Royal Order of the Polar Star
Kungliga Nordstjärneorden
Cross and star of the order
Awarded by the monarch of Sweden
TypeFive grade order of merit
Royal houseBernadotte
MottoNescit Occasum (It knows no decline)
EligibilitySwedish and foreign persons
Awarded forUntil 1975: Civic merits, for devotion to duty, for science, literary, learned and useful works and for new and beneficial institutions.
After 1975: Services to Sweden
StatusCurrently constituted
SovereignKing Carl XVI Gustaf
ChancellorSvante Lindqvist [1]
GradesCommander Grand Cross (KmstkNO)
Commander 1st Class (KNO1kl)
Commander (KNO)
Knight/Member 1st Class (RNO1kl)
Knight/Member (RNO)
Statistics
First induction1748
Last induction21 March 2024[2]
Precedence
Next (higher)Royal Order of the Sword
Next (lower)Royal Order of Vasa

1748–1975 (all recipients)
2013–2023 (Swedish princes only)
2023–present (all recipients)

1975–2023 (foreign recipients)
Ribbon bars of the order

Cross, ribbon and star of a Commander Grand Cross
Collar of the Order of the Polar Star and the badge of the order

The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish: Kungliga Nordstjärneorden), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of the Polar Star is intended as a reward for Swedish and foreign "civic merits, for devotion to duty, for science, literary, learned and useful works and for new and beneficial institutions".

Its motto is, as seen on the blue enameled centre of the badge, Nescit Occasum, a Latin phrase meaning "It knows no decline". This is to represent that Sweden is as constant as a never setting star. The Order's colour is black. This was chosen so that when wearing the black sash, the white, blue and golden cross would stand out and shine as the light of enlightenment from the black surface. The choice of black for the Order's ribbon may also have been inspired by the black ribbon of the French Order of St. Michael, which at the time the Order of the Polar Star was instituted was also awarded to meritorious civil servants. From 1975–2023, the ribbon of the Order was blue with yellow stripes near the edges (i.e., the national colors, but the reverse of the Order of the Sword's yellow ribbon with blue stripes near the edges). The black ribbon was reintroduced in 2023 when guidelines to once again award Swedish honours to Swedish citizens were introduced. Women and clergymen are not called Knight or Commander, but simply Member (Ledamot).

From the reorganization of the orders in 1975 until 2023, the Order was only awarded to foreigners and members of the royal family, often being awarded to foreign office holders (such as prime and senior ministers) during Swedish state visits. It is also awarded to junior members of royal families who would not qualify for the more prestigious Royal Order of the Seraphim. In 2019, a parliamentary committee was instructed to establish guidelines on how to re-introduce the Swedish orders, including the Order of the Polar Star, into the Swedish honours system, and how Swedish citizens again can be appointed to Swedish orders.[3] The committee presented its findings in September 2021 and the Government declared that a bill on the subject would be presented to the Riksdag on 19 April 2022. The bill passed the Riksdag by a large majority on 19 June 2022. On 20 December 2022, the Swedish Government published a new regulation that repealed the 1974 regulation, and once again opened the Royal Orders to Swedish citizens again and reactivated the Order of the Sword and the Order of Vasa, which came in effect from 1 February 2023.[4][5][6]

It was first awarded again in 2024 when Svante Pääbo among others were appointed to the order.[7]

Grades

The Order has five degrees:

  1. Commander Grand Cross (KmstkNO) – Wears the badge on a collar (chain) or on a sash over the right shoulder, plus the star on the left chest;
  2. Commander 1st Class (KNO1kl) – Wears the badge on a necklet, plus the star on the left chest;
  3. Commander (KNO) – Wears the badge on a necklet;
  4. Knight 1st Class (RNO1kl) – Wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;
  5. Knight (RNO) – Wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.

Before 2023, clergymen and women were not called Knight, but instead made a Ledamot av andliga ståndet ("Member of the Cloth") for priests or a Ledamot ("Member") for Women. However, since 2023, the order make no difference between men and women.[8]

The Order also has a medal: the "Polar Star Medal".

Insignia and habit

Ribbon bars (1748–1975; 2023–present)
Commander Grand Cross
Commander 1st Class
Commander
Knight 1st Class
Knight
Ribbon bars (1975–2023)
Commander Grand Cross
Commander 1st Class
Commander
Knight 1st Class
Knight

Recipients (since 2023)

Year Name Citizenship Main occupation Grade
29 September 2023[10] Sirje Karis  Estonia First Lady of Estonia Commander Grand Cross (KmstkNO)
30 January 2024[11] Brigitte Macron  France Spouse of the French President Commander Grand Cross (KmstkNO)
21 March 2024[12] Svante Pääbo  Sweden Professor and Geneticist Commander Grand Cross (KmstkNO)
Anne L'Huillier  Sweden/
 France 		 Professor Commander Grand Cross (KmstkNO)
Catarina Wingren  Sweden  Diplomat/Third Embassy Secretary Knight (RNO)

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hovkalender". Riksmarskalkämbetet (Office of the Marshal of the Realm). 2019: 23. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ "Ordnar till tretton exceptionella svenskar". Kungl. Maj:ts Orden (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  3. ^ "Dir. 2019:76 Kommittédirektiv Det offentliga belöningssystemet, de allmänna flaggdagarna och utformningen av anslaget till hovet" (in Swedish). Government of Sweden. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Ett offentligt belöningssystem för Sveriges främsta utmärkelser" (Media Release) (in Swedish). Justitiedepartementet, Regeringskansliet. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Förordning om Sveriges främsta utmärkelser" (PDF). Svensk författningssamling (SFS 2022:1800) (in Swedish). Regeringskansliet. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  6. ^ Sunnqvist, Martin (30 January 2023). "Det är nytt med vårt nya ordenssystem" (in Swedish). Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  7. ^ url= https://www.kungahuset.se/arkiv/pressmeddelanden/2024-03-21-h.m.-konungen-har-beslutat-om-ordensforlaningar-for-exceptionella-insatser
  8. ^ "STATUTES FOR THE ROYAL SWEDISH ORDERS (adopted on 15 February 2023)" (PDF) (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  9. ^ "Nordstjärneorden". Kungl. Maj:ts Orden (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Statsbesök till Estland". Kungl. Hovstaterna. 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  11. ^ "Statsbesök från Frankrike". Kungahuset (in Swedish). 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  12. ^ "Ordnar till tretton exceptionella svenskar". Retrieved 2024-03-21. (in Swedish) Kungl. Maj:ts Orden

Bibliography

  • (in Swedish) Per Nordenvall, Kungliga Serafimerorden 1748–1998. Stockholm: Kungl. Maj:ts orden, 1998. ISBN 978-91-630-6744-0
  • Order of the Polar Star, Royal Court of Sweden
  • Hieronymussen, Paul; Struwing, Aage, (phot. ill.); Crowley, Christine (English trans.). Orders and Decorations of Europe in Color . The MacMillan Company. New York, 1967. Originally published as Europaeiske Ordner I Faever. Politikens Forlag, 1966. Color plates # 28-32; text pp. 126–127.
  • Lawrence-Archer, J. H. The Orders of Chivalry from the Original Statutes of the Various Orders of Knighthood and other Sources of Information. London: W. H. Allen and Company, 13 Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, S. W. Publishers to the India Office. 1887.

External links

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