![]() Based on the conclusions of a fast-working commission, the king established the new rules for the reformed Order of Dannebrog on 28 June 1808, the birthday of Valdemar the Victorious. Napoleon had instituted the Legion in 1802 to reward French citizens who, regardless of status, had made special efforts for France’s cause. The need was made relevant by the ongoing war with Great Britain, which in 1807 had terror-bombed Copenhagen and seized the Danish fleet as part of the big clash with the Emperor Napoleon.ĭenmark was an ally of France in that conflict, so the French Legion of Honour was used as the model for transforming the Order of Dannebrog. The background for the King’s decision was the bourgeoisie’s rapidly growing importance in society in wake of the French Revolution in 1789 along with the increasing need to show royal acknowledgement of all levels of society. As one of his first actions after his accession, he took the initiative to change the hitherto exclusive Order of Dannebrog into a more up-to-date order of merit with a broad scope. Today, Danish commoners constitute by far the largest group of those decorated.įrederik VI became king in 1808. A fundamental change came in 1951, when Frederik IX decided that women should also be able to be decorated with the Order of Dannebrog. #Knighthood medal seriesAlong with a series of changes later, the decisions from 1808 continue as the formal basis for conferral of the Order of Dannebrog. In connection with the expansion of the Order of Dannebrog in 1808, the order was divided into different grades, and the circle of those decorated was widened to include a broad group of people. According to those statutes, the order had only one grade - designated knight of the Order of Dannebrog, often called White Knight at that time, after the dominant color of the order’s ribbon, corresponding to today’s ¨Grand Cross Knight¨ - and the circle of knights was limited to Danish royalty and persons of noble rank. Like the Order of the Elephant, the Order of Dannebrog had its written statutes in 1693. For that reason, the order’s badge is a cross, and the red and white colours of the Dannebrog characterise the order’s band and cross. According to legend, that was when the Dannebrog fell from the sky and secured the victory. To give the new order increased weight and prestige, it was claimed from the beginning that it was really the re-institution of a much older order founded by Valdemar the Victorious in connection with the Battle of Lyndanisse on 15 June 1219. However, there are historical and contemporary examples of the Order of the Elephant being bestowed upon Danish and foreign commoners who have made themselves particularly deserving of the honour.Īt the urging of chancellor Peter Griffenfeld, the Order of Dannebrog was instituted by Christian V in 1671. It is awarded primarily to Danish and foreign nobility and to foreign heads of state in connection with state visits. The Order of the Elephant has only one grade. The Order’s written statutes were established by Christian V on 1 December 1693 and are still in force with one change: since 9 April 1958, women have also been eligible for admission. At the same time the elephant symbolises purity and chastity. The most likely explanation for the choice of an elephant as the Order’s symbol is that a warrior elephant represented defenders of Christianity who were incensed at the sight of Christ’s blood. The badge is worn either on a chain of gold elephants and towers, or on a blue sash across the left shoulder, hence the name ¨Blue Knight¨ for a bearer of the Order of the Elephant. The elephant carries a tower on its back and a black moor holding a spear on its neck. ![]() The order’s badge is a white, enamelled, gold elephant decorated with a cross on one side and the monogram of the reigning monarch on the other. That originally-Catholic order was suspended in connection with The Reformation in 1536 but was revived during the reign of Frederik II (1559-88). In its current form, it dates back to 1580 but its historic roots go back to the foundation of the Fellowship of the Mother of God by Christian I in the middle of the 1400s. The Order of the Elephant is the older and more distinguished one. For both, HM The Queen is the Sovereign of the Orders, and HRH Prince Joachim is Chancellor of the Orders. At any given time, the ruling monarch heads the orders. Both got their written statutes on 1 December 1693. Denmark has two Royal Orders of Chivalry: the Order of the Elephant, and the Order of Dannebrog. ![]()
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