Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav

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Order of St. Olav Grand Cross, as collar
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Order of St. Olav Grand Cross, as collar

The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (Den Kongelige Norske St. Olavs Orden (in Norwegian) or Sanct Olafs Orden (the old Norwegian name)) is a Norwegian order of chivalry that was instituted by King Oscar I of Norway and Sweden on August 21, 1847, as a distinctly Norwegian order. It is named after King Olav II, known for posterity as St. Olav. Nobility was abolished in Norway in 1821. Just before the union with Sweden was dissolved in 1905, the order of the Norwegian Lion was instituted in 1904 by King Oscar II, but it was not awarded by his successor Haakon VII. The order of St. Olav thus became the kingdom's only order of chivalry for the next 80 years. The Grand Master of the order is the reigning monarch of Norway. It is awarded to individuals as a reward for remarkable accomplishments on behalf of the father country and humanity. Since 1985, the order has only been conferred upon Norwegian citizens, though foreign heads of state are awarded the order as a matter of courtesy.

The reigning monarch awards the order upon the recommendation of a six-member commission, consisting of a chancellor, vice chancellor, the court treasurer, and one representative from the southern, central, and northern parts of Norway. The prime minister nominates the members of the commission, and the monarch approves them. Nominations for the award are directed at the commission through the county mayor.

The order is divided into five classes and may be awarded for either civilian or military contributions, the Collar is awarded as a separate distinction of the Grand Cross to those recipients deemed exeptionally worthy, in descending order of distinction:

  • Grand Cross with Collar of St. Olav - awarded to heads of state as a courtesy and in rare cases to individuals for merit; wears the badge on a collar (chain), plus the star on the left chest. If the collar is not worn the badge may be worn on a sash on the right shoulder;
  • Grand Cross of St. Olav - awarded to heads of state as a courtesy and in rare cases to individuals for merit; wears the badge on a sash on the right shoulder, plus the star on the left chest;
  • Commander with Star - wears the badge on a necklet, plus the star on the left chest;
  • Commander - wears the badge on a necklet;
  • Knight, First Class - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;
  • Knight - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.

Recipients are expected to return the insignia upon advancement to a higher level of the order, or upon their death. Since it was instituted, it has been awarded approximately 5,000 times. The insignia are produced in Norway by craftsmen.

The Norwegian king also awards the St. Olav Medal in gold and silver for "activities for the benefit of society," but these do not confer upon the recipient membership in an order.

[edit] Insignia

The collar of the Order is in gold, with six enamelled and crowned monograms "O" (for Olav), six enamelled and crowned coat-of-arms of Norway, and 12 gold crosses bottony each flanked by two axes with silver blades and golden shafts (The latter elements is also featured in the coat of arms of the Church of Norway).

The badge of the Order is a white enamelled Maltese Cross, in silver for the knight class and in gilt of the higher classes; crowned monograms "O" (for Olav) appear between the arms of the cross. The obverse central disc is red with the golden Norwegian lion; the reverse disc bears the motto "Justice and Truth" in Norwegian; both discs are surrounded by a white-blue-white ring. The cross is topped by a crown; military awards have crossed swords between the crown and the cross.

The star of the Order for the Grand Cross is an eight-pointed silver star with faceted rays, bearing the obverse of the badge of the Order (minus the crown on the top).

The star for Commander with Star is a silver faceted Maltese Cross, with gilt crowned monograms "O" (for Olav) between the arms of the cross. The central disc is red with the golden Norwegian lion, surrounded by a white-blue-white ring.

The ribbon of the Order is red with white-blue-white edge stripes.

[edit] Ranks in the Order of precedence

Bearers of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav with collar are ranked 32. in the Order of precedence directly after The Lady Chamberlain and generals and directly before recipients of the War Cross with sword. Bearers of the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav are ranked 33.

[edit] External links

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