Most countries, with or without a constitutional sovereign, have an honours system which seeks to reward citizens, honour foreign guests or has some kind of diplomatic recognition. A distinction is made between orders of chivalry and medals. Many orders, especially within monarchical countries, have a long history, as we shall see, and many countries have multiple orders, most ranked in order of importance, but some of equal rank and some for different purposes. Many orders are awarded on consultation with the government, and are official gifts. Dynastic orders are at the sole discretion of the monarch, who still awards them personally, independently of government. The monarch is usually the 'Grand Master' of any order of chivalry.
The Insignia of Orders of Chivalry is usually made up of a Star, a sash or Riband (whether over the shoulder for higher grades or round the neck or as a bow for other grades) and a large Chain with a Badge. The importance and honour of being bestowed an Order is reflected in the recipients of higher Orders wearing their Star "on the heart". Whichever shoulder the Riband goes over, the Star is always worn on the body on the left-hand side near to the heart.
These honours systems may be long-established, with strange customs, ceremonies and paraphernalia, and may seem old-fashioned. Yet these order can be keenly sought and whilst, on the one hand, some countries which break away from a ‘mother country’ and may do away with an honours system, such as the Republic of Ireland, it is surprising how many soon invent their owns systems. Like children at a sports day or an athlete at the Olympics, many relish the recognition of their efforts.
With one notable exception, of course, the Chain or Riband of the Order usually encircles the Royal Arms and those of the Knights and Ladies of the order, if not the Arms of the country as well. That exception is the Order of the Garter in the UK where the Garter itself encircles the Shield.
This series of blogs will not be dealing with Royal Family Orders or medals in general nor will it deal with the mechanics of what colour the Riband (or Sash) is and how many points the Star has unless it is of unusual interest, but will track the history of royal orders of chivalry. One charming little aside is that many Ribands are 100 millimeters wide (the traditional "five fingers" width).
We will be starting with Denmark as the Danish Monarch usually holds a New Year's reception for the diplomatic corps at which orders of chivalry are usually on show. Unfortunately, this did not occur this year and the festivities due for 4th January were cancelled. Instead, HM Queen Margrethe received the Court Marshal and the Cabinet Secretary in the Knights' Hall in Christian IX's Palace at Amalienborg in day dress rather than in evening dress with Orders of Chivalry.
The Order of the Elephant - Why an Elephant?
The Order of the Elephant, Denmark’s oldest and most distinguished Royal Order of Chivalry, can be traced back in its original form to around 1460 when Christian I, with Pope Sixtus IV’s approval, established “The Fellowship of the Mother of God”. The King was married to Dorothea of Brandenburg and the brotherhood was possibly inspired by the Brandenburg Swan Order, which had been established in 1440. The Badge of this brotherhood was a medallion of The Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus within a crescent moon and surrounded by the rays of the sun which was hung from a collar of links in the form of elephants bearing towers much like the present collar of the Order. A Chain consisting of spurs and elephants can be seen on the grave of King Hans (1455 - 1513) in Odense.
This Catholic-inspired order was suspended for a number of years as of 1536 due to the Reformation. But Frederik II revived it in 1580 as an order of chivalry with the elephant as its badge. For a short while (from 1616 to 1634) Christian IV of Denmark united the Order of the Elephant with an Order of the Armored Arm (Danish: Væbnede Arms Orden). The Order of the Elephant was instituted in its current form on 1st December 1693 by King Christian V as having only one class and established rules for the Order’s insignia: the elephant with a tower on its back, the chain-link collar (with elephants and towers), the light blue Riband and the star. These rules are still in force, but have been amended and extended over the years. In 1808 the Order was opened up to non-royals and as of 1892 it has also been awarded to the Queen Consort of Denmark, not just the King Regnant. But it wasn't until 1958, with the Heir to the Throne being the then Princess Margrethe that other women could be Members of the Order.
After the Second World War, a number of influential people from allied countries were honoured with the Order. In 1945, Field-Marshal Bernard Montgomery and General (later US President) Dwight D. Eisenhower were appointed as well as Sir Winston Churchill in 1950. One of the most recent holders of the Order who was neither a current nor former head of state nor royal was Mærsk McKinney Møller, a leading shipping magnate and philanthropist. The last Knight listed is Emmanuel Macron, current President of the French Republic who was appointed on 28th August 2018.
So, why an elephant? Sadly, there is no valid explanation to be found in the Order’s statutes or other available material as to why the elephant gained foothold [no pun intended...] as a symbol in a Danish Order. The elephant and castle design derives from the Indian custom of making an elephant a beast of burden by placing what is called a howdah on its back. The familiar castle replaced the unfamiliar howdah in European iconography. Romans also made use of war elephants and turreted elephants feature on the coinage of Juba II of Numidia in the 1st century BC. The elephant also features in early Christian iconography and tradition, embodying both strength and kindness.
There are an estimated 72 elephants at the chancery of the Order or in circulation. It is estimated that, together with an unknown number of elephants in museums around the world, the total number is about a hundred. In an article entitled "Has anyone seen our elephant?" the Copenhagen Post issued on 1st July 2004 it was reported that the original mold for the elephant badge had been stolen from the court jeweller, Georg Jensen.
