The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish: Kungliga Nordstjärneorden), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of the Polar Star is 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".
Royal Order of the Polar Star Kungliga Nordstjärneorden
Until 1975: Civic merits, for devotion to duty, for science, literary, learned and useful works and for new and beneficial institutions. After 1975: Services to Sweden
1975–2023 (foreign recipients) Ribbon bars of the order
Cross, ribbon and star of a Commander Grand CrossCollar of the Order of the Polar Star and the badge of the order
Its motto is, as seen on the blue enameled centre of the badge, Nescit Occasum, a Latin phrase meaning "It knows no decline". This is to represent that Sweden is as constant as a never setting star. The Order's colour is black. This was chosen so that when wearing the black sash, the white, blue and golden cross would stand out and shine as the light of enlightenment from the black surface. The choice of black for the Order's ribbon may also have been inspired by the black ribbon of the French Order of St. Michael, which at the time the Order of the Polar Star was instituted was also awarded to meritorious civil servants. From 1975–2023, the ribbon of the Order was blue with yellow stripes near the edges (i.e., the national colors, but the reverse of the Order of the Sword's yellow ribbon with blue stripes near the edges). The black ribbon was reintroduced in 2023 when guidelines to once again award Swedish honours to Swedish citizens were introduced. Women and clergymen are not called Knight or Commander, but simply Member (Ledamot).
From the reorganization of the orders in 1975 until 2023, the Order was only awarded to foreigners and members of the royal family, often being awarded to foreign office holders (such as prime and senior ministers) during Swedish state visits. It is also awarded to junior members of royal families who would not qualify for the more prestigious Royal Order of the Seraphim. In 2019, a parliamentary committee was instructed to establish guidelines on how to re-introduce the Swedish orders, including the Order of the Polar Star, into the Swedish honours system, and how Swedish citizens again can be appointed to Swedish orders.[3] The committee presented its findings in September 2021 and the Government declared that a bill on the subject would be presented to the Riksdag on 19 April 2022. The bill passed the Riksdag by a large majority on 19 June 2022. On 20 December 2022, the Swedish Government published a new regulation that repealed the 1974 regulation, and once again opened the Royal Orders to Swedish citizens again and reactivated the Order of the Sword and the Order of Vasa, which came in effect from 1 February 2023.[4][5][6]
It was first awarded again in 2024 when Svante Pääbo among others were appointed to the order.[7]
Commander Grand Cross (KmstkNO) – Wears the badge on a collar (chain) or on a sash over the right shoulder, plus the star on the left chest;
Commander 1st Class (KNO1kl) – Wears the badge on a necklet, plus the star on the left chest;
Commander (KNO) – Wears the badge on a necklet;
Knight 1st Class (RNO1kl) – Wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;
Knight (RNO) – Wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.
Before 2023, clergymen and women were not called Knight, but instead made a Ledamot av andliga ståndet ("Member of the Cloth") for priests or a Ledamot ("Member") for Women. However, since 2023, the order make no difference between men and women.[8]
The Order also has a medal: the "Polar Star Medal".
Insignia and habitedit
The collar of the Order is in gold, consists of eleven white-enamelled five-pointed stars and eleven crowned back-to-back monogram "F"s (for King Frederick I of Sweden) in blue enamel, joined by chains.
The badge of the Order is a white enamelled Maltese Cross, in silver for a Knight and in gilt for a Knight 1st Class and above; crowns appear between the arms of the cross. The central disc, which is identical on both sides, is in blue enamel, with a white-enamelled five-pointed star surrounded by the Order's motto Nescit occasum ("It knows no decline"). The badge hangs from a royal crown.
The star of the Order is a silver Maltese cross, with a silver five-pointed star at the centre. The star of a Grand Cross also has straight silver rays between the arms of the cross.
The ribbon of the Order is black.[9] From 1975–2023 it was blue with yellow stripes near its borders (see above). In spring 2013, the Grand Master decided that Swedish royal princes would wear the Order with the original black ribbon, while other members would still use the blue with yellow stripes. From 2023, the black ribbon was used again. The last black ribbon 18kt gold Knight class prior to 2023 was awarded in 1988 to historian George Loper of Bridgeton, New Jersey, for his research which was the basis for the New Sweden Farmstead Museum. This was presented by the King.
