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Order of the Sword

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Royal Order of the Sword
Kungliga Svärdsorden
Svardsorden.jpg
Badge and star of the order
Awarded by the monarch of Sweden
TypeFive grade order of merit
MottoPro Patria
EligibilityMilitary personnel
CriteriaValour during war and service to the Armed Forces during peacetime.
StatusActive (since 1 February 2023)
SovereignKing Carl XVI Gustaf
ChancellorSvante Lindqvist[1]
GradesCommander Grand Cross (KmstkSO)
Commander 1st Class (KSO1kl)
Commander (KSO)
Knight 1st Class (RSO1kl)
Knight (RSO)
Statistics
First induction1748
Precedence
Next (higher)Royal Order of the Seraphim
Next (lower)Royal Order of the Polar Star
Order of the Sword - Ribbon bar.svg
Ribbon bar of the Order of the Sword

For other uses, see Order of the Sword (disambiguation).
Collar and star of the order
Collar and star of the order

The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: Royal Order of the Sword; Swedish: Kungliga Svärdsorden) is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Seraphim and the Order of the Polar Star. The motto of the order is in Latin: Pro Patria (which means "For Fatherland").

Awarded to officers, and originally intended as an award for bravery and particularly long or useful service, it eventually became a more or less obligatory award for military officers after a certain number of years in service. There were originally three grades, Knight, Commander and Commander Grand Cross, but these were later multiplied by division into classes. On 20 December 2022, the Swedish Government published a new regulation that repealed the 1974 regulation, and once again opened the Royal Orders to Swedish citizens again and reactivated the Sword Order and Vasa Order, which came in effect from 1 February 2023.[2][3]

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Swedish language

Swedish language

Swedish is a North Germanic language spoken predominantly in Sweden and in parts of Finland. It has at least 10 million native speakers, the fourth most spoken Germanic language and the first among any other of its type in the Nordic countries overall.

Sweden

Sweden

Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, Finland to the east, and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge–tunnel across the Öresund. At 447,425 square kilometres (172,752 sq mi), Sweden is the largest Nordic country, the third-largest country in the European Union, and the fifth-largest country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Stockholm. Sweden has a total population of 10.5 million, and a low population density of 25.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (66/sq mi), with around 87% of Swedes residing in urban areas, which cover 1.5% of the entire land area, in the central and southern half of the country.

Frederick I of Sweden

Frederick I of Sweden

Frederick I was prince consort of Sweden from 1718 to 1720, and King of Sweden from 1720 until his death and also Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1730. He ascended the throne following the death of his brother-in-law absolutist Charles XII in the Great Northern War, and the abdication of his wife, Charles's sister and successor Ulrika Eleonora, after she had to relinquish most powers to the Riksdag of the Estates and thus chose to abdicate. His powerless reign and lack of legitimate heirs of his own saw his family's elimination from the line of succession after the parliamentary government dominated by pro-revanchist Hat Party politicians ventured into a war with Russia, which ended in defeat and the Russian tsarina Elizabeth getting Adolf Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp instated following the death of the king. Whilst being the only Swedish monarch to be named Frederick, he is known as Frederick I despite other Swedish monarchs with non-repeating names not being given numerals.

Order of the Seraphim

Order of the Seraphim

The Royal Order of the Seraphim 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 Polar Star. The order has only one class with the dignity of Knight, and is the foremost order of Sweden.

Order of the Polar Star

Order of the Polar Star

The Royal Order of the Polar 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".

History

The order was created by King Frederick I in 1748, along with two other orders, the Order of the Seraphim and the Order of the Polar Star. In 1788, King Gustav III created two new grades of the order, which could only be bestowed in war time:

  • "Knight Grand Cross First Class" – The cross is in shape similar to the Knight's cross, but as large as the Grand Cross badge and is worn on a necklet, and the star is in the shape of an upraised silver sword. It was awarded to division commanders of at least the rank of a major general for achieving a major victory in battle. Even the monarch could only wear the insignia Knight Grand Cross by the unanimous decision of his officers (e.g., Gustavus III, Charles XIII and Charles XIV John.
  • "Knight Grand Cross" – The cross is in shape similar to the Knight's cross, but as large as the Grand Cross badge and is worn on a necklet, and the star is in the shape of two crossed upright silver swords.

