The Royal Order of Vasa (Kungliga Vasaorden) is a Swedish order of chivalry founded on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III. It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It is the most junior Swedish honour.
Royal Order of Vasa Kungliga Vasaorden
Knight 1st Class Cross of the Swedish Order of Vasa (1945)
The order was founded on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III. Its name is derived from the House of Vasa. Membership was unrestricted by birth or education, as opposed to the other orders which were reserved for nobility, military personnel or the learned professions. During the union between Sweden and Norway, the Order of Vasa was often awarded to Norwegians until the Order of Saint Olav was founded in 1847.
Following significant reforms to the Swedish honours system in 1974, the Order of Vasa and the Order of the Sword were considered dormant and membership in the Order of the Seraphim and the Order of the Polar Star were restricted to foreigners and, after 1995, the royal family.
In 2019, a parliamentary committee was instructed to establish guidelines on how to re-introduce the Swedish orders, including the Order of Vasa, 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 has declared that a bill on the subject will be presented to the Riksdag on 19 April 2022. Following the passage of the bill by a large majority on 19 June 2022, on 20 December 2022, the Swedish Government published a new regulation that repealed the 1974 regulation, and once again opened the Royal Orders to Swedish citizens again and reactivated the Order of the Sword and the Order of Vasa, which came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]
On 21 March 2024, the order was awarded for first time since 1974 to among others, the members of ABBA.[7]
Commander Grand Cross - wears the badge on a collar (chain) or on a sash on the right shoulder, plus the star on the left chest;
Commander 1st Class - wears the badge on a necklet, plus the star on the left chest;
Commander - wears the badge on a necklet;
Knight 1st Class - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;
Knight - 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]
Additionally, the Badge of Vasa and the Vasa Medal, were both worn on a ribbon on the left chest.
Insignia and habitedit
The collar of the Order is of gold, consisted of four sheaves (the emblem of King Gustav Vasa), four white-enamelled nettle leaves each bearing a shield in white above red (the emblem of Holstein, where King Adolf Frederik, the father of King Gustaf III, was born and from which his family, the House of Holstein-Gottorp, took its name) and eight crowned blue shields bearing the Three Crowns, the emblem of Sweden, each flanked by a pair of caduceus and a pair of cornucopia.
The badge of the Order is a white-enameled Maltese Cross, in silver for the Knight class, in gilt for Knight 1st Class and above; crowns appeared between the arms of the cross. The central oval disc, which was identical on both sides, featured a golden sheaf on a black enamel background, surrounded by a red enamel ring bearing the legend Gustaf 3. Instiktare 1772 ("Instituted by Gustaf III, 1772"). The badge hangs from a royal crown. During the early days of the Order, the badge consisted of the oval disc only.
The Badge of Vasa is similar to the knight's silver badge of the Order, but the cross had no white enamel.
The star of the Order is a silver Maltese Cross with a silver sheaf in the centre. That of Grand Cross also had the abovementioned nettle leaf emblem in silver between the arms of the cross.
The ribbon of the Order is green.
Formerly the Order also had a distinctive green and white habit worn on formal occasions such as at chapters of the Order. The habit included green breeches and a green doublet with padded shoulders, both with white piping, a white sash with a gold fringe around the waist and a green mantle with a white lining. The star of the Order was embroidered over the left breast of both the doublet and the mantle. A black top hat with gold hat band and a plume of white ostrich and black egret feathers and a pair of green boots with gilded spurs completed the habit. The collar of the Order was worn over the shoulders of the doublet.
^"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" (PDF) (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.
^"Ordnar till tretton exceptionella svenskar". Kungl. Maj:ts Orden (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-03-21.
^"STATUTES FOR THE ROYAL SWEDISH ORDERS (adopted on 15 February 2023)" (PDF) (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-03-23.
^"Ordnar till tretton exceptionella svenskar". Retrieved 2024-03-21. (in Swedish) Kungl. Maj:ts Orden
Further readingedit
Orders and Decorations of Europe in Color by Paul Hieronymussen and photographed by Aage Struwing [da]; English translation by Christine Crowley. The MacMillan Company. New York, 1967. Originally published as Europaeiske Ordner I Faever @ Politikens Forlag, 1966. Color plates # 33-37; terxt p. 127.
The Orders of Chivalry from the Original Statutes of the Various Orders of Knighthood and other Sources of Information by J. H. Lawrence-Archer. 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 Vasa.