The Order used to have a distinctive red and white habit worn on formal occasions such as at chapters of the Order. The habit included red breeches and red doublet, both with padded shoulders and white piping, a white sash with a gold fringe around the waist and a red mantle with white lining. The star of the Order was embroidered on the left breast of both the doublet and the mantle. A black top hat with a gold hat band and a plume of white ostrich and black egret feathers and red boots with gilded spurs completed the habit. The collar of the Order was worn over the shoulders of the doublet. Clergymen of the Church of Sweden wore the Order around the neck with a white cassock with a red sash with a gold fringe around the waist and a red mantle with a white lining and with the star of the Order embroidered on its left side.
^"Hovkalender". Riksmarskalkämbetet (Office of the Marshal of the Realm). 2019: 23. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^"Ordnar till tretton exceptionella svenskar". Kungl. Maj:ts Orden (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-03-21.
^"Dir. 2019:76 Kommittédirektiv Det offentliga belöningssystemet, de allmänna flaggdagarna och utformningen av anslaget till hovet" (in Swedish). Government of Sweden. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
^"Ett offentligt belöningssystem för Sveriges främsta utmärkelser" (Media Release) (in Swedish). Justitiedepartementet, Regeringskansliet. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
^"Förordning om Sveriges främsta utmärkelser" (PDF). Svensk författningssamling (SFS 2022:1800) (in Swedish). Regeringskansliet. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
^Sunnqvist, Martin (30 January 2023). "Det är nytt med vårt nya ordenssystem" (in Swedish). Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
^"STATUTES FOR THE ROYAL SWEDISH ORDERS (adopted on 15 February 2023)" (PDF) (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-03-23.
^"Nordstjärneorden". Kungl. Maj:ts Orden (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 September 2023.
^"Statsbesök till Estland". Kungl. Hovstaterna. 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
^"Statsbesök från Frankrike". Kungahuset (in Swedish). 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
^"Ordnar till tretton exceptionella svenskar". Retrieved 2024-03-21. (in Swedish) Kungl. Maj:ts Orden
Bibliographyedit
(in Swedish) Per Nordenvall, Kungliga Serafimerorden 1748–1998. Stockholm: Kungl. Maj:ts orden, 1998. ISBN978-91-630-6744-0
Order of the Polar Star, Royal Court of Sweden
Hieronymussen, Paul; Struwing, Aage, (phot. ill.); Crowley, Christine (English trans.). Orders and Decorations of Europe in Color . The MacMillan Company. New York, 1967. Originally published as Europaeiske Ordner I Faever. Politikens Forlag, 1966. Color plates # 28-32; text pp. 126–127.
Lawrence-Archer, J. H. The Orders of Chivalry from the Original Statutes of the Various Orders of Knighthood and other Sources of Information. London: W. H. Allen and Company, 13 Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, S. W. Publishers to the India Office. 1887.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Order of the Polar Star.
Swedish Royal Court: Orders and medals
April 11, 2024
order, polar, star, mongolian, state, order, mongolia, private, order, norway, norway, royal, swedish, kungliga, nordstjärneorden, sometimes, translated, royal, order, north, star, swedish, order, chivalry, created, king, frederick, february, 1748, together, w. For the Mongolian state order see Order of the Polar Star Mongolia For the private order in Norway see Order of the Polar Star Norway The Royal Order of the Polar Star Swedish Kungliga Nordstjarneorden sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748 together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim The Order of the Polar Star is 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 Royal Order of the Polar StarKungliga NordstjarneordenCross and star of the orderAwarded by the monarch of SwedenTypeFive grade order of meritRoyal houseBernadotteMottoNescit Occasum It knows no decline EligibilitySwedish and foreign personsAwarded forUntil 1975 Civic merits for devotion to duty for science literary learned and useful works and for new and beneficial institutions After 1975 Services to SwedenStatusCurrently constitutedSovereignKing Carl XVI GustafChancellorSvante Lindqvist 1 GradesCommander Grand Cross KmstkNO Commander 1st Class KNO1kl Commander KNO Knight Member 1st Class RNO1kl Knight Member RNO StatisticsFirst induction1748Last induction21 March 2024 2 PrecedenceNext higher Royal Order of the SwordNext lower Royal Order of Vasa1748 