The Order of the Elephant is the premier order that can be awarded in which European country?
"the year 1617, the centenary of Martin Luther's 95 theses, and symbolizes the struggle for protestantism. The badge itself may, therefore, have been made and issued in 1617. Order of the Armed Arm The Danish Order of the Armed Arm ""(den Væbnede Arms Orden)"" was a Danish order of chivalry, instituted by Christian IV of Denmark 1616, when twelve noblemen were knighted. After that occasion, no new knights of the order were made, and it was merged with the Order of the Elephant in 1633–1634. The order is regarded as a predecessor of the Order of the Dannebrog. The order"
"the Order of the Elephant, Denmark's highest public honour. Through his close personal relationship with the king von Scheele played an important part in bringing about the fall of the Ørsted government in December 1854. The period was one of heightened political turmoil, driven by tensions between ethnic Germans and ethnic Danes at a time of growing nationalist awareness. During 1853 the Ørsted-Bluhme government found itself entering into a state of confrontation with the parliament (""""Rigsdagen"""") after the leadership appeared minded to reduce the authority of the parliament and accord to the king the power to agree and issue the"
"the royal family are members of the order, and foreign heads of state are also inducted. In very exceptional circumstances a commoner may also be admitted. The most recent member of the order who was neither a current or former head of state nor royal was Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, a leading industrialist and philanthropist. The order of the Elephant has one class: Knight of the Order of the Elephant (""Ridder af Elefantordenen"", usually abbreviated as ""R.E."" in letters et cetera). Knights of the order are granted a place in the 1st Class of the Danish order of precedence. Upon the"
"Royal Order of the Elephant of Godenu The Royal Order of the Elephant of Godenu is a dynastic Order of Merit in the sub-national kingdom of Godenu, Volta Region of . The current Grand Master of the Order is the traditional ruler Togbe Osei III. The Order is awarded in three grades: The Order is usually granted for life in all grades. Only rarely, at the Grand Cross level, may it be granted as an hereditary dignity to reward exceptional service to the Royal House. All members of the Order are entitled to use the honorary title of ""Knight"" or"
"which happened to me nearly 100 years ago—and a 100 years is a heck of a long time. I am delighted that so many of the children are still about and are here to thank me."" Order of the White Lion The Order of the White Lion () is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners. (Czechoslovakia had no civilian decoration for its citizens in the 1920s and 1930s). It was inspired by the Czech Nobility Cross created in 1814 by the Emperor"
"Order of the White Lion The Order of the White Lion () is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners. (Czechoslovakia had no civilian decoration for its citizens in the 1920s and 1930s). It was inspired by the Czech Nobility Cross created in 1814 by the Emperor and King Francis I and awarded to 37 Bohemian noblemen. The order was created as an award for merit by Czechoslovakia for foreign citizens. The Order was established in five classes and two divisions, civil (with"
"order by the King of the Romanians. It is currently a dynastic order of the former Romanian royal family. It is the highest-ranking award among all the decorations of the Romanian Royal House and is administered by its head. There are currently no foreign knights or dames of the order, except for members of the Romanian royal family. The order has only the superior classes, each of them with limited numbers: The ""Collar"" is in Gold and consists of 8 links of the emblems of the Danubian Principalities of The: Principality of Wallachia, Principality of Moldavia, Principality of Oltenia and"
"a monument to his own imperial power, he decreed that a colossal bronze elephant fountain be cast from guns captured at his victorious Battle of Friedland, for the site where the Bastille once stood. The Order of the Elephant () is the highest order of Denmark. This very select religious organization was founded by King Christian I in 1478, using the elephant as a symbol of docility, sobriety and piety; instituted in its current form in 1693 by King Christian V. The killing and eating of the elephants Castor and Pollux from the Botanical gardens during the 1870 Siege of"
"The Legion of Honour, which is the highest French order, has the same classes and award conditions. German orders have often different older honour systems, often with only 3 classes or less. The Order of Leopold is roughly equivalent to the following orders from other States. Order of Leopold (Belgium) The Order of Leopold (, ) is one of the three current Belgian national honorary orders of knighthood. It is the oldest and highest order of Belgium and is named in honour of its founder; King Leopold I. It consists of a military, a maritime and a civil division. The"
"""Dame"". Recipients of the Grand Cross may use the prefix style of ""His or Her Excellency"". Recipients of the two other grades may use the prefix style of ""The Honourable"". Members may wear the appropriate Insignia for their grade and use the Insignia in their heraldry. Royal Order of the Elephant of Godenu The Royal Order of the Elephant of Godenu is a dynastic Order of Merit in the sub-national kingdom of Godenu, Volta Region of . The current Grand Master of the Order is the traditional ruler Togbe Osei III. The Order is awarded in three grades: The Order"
"Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion and, until 1830, its counterpart the Order of the Lion Belgium. The Order of the Netherlands Lion is a high order of chivalry of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Order of the Netherlands Lion was until recently awarded upon eminent individuals from all walks of life, including generals, ministers of the crown, mayors of large towns, professors and leading scientists, industrialists, high ranking civil servants, presiding judges and renowned artists. Since 1980 the Order has been primarily used to recognise merit in the"
