Order of Solomon

Order of Solomon
Ribband of the order
Award of Ethiopian Empire
Type	Order presented to heads of state
Royal house	House of Solomon
Religious affiliation	Ethiopian Orthodox
Sovereign	Emperor of Ethiopia
Grades (w/ post-nominals)	Knight
Established	1874 as part of Order of the Seal of Solomon 1922 as a separate order
Precedence
Next (lower)	Order of the Seal of Solomon

Haile Selassie I, Grand Cordon of the Order of Solomon

The Order of Solomon was an order of knighthood of the Ethiopian Empire.

The Solomonic dynasty, the ancient Imperial House of Ethiopia, claims descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, said to have given birth to King Menelik I after her visit to Solomon in Jerusalem.^[1]

As the Empire's principal Order, it featured first in the long list of knightly titles of the last ruling Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, described as –

The Lion of Judah Hath Prevailed (or "[by the] Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah");

His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, King of Kings of Ethiopia, Conquering Lion of Judah, Elect of God, Grand Cordon of the Order of Solomon, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Solomon, Knight of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George...^[2]

.

Recipients

Recipients include Queen Elizabeth II, Dwight D. Eisenhower, King Haakon VII and King Olav V of Norway, the Emperor Akihito of Japan, and the Emperor Amha Selassie, last titular Emperor of Ethiopia.

Insignia

When the Emperor Yohannes IV awarded the Order to Admiral Sir William Hewett, c. 1884, it was described as "a gold triangular medal with six precious stones".^[3]

References