Order of the Elephant

The Order of the Elephant (Danish: Elefantordenen) is the highest order of Denmark. 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 bestowed on 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 an elephant carrying a howdah, the familiar castle replacing the unfamiliar howdah, and finds use elsewhere in European iconography, as discussed at howdah.

Use

The Danish monarch is the head of the order. The order is worn by members of the royal family, and may also be bestowed on foreign heads of state. In very exceptional circumstances the order may also be bestowed on a commoner. The only living holder of the order who is neither a current or former head of state nor royal is 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. af E. in letters et cetera). Knights of the order are granted a place in the 1st Class of the Danish order of precedence as well as the right to use the honorific style His/Her Excellency (HE).

Insignia

Women's sash is about 6–7 cm wide.

Upon the death of a Knight of the Order of the Elephant, the insignia of the order must be returned.

Current knights and officers

Sovereign of the Royal Danish Orders of Chivalry

Knights of the Elephant

Knights of the Elephant listed by date of appointment

Officers of the Chapter of the Royal Danish Orders of Chivalry

Other notable knights

Previous knights have included:

References

  1. ^ "The Royal Orders of Chivalry". The Danish Monarchy. 14 January 2011. http://kongehuset.dk/publish.php?dogtag=k_en_his_ord. Retrieved 1 March 2011. 
  2. ^ Rosenborg Slot - Objects
  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 July 1, 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. ^ Listing for Princess Marie of Denmark on Danish government information website. (Danish)
  8. ^ Official List of Knights of the Order of the Elephant. (Danish)
  9. ^ Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon, entry "Tycho Brahe" (Danish)

See also