The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav was established by King Oscar I in 1847 and is bestowed as a «reward for excellent services to Country and mankind». The Order of St. Olav is named after the martyred viking king of Norway, Olav the Holy. The Order is divided in five classes: Grand Cross, Commander with Star, Commander, Knight Class 1 and Knight. A Collar belongs to the insignia of the Order, which can be award to recipients of the Grand Cross by the HM the King. The Council of the Order, appointed by HM the King as recommended by the Prime Minister, consists of a Chancellor, a Vice Chancellor, a Treasurer and three other Members representing the Southern, Central and Northern Regions of Norway who submit their recommendations on all matters to the Grand Master. The average annual award rate is about 30 in total for all classes of the Order with the majority in the lower classes with Knight and Commander. The higher classes with the Grand Cross and the Commander with Star are normally only awarded a few times each year at the most.
Den Kongelige Norske St. Olavs Orden ble stiftet av Kong Oscar I i 1847, og tildeles som «belønning for utmerkede fortjenster av fedrelandet og menneskeheten». St. Olavs Orden er oppkalt etter Norges helgenkonge, Olav den Hellige, og er inndelt i fem grader: Storkors, Kommandør med Stjerne, Kommandør, Ridder av 1. klasse og Ridder. Til ordenen hører det også et Kjede som H.M. Kongen kan tildele innehavere av Storkorset - in Norwegian.
St. Olav - The Eternal Viking King - St. Olavus Rex perpetuus Norvegiæ - has for centuries constituted a strong uniting force in Norway and refers to the martyred Viking King of Norway, Olav Haraldsen 995-1030 AD. Canonized 1164 by PopeAlexander III. MemorialJuly, 29th. Additional InformationCatholic Encyclopedia.
The Grand Cross is the highest class of the Norwegian Order of St. Olav and has since 1847 been bestowed to a few extraordinary non-royal men and women as a reward for distinguished services rendered to Country and Mankind. Royalty and Foreign Heads of State are not bestowed the Order based on merit but merely as a courtesy to the Foreign Head of State's Country.
The Kingdom Of Norway, a constitutional monarchy located in northwesteren Europe, Scandinavia, has an area of 150,000 sq. mi. including the island territories of Spitzbergen (Svalbard) and Jan Mayen. Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf). Norway has a population of 4.5 million. A united Norwegian kingdom was established in the 9th century, the era of the Norse Vikings who ranged far and wide, visited the coasts of northwestern Europe, the Mediterranean, Greenland and North America. In the 13th century the Norse Kingdom was united briefly with Sweden, then passed through inheritance in 1380 to the rule of Denmark which was maintained until 1814. In 1814 Norway fell again under the rule of Sweden. The union lasted until 1905 when the Norwegian Parliament arranged a peaceful separation and invited a Danish Prince, Haakon VII, to ascend the throne of an independent Norway. His son Olav V became King in 1957. In 1991, Harald V became King and Crown Prince Haakon is the current heir to the Throne.
European Monarchies. Norway is one of the seven remaining monarchies in Europe consisting of Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, and Spain. In addition there are also three European monarchies headed by persons lacking the title of "King" or "Queen". These are the Principality of Monaco, the Principality of Lichtenstein and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. All were monarchies which survived or were restored after the Napoleonic Wars. The wars were imposed on France by the old European monarchies, such as England, Austria, Prussia and Russia headed by monarchs who were threatened by the French Republic's idea and motto: "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity". In 1905 Norway regained independence from Sweden but elected to maintain the old form of monarchy instead of becoming a Republic as so many other European nations of the time.
An Order is an Institution, derived from the medieval monastic or secular orders of knighthood. Although originally closed fraternities, modern orders are honorific, having generally been created by a sovereign or head of state to reward meritorious service. An order is generally the highest honor a citizen may receive for a career or service of great distinction in the services of one's country. Membership in an order is generally granted by the sovereign or head of state, who is typically the "grand master" of the order. In Scandinavia the King or Queen is the "Sovereign/Grand Master" of each order. Membership is usually limited to a specific, small number. Orders may have several classes of membership which are denoted by a variety of insignia or badges of rank and distinction. The badges are often referred to as "orders." The insignias typically are made of precious metals with enameled or jeweled designs.