1975 all recipients 2013 2023 Swedish princes only 2023 present all recipients 1975 2023 foreign recipients Ribbon bars of the orderCross ribbon and star of a Commander Grand CrossCollar of the Order of the Polar Star and the badge of the orderIts motto is as seen on the blue enameled centre of the badge Nescit Occasum a Latin phrase meaning It knows no decline This is to represent that Sweden is as constant as a never setting star The Order s colour is black This was chosen so that when wearing the black sash the white blue and golden cross would stand out and shine as the light of enlightenment from the black surface The choice of black for the Order s ribbon may also have been inspired by the black ribbon of the French Order of St Michael which at the time the Order of the Polar Star was instituted was also awarded to meritorious civil servants From 1975 2023 the ribbon of the Order was blue with yellow stripes near the edges i e the national colors but the reverse of the Order of the Sword s yellow ribbon with blue stripes near the edges The black ribbon was reintroduced in 2023 when guidelines to once again award Swedish honours to Swedish citizens were introduced Women and clergymen are not called Knight or Commander but simply Member Ledamot From the reorganization of the orders in 1975 until 2023 the Order was only awarded to foreigners and members of the royal family often being awarded to foreign office holders such as prime and senior ministers during Swedish state visits It is also awarded to junior members of royal families who would not qualify for the more prestigious Royal Order of the Seraphim In 2019 a parliamentary committee was instructed to establish guidelines on how to re introduce the Swedish orders including the Order of the Polar Star into the Swedish honours system and how Swedish citizens again can be appointed to Swedish orders 3 The committee presented its findings in September 2021 and the Government declared that a bill on the subject would be presented to the Riksdag on 19 April 2022 The bill passed the Riksdag by a large majority on 19 June 2022 On 20 December 2022 the Swedish Government published a new regulation that repealed the 1974 regulation and once again opened the Royal Orders to Swedish citizens again and reactivated the Order of the Sword and the Order of Vasa which came in effect from 1 February 2023 4 5 6 It was first awarded again in 2024 when Svante Paabo among others were appointed to the order 7 Contents 1 Grades 2 Insignia and habit 3 Recipients since 2023 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 6 1 Bibliography 7 External linksGrades editThe Order has five degrees Commander Grand Cross KmstkNO Wears the badge on a collar chain or on a sash over the right shoulder plus the star on the left chest Commander 1st Class KNO1kl Wears the badge on a necklet plus the star on the left chest Commander KNO Wears the badge on a necklet Knight 1st Class RNO1kl Wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest Knight RNO Wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest Before 2023 clergymen and women were not called Knight but instead made a Ledamot av andliga standet Member of the Cloth for priests or a Ledamot Member for Women However since 2023 the order make no difference between men and women 8 The Order also has a medal the Polar Star Medal Insignia and habit editThe collar of the Order is in gold consists of eleven white enamelled five pointed stars and eleven crowned back to back monogram F s for King Frederick I of Sweden in blue enamel joined by chains The badge of the Order is a white enamelled Maltese Cross in silver for a Knight and in gilt for a Knight 1st Class and above crowns appear between the arms of the cross The central disc which is identical on both sides is in blue enamel with a white enamelled five pointed star surrounded by the Order s motto Nescit occasum It knows no decline The badge hangs from a royal crown The star of the Order is a silver Maltese cross with a silver five pointed star at the centre The star of a Grand Cross also has straight silver rays between the arms of the cross The ribbon of the Order is black 9 From 1975 2023 it was blue with yellow stripes near its borders see above In spring 2013 the Grand Master decided that Swedish royal princes would wear the Order with the original black ribbon while other members would still use the blue with yellow stripes From 2023 the black ribbon was used again The last black ribbon 18kt gold Knight class prior to 2023 was awarded in 1988 to historian George Loper of Bridgeton New Jersey for his research which was the basis for the New Sweden Farmstead Museum This was presented by the King