Order of the Elephant

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Order of the Elephant
Elefantordenen
Badge of the Order of the Elephant (heraldry).svg
Badge of the Order of the Elephant.
Awarded by
Royal coat of arms of Denmark.svg
Sovereign of Denmark
Type Chivalric order in one class
MottoMagnanimi Pretium
(Latin: The prize of greatness)
Awarded forAt the Monarch's pleasure
StatusCurrently constituted
Sovereign Frederik X
GradesKnight
(Danish: Ridder, abbr.: R.E.)
Statistics
First induction1693 Flag of Denmark.svg Christian V of Denmark
Last induction2024 Flag of Denmark.svg Princess Josephine of Denmark
Precedence
Next (higher)None (Highest)
Next (lower) Order of the Dannebrog
Order of the Elephant Ribbon bar.svg
Order of the Elephant ribbon

Collar of the Order of the Elephant. Order of the Elephant (heraldry).svg
Collar of the Order of the Elephant.
The Blome [da; de] family coat of arms with the Order's collar on gravestone in Heiligenstedten. Heiligenstedten, Grabmale Blome, Elefantenorden NIK 3270.JPG
The Blome  [ da; de ] family coat of arms with the Order's collar on gravestone in Heiligenstedten.

The Order of the Elephant (Danish : Elefantordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in 1849, is now almost exclusively used to honour royalty and heads of state. [1]

Contents

History

A Danish religious confraternity called the Fellowship of the Mother of God, limited to about fifty members of the Danish aristocracy, was founded during the reign of Christian I during the 15th century. The badge of the confraternity showed the Virgin Mary holding her Son within a crescent moon and surrounded with the rays of the sun, and was hung from a collar of links in the form of elephants much like the present collar of the Order. After the Reformation in 1536 the confraternity died out, but a badge in the form of an elephant with his profile on its right side was still awarded by Frederick II. [2] This latter badge may have been inspired by the badge of office of the chaplain of the confraternity which is known to have been in the form of an elephant. The order was instituted in its current form on 1 December 1693 by King Christian V as having only one class consisting of only 30 noble knights in addition to the Grand Master (i.e., the king) and his sons. [3] The statutes of the order were amended in 1958 by a Royal Ordinance so that both men and women could be members of the order.

The elephant and castle design derives from the howdah, a carriage that is mounted in the back of an elephant. This type of carriage was mostly utilized in the Indian subcontinent, and the Danish knew about and thus had the ability to adopt this design since they ruled certain parts of India as part of their small colonial empire. The unfamiliar Indian howdah has been replaced in this instance by a familiar European castle, although the Indian rider has been kept on the elephant.

Composition

The Danish monarch is the head of the order. The members of the royal family are members of the order, and foreign heads of state are also inducted. In very exceptional circumstances a commoner may also be admitted. The most recent member of the order who was neither a current nor former head of state nor royal was Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, a leading industrialist and philanthropist.

The order of the Elephant has one class: Knight of the Order of the Elephant (Ridder af Elefantordenen, usually abbreviated as R.E. in letters et cetera). Knights of the order are granted a place in the 1st Class of the Danish order of precedence.

Insignia and habits

Coat of arms of Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway surrounded by the collars of the Order of the Elephant and the Order of the Dannebrog Royal Arms of King Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway.svg
Coat of arms of Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway surrounded by the collars of the Order of the Elephant and the Order of the Dannebrog

Upon the death of a Knight of the Order of the Elephant, the insignia of the order must be returned. There are a few exceptions known.