These grades proper were only given to commissioned officers, but an affiliated decoration, the Svärdstecken ("Badge of the Sword"), introduced in 1850, was given to non-commissioned officers; one thus decorated would call himself a svärdsman ("Swordsman"). A Medal of the Sword was also introduced for enlisted men. Both the non-commissioned officers and the enlisted men had to have served for at least sixteen years to qualify for the Badge and Medal respectively.

In 1952 a special medal of distinction was added to the order. These could only be bestowed in wartime. They are the War Cross of the Order of the Sword in Gold, in Silver and in Bronze. They are worn on the same ribbon as the order and the medal consist of the cross saltire of the Order struck in gold, silver or bronze, with an upraised sword behind central medallion bearing the Swedish three crowns and in the spaces between the upper and lower arms of the cross. At the top of the points of the upper arms of the cross and of the sword is a small royal crown.

Membership of the order has not been awarded since 1975, but technically it still exists. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden frequently wears his Commander Grand Cross necklet and badge. In 2019, a parliamentary committee was instructed to establish guidelines on how to re-introduce the Swedish orders, including the Order of the Sword, into the Swedish honours system and how Swedish citizens again can be appointed to Swedish orders.[4] The committee presented its findings in September 2021 and the Government has declared that a bill on the subject will be presented to the Riksdag on 19 April 2022. The Bill was passed on 15 June 2022, and the Order of the Sword was re-introduced into the Swedish honours system on 1 February 2023.[5]

Formerly the reception of new Commanders Grand Cross took place without religious ceremonies in the royal apartments, but in the presence of the other Commanders Grand Cross of the Order, of the Knights of the Seraphim, and the Commanders Grand Cross of all the other orders. By the oath the Commander elect bound himself “to defend with life and property the Evangelical-Lutheran religion, to serve faithfully the King and the country, and to combat courageously against the foes of the country.” When a foreigner was elected a Commander of the Grand Cross, the insignia were sent to him abroad, while he, in his turn, transmitted to the archives of the Order a statement of the services rendered by him.

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Major general

Major general

Major general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a lieutenant general outranking a major general, whereas a major outranks a lieutenant.

Charles XIV John

Charles XIV John

Charles XIV John was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844. Before his reign he was a Marshal of France during the Napoleonic Wars and participated in several battles. In modern Norwegian lists of kings he is called Charles III John. He was the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty.

Saltire

Saltire

A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross. The word comes from the Middle French sautoir, Medieval Latin saltatoria ("stirrup").

Bill (law)

Bill (law)

A bill is proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature as well as, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act of the legislature, or a statute. Bills are introduced in the legislature and are discussed, debated and voted upon.

Riksdag

Riksdag

The Riksdag is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members, elected proportionally and serving, since 1994, fixed four-year terms. The 2022 Swedish general election is the most recent general election.

Grades

The Order of the Sword in peacetime had five classes:

  • Royal Order of the Sword - Commander Grand Cross BAR.svg Commander Grand Cross – wears the badge on a collar (chain) or on a sash on the right shoulder, plus the star on the left chest;
  • Royal Order of the Sword - Commander 1st Class BAR.svg Commander 1st Class – wears the badge on a necklet, plus the star on the left chest;
  • Royal Order of the Sword - Commander BAR.svg Commander – wears the badge on a necklet;
  • Royal Order of the Sword - Knight 1st Class BAR.svg Knight 1st Class – wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;
  • Order of the Sword - Ribbon bar.svg Knight – wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;

Knight of the Grand Cross

In 1788 King Gustaf III, during the Russo-Swedish War, instituted another class of the order that could only be bestowed in wartime and only to senior officers whose conduct had had a significant effect on the war. Not even the King of Sweden can wear the decoration until a "Swedish army under His command has been victorious, either through combat or conquest". The special class is called Knight of the Grand Cross. The breast star is in the shape of an upright sword, and is worn on the left pocket and the badge is worn around the neck.[6]

  • Badge

    Badge

  • Breast star

    Breast star

  • Ribbon

    Ribbon

Medals and badges

The order also encompasses two medals;

Both medals are worn on a ribbon on the left chest.

  • Medal of the Sword, with the inscription Konung och Fädernesland (King and Country)

    Medal of the Sword, with the inscription Konung och Fädernesland (King and Country)

  • Badge of the Sword.

    Badge of the Sword.

