Knight's Cross of the Order of the Falcon

The Grand Cross Star of the Order of the Falcon

The Order of the Falcon is a national order of Iceland, established on July 3, 1921 by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland. The Order has four classes: Image File history File links Riddari. ... Image File history File links Riddari. ... Image File history File links Storkrossriddari. ... Image File history File links Storkrossriddari. ... An Order is a decoration, awarded by a government to an individual, usually for distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Christian X of Denmark (Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm) (September 26, 1870 – April 20, 1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and of Iceland between 1918 and 1944. ...

• Stórkrossriddari or Grand Cross
• Stórriddari með stjörnu or Commander with Star
• Stórriddari or Commander
• Riddari or Knight

History and appointment

New statutes were drafted for the Order on July 11, 1944, when Iceland became independent. It may be awarded to both Icelanders and foreigners for achievements in Iceland or internationally. July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ...

The President of Iceland is the designated Grand Master of the Order. 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 of the Order Council. The Grand Master and the Chairman of the Order Council then sign the Letters Patent, which are given to those who receive the awards. List of Presidents of Iceland Sveinn Björnsson (1944-1952) Ásgeir Ásgeirsson (1952-1968) Kristján Eldjárn (1968-1980) Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (1980-1996) Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (1996-present) See also: Politics of Iceland, list of Prime Ministers of Iceland, list of Icelandic rulers, lists of incumbents...

Insignia

The collar is in gold, 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. A gilt is any of the following: A thin covering of gold. ...

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 Commander with Star class it has a blue-enamelled central disc bearing the white falcon.

The ribbon is blue with white-red-white border stripes.

In summary,

• Grand Cross - wears the badge on a collar or a sash on the right shoulder, plus a star on the left chest;
• Commander with Star - wears the badge on a necklet, plus a star on the left chest;
• Commander - wears the badge on a necklet;
• Knight - wears the badge on a chest ribbon.

If one is already holds a rank and is awarded a higher one, then the lower rank's insignia should be returned. The insignia is retained by person during their lifetime; after their death, the award is supposed to be returned to the Icelandic Government.

Some recipients

Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland, wearing the Order of the Falcon.

• Guðni Ágústson (Minister of Agriculture)
• David Architzel (Rear Admiral, US Navy)
• Knut O.H.A Hammarskjöld (Swedish Foreign Service)
• Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (Current President of Iceland)
• Sue McCourt Cobb (US Ambassador to Jamaica)
• George P.L. Walker (Vulcanologist)
• Michael D. Haskins (Vice Admiral, US Navy)
• Her Majesty Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
• Erling Blöndal Bengtsson (Cellist)
• Orri Vigfússon (Chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund)
• Warren W. Rosenthal, awarded 1983
• Her Majesty Margrethe II (Queen of Denmark)
• His Majesty Harald V King of Norway
• Sigrún Eðvaldsdóttir, awarded 1988
• Helgi Tomasson (New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet) awarded 1990
• Evelyn Stefansson Nef, awarded 2001
• Baldur Stefansson, awarded 2002
• Philip Cronenwett, awarded 2003
• Brad Leithauser (writer, poet, scholar), awarded 2005.

Image File history File links Ogrimsson. ... Image File history File links Ogrimsson. ... Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (born 14 May 1943, in Ísafjörður, Iceland) is the fifth and current President of Iceland, from 1996 to present, re-elected unopposed in 2000, and was re-elected for a third term in 2004. ... David Architzel is a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy. ... Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (born 14 May 1943, in Ísafjörður, Iceland) is the fifth and current President of Iceland, from 1996 to present, re-elected unopposed in 2000, and was re-elected for a third term in 2004. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II (Margrethe Alexandrine Þorhildur Ingrid), styled HM The Queen (born April 16, 1940), is the Queen regnant and head of state of Denmark. ... King Harald V His Majesty King Harald V (born February 21, 1937) became King of Norway in 1991. ... Logo of the New York City Ballet The New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein originally known as the American Ballet. ... San Francisco Ballet, or SFB, is a San Francisco, USA based ballet company, founded in 1933 as part of San Francisco Opera Ballet. ... Brad Leithauser (b. ...

External links

• The Collection of Henrik Revens Website features orders and medals of Iceland as well as other Nordic countries.