Strandbergs Mynthandel AB
Uppdated 2003-02-01
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Sweden has four Official Orders which are State Orders of Sweden. These are The Royal Order of the Seraphim, The Royal Order of the Sword, the Royal Order of the North Star and the Royal Order of Vasa. From January 1st, 1975 the state orders are not awarded to Swedish citizens, only to foreign citizens or stateless citizens. Only two orders are awarded (the Seraphim and the North Star), while the other two are kept dormant.
This is a great shame for many reasons. It is a sad fact, that some recent foreign officials have been offended when they have recieved a Swedish order of merit, because they have interpreted the order as of lesser value than the many Swedish medals that our own Swedish officials wear. Since the greater part of the world have state orders, it would be a sound decision to reinstate the Swedish orders. It is the only way to create an internationally comparable system of awards. The Swedish State Orders was a cheap and efficient way to express the State's appreciation of Swedish citizens, the style and consistency of the Orders made the Swedish State Orders on of the most beautiful systems of State Orders in the world. Further, each Order carries a unique element. The Order of the Seraphim is a single-class order which used to be an order of chivalry parallell to the Order of the Garter. The Order of the Sword is a military order of merit in five classes, with two additional classes plus three crosses of merit to bestow for armed merit when Sweden is in a state of war. The Order of the North Star was reserved for civil servants and the clergy, while the Order of Vasa was a "free" Order. The uniqueness, balance and functions makes it highly desirable to reinstate all four state orders of Sweden.
In addition, the Order of Carl/Charles XIII is not a state order but never the less is an official order in the grey-zone of orders of chivalry and of merit. It has one class only. Johanniterorden i Sverige (The Order of St John of Sweden) is a semi-official Order, a status equal to that of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. It has two classes.
From the memorial on the introduction of Swedish State Orders to the Secret Committe of the Swedish Parliament 1744:
"No country exists in Europe, that does not have their own orders of chivalry, excepting Sweden and the Republic of Holland. They use them partly for their own subjects, partly for foreign, and crowned heads believe themselves able to offer them to their equals and also to wear them /.../. I recollect, that some Parliament meetings back such a proposal was voiced, but times and circumstances were not of the same character as presently. It is thought peculiar to see Swedish men luminent by foreign decorations of grace or equally by themselves made. It seems finally so much more necessary to now concider such regulations, that could pertain to such times and people, that should want to court for decorations of honour at foreign powers, with loss of their own honour and by sacrificing their fatherland. It seems more adventurous to change such matters without introducing orders of chivalry of our own; it seems finally so much more necessary to consider such regulations /.../."
(Carl Hårleman, my translation)
In 1748, the first set of statutes was established by King Fredrik I, modelled after the system of King Louis XIV with multiple classes. The Royal orders picked up many influences from the earlier Swedish sodalities and dynastic orders from King Erik XIV onwards. The more dominant opinion in Swedish litterature is that King Erik XIV was in fact the first to establish an order of chivalry, while all previous reported orders are the result of misunderstandings, misinterpretations and - of course - a desire to glorify the past of Sweden. For instance, The Royal Order of the Seraphim was "resurected" by the statutes of 1748 rather than instigated. There is no conclusive evidence to support the claim that there was an Order of the Seraphim in Sweden instigated by King Magnus Ladulås during the 12th century.
The design...
The Royal Swedish Orders has be awarded to women since 1952.
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| The grand uniform of the Seraphim (-1844) | The lesser uniform of the Seraphim (-1844) |
The Order of the Seraphim is Sweden's principal state Order founded by King Fredrik I on February 23, 1748. It was then erroranously claimed that it had it's origin in a medieval Order of Chivalry, founded by Magnus Ladulås. The Order is today characterized as an Order of Merit, but retains some streaks of it's former status as an Order of Chivalry. The Order was until 1974 bestowed upon members of the Royal Family, prominent Swedish citizens who already were Commanders Grand Cross of any of the other three Swedish Orders and occasionally to foreigners, mostly foreign heads of state.
From 1952 women can be bestowed the Order. From January 1, 1975 it could only be bestowed to prominent foreigners (H M Queen Silvia was bestowed the Order in 1976 as a foreigner when marrying H M King Carl XVI Gustaf). This was thought unfortunate because it would eventally lead to a situation where the Swedish head of state would not be allowed the Order he or she bestowed to others! In 1995, the statutes were revised to allow members of the Royal Family to recieve the Order of the Seraphim on their 18th birthday. It has only one class:
Reverse of a Cross of Office for the Order
Swedish citizens are styled "Knight and Commander", which refers to the fact that they are previously Commanders Grand Cross of one of the other three Swedish state orders. Women are styled "Member" and priests are styled "Member of the clergy". Foreigners are bestowed the collar only in exceptional cases.
All Knights (and Members) of the Order of the Seraphim have rank following the ministers of the government, and are addressed "Herr" or "Fru" followed by surname, their first name is never used. They have a Seraphim coat-of-arms, which is placed in the church of Riddarholmen, Riddarholmskyrkan, after their death. On the day of the funeral, the seraphim bell toll is made from the seraphim bell in the church.
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