Insignia and habit

Habit of a Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword, from the 1820s
Habit of a Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword, from the 1820s

The badge of the Order is a white enamelled Maltese Cross in saltire (i.e. "X" shaped), in silver for Knight class and in gold for the Knight 1st Class and above; gold open crowns appeared between the arms of the cross. The obverse central medallion bears an upright gold sword between three gold crowns on a blue enamelled background; the reverse central medallion has an upright gold sword intersecting a gold laurel wreath, and the Latin legend "Pro Patria" (For Fatherland) on a blue enamelled background. A pair of crossed gold swords in blue enamelled scabbards with downward turned blades lie across the opening between the upper arms of the cross at the top of the badge. In addition the badges of the two highest classes also have an upright similar gold and blue sword across the openings at the sides of the cross and an identical pair of crossed gold and blue swords with downwards turned blades across the opening between the lower arms of the cross at the bottom of the badge, the pairs of crossed swords are each tied together and the side swords are bound to the cross by a single gold ribbon which crosses the arms of the cross from behind. The badge hanged from a gold and enamelled royal crown.

  • The collar of the Order is of gold in the form of eleven gold swords in blue enamelled scabbards with gold belts connected by gold chains and alternating with eleven gold pelte shields each bearing a blue enamelled helmet .
  • The star of the Order is a silver Maltese Cross, the central medallion bearing the same upright sword between three gold crowns on a blue enamelled background as the badge. The star of the Grand Cross also has golden crowns over short silver triangular rays between the arms of the cross.
  • The ribbon of the Order is yellow with blue stripes near its borders (i. e., the Swedish national colours).

Formerly the Order also had a distinctive blue and yellow habit worn on formal occasions such as at chapters of the Order. The habit included yellow trousers, a yellow knee length coat with blue shoulder tabs and a yellow girdle, each bordered in blue, blue mantle lined with blue satin and a blue shoulder sash with a gold fringe. The star of the Order was embroidered over the left breast of both the coat and the mantle. A black top hat with gold hat band and a plume of white ostrich and black egret feathers and a pair of black boots with gilded spurs completed the habit. The collar of the Order was worn over the shoulders of the coat.

Insignia of the medals

  • The Badge of the Sword is similar to the knight's silver badge of the Order. The front central medallion is enamelled but the arms of the cross have no white enamel nor is the back of this badge enamelled.
  • The Medal of the Sword is of also of silver and round with a royal crown on it upper side. The Medal bears the sword and three crown of the badge of the Order surrounded by a band with the Swedish words, "Konung och Fädernesland" (King and Fatherland).

Discover more about Insignia and habit related topics

Saltire

Saltire

A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross. The word comes from the Middle French sautoir, Medieval Latin saltatoria ("stirrup").

Three Crowns

Three Crowns

Three Crowns is the national emblem of Sweden, present in the coat of arms of Sweden, and composed of three yellow or gilded coronets ordered two above and one below, placed on a blue background. Similar designs are found on a number of other coats of arms or flags.

Latin

Latin

Latin is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area around present-day Rome, but through the power of the Roman Republic it became the dominant language in the Italian region and subsequently throughout the Roman Empire. Even after the fall of Western Rome, Latin remained the common language of international communication, science, scholarship and academia in Europe until well into the 18th century, when other regional vernaculars supplanted it in common academic and political usage, and it eventually became a dead language in the modern linguistic definition.

National colours

National colours

National colours are frequently part of a country's set of national symbols. Many states and nations have formally adopted a set of colours as their official "national colours" while others have de facto national colours that have become well known through popular use. National colours often appear on a variety of different media, from the nation's flag to the colours used in sports. Before World War I, they also served as the colors of different military uniforms for each nation.

Trousers

Trousers

Trousers, slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately. In the United Kingdom, the word pants generally means underwear and not trousers. Shorts are similar to trousers, but with legs that come down only to around the area of the knee, higher or lower depending on the style of the garment. To distinguish them from shorts, trousers may be called "long trousers" in certain contexts such as school uniform, where tailored shorts may be called "short trousers" in the UK.

Girdle

Girdle

A belt, especially if a cord or rope, is called a girdle if it is worn as part of Christian liturgical vestments, or in certain historical, literary or sports contexts.

Top hat

Top hat

A top hat is a tall, flat-crowned hat traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally made of black silk or sometimes grey, the top hat emerged in Western fashion by the end of the 18th century. Although it declined by the time of the counterculture of the 1960s, it remains a formal fashion accessory. A collapsible variant of a top hat, developed in the 19th century, is known as an opera hat.

Plume (feather)

Plume (feather)

A plume is a special type of bird feather, possessed by egrets, ostriches, birds of paradise, quetzals, pheasants, peacocks and quails. They often have a decorative or ornamental purpose, commonly used among marching bands and the military, worn on the hat or helmet of the wearer. When used on military headdresses, the clipped feather plume is referred to as the hackle.