The Order of Vasa at the website of the Swedish Royal Court
January 01, 1970
order, vasa, royal, kungliga, vasaorden, swedish, order, chivalry, founded, 1772, king, gustav, awarded, swedish, citizens, service, state, society, especially, fields, agriculture, mining, commerce, most, junior, swedish, honour, royal, kungliga, vasaordenkni. The Royal Order of Vasa Kungliga Vasaorden is a Swedish order of chivalry founded on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture mining and commerce It is the most junior Swedish honour Royal Order of VasaKungliga VasaordenKnight 1st Class Cross of the Swedish Order of Vasa 1945 Awarded by the monarch of SwedenTypeFive grade order of meritEstablished1772Royal houseBernadotteEligibilitySwedish and foreign citizensAwarded forServices to agriculture mining art trade industry crafts and education StatusActive since 1 February 2023 SovereignKing Carl XVI GustafChancellorSvante Lindqvist 1 GradesCommander Grand Cross KmstkVO Commander 1st Class KVO1kl Commander KVO Knight Member 1st Class RVO1kl Knight Member RVO StatisticsFirst induction1772Last induction21 March 2024 2 PrecedenceNext higher Royal Order of the Polar StarNext lower Order of Charles XIIIRibbon bar of the order Contents 1 History 2 Grades 3 Insignia and habit 4 Recipients since 2023 5 Images 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksHistory editThe order was founded on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III Its name is derived from the House of Vasa Membership was unrestricted by birth or education as opposed to the other orders which were reserved for nobility military personnel or the learned professions During the union between Sweden and Norway the Order of Vasa was often awarded to Norwegians until the Order of Saint Olav was founded in 1847 Following significant reforms to the Swedish honours system in 1974 the Order of Vasa and the Order of the Sword were considered dormant and membership in the Order of the Seraphim and the Order of the Polar Star were restricted to foreigners and after 1995 the royal family In 2019 a parliamentary committee was instructed to establish guidelines on how to re introduce the Swedish orders including the Order of Vasa 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 has declared that a bill on the subject will be presented to the Riksdag on 19 April 2022 Following the passage of the bill 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 On 21 March 2024 the order was awarded for first time since 1974 to among others the members of ABBA 7 The Swedish royal barge Vasaorden takes its name from the order Grades editThe Order had five classes Commander Grand Cross wears the badge on a collar chain or on a sash on the right shoulder plus the star on the left chest Commander 1st Class wears the badge on a necklet plus the star on the left chest Commander wears the badge on a necklet Knight 1st Class wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest Knight 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 Additionally the Badge of Vasa and the Vasa Medal were both worn on a ribbon on the left chest Insignia and habit editThe collar of the Order is of gold consisted of four sheaves the emblem of King Gustav Vasa four white enamelled nettle leaves each bearing a shield in white above red the emblem of Holstein where King Adolf Frederik the father of King Gustaf III was born and from which his family the House of Holstein Gottorp took its name and eight crowned blue shields bearing the Three Crowns the emblem of Sweden each flanked by a pair of caduceus and a pair of cornucopia The badge of the Order is a white enameled Maltese Cross in silver for the Knight class in gilt for Knight 1st Class and above crowns appeared between the arms of the cross The central oval disc which was identical on both sides featured a golden sheaf on a black enamel background surrounded by a red enamel ring bearing the legend Gustaf 3 Instiktare 1772 Instituted by Gustaf III 1772 The badge hangs from a royal crown During the early days of the Order the badge consisted of the oval disc only The Badge of Vasa is similar to the knight s silver badge of the Order but the cross had no white enamel The star of the Order is a silver Maltese Cross with a silver sheaf in the centre That of Grand Cross also had the abovementioned nettle leaf emblem in silver between the arms of the cross The ribbon of the Order is green Formerly the Order also had a distinctive green and white habit worn on formal occasions such as at chapters of the Order The habit included green breeches and a green doublet with padded shoulders both with white piping a white sash with a gold fringe around the waist and a green mantle with a white lining The star of the Order was embroidered over the left breast of both the doublet and the mantle A black top hat with gold hat band and a plume of white ostrich and black egret feathers and a pair of green boots with gilded spurs completed the habit The collar of the Order was worn over the shoulders of the doublet Ribbon bars nbsp Commander Grand Cross nbsp Commander 1st Class nbsp Commander nbsp Knight 1st Class nbsp KnightRecipients since 2023 editYear Name Citizenship Main occupation Grade 21 March 2024 9 Antonia Ax son Johnson nbsp Sweden Director Commander Grand Cross KmstkVO Benny Andersson Artist Commander First Class KVO1kl Agnetha Faltskog Artist Commander First Class KVO1kl Anni Frid Lyngstad Reuss Artist Commander First Class KVO1kl Bjorn Ulvaeus Artist Commander First Class KVO1kl Eva Rydberg Actress Commander KVO Bettan Byvald Socionom Knight First Class RVO1kl Thomas Sjostrom Business Area Manager Knight RVO Images edit nbsp The royal barge built for Gustav III named Vasaorden is still used on rare ceremonial occasions nbsp Star and collar of the order See also editOrders decorations and medals of SwedenReferences edit https www kungahuset se monarkinhovstaterna ordnarochmedaljer aktuellt aktuelltkmo personalforandringarvidkunglmajtsorden 5 70c48ec167c5b6b0c114a6a html publisher Kungahuset Official page of the Royal Court of Sweden access date 2022 01 29 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 PDF 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 Ordnar till tretton exceptionella svenskar Kungl Maj ts Orden in Swedish Retrieved 2024 03 21 STATUTES FOR THE ROYAL SWEDISH ORDERS adopted on 15 February 2023 PDF in Swedish Retrieved 2024 03 23 Ordnar till tretton exceptionella svenskar Retrieved 2024 03 21 in Swedish Kungl Maj ts OrdenFurther reading editOrders and Decorations of Europe in Color by Paul Hieronymussen and photographed by Aage Struwing da English translation by Christine Crowley The MacMillan Company New York 1967 Originally published as Europaeiske Ordner I Faever Politikens Forlag 1966 Color plates 33 37 terxt p 127 The Orders of Chivalry from the Original Statutes of the Various Orders of Knighthood and other Sources of Information by J H Lawrence Archer 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 Vasa The Order of Vasa at the website of the Swedish Royal Court Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Order of Vasa amp oldid 1218707854, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
