Order of the Falcon
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Infobox order
The Order of the Falcon (Template:Langx) is the only order of chivalry in Iceland, founded by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland on 3 July 1921.<ref name=president>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The award is awarded for merit for Iceland and humanity and has five degrees. Nowadays, appointments are made on the nomination of the President of Iceland and that of a "five-member council."
History and appointmentsEdit
Christian X, the King of Denmark, ruled Iceland until 17 June 1944. During his royal visit to Iceland in 1921, King Christian X issued the royal decree founding the Icelandic Order of the Falcon.<ref name=president/> When Iceland became a republic, new statutes were incorporated for the Order on 11 July 1944. The Republic of Iceland replaced the King by an elected President of Iceland who is the designated Grand Master of this Order. It may be awarded to both Icelanders and citizens of other countries for achievements in Iceland or internationally.<ref name=president/> A five-member council makes recommendations on awards to the Grand Master, who then grants the award. However, the Grand Master may award the Order without recommendations from the Order Council.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Grand Master and the Chairman of the Order Council then sign the Letters Patent, which are presented to the awards's recipients.
ClassesEdit
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The Order has five classes:<ref>The Fellowship of the Order of the Falcon - website of The Reykjavík Grapevine</ref>
- Collar with Grand Cross Breast Star (Keðja ásamt stórkrossstjörnu), only for heads of state
- Grand Cross (Stórkross)
- Grand Knight's Cross with Star (Stórriddarakross með stjörnu)
- Grand Knight's Cross (Stórriddarakross)
- Knight's Cross (Riddarakross)
InsigniaEdit
{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Ambox }} }} The collar is gilded metal; it consists of links bearing the Icelandic coat-of-arms and blue-enamelled discs bearing the white falcon.
The badge consists of a gilt cross, enamelled in white, with a blue-enamelled central disc bearing the white falcon.
The star is a silver, eight-pointed star. For the Grand Cross class it has the badge of the Order superimposed upon it. For the Grand Knight with Star class it has a blue-enamelled central disc bearing the white falcon.
The ribbon is blue with white-red-white border stripes. It is worn on the left shoulder.
In summary:
- Collar with Grand Cross Breast Star – wears the badge on a collar plus a star on the left chest;
- Grand Cross – wears the badge on a sash on the left shoulder, plus a star on the left chest;
- Grand Knight's Cross with Star – wears the badge on a necklet, plus a star on the left chest;
- Grand Knight's Cross – wears the badge on a necklet;
- Knight's Cross – wears the badge on a chest ribbon.
If a holder is promoted to a higher rank, the lower rank's insignia must be returned. The insignia are retained during the recipient's lifetime, but they must be returned to the Icelandic Government upon the recipient's death.
| Ribbon bars | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collar with Grand Cross | Grand Cross | Grand Knight's Cross with Star | Grand Knight's Cross | Knight's Cross |
Notable recipientsEdit
Template:Category see also
Politicians and heads of stateEdit
- Template:Flagicon Halla Tómasdóttir (current President of Iceland)
- Template:Flagicon Guðni Th. Jóhannesson (former President of Iceland)
- Template:Flagicon Guðni Ágústsson (former Minister of Agriculture)
- Template:Flagicon Jóhannes Jóhannesson (First Chairman of the order council)
- Template:Flagicon Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (former President of Iceland)
- Template:Flagicon Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (former president of Iceland; first popularly elected female president in the world)
- Template:Flagicon Lennart Meri (former President of Estonia)
- Template:Flagicon Dalia Grybauskaitė (former President of Lithuania)
- Template:Flagicon Sauli Niinistö (former President of Finland)
- Template:Flagicon Tarja Halonen (former President of Finland)
- Template:Flagicon Martti Ahtisaari (former President of Finland)
- Template:Flagicon Mauno Koivisto (former President of Finland)
- Template:Flagicon Urho Kekkonen (former President of Finland)
- Template:Flagicon Juho Kusti Paasikivi (former President of Finland)
- Template:Flagicon Kyösti Kallio (former President of Finland)
- Template:Flagicon Frank-Walter Steinmeier (current President of Germany)
- Template:Flagicon Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (Awarded 1963), Royal Consort of Elizabeth II
- Template:Flagicon Elizabeth II (former Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms) Awarded in 1963
- Template:Flagicon Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands
- Template:Flagicon Carl XVI Gustav (King of Sweden)
- Template:Flagicon Silvia (Queen of Sweden)
- Template:Flagicon Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
- Template:Flagicon Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland
- Template:Flagicon Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
- Template:Flagicon Princess Sofia, Duchess of Värmland
- Template:Flagicon Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland<ref name="Reference C">https://www.kungahuset.se/arkiv/nyheter/2025-05-06-statsbesok-fran-island/</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Christopher O'Neill<ref name="Reference C">https://www.kungahuset.se/arkiv/nyheter/2025-05-06-statsbesok-fran-island/</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson
- Template:Flagicon Albert II (former King of Belgium)
- Template:Flagicon Juan Carlos I of Spain (former King of Spain)
- Template:Flagicon Sofía (former Queen of Spain)
- Template:Flagicon Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo
- Template:Flagicon Infanta Cristina of Spain
- Template:Flagicon Margrethe II (former Queen of Denmark)
- Template:Flagicon Frederik X (King of Denmark)
- Template:Flagicon Mary (Queen of Denmark)
- Template:Flagicon Prince Joachim of Denmark
- Template:Flagicon Princess Marie of Denmark
- Template:Flagicon Princess Benedikte of Denmark
- Template:Flagicon Harald V (King of Norway)
- Template:Flagicon Sonja (Queen of Norway)
- Template:Flagicon Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
- Template:Flagicon Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
- Template:Flagicon Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway
- Template:Flagicon Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
- Template:Flagicon Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner
- Template:Flagicon Janis Johnson (Canadian Senator, Manitoba) Awarded 2000
- Template:Flagicon Lisa Murkowski (United States Senator, Alaska)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Artists and entertainersEdit
- Template:Flagicon Björk Guðmundsdóttir (singer, songwriter), 1997
- Template:Flagicon Helga Bachmann (actress)
- Template:Flagicon Ragga Gísla (singer, composer, actor), 2012<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Ólöf Pálsdóttir (sculptor), 1970
- Template:Flagicon Steinunn Thorarinsdottir (sculptor)
- Template:Flagicon Vladimir Ashkenazy (pianist, conductor)
- Template:Flagicon Stefán Karl Stefánsson (actor, singer), 2018
- Template:Flagicon Edda Björgvinsdóttir (actress), 2018
- Template:Flagicon Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir (actress), 2023
- Template:Flagicon Erling Bløndal Bengtsson (cellist)
- Template:Flagicon Brad Leithauser (writer, poet, scholar), awarded 2005.