Ostrich

Ostrich

Ostriches are large flightless birds. They are the heaviest living birds, and lay the largest eggs of any living land animal. With the ability to run at 70 km/h (43.5 mph), they are the fastest birds on land. They are farmed worldwide, with significant industries in the Philippines and Namibia. Ostrich leather is a lucrative commodity, and the large feathers are used as plumes for the decoration of ceremonial headgear. Ostrich eggs have been used by humans for millennia.

Egret

Egret

Egrets are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build.

Boot

Boot

A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece. Traditionally made of leather or rubber, modern boots are made from a variety of materials.

Spur

Spur

A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to back up the natural aids. The spur is used in many equestrian disciplines. Most equestrian organizations have rules in about spur design and use and penalties for using spurs in any manner that constitutes animal abuse.

Gallery

  • Grand Cross badge and sash.

    Grand Cross badge and sash.

  • Commander 1st Class set of insignia.

    Commander 1st Class set of insignia.

  • Commander grade.

    Commander grade.

  • Commander grade set of insignia.

    Commander grade set of insignia.

  • Badge of a Commanders class.

    Badge of a Commanders class.

  • Reverse of Commanders class.

    Reverse of Commanders class.

  • Various grades of the order, on display in the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

    Various grades of the order, on display in the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Star of the Commander Grand Cross grade of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman, c.1921

    Star of the Commander Grand Cross grade of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman, c.1921

  • Badge of the Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman, c.1921

    Badge of the Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman, c.1921

  • Star of the Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Star of the Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

  • Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

    Commander Grand Cross of the order in a case by C.F. Carlman.

Source: "Order of the Sword", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, February 6th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Sword.

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Further Reading

Order of the Falcon

Order of the Dannebrog

Order of the Crown (Belgium)

Order of Orange-Nassau

Military Order of Italy

Order of the Phoenix (Greece)

Order of the Netherlands Lion

Order of St. Olav

Order of Adolphe of Nassau

Order of George I

Order of Vasa

Order of the Polar Star

Royal Order of the Lion

Order of the Crown of Tonga

Order of Entrepreneurial Merit

Order of Queen Sālote Tupou III

Order of Henry the Lion
See also
References
  • Nordisk familjebok, vol. 27 [1]
  • Orders and Decorations of Europe in Color by Paul Hieronymussen and protographed by Aage Struwing; English translation by Christine Crowley. The MacMillan Company. New York, 1967. Originally published as Europaeiske Ordner I Faever @ Politikens Forlag, 1966. Color plates # 21-27; text pp. 125–126.
  • 'The Orders of Chivalry from the Original Statutes of the Various Orders of Knighthood and other Sources of Information by J. H. Lawrence-Archer. London: W. H. Allen and Company, 13 Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, S. W. Publishers to the India Office. 1887.
  • (in Swedish) Per Nordenvall, Kungliga Serafimerorden 1748–1998. Stockholm : Kungl. Maj:ts orden, 1998. ISBN 978-91-630-6744-0
  • (in Swedish) Royal Court of Sweden, www.royalcourt.se
  • Orders and Decorations of Europe in Color by Paul Hieronymussen and protographed by Aage Struwing; English translation by Christine Crowley. The MacMillan Company. New York, 1967. Originally published as Europaeiske Ordner I Faever @ Politikens Forlag, 1966. Color plates # 28-32; text pp. 126–127.
Footnotes
  1. ^ "Personalförändringar vid Kungl. Maj:ts Orden". Kungahuset (Official page of the Royal Court of Sweden. Archived from the original on 29 Jan 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
  2. ^ "Ett offentligt belöningssystem för Sveriges främsta utmärkelser" (Media Release) (in Swedish). Justitiedepartementet, Regeringskansliet. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Förordning om Sveriges främsta utmärkelser" (PDF). Svensk författningssamling (SFS 2022:1800) (in Swedish). Regeringskansliet. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Dir. 2019:76 Kommittédirektiv Det offentliga belöningssystemet, de allmänna flaggdagarna och utformningen av anslaget till hovet" (PDF) (in Swedish). Government of Sweden. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  5. ^ Sunnqvist, Martin (30 January 2023). "Det är nytt med vårt nya ordenssystem" (in Swedish). Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Medalj.nu -Kungl. Svärdsorden - Riddare med stora korset av första klass RmstSO1kl". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
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