The Order of the Elephant in its oldest existing form is shown here. Made in 1580 by Hans Raadt, possibly from a drawing by Melchior Lorck. it carries Frederik II’s picture, monogram and, supposedly, his motto. (Frederik II's Motto is believed to have been 'Mit håb er Gud alene' ('My hope is God alone'), so whether the initials T.I.W.B. in the picture refer to the Motto is not clear.) Not a lot is known about Hans Raadt other than his work. He is believed to have been hired by the Danish King in 1578 and his works may indicate education in southern Germany or Saxony. Melchior Lorck, on the other hand, is the first Danish artist for whom a substantial biography is known and a substantial body of artwork is attributable. A renaissance painter, draughtsman and printmaker of Danish-German origin, he produced a unique and thorough visual record of the life and customs of Turkey in the 16th century. Maybe this is the reason he was commission to darw the elephant. |
The Order of the Dannebrog
Although the name Dannebrogorden can be translated as "Order of the Danish Flag" it is international practise to use the Danish name.
Like the Order of the Elephant, the ‘Blue Knights’, the Order of the Dannebrog had its first written statutes in 1693, according to which, the Order had only one grade called ‘White Knight’, corresponding to today’s Grand Cross Knight. To begin with, the circle of knights was limited to fifty Danes of noble or royal rank. However, Danish commoners constitute by far the largest group of those decorated nowadays.
One of the first actions of Frederik VI after his accession as king in 1808 was to broaden the scope of the exclusive Order of the Dannebrog into a more up-to-date order of merit. This reflected the rapidly growing importance in society of the bourgeoisie in the wake of the French Revolution in 1789 along with the increasing need to show royal acknowledgement of all levels of society. The need was made relevant by the ongoing war with Great Britain because Denmark was an ally of France at the time. The French Legion of Honour, which Napoleon had instituted in 1802 to reward French citizens regardless of status, was used as the model for transforming the Order of the Dannebrog and Frederik VI established the new rules on 28th June 1808, the birthday of Valdemar the Victorious. Having said that, the Order was divided into four degrees of distinction: Knight, Commander, Grand Cross and Grand Commander. According to the King’s directive, all those decorated should, as a rule, start as a Knight but could, after doing other meritorious things, advance to Commander and even eventually Grand Cross.
Grand Cross class closely corresponded with the previous ‘White Knight’ category. The newly introduced Grand Commander class was, and still is, only bestowed on members of the Royal House and is limited to 8 Members. The recipient wears a special Cross (either on a neck ribbon for men or a bow for women) where the white enamel and the Crowns are replaced with diamonds only leaving the red enamel the same. Grand Crosses bore an embroidered Star of silk, silver and gold thread on the chest. Denmark has long held on to the embroidered Stars and only introduced the solid silver stars late. Queen Margrethe often wears an embroidered Star. By ordinance on 10th October 1951, Frederik IX directed that women could also be decorated with the Order of the Dannebrog on an equal footing with men. With these changes - which mirror developments in society - the rules Frederik VI set in place for the Order of the Dannebrog in 1808 remain as the basis for the way the honour is awarded. The Motto of the Order is: Gud og Kongen (God and the King). |
In 1952, the name of the Dannebrogman’s Medal was changed to the Order of Dannebrog’s Medal, with a narrower scope than before. Thereafter, those who had previously received the Dannebrogman’s Medal were appointed to the lower class of knights.
All three fathers-in-law of Queen Margrethe's two sons have received the Order of the Dannebrog. Crown Princess Mary's father John Donaldson and Princess Marie's father Alain Cavallier are both shown below on their daughters' wedding days showing the Riband of the Order. Allain Cavallier's Stall Plate is also shown below with the Riband encircling his Coat of Arms. The late Richard Nigel Manley, father of Prince Joachim's first wife, the former Princess Alexandra and now Countess of Frederiksborg, is shown wearing the Riband and Star of the Order to a dinner alongside his wife and famous daughter.
Frederiksborg Castle - The Chapel of the Danish Royal Orders
After a serious fire in 1859, the castle was rebuilt based on old plans and paintings. Thanks to public support and the brewer J. C. Jacobsen, its apartments were fully restored and reopened to the public as the Danish Museum of National History in 1882. Open throughout the year, the museum contains the largest collection of portrait paintings in Denmark. The castle also has state rooms including the restored Valdemar Room and Great Hall as well as the Chapel and the Audience Chamber which were both largely spared by the fire and contain sumptuous decorations.
The Chapel of the Orders was established in 1693-94 during the reign of Christian V. The Armorial for the Order of the Dannebrog was the first to be created with the first Armorial for the Order of the Elephant following in 1690. A heraldic painter responsible for the Armorials and Stall Plates has been affiliated with the Royal Orders of Knighthood since those times.
With the expansion of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1808, it has been the Coats of Arms for holders of the Grand Cross that have been painted in the Order’s Armorial and displayed in the Chapel. Since 1961, with very few exceptions, that has occurred only for Danish recipients of the Grand Cross.
The Chapel of the Royal Danish Orders of Knighthood in Frederiksborg Castle Church is a treasure trove of heraldic history with Coats of Arms from over 300 years honouring the Knights of the two Royal Danish Orders of Chivalry. It is a unique collection which is open to the public as the chapel is part of the National History Museum at Frederiksborg.