Order of the Elephant Totally Explained

Everything about The Order Of The Elephant totally explained

The Order of the Elephant is the highest order of Denmark. The order is of ancient origin, but was instituted in its current form on 1 December 1693 by King Christian V. The statute of the order was amended in 1958 by a Royal Ordinance so that both men and women could be members of the order.
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 former head of state nor royal born is Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, a leading industrialist and philanthropist.
The order of the Elephant has one class: Knight of the Elephant (Ridder af Elefantordenen).

Insignia

The collar of the order is of gold. It consists of alternating elephants and towers. On the cover of the elephants there's a D which stands for Dania, mediaeval Latin for Denmark. According to the statutes of the order, the collar can only be worn on New Years Day (during the Danish monarch's New Years Cour) and on the Monarch's birthday.

The badge of the order is the elephant made of white-enamelled gold. It is about 5 cm high. On its back the elephant is bearing a watch tower; in front of the tower a Moor is sitting, holding a golden spear; on the right side of the elephant there's a cross of diamonds and on the left the elephant bears the monogram of the bestowing monarch.

The star of the order is an eight-pointed silver star. At its center there's a red disc with a cross, surrounded by a laurel wreath in silver. It is worn on the left side of the chest.

The sash of the order is of light-blue silk moiré and 10 cm wide. It is placed on the left shoulder with the elephant resting against the right hip. The collar isn't worn when the sash is used. Women's sash is about 6-7 cm wide. Upon the death of a Knight of the Elephant, the insignia of the order must be returned.

Current knights and officers

Sovereign of the Royal Danish Orders of Chivalry

HM The Queen of Denmark

Knights of the Elephant

HE Martti Ahtisaari, former President of the Republic of Finland

HIM Akihito, Emperor of Japan

HM Albert II, King of The Belgians

HE Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg (the former Princess Alexandra of Denmark)

HM Anne-Maria, Queen of The Hellenes

HM Beatrix, Queen of The Netherlands

HRH Benedikte, Princess of Denmark

HM Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand

HE Algirdas Brazauskas, former President of the Republic of Lithuania

HE Felipe Calderón, current President of the Mexico

HE Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of the Federative Republic of Brazil

HM Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden

HE Carl Johan Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, former Prince of Sweden

HRH Charles, Prince of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Prince of Wales

HE Christian, Count of Rosenborg, former Prince of Denmark

HE Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson, Princess of Sweden

HM Constantine II, King of The Hellenes

HE Emil Constantinescu, former President of Romania

HH Elisabeth, Princess of Denmark

HM Elizabeth II, Queen of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

HIM Farah Pahlavi, Empress of Iran (deposed)

HE Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former President of the Republic of Iceland

HRH Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark

HE Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, former President of the French Republic

HE Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of the Republic of Iceland

HRH Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway

HE Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic of Finland

HM Harald V, King of Norway

HRH Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

HRH Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark

HIH Hitachi, Prince of Japan

HE Ion Iliescu, former President of Romania

HE Ingolf, Count of Rosenborg, former Prince of Denmark

HRH Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, Princess of Greece and Denmark

HRH Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

HRH Joachim, Prince of Denmark

HM Juan Carlos, King of Spain

HE Mauno Koivisto, former President of the Republic of Finland

HE Milan Kučan, former President of the Republic of Slovenia

HR Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil

HE Nelson Mandela, former President of the Republic of South Africa

HRH Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

HH Princess Märtha Louise, Princess of Norway

HRH Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark

HRH Michael, Prince of Greece and Denmark

HIM Michiko, Empress of Japan

HIH Mikasa, Prince of Japan

HE Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller

HE Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

HIH Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan

HM Noor al-Hussein, Queen of Jordan

HE Karolos Papoulias, President of the Hellenic Republic

HM Paola, Queen of The Belgians

HE Georgi Parvanov, President of the Republic of Bulgaria

HRH Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, Prince of Denmark

HRH Philip, Prince of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Duke of Edinburgh

HRH Philippe, Prince of Belgium, Duke of Brabant

HE António Ramalho Eanes, former President of the Portuguese Republic

HSH Richard, Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

HE Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, former President of Italian Republic

HM Silvia, Queen of Sweden

HM Sirikit, Queen of Thailand

HE Mário Soares, former President of the Portuguese Republic

HM Sofía, Queen of Spain

HM Sonja, Queen of Norway

HE Petar Stoyanov, former President of the Republic of Bulgaria

HE Guntis Ulmanis, former President of the Republic of Latvia

HRH Vajiralongkorn, Crown Prince of Thailand

HRH Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland

HE Lech Wałęsa, former President of the Republic of Poland

HE Richard von Weizsäcker, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany

HRH Willem-Alexander, Prince of The Netherlands, Prince of Orange

Knights of the Elephant listed by date of appointment

21 May 1935: HE Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg, former Prince of Sweden

20 April 1947: HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark

20 April 1947: HM Queen Anne-Maria, former Queen of the Hellenes, Princess of Denmark

16 November 1947: HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

16 November 1947: HRH Prince Philip of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Duke of Edinburgh

8 August 1953: HIM Emperor Akihito of Japan

5 March 1957: HIH Prince Mikasa of Japan

21 February 1958: HM King Harald V of Norway

21 April 1958: HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand

6 September 1960: HM Queen Sirikit of Thailand

17 February 1961: HE Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, former Prince of Denmark

4 January 1962: HM King Constantine II, former King of the Hellenes

11 March 1962: HH Princess Elisabeth of Denmark

3 May 1963: HIM Empress Farah, former Empress of Iran

20 October 1963: HE Count Christian of Rosenborg, former Prince of Denmark

11 September 1964: HRH Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark

11 September 1964: HRH Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark

12 January 1965: HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

28 September 1965: HIH Prince Hitachi of Japan

10 June 1967: HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark

3 February 1968: HH Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

18 June 1968: HM King Albert II of the Belgians

14 January 1972: HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark

14 January 1972: HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark

16 January 1973: Princess Christina, Mrs Magnusson

12 February 1973: HM Queen Sonja of Norway

30 April 1974: HRH Prince Charles of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Prince of Wales

29 October 1975: HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

22 November 1976: HRH Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg

12 October 1978: HE Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, former President of the French Republic

17 March 1980: HM King Juan Carlos I of Spain

17 March 1980: HM Queen Sofía of Spain

25 February 1981: HE Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former President of the Republic of Iceland

20 April 1983: HE Mauno Henrik Koivisto, former President of the Republic of Finland

25 June 1984: HE António Santos Ramalho Eanes, former President of the Portuguese Republic

3 September 1985: HM Queen Silvia of Sweden

19 February 1986: HE Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

25 April 1989: HE Richard von Weizsäcker, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany

20 July 1991: HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

6 May 1992: HE Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares, former President of the Portuguese Republic

13 October 1992: Princess Märtha Louise of Norway

5 July 1993: HE Lech Wałęsa, former President of the Republic of Poland

19 October 1993: HE Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, former President of the Italian Republic

7 September 1994: HE Martti Ahtisaari, former President of the Republic of Finland

16 May 1995: HM Queen Paola of the Belgians

14 July 1995: HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

17 November 1995: HE Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg

18 February 1996: HE Nelson Mandela, former President of the Republic of South Africa

9 October 1996: HE Algirdas Brazauskas, former President of the Republic of Lithuania

18 November 1996: HE Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of the Republic of Iceland

14 January 1997: HRH Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, Prince of Denmark

18 March 1997: HE Guntis Ulmanis, former President of the Republic of Latvia

31 January 1998: HRH Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange

27 April 1998: HM Queen Noor al-Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

2 June 1998: HIM Empress Michiko of Japan

3 May 1999: HE Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of the Federative Republic of Brazil

23 May 2000: HE Emil Constantinescu, former President of the Republic of Romania

17 October 2000: HE Petar Stoyanov, former President of the Republic of Bulgaria

15 December 2000: HE Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller

7 February 2001: HRH Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn of Thailand

3 April 2001: HE Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic of Finland

10 October 2001: HE Milan Kučan, former President of the Republic of Slovenia

24 April 2002: HE Johannes Rau, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany

28 May 2002: HRH Prince Philippe of Belgium, Duke of Brabant

20 October 2003: HRH Grand Duke Maria Teresa of Luxembourg

20 October 2003: HRH Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg

16 March 2004: HE Ion Iliescu, former President of the Republic of Romania

9 May 2004: HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

16 November 2004: HIH Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan

29 March 2006: HE Georgi Parvanov, current President of the Republic of Bulgaria

24 May 2006: HE Karolos Papoulias, current President of the Hellenic Republic

12 September 2007: HE Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, current President of the Federative Republic of Brazil (External Link

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18 February 2008: HE Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, current President of the United Mexican States

Officers of the Chapter of the Royal Danish Orders of Chivalry

Chancellor: HRH Prince Henrik, The Prince Consort

Secretary: Mr Niels Eilschou Holm, LL.D., Chamberlain, Private Secretary to HM The Queen

Treasurer: Ambassador Paul Fischer, LL.D., Chamberlain

Secretary of the Chapter: Mr Per Thornit, Chamberlain, Chief of TRH The Crown Prince and The Crown Princess's Household

Historiographer of the Chapter: Professor Knud J.V. Jespersen, Dr. Phil.

Recently deceased knights

HE Lennart Meri, President of the Republic of Estonia (d. 2006)

HE Johannes Rau, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany (d. 2006)

Other notable knights

Previous non-royal knights have included:

Tycho Brahe, astronomer (1578)

Heinrich Rantzau, German-Danish humanist writer and statesman (1580)

Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam, Dutch lieutenant-admiral (1659)

Egbert Bartholomeusz Kortenaer, Dutch vice-admiral (1659)

Cornelis Tromp, Dutch and Danish admiral-general (1676)

J.B.S. Estrup, Danish landowner, politician and President of the Council of State (1878)

Vilhelm Thomsen, Professor, Dr. Phil., Danish linguist (1912)

H.N. Andersen, Danish businessman, Consul-General, titular Councilor of State (1919)

C.G.E. Mannerheim, President of the Republic of Finland, Marshal of Finland (1919)

Stanisław Wojciechowski, President of the Republic of Poland (1923)

Tomáš Masaryk, President of the Czechoslovak Republic (1925)

Miklós Horthy, Austro-Hungarian vice-admiral, Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary (1940)

Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, British Field Marshal (1945)

Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, General of the Army (1945)

Niels Bohr, Professor, Dr. Phil. & Scient. & Techn., Danish physicist and Nobel laureate, Manifested Copenhagen interpretation ("atom theory") (1947)

Sir Winston Churchill, British prime minister and Nobel laureate (1950)

Julius Nyerere, President of the United Republic of Tanzania (1970)

Josip Broz Tito, President of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (1974)

Nicolae Ceauşescu, President of the Socialist Republic of Romania (Note: Awarded on the November 1980 state visit to Denmark but revoked by the Queen on December 23, 1989 for the first time in history. The insignia have been returned to Denmark and Ceauşescu's name has been deleted from the official rolls)Further Information

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