"of the order is H.E. The Most Reverend Archbishop Michele Pennisi, EGCLJ (Sicily, Italy). The Orléans obedience enjoys as Spiritual Protector Cardinal Dominik Duka, and previously enjoyed Cardinal László Paskai, former Primate of Hungary, in the position. In the Czech Republic is spiritual prior , in Poland is spiritual prior , for Grandpriory of Monaco is Prelate Grand Cross Dominique Rey, bishop of Fréjus-Toulon. In Spain, the order received recognition from the state through a number of legal documents., however it should be noted that this organisation is not listed in the Orders, decorations, and medals of Spain. The Orleans"
"Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also referred to as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands (, ) is a Dutch order of chivalry founded by King William I of the Netherlands on 29 September 1815. The Order of the Netherlands Lion was until recently awarded upon eminent individuals from all walks of life, including generals, ministers of the crown, mayors of large towns, professors and leading scientists, industrialists, high-ranking civil servants, presiding judges and renowned artists. Since 1980 the Order has been primarily used to recognise merit in the arts, science, sport"
"Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Ghana, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Libya, Lebanon, Mexico, Madagascar, the Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Nigeria, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Poland, Portugal, the People's Republic of China, Pakistan, the State of Palestine, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, South Korea, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Tunisia, United"
"of chivalry, it was the first modern national order of merit and is still France's highest award today. The French Legion of Honour served as the model for numerous modern orders of merit in the Western world, such as the Order of Leopold in Belgium (1832) and the Order of the British Empire in the United Kingdom (1917). Curiously, orders of merit based on the French Legion of Honour typically retain five classes in accordance with habits of chivalric orders. In communist countries, orders of merit usually come in one to three grades, with only a badge worn with or"
"first class accompanied by a gold neck chain may only be awarded to Heads of State. By law, the President is entitled to the first class insignia including the chain; after leaving the office, it may be conferred upon him for life by a joint resolution of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. On 19 May 2014, it was announced that Nicholas George Winton was to receive the Czech Republic's highest honour, for giving Czech children ""the greatest possible gift: the chance to live and to be free"". On 28 October 2014, Winton was awarded the Order of the"
"""First Class"" of this order is awarded only to women who are heads of state. The first woman to be presented with the award in this class was Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the President of Latvia. Ukraine also established an Order of Princess Olga in 1997. There was also an Order of Saint Olga and Saint Sophia awarded by the Kingdom of Greece as a Royal House order in four classes: Insignia of Saint Olga The Insignia of Saint Olga () was an award that briefly existed from 1913 to 1917. It was established on by Emperor Nicholas II of Russia to"
"Royal Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim (Swedish: ""Kungliga Serafimerorden""; ""Seraphim"" being a category of Angels) 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"" (""Member"" for women and ""Member of the Cloth"" for clergymen), and is the foremost order of Sweden. The three above-mentioned Orders together with the Order of Vasa form the Orders of His Majesty the King (Swedish ""Kungl. Maj:ts Orden""). A"
"Order of Leopold (Belgium) The Order of Leopold (, ) is one of the three current Belgian national honorary orders of knighthood. It is the oldest and highest order of Belgium and is named in honour of its founder; King Leopold I. It consists of a military, a maritime and a civil division. The maritime division is only awarded to personnel of the merchant navy, and the military division to military personnel. The decoration was established on 11 July 1832 and is awarded by Royal order. When Belgium became independent of the Netherlands, there was an urgent need to create"
"a Knight of Malta. He travels the world giving speeches on the European Union. During a visit to Ireland, d'Estaing was made an Honorary Patron of the University Philosophical Society, Trinity College, Dublin. President Giscard d'Estaing was granted a coat of arms by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark upon his appointment to the Order of the Elephant, which was recognised by King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden (Photo), for his installation as a Knight of the Seraphim. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing (; born 2 February 1926), also known as Giscard or VGE, is a French"
"further limited it to Christian sovereigns and heads of state. That bull also denominated it the ""Order of the Golden Militia"", but the ""Annuario Pontificio"" lists it under two names, both as the ""Order of the Golden Spur"" and as the ""Order of the Golden Militia"". HRH Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the only living knight of the Order. The third highest Papal order is the Order of Pius IX, founded on 17 June 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The Order of Pius IX is the highest Papal order currently awarded. There previously existed an Order of Pian Knights,"
"Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand The Royal and Military Order of Saint Ferdinand (), is a Spanish military order whose decoration, known as Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand (), is Spain's highest military decoration for gallantry. It is awarded in recognition of action, either individual or collective, to protect the nation, its citizens, or the peace and security of the international community in the face of immediate risk to the bearer. Those eligible are current and former members of the Spanish Armed Forces. The Sovereign of the Order of San Fernando is the monarch of Spain, who presides over the"
"Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (French: ""Ordre suprême de la Très Sainte Annonciade"", Italian: ""Ordine Supremo della Santissima Annunziata"") is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood, originating in Savoy. It eventually was the pinnacle of the honours system in the Kingdom of Italy, which ceased to be a national order when the kingdom became a republic in 1946. Today, the order continues as a dynastic order under the jurisdiction of the Head of the House of Savoy, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, who is the order's hereditary Sovereign and Grand"
"Order of Amarante The Order of Amarante, or Amarante Order (French: ""La frairie d'Amarante""; Swedish: ""Amaranterorden""), was a fraternal order of Swedish knights, founded in 1653 by Christina, Queen of Sweden at Epiphany. The Order was established in honor and memory of her meetings with the Spanish ambassador Don Antonio Pimentel, who originated from Amarante, Portugal. He was also the first to receive the award. The Order was limited to 15 knights, who had to remain unmarried. Order members were those ""who participated in the Queen's most intimate pleasures."" Among the original members were (besides the Spanish ambassador) the French"
"Order of the Sword The 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 February 23, 1748, together with the Order of the Seraphim and the Order of the Polar Star. 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"","
"Order of the Black Eagle, Albania The Order of the Black Eagle, () was the highest title that could be bestowed on a citizen of the Principality of Albania. The order was established by William, Prince of Albania in 1913 on the example of the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle. The order had a black eagle and around the words ""Besë e bashkim"" (). Since the Principality of Albania was short-lived, the order was awarded very few times, and is considered today very rare for collectionists. It is also considered to be the first award ever given in modern"
"Order of the Falcon The Order of the Falcon () is the only Order of Chivalry of Iceland, founded by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland on 3 July 1921. 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"". Christian X, the King of Denmark, also ruled Iceland until 11 July 1944. During a royal visit to Iceland, King Christian X issued the royal decree founding the Icelandic Order of the Falcon. When Iceland became a"
"monarch to award medals which may be worn by those in uniform provided the private society's medal is worn on the right-side rather than the usual left. In Spain the fount of honour is King Felipe VI as the head of state. In France, only decorations recognised by the Grand Chancery of the Legion of Honour may be worn publicly, and permission must be sought and granted to wear any foreign awards or decorations. Dynastic orders are prohibited unless the dynasty in question is currently recognised as sovereign. (For example, the Royal Victorian Order is explicitly recognised, whereas the Order"
"Poland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela). Together with the London-based Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (of which the British monarch is Sovereign Head), the Swedish ""Johanniterorden i Sverige"", and the Dutch ""Johanniter Orde in Nederland"", the Order is a member of the Alliance of the Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem. Along with the Roman Catholic Sovereign Military Order of Malta (""SMOM""), these four ""Alliance Orders"" represent the legitimate heirs of the Knights Hospitaller. They consider other orders using the name of Saint John to be merely imitative, and"
"Order of the Lion of Finland The Order of the Lion of Finland (; ) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor, a vice-chancellor and at least four members. The orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland have a joint board. The Order of the Lion of Finland was founded on September 11, 1942."
"Albania. Order of the Black Eagle, Albania The Order of the Black Eagle, () was the highest title that could be bestowed on a citizen of the Principality of Albania. The order was established by William, Prince of Albania in 1913 on the example of the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle. The order had a black eagle and around the words ""Besë e bashkim"" (). Since the Principality of Albania was short-lived, the order was awarded very few times, and is considered today very rare for collectionists. It is also considered to be the first award ever given in"
"of Merit, The Order of the Companions of Honour and the Imperial Service Order. The Royal Victorian Chain is a collar and there are no other insignia. In France, Emperor Napoleon I introduced the ""Grand aigle"", a collar, as the highest rank in his Légion d'honneur. It did not survive his downfall. Sometimes the collar is the insignia of office of the Grand Master of the order; the French president therefore wears the collar of the Order of the Légion d'honneur. In other countries such as Brazil the collar is a rank above that of a Grand Cross and it"
"exalted ones each pertain to one constituent country only. The Order of the Thistle, which pertains to Scotland, is the second-most senior in precedence. Its equivalent in England, The Most Noble Order of the Garter, is the oldest documented order of chivalry in the United Kingdom, dating to the middle fourteenth century. In 1783 an Irish equivalent, The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, was founded, but has now fallen dormant. Claims that James VII was reviving an earlier Order is generally not supported by the evidence. The 1687 warrant states that during the 786 battle of Athelstaneford with Æthelstan"