The Order of the Falcon (Icelandic: Hin íslenska fálkaorða) is a national Order of Iceland, established on July 3, 1921 by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland.
History and appointments
During a royal visit to Iceland, King Christian X issued the royal decree founding the Icelandic Order of the Falcon.
New statutes were incorporated for the Order on July 11, 1944, when Iceland became a republic. It may be awarded to both Icelanders and citizens of other countries for achievements in Iceland or internationally.
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 from 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.
The Order has five classes:
- Keðja með stórkrossstjörnu or Chain with the Grand Cross, only for heads of state
- Stórkrossriddari or Grand Cross
- Stórriddari með stjörnu or Commander's Cross with Star
- Stórriddari or Commander's Cross
- Riddari or Knight's Cross
The collar is gilded metal, 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.
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 left shoulder, plus a star on the left chest;
Commander's Cross with Star - wears the badge on a necklet, plus a star on the left chest;
Commander's Cross - wears the badge on a necklet;
Knight's Cross - wears the badge on a chest ribbon.
If a holder is promoted to a higher rank, the lower rank's insignia must be returned. The insignia is retained during the recipient's lifetime, but it must be returned to the Icelandic Government upon his or her death.
Iceland national handball team (Silver medalists in handball at the 2008 Summer Olympics)
Guðni Ágústson (Former Minister of Agriculture)
Lennart Meri (Former President of Estonia)
Her Excellency Dalia Grybauskaitė (Current President of Lithuania)
David Architzel (Vice Admiral, US Navy)
Knut O.H.A Hammarskjöld (Swedish Foreign Service)
His Excellency Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (Former President of Iceland)
Charles Cobb, U.S. Ambassador to Iceland
Helgi Hallvarðsson (Captain, Icelandic Coast Guard)
Guðmundur Kjærnested (Commander, Icelandic Coast Guard)
George P. L. Walker (Vulcanologist)
Michael D. Haskins (Vice Admiral, US Navy)
Her Majesty Elizabeth II (queen of 16 states)
Erling Blöndal Bengtsson (Cellist)
Orri Vigfússon (Chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund)
Warren W. Rosenthal, awarded 1983
His Majesty Carl XVI Gustav (King of Sweden)
Her Majesty Silvia Queen of Sweden]])
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
His Majesty Albert II (King of Belgium)
Her Majesty Sofía (Queen of Spain)
Her Majesty Margrethe II (Queen of Denmark)
His Majesty Harald V King of Norway
Her Majesty Sonja Queen of Norway
Sigrún Eðvaldsdóttir (violinist), awarded 1998
Helgi Tomasson (New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet) awarded 1990
Baldur Stefansson, awarded 2002
Philip Cronenwett, awarded 2003
Brad Leithauser (writer, poet, scholar), awarded 2005.
Thorbergur Thorvaldson, cement chemist, awarded 1939.
Rory McTurk, Professor of Icelandic Studies, University of Leeds, awarded 2007
Her Excellency Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (former president of Iceland; first female president in the world)
Professor Carol H. Pazandak, significant contribution by a foreigner, awarded 1990
William Paton Cleland (Surgeon)
Anders Grubb, Professor of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lund, awarded 2007 for research on Icelandic hereditary diseases
Helga Bachmann (actress)
William Timlin (US Air Force) Awarded 1991
Jack T. Weir (Captain, US Navy) Awarded 1978
Evelyn (née Schwartz) Stefansson Nef (author, lecturer, arts patron, philanthropist) Awarded 2001
Børge Boeskov (President Boeing Aircraft Company)
Victor Borge (Victor Rosenbaum Børge)(concert pianist, entertainer)
Thomas E. Brittingham Jr. (Univ. Wisconsin-Madison) Awarded 1957
Erik J. Friis (Editor Scandinavian Review, American Scandinavian Foundation)
Anna Kisselgoff (Columbia Univ.) Awarded 2002
Arthur Young (police officer)
Koča Popović (Colonel General, YPA)
Steinunn Thorarinsdottir (sculptor)
Janis Johnson (Canadian Senator, Manitoba) Awarded 2000