The Order used to have a distinctive red and white habit worn on formal occasions such as at chapters of the Order The habit included red breeches and red doublet both with padded shoulders and white piping a white sash with a gold fringe around the waist and a red mantle with white lining The star of the Order was embroidered on the left breast of both the doublet and the mantle A black top hat with a gold hat band and a plume of white ostrich and black egret feathers and red boots with gilded spurs completed the habit The collar of the Order was worn over the shoulders of the doublet Clergymen of the Church of Sweden wore the Order around the neck with a white cassock with a red sash with a gold fringe around the waist and a red mantle with a white lining and with the star of the Order embroidered on its left side Ribbon bars 1748 1975 2023 present nbsp Commander Grand Cross nbsp Commander 1st Class nbsp Commander nbsp Knight 1st Class nbsp KnightRibbon bars 1975 2023 nbsp Commander Grand Cross nbsp Commander 1st Class nbsp Commander nbsp Knight 1st Class nbsp KnightRecipients since 2023 editYear Name Citizenship Main occupation Grade29 September 2023 10 Sirje Karis nbsp Estonia First Lady of Estonia Commander Grand Cross KmstkNO 30 January 2024 11 Brigitte Macron nbsp France Spouse of the French President Commander Grand Cross KmstkNO 21 March 2024 12 Svante Paabo nbsp Sweden Professor and Geneticist Commander Grand Cross KmstkNO Anne L Huillier nbsp Sweden nbsp France Professor Commander Grand Cross KmstkNO Catarina Wingren nbsp Sweden Diplomat Third Embassy Secretary Knight RNO Gallery edit nbsp Grand Cross set of insignia nbsp Grand Cross set of insignia 1975 2023 nbsp Grand Cross in its case of issue nbsp Grand Cross breast star nbsp Grand Cross in its case of issue nbsp Set of the Grand Cross nbsp Set of the Grand Cross 1975 2023 nbsp Badge of the Grand Cross nbsp Pre and Post 1975 sets of the Commander grade of the Order nbsp Grand Cross 1975 2023 nbsp Grand Officer Commander 1st Class Star of the Order nbsp Grand Cross in its case of issue nbsp Pre and Post 1975 sets of the Commander grade of the Order nbsp Grand Cross in its case of issue 1975 2023 See also edit nbsp Sweden portalOrders decorations and medals of Sweden List of recipients of the Order of the Polar StarReferences edit Hovkalender Riksmarskalkambetet Office of the Marshal of the Realm 2019 23 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Ordnar till tretton exceptionella svenskar Kungl Maj ts Orden in Swedish Retrieved 2024 03 21 Dir 2019 76 Kommittedirektiv Det offentliga beloningssystemet de allmanna flaggdagarna och utformningen av anslaget till hovet in Swedish Government of Sweden 7 November 2019 Retrieved 13 April 2021 Ett offentligt beloningssystem for Sveriges framsta utmarkelser Media Release in Swedish Justitiedepartementet Regeringskansliet 21 December 2022 Retrieved 22 December 2022 Forordning om Sveriges framsta utmarkelser PDF Svensk forfattningssamling SFS 2022 1800 in Swedish Regeringskansliet 20 December 2022 Retrieved 22 December 2022 Sunnqvist Martin 30 January 2023 Det ar nytt med vart nya ordenssystem in Swedish Svenska Dagbladet Retrieved 6 February 2023 url https www kungahuset se arkiv pressmeddelanden 2024 03 21 h m konungen har beslutat om ordensforlaningar for exceptionella insatser STATUTES FOR THE ROYAL SWEDISH ORDERS adopted on 15 February 2023 PDF in Swedish Retrieved 2024 03 23 Nordstjarneorden Kungl Maj ts Orden in Swedish Retrieved 18 September 2023 Statsbesok till Estland Kungl Hovstaterna 2023 05 02 Retrieved 2023 07 17 Statsbesok fran Frankrike Kungahuset in Swedish 2024 01 31 Retrieved 2024 03 23 Ordnar till tretton exceptionella svenskar Retrieved 2024 03 21 in Swedish Kungl Maj ts Orden Bibliography edit in Swedish Per Nordenvall Kungliga Serafimerorden 1748 1998 Stockholm Kungl Maj ts orden 1998 ISBN 978 91 630 6744 0 Order of the Polar Star Royal Court of Sweden Hieronymussen Paul Struwing Aage phot ill Crowley Christine English trans Orders and Decorations of Europe in Color The MacMillan Company New York 1967 Originally published as Europaeiske Ordner I Faever Politikens Forlag 1966 Color plates 28 32 text pp 126 127 Lawrence Archer J H The Orders of Chivalry from the Original Statutes of the Various Orders of Knighthood and other Sources of Information London W H Allen and Company 13 Waterloo Place Pall Mall S W Publishers to the India Office 1887 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Order of the Polar Star Swedish Royal Court Orders and medals Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Order of the Polar Star amp oldid 1218219734, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
