The Royal North Star Order (Swedish Kungliga Nordstjärneorden) is an order of the Kingdom of Sweden. It is awarded for personal commitment to Sweden or to Swedish interests, particularly in the public sector, and for well-executed public services and tasks. The Grand Master of the Order is the King of Sweden. The order used to be called “the black ribbon” because the ribbon was black until 1975.
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The North Star Order was founded on April 28, 1748 by King Frederick I on his 72nd birthday based on the French Order of Michael, as a civilian counterpart to the Order of the Sword. The North Star Order was originally awarded to nationals and foreigners as an order of civil merit for outstanding civic services, loyal service to the state and the royal family, as well as cultural, scientific and technical achievements.
Order classes
The order originally consisted of the commander and knight classes.
The order today has five classes:
Commanders with Grand Cross
Commander 1st Class
commander
Knight 1st class
Knight
Commanders are the princes of the royal house and all Seraphin Order knights.
The number of commanders, excluding foreigners and Seraphin Knights, was previously not supposed to exceed 24 for the secular class and six for the spiritual class. The number of knights for the secular class was 50 and for the spiritual class 16. All knights received a knighthood. Only bishops who had previously been knights of the order could become clerical commanders of the Grand Crosses. In the habit of the order, they only wear the star on their cloak and not around their neck on a chain, like the commanders of the secular class. This class could only be achieved by people whose civil rank was associated with the title Troman (“Faithful”) and who already had another order.
Order decoration
The medal consists of a white cross with eight points and gold buttons with a round, blue central shield. It shows the North Star with five rays and the motto Nescit occasum (It knows no downfall). There are crowns between the wings of the cross and there is also one above the cross. The star is an eight-pointed cross of silver with rays at the angles and the North Star in the center. All order insignia must be returned after the owner's death.