Current knights and officers

Sovereign of the Royal Danish Orders of Chivalry

Current Knights of the Elephant listed by date of appointment

NameDate
appointed
Notes
Flag of Denmark.svg Queen Margrethe II of Denmark [7] 20 April 1947Royal family
Then Princess Margrethe of Denmark
Flag of Denmark.svg The Dowager Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg [7] 20 April 1947Royal family
Then Princess Benedikte of Denmark
Flag of Denmark.svg / State Flag of Greece (1863-1924 and 1935-1973).svg Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes [7] 20 April 1947Royal family
Then Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark
Flag of Japan.svg The Emperor Emeritus of Japan [7] 8 August 1953Then Crown Prince
Flag of Norway.svg The King of Norway [7] 21 February 1958Then Crown Prince
Flag of Thailand.svg The Queen Mother of Thailand [7] 6 September 1960Then Queen consort
Flag of Denmark.svg Count Ingolf of Rosenborg [7] 17 February 1961Royal family
Then Prince Ingolf of Denmark
State flag of Iran (1964-1980).svg Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran [7] 3 May 1963Then Empress consort
State Flag of Greece (1863-1924 and 1935-1973).svg Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark [7] 11 September 1964
State Flag of Greece (1863-1924 and 1935-1973).svg Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark [7] 11 September 1964
Flag of Sweden.svg The King of Sweden [7] 12 January 1965Then Crown Prince
Flag of Japan.svg The Prince Hitachi [7] 28 September 1965
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg King Albert II of Belgium [7] 18 June 1968Then Prince of Liège
Flag of Denmark.svg Prince Joachim of Denmark [7] 14 January 1972Royal family
Flag of Sweden.svg Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson [7] 6 January 1973Then Princess Christina of Sweden
Flag of Norway.svg The Queen of Norway [7] 12 February 1973Then Crown Princess
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The King of the United Kingdom [7] 30 April 1974Then Prince of Wales
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands [7] 29 October 1975Former Queen
Flag of Spain.svg King Juan Carlos I of Spain [7] 17 March 1980Then King
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg / Flag of Spain.svg Queen Sofía of Spain [7] 17 March 1980Then Queen consort
Born Princess of Greece and Denmark
Flag of Iceland.svg Vigdís Finnbogadóttir [7] 25 February 1981Former President of Iceland
Flag of Portugal.svg António Ramalho Eanes [7] 25 June 1984Former President of the Portuguese Republic
Flag of Sweden.svg The Queen of Sweden [7] 3 September 1985
Flag of Norway.svg The Crown Prince of Norway [7] 20 July 1991Then Prince Haakon of Norway
Flag of Norway.svg Princess Märtha Louise of Norway [7] 13 October 1992
Flag of Poland.svg Lech Wałęsa [7] 5 July 1993Former President of the Republic of Poland
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Queen Paola of Belgium [7] 16 May 1995Then Queen consort
Flag of Sweden.svg The Crown Princess of Sweden [7] 14 July 1995
Flag of Denmark.svg The Countess of Frederiksborg [7] 17 November 1995Formerly Princess Alexandra of Denmark
Flag of Iceland.svg Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson [7] 18 November 1996Former President of Iceland
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece [7] 14 January 1997Also Prince of Denmark
Flag of Latvia.svg Guntis Ulmanis [7] 18 March 1997Former President of the Republic of Latvia
Flag of the Netherlands.svg The King of the Netherlands [7] 31 January 1998Then Prince of Orange
Flag of Jordan.svg Queen Noor Al Hussein of Jordan [7] 27 April 1998Then Queen consort
Flag of Japan.svg The Empress Emerita of Japan [7] 2 June 1998Then Empress consort
Flag of Brazil.svg Fernando Henrique Cardoso [7] 3 May 1999Former President of the Federative Republic of Brazil
Flag of Romania.svg Emil Constantinescu [7] 23 May 2000Former President of Romania
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Petar Stoyanov [7] 17 October 2000Former President of the Republic of Bulgaria
Flag of Thailand.svg The King of Thailand [7] 7 February 2001Then Crown Prince
Flag of Finland.svg Tarja Halonen [7] 3 April 2001Former President of the Republic of Finland
Flag of Slovenia.svg Milan Kučan [7] 10 October 2001Former President of the Republic of Slovenia
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg The King of the Belgians [7] 28 May 2002Then Duke of Brabant
Flag of Luxembourg.svg The Grand Duke of Luxembourg [7] 20 October 2003
Flag of Luxembourg.svg The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg [7] 20 October 2003
Flag of Romania.svg Ion Iliescu [7] 16 March 2004Former President of Romania
Flag of Denmark.svg The Queen of Denmark [7] 9 May 2004Royal family
Then Mary Donaldson
Flag of Japan.svg The Emperor of Japan [7] 16 November 2004Then Crown Prince
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Georgi Parvanov [7] 29 March 2006Former President of the Republic of Bulgaria
Flag of Brazil.svg Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva [7] 12 September 2007President of the Federative Republic of Brazil
Flag of Mexico.svg Felipe Calderón Hinojosa [7] 18 February 2008Former President of the United Mexican States
Flag of Denmark.svg Princess Marie of Denmark [7] 24 May 2008Royal family
Flag of South Korea.svg Lee Myung-bak [7] 11 May 2011Former President of the Republic of Korea
Flag of Slovakia.svg Ivan Gašparovič 23 October 2012Former President of the Slovak Republic
Flag of Finland.svg Sauli Niinistö 4 April 2013Former President of the Republic of Finland
Flag of Norway.svg The Crown Princess of Norway 17 May 2014
Flag of Croatia.svg Ivo Josipović 21 October 2014Former President of the Republic of Croatia
Flag of the Netherlands.svg The Queen of the Netherlands 17 March 2015
Flag of Mexico.svg Enrique Peña Nieto 13 April 2016Former President of the United Mexican States
Flag of Iceland.svg Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson 24 January 2017President of Iceland
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg The Queen of the Belgians 28 March 2017
Flag of France.svg Emmanuel Macron 28 August 2018President of the French Republic
Flag of Germany.svg Frank-Walter Steinmeier 10 November 2021Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany
Flag of Norway.svg Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway 21 January 2022
Flag of Denmark.svg The Crown Prince of Denmark 15 October 2023Royal family
Then Prince Christian of Denmark
Flag of Spain.svg The King of Spain 6 November 2023
Flag of Spain.svg The Queen of Spain 6 November 2023
Flag of Denmark.svg Princess Isabella of Denmark 14 January 2024Royal family
Flag of Denmark.svg Prince Vincent of Denmark 14 January 2024Royal family
Flag of Denmark.svg Princess Josephine of Denmark 14 January 2024Royal family

