Royal family order

Last updated

A royal family order or royal family decoration is a decoration conferred by the head of a royal family to their female relations. Such a decoration is considered more of a personal memento than a state decoration, although it may be worn during official state occasions.

Contents

The tradition is practiced in the royal families of the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Thailand and Tonga.

Insignia

The badge of a royal family order consists of a portrait of the sovereign set in diamonds, which is suspended from a ribbon. In the United Kingdom, the colour of the ribbon changes with each reign, [1] the only kingdom that has this trait. On the back of the portrait frame is an engraving with the sovereign's monogram. [1] A hidden pin attaches it to the wearer's clothes.

Sweden

Kungens miniatyrporträtt (literally the "King's miniature portrait") is a royal decoration unofficially given to female members of the Swedish royal family. It is similar to the family orders of other European monarchies, although the Swedish royal court refers to it as "The King's portrait". [2]

History

The earliest known Swedish Decoration is that of King Oscar II. At that time, Decorations did not have to be attached to the Seraphim blue ribbon that is the case today. As there are no earlier records of royal family decorations in Sweden, it might be assumed that the decorations were not introduced in Sweden until the reign of King Oscar II. Queen Sophia started "Sophiahemmet", a Red Cross nurse training program. At the graduation of the nurses, she presented a miniature portrait of the King on a white ribbon with a red cross. On the back was DSF inscribed in gold enamel on blue background. [3] In the 1900s Gustav V and his wife Victoria made a special form of the order with both of them in the portrait, painted by Fanny Hjelm, as a gift to their friend Countess Anna Brahe (born Anna Nordenfalk) when she visited them. [4] Currently recipients of the order wear it as part of their formal dress, often when their male counterparts wear medals. [5]

Appearance

The decoration currently consists of an oval portrait of a young King Carl XVI Gustaf half length. There are different versions of the portrait of the King, where he is dressed in admiral's uniform or simply formal wear with either the Seraphim band or chain. The portrait is framed by brilliant-cut diamonds and a brilliant bow at the portrait above page. The portrait is attached to a bow in Seraphim light blue ribbon and is held to the person's attire with a pin that is not seen. Different designs of the frame exist: some are more decorated than others.

Recipients

From King Oscar II

From King Gustaf V

From King Gustaf VI Adolf

From King Carl XVI Gustaf

Swedish order with king Carl XVI Gustaf Order Carl XVI Gustaf.jpg
Swedish order with king Carl XVI Gustaf

Denmark

Queen Margrethe II wearing the insignia of the order Royal Wedding Stockholm 2010-Lejonbacken-135 (crop).jpg
Queen Margrethe II wearing the insignia of the order

After the banishment of the adulterous Queen Caroline Mathilde on 17 January 1772, the Royal Danish Court needed a new decoration to replace the Order of Matilde. King Christian VII of Denmark founded this order on 21 October 1774 as a new decoration that was solely meant for the Danish Royal Family. It was awarded to both gentlemen and ladies. The men wore the insignia detached from a ribbon on the left side of the breast. The ladies wore the same insignia on a bow of the same ribbon on their left shoulder.

After the death of Queen-Dowager Juliana Maria in 1796, the order fell into disuse.

King Christian IX revived the custom, which continues to the present.

Norway

Thailand

Thailand has a Royal Family Order.

Tonga

Tonga is the only Commonwealth monarchy other than the U.K. to confer a Royal Family Order (status: dormant).

United Kingdom

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother wearing the orders of George VI and Elizabeth II Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother portrait.jpg
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother wearing the orders of George VI and Elizabeth II

The first Royal Family Order was issued during and after the regency of King George IV of the United Kingdom. Prior to 1820, he started the practice of presenting the badge of the order to ladies and gentlemen of the Court, particularly female members of the Royal Family. An ornate frame of diamond oak leaves and acorns surrounded his portrait, suspended from a white silk bow which varied for men and women. As a girl, Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent (later Queen Victoria) received this badge from her uncle.

