Order of the Aztec Eagle

Order of the Aztec Eagle
The Order of the Aztec Eagle (Star)
Awarded by  Mexico
Type	Order
Awarded for	Services given to Mexico or to humankind
Status	Currently awarded
Grades	Grand Cross with Chain Grand Cross, Special Class Grand Cross Commander Officer Award
Ribbon of the Order of the Aztec Eagle

The Order of the Aztec Eagle (Spanish: Orden Mexicana del Águila Azteca) forms part of the Mexican Honours System and is the highest Mexican order awarded to foreigners in the country.

History

It was created by decree on December 29, 1933 by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to the services given to Mexico or humankind by foreigners. It corresponds to similar distinctions given to Mexican citizens such as the Condecoración Miguel Hidalgo or the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor. It is given by the office of the foreign minister on the instructions of a Council established for this purpose headed by the President.

Design

There is some design similarity of the order with the coat of arms of Mexico, particularly the golden eagle holding a rattlesnake, which is associated with the Aztec civilization.

Classes

Since 2011

Since the reform of March 2011,^[1] the classes are :

1. Chain, awarded to heads of state;
2. Grand Cross, Special Class, awarded to prime ministers and heads of government, hereditary princes(ses), consorts of heads of state, or to people whose category is tantamount to the previous;
3. Grand Cross, awarded to government ministers, secretaries, members of royal families, ambassadors, or individuals whose category is tantamount to the previous;
4. Commander, awarded to government undersecretaries, plenipotentiary ministers, consuls general, brigadier generals, rear admirals, as well to those whose category is tantamount to the previous;
5. Officer, awarded to ad hoc business representatives, colonels and lieutenant colonels, captains of a ship, equivalent servants of embassies in Mexico), as well to those whose category is tantamount to the previous;
6. Insignia, awarded to ad interim business representatives and other members of diplomatic missions; captain, navy lieutenant, as well to those whose category is tantamount to the previous and to those cases the Council considers pertinent.

All grades except the collar may be awarded, under the Council's discretion, to distinguished foreigners.

Before 2011

Prior to the 2011 reform, the classes were, in descending order:

1. Collar ("Collar"), awarded to heads of state;
2. Grand Cross ("Cruz"), awarded to prime ministers and heads of government
3. Sash ("Banda"), awarded to government ministers, secretaries and ambassadors
4. Medal ("Medalla"), awarded to government undersecretaries, plenipotentiary ministers, as well to those whose category is tantamount to the previous;
5. Placard ("Placa"), awarded to ad hoc business representatives, colonels and lieutenant colonels, captains of a ship, equivalent servants of embassies in Mexico), as well to those whose category is tantamount to the previous;
6. Venera (a type of insignia), awarded to ad interim business representatives and other members of diplomatic missions;
7. Insignia proper, awarded under the Council's discretion; and
8. Honorable Mention ("Mención Honorífica").

Notable recipients

Royalty

• Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia – Collar (1954)
• Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom – Collar (1973)
• Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
• Emperor Mohammed Reza of Iran – Collar (1975)
• King Olav V of Norway – Cross
• King Juan Carlos I of Spain – Collar
• Queen Sofía of Spain – Grand Cross, Special Class
• Emperor Akihito of Japan – Collar
• King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden – Collar (2004)
• King Mohammed VI of Morocco – Collar (2005)^[2]
• Queen Margrethe II of Denmark – Collar (2008)^[3]
• Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark – Grand Cross, Special Class (2008) ^[4]
• Felipe VI of Spain – Sash ( 1996 ); Collar ( 2015 )
• Queen Letizia of Spain – Grand Cross (2008); Grand Cross, Special Class (2015 )^[5]
• Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands – Grand Cross woth Chain (2009)^[6]
• King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands – Grand Cross with Chain (2009)^[7]
• Queen Máxima of the Netherlands – Grand Cross, Special Class (2009)^[8]
• Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (2016)^[9]
• King Salman of Saudi Arabia (2016)^[10]

Presidents

• Dwight D. Eisenhower – Collar (1945)
• Juscelino Kubitschek – Collar
• Rafael Trujillo – Collar
• Charles de Gaulle – Collar
• Josip Broz Tito – Collar (1963)
• Julius Nyerere – Collar (1975)
• Lennart Meri – Collar (1995)
• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – Collar (2007)
• Michelle Bachelet – Collar (2007)
• Nelson Mandela – Sash (2010)
• Juan Manuel Santos – Collar (2011)
• José Mujica – Collar (2014)
• Dilma Rousseff – Collar (2014)
• Mauricio Macri – Collar (2016)

Politicians

• Edmond Leburton
• Alexandra Kollontai – Sash (1944)
• Henry H. Arnold – Collar (1945)
• Dr. Jože Brilej – Sash (1950s)
• Lisa Shoman – Sash (2008)
• Ted Kennedy – Sash (2008)
• Yves Ducharme
• Benoît Hamon^[11]

Other

• Walt Disney (1943)
• Spencer Atkinson (1946)
• Nigel Davies (1980)
• Edward Hidalgo (1980)
• Diana Kennedy (1981)
• Gabriel García Márquez (1982)
• Claudio Arrau (1982)
• Plácido Domingo – (1985)^[12][13]
• W. Michael Mathes (1985)^[14]
• Yuri Knorozov (1995)
• Hector P. Garcia (1998)
• Satish Gujral – Insignia proper
• Charles Butt – (2001)
• Candelaria Mayan Singh – Placard (2007)
• Melinda Gates – Insignia proper (2007)
• Anne d'Harnoncourt – Insignia proper (2007)
• Adair Margo – Insignia proper (2007)
• Earl A. Powell III – Insignia proper (2007)
• Tomás Ybarra-Frausto – Insignia proper (2007)
• Rigoberta Menchú – Insignia proper (2010)
• Mario Vargas Llosa – 2011^[15]
• Amartya Sen 2011
• Bono – Insignia proper (2012)^[16]
• Rick Bayless – 2012^[17]
• Cesar Chavez
• Ralph Roeder^[18]

Gallery

• 
  Grand Cordon (collar) of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
• 
  medal of the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle
• 
  Sash and sash badge of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
• 
  Breast star of the Order of the Aztec Eagle

Additional sources

• Mexican Chamber of Deputies^[19]
• Olvera Ayes, David A. "La Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca - Apuntes para su Historia". Cuadernos del Cronista. México, 2011

References

External links

• Medals.org.uk
• Blasoneshispanos.com