Officers of the Chapter of the Royal Danish Orders of Chivalry

Chancellor of the Chapter

Historiographer of the Chapter

  • (1808-1821): Abraham Kall, historian
  • (1827-1851): Laurids Engelstoft, S.K. , historian
  • (1852-1893): C.F. Wegener, S.K. , historian
  • (1897-1921): Troels Troels-Lund, S.K. , historian
  • (1921-1951): Louis Bobé, K.1. , historian
  • (1951-1957): Bjørn Kornerup, K.1. , historian
  • (1958-1976): Albert Fabritius, K. , historian
  • (1976-1994): Tage Kaarsted, K. , historian
  • (1994-2018): Knud J.V. Jespersen, K.1. , historian
  • (2018–): Jes Fabricius-Møller, historian

Secretary of the Chapter

Treasurer of the Chapter

  • (1808-1826): Johan Sigismund von Møsting, Minister of Finance
  • (1826-1828): Ove Ramel Sehested, Minister of the Privy Council
  • (1828-1831): Frantz Bülow
  • (1831-1833): Johan Frederik Bardenfleth
  • (1834-1840): Christian Ove Haxthausen, Chamberlain
  • (1840-1852): Frederik Bardenfleth
  • (1852-?): Sophus Danneskiold-Samsøe, S.K.
  • (1876-1888): C.G.W. Johannsen, LL.D.
  • (1888-1898): Carl Løvenskiold, Chamberlain
  • (1898-1905): Ludvig Castenskiold
  • (1905-1909): Hugo Egmont Hørring
  • (1909-1918): Christian Moltke
  • (1918-1933): Frederik Raben-Levetzau, Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • (1944-1954): Johannes Hørring, LL.D.
  • (1955-?): Rudolf Lassen
  • (1991-2010): Paul Henning Fischer, LL.D., Ambassador, Chamberlain
  • (2010–): Per Thornit, Chamberlain

Other notable knights

Previous knights have included: [8]

See also

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References

  1. "The Royal Orders of Chivalry". The Danish Monarchy. 14 January 2011. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  2. Rosenborg Slot – Objects [ permanent dead link ]
  3. The knights of the Order were often called the Blue Knights (in reference to the color of their ribbon), as opposed to the White Knights (again, in reference to the color of their ribbon) of the junior Danish order of chivalry, the Order of the Dannebrog, also instituted by Christian V.
  4. In an article entitled "Has anyone seen our elephant?" The 1 July 2004 issue of the Copenhagen Post reported that the original mold for the elephant badge had been stolen from the court jeweler, Georg Jensen.
  5. Originally this cross was formed of six brilliant cut diamonds, but at present it is formed of six small hemispherical silver beads.
  6. i.e., at Danish coronations.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 Official list of knights of the Order of the Elephant Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine . (in Danish)
  8. Jørgen Pedersen (2009). Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009 (in Danish). Syddansk Universitetsforlag. ISBN   978-87-7674-434-2.
  9. Macdougall, Norman James III, A Political Study (1982)
  10. Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon, entry "Tycho Brahe" (in Danish)
  11. Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon, entry "Heinrich Rantzau" (in Danish)
  12. Journal of the Royal Armoury (in Danish). Aktiebolaget Thule. 1970. p. 170.
  13. Jørgen Pedersen (2009). Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009 (in Danish). Syddansk Universitetsforlag. p. 470. ISBN   978-87-7674-434-2.
  14. 1 2 3 Birger A. Andersen (20 April 2012). "Nu vil Margrethe have Mærsks Elefantorden tilbage". www.bt.dk.
  15. 1 2 Rick Steves (25 June 2013). Rick Steves' Snapshot Copenhagen & the Best of Denmark. Avalon Travel. pp. 104–. ISBN   978-1-59880-632-8.
  16. 1 2 Slater, Stephen (2013). The Illustrated Book of Heraldry. Wigston, Leicestershire: Lorenz Books. p. 225. ISBN   978-0-7548-2659-0.
  17. "H.K.H. Prins Philip, Hertugen af Edinburgh". Kongehuset (in Danish). 17 April 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  18. "Burke's Peerage and Gentry > The Royal Family > HM Queen Elizabeth II". Burke's Peerage & Gentry and The Origins Network. Archived from the original on 1 December 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  19. Jan Körner (2 February 2011). "Folkets fjender... Margrethes venner". ekstrabladet.dk.

Further reading