stateless persons.
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THE ORDER OF VASA
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The Order of Vasa was intended as a reward for services in a number of fields, for presentation to persons not eligible for the "service orders" of the Sword and the Polar Star. Above all, this order was intended as recognition of good services to agriculture and mining, technical progress and commerce.
The Order of Vasa was a free order, i.e. unrestricted by rules of birth and education. The cross of the order is composed on the same lines as the insignia of the more senior orders and is surmounted by a crowned sheaf, the emblem of the Vasa dynasty. Like the Order of the Sword, the Order of Vasa is no longer presented.
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"CHRISTUS VINCIT, CHRISTUS REGNAT, CHRISTUS IMPERIT"
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For Further Information
The Correspondence Address is:
The Imperial and Royal Society
of The Almanach de Chivalry,
Royal Mail Post Office Box 276,
Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0UL,
United Kingdom.
Telephone: +44 (0) 208 943 4520
Fax: +44 (0) 208 943 4520
E-mail: almanachdechivalry@msn.com
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The Official Website of Almanach de Chivalry
Crown Copyright Held © 2002-2008, All Rights Reserved
WEBSITE LINKS:
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