Royal family orders

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden</span> Heir apparent to the Swedish throne (born 1977)

Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, as the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf. If she ascends to the throne as expected, she would be Sweden’s fourth queen regnant and the first since 1720. Her inheritance is secured by Sweden’s 1979 Act of Succession, the first law in Western Europe to adopt royal absolute primogeniture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingrid of Sweden</span> Queen of Denmark from 1947 to 1972

Ingrid of Sweden was Queen of Denmark from 20 April 1947 to 14 January 1972 as the wife of King Frederik IX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland</span> Swedish princess (born 1982)

Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland is the second daughter and youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Upon her birth, she was third in line of succession to the Swedish throne; currently, she is eighth. Princess Madeleine is married to British-American financier Christopher O'Neill. They have three children, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas and Princess Adrienne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swedish royal family</span> Family of the Swedish monarch

The Swedish royal family since 1818 has consisted of members of the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. Today those who are recognized by the government are entitled to royal titles and styles, and perform official engagements and ceremonial duties of state. The extended family of the King consists of other close relatives who are not royal and thus do not represent the country officially.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Birgitta of Sweden</span> Swedish princess (born 1937)

Princess Birgitta of Sweden is a member of the Swedish royal family. She is the second child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and an elder sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld</span> Swedish princess (born 1938)

Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld is a member of the Swedish royal family. She is the third child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and an elder sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson</span> Swedish princess (born 1943)

Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson, is a member of the Swedish royal family. She is the fourth child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the youngest of the four older sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf. She generally uses the name Christina Magnuson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of the Crown (Netherlands)</span>

The Order of the Crown is a house order of the Dutch Royal House. The order came into being as a result of Queen Juliana's reorganization of the Order of the House of Orange in 1969. The 18 classes of the house order were no longer felt to be appropriate in the ever more egalitarian Dutch society of the 1960s. The Order was divided into five subdivisions. As a house order it is not subject to ministerial responsibility or influence, but is awarded at the discretion of the Dutch monarch alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha</span> Duchess of Västerbotten

Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a member of the Swedish royal family and the mother of the current king of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Family Order of George V</span> British honour

The Royal Family Order of George V is an honour that was bestowed on female members of the British royal family by King George V.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland</span> Member of the Swedish royal family (born 1973)

Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland, is a member of the Swedish royal family by marriage to Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden making Daniel the likely next consort of Sweden. Prior to his marriage to the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, he was a personal trainer and gym owner and ran a company called Balance Training with three gyms in central Stockholm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling</span> 2010 Swedish royal wedding

The wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling took place on 19 June 2010 in Stockholm Cathedral. It had been described as "Europe's biggest royal wedding since the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981". Westling thereby acquired Victoria's ducal title, becoming a Swedish prince and Duke of Västergötland. In time for the wedding, a joint monogram of their initials was created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill</span> 2013 Swedish royal wedding

The wedding of Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, and the British-born American financier Christopher O'Neill took place in Stockholm on 8 June 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Family Orders of the United Kingdom</span> Decorations conferred by the British sovereign to their female relations

The sovereign of the United Kingdom may award a royal family order to female members of the British royal family, as they typically do not wear the commemorative medals that men do. The same practice is in place in the royal families of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Thailand, and Tonga. The order is a personal memento rather than a state decoration. It is therefore not announced in The London Gazette, and who held which decoration must be inferred from portraits and documents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist</span> 2015 Swedish royal wedding

The wedding of Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland, and Sofia Hellqvist took place on 13 June 2015 at Slottskyrkan, Stockholm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath</span> 1976 Swedish royal wedding

The wedding of Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, and Silvia Sommerlath took place on Friday, 19 June 1976 at Storkyrkan. Carl XVI Gustaf had been king of Sweden since 1973 and Sommerlath was a German-born translator. The couple had met at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich and became engaged in 1976.

References

  1. 1 2 "ODM of the United Kingdom: Royal Family Orders". Medals.org.uk. 2007-04-02. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  2. ↑ "The King presents the 2010 Nobel Prizes - Sveriges Kungahus". Kungahuset.se. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  3. ↑ "Drottning Sofia" (PDF). Livrustkammaren.se. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "Porträtt" . Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "About the images in formal dress" . Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  6. ↑ File:Sofia of Sweden (1857) c 1900.jpg
  7. ↑ "Photographic image" (JPG). Sverigesradio.se. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  8. 1 2 3 "The King presents the 2012 Nobel Prizes - Sveriges Kungahus". Kungahuset.se. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  9. ↑ "Här är de skånska slotten där det spökar | Kvällsposten". Expressen.se. 2014-11-01. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.