- Template:Flagicon Victor Borge (Børge "Victor" Rosenbaum) (concert pianist, entertainer)
- Template:Flagicon Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson, Icelandic composer, awarded 1993.
- Template:Flagicon Jónas Jónasson (composer, radio host), 2006
- Template:Flagicon Páll Ísólfsson (organist, composer, radio host), 1940<ref> Árni Heimir Ingólfsson, “Ísólfsson, Páll”, In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, Oxford University Press; https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.13946, (accessed 19 November 2023).</ref>
ScholarsEdit
- Template:Flagicon George P. L. Walker (Volcanologist)
- Template:Flagicon Andrew Wawn (Philologist)
- Template:Flagicon Thorbergur Thorvaldson, cement chemist, awarded 1939.
- Template:Flagicon Unnur Anna Valdimarsdóttir, Professor of Epidemiology, University of Iceland, awarded 2023.
- Template:Flagicon A. R. Taylor, Professor of medieval English, Old Norse and modern Icelandic Studies, University of Leeds, awarded 1963
- Template:Flagicon Rory McTurk, Professor of Icelandic Studies, University of Leeds, awarded 2007
- Template:Flagicon Mark Watson, archaeologist, dog breeder and benefactor, awarded 1965
- Template:Flagicon William Paton Cleland (Surgeon)<ref name="q1">Caroline Richmond, Obituary of William Paton Cleland (1912-2005), British Medical Journal, 2005, 330; 1212; pdf</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Anders Grubb, Professor of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lund, awarded 2007 for research on Icelandic hereditary diseases
- Template:Flagicon John Lindow, Professor Emeritus of Old Norse and Folklore at University of California, Berkeley, awarded 2018 for scholarly contributions in the area of Icelandic medieval literature.
- Template:Flagicon Carol J. Clover, Professor of Medieval Studies (Early Northern Europe) and American Film at the University of California, Berkeley.
- Template:Flagicon Lee M. Hollander, translator of Kierkegaard and academic.
- Template:Flagicon Sigrún Árnadóttir, awarded the Knight's Cross for the translation of several books to Icelandic including Alfie Atkins and for her contributions to Icelandic children's culture.
OtherEdit
- Template:Flagicon Pike Ward, fisherman who started and developed the Icelandic fishing industry, awarded 1936.
- Template:Flagicon Iceland men's national handball team (Silver medalists in handball at the 2008 Summer Olympics)
- Template:Flagicon Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson (chief goði of the Ásatrúarfélagið), 2018
- Template:Flagicon Friðrik Skúlason (computer scientist), 2018
- Template:Flagicon David Architzel (Vice Admiral, US Navy)
- Template:Flagicon Guðmundur Kjærnested (Commander, Icelandic Coast Guard)
- Template:Flagicon Sunna Olafson Furstenau (Founder/Pres Icelandic Roots; Þjóðræknisfélag Ísland, INL in USA & Canada), 2017
- Template:Flagicon Orri Vigfússon (Chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund)
- Template:Flagicon Anna Kisselgoff (Columbia Univ.) Awarded 2002
- Template:Flagicon James L. Kauffman, Vice-admiral during World War II
- Template:Flagicon William S. Key, Major General during World War II
- Template:Flagicon Sir Arthur Young, police officer
- Template:Flagicon Antti Tuuri (Writer) translated some Icelandic sagas
- Template:Flagicon Koča Popović (Colonel General, YPA)
- Template:Flagicon John W. White, USAF General, Commander Iceland Defense Force
- Template:Flagicon Signy Stefansson Eaton, socialite and philanthropist of Icelandic descent
- Template:FlagiconLeonor Beleza, lawyer, former Minister of Health and 1st President of the Champalimaud Foundation
NotesEdit
External linksEdit
- The Collection of Henrik Revens Template:Webarchive – a website featuring orders and medals of Iceland as well as other Nordic countries