Sigrid Undset, author and laureate of the 1928 Nobel Prize in Literature, for outstanding literary production and service to the Country. The first woman awarded the Grand Cross of St. Olav in 1947.
Edvard Munch, painter, for his contributions to the arts. - St. Olav Grand Cross, 1933.
Dr. Thor Heyerdahl (The "Kon-Tiki" Man), explorer of the South Pacific for his discoveries. - St. Olav Grand Cross, 1987.
Edvard Grieg, composer, for his musical contributions. - St. Olav Grand Cross, 1904.
Henrik Ibsen, author, for his honorable literale contributions. - St. Olav Grand Cross, 1893.
Dr. Fridjof Nansen, polar explorer, author, statesman and 1922 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in recognition of his work for refugees and the famine-stricken. - St. Olav Grand Cross 1896, Collar 1925.
The Grand Cross of St. Olav Awarded to an Exceptional Polar Explorer
Roald Amundsen, one of the most accomplished Polar exlorers in history, the explorer of the Magnetic North Pole, the conqueror of the legendary shipping shortcut from the Atlantic to the Pacific the "Nortwest Passage", the conqueror of the South Pole, and the first to fly over the North Pole.
On December 14th, 1911 Roald Amundsen and his team accomplished the first successful conquest of the last place on Earth, the South Pole. Two European expeditions from two kindered nations were racing to be the first on the South Pole in 1911. The British expedition under Captain Scott, the excellent leader of the previous Discovery expedition to the Antartic - the other the Norwegian expedition under Roald Amundsen.
The successful conquest by Roald Amundsen changed Norway's history. The Norwegian Antartica Territory was subsequently annexed by Norway in 1939 and Great Britain was the first country to recognize Norway's claim. The Norwegian Antartica Territory consists of Queen Mauds Land, the Bouvet Island and Peter I. Island and covers one sixth of the Antartica continent. - St. Olav grand Cross, 1906
Admiral Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr., USN (1920-2000)
Roald Amundsen, polar explorer, in recognition of his famous and scientific discoveries including being the first person to travel the Northwest Passage in 1903 -1906 and for the first successful conquest of the last place on Earth, the South Pole on December 14, 1911. - St. Olav Grand Cross, 1906.
Johanne Dybwad, actor, for her contributions to the performing arts. - St. Olav Grand Cross, 1947.
Trygve H. Lie, Norwegian Statesman and the first Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1946, for his contribution to the Country and the international community. - St. Olav Grand Cross, 1953.
Admiral Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr., US Navy, for his visionary leadership and well-known reputation as a Navy performer. - St. Olav Grand Cross Military, 19xx. At age 44, Admiral Zumwalt became the youngest officer ever promoted to Rear Admiral. At age 49, he became the youngest Four-Star Admiral in United States history. Admiral Zumwalt was Commander of the United States Naval Forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970. In addition to numerous decorations received from the U.S. Navy, including the Navy Distinguished Service Medal (three awards), the Legion of Merit (two awards), and the Bronze Star with combat "V", he received decorations and awards from a number of foreign countries, including Norway with the Grand Cross of St. Olav. In 1998, Zumwalt was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his service to the United States in war and peace. On July 4, 2000, the now former President Bill Clinton announced that the Navy would name its newest class of attack destroyers USS Zumwalt.
General Carl Spaatz, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff, for his leaderhip as the top American air commander of the Second World War, with both Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley rating him the best combat leader in the European theater. After the war he became the first chief of staff of the newly independent Air Force. - St. Olav Grand Cross Military 1950
Dr. Hans Gerhard Stub, the first President of the The Norwegian Lutheran Church of America for his successful contributions to unite 90% of Norwegian American Lutherans in 1917. The church later became the Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1946. - St. Olav Grand Cross, 1922
Lech Walesa - The Icon of Freedom, Peace and Solidarity
The Republic of Poland
"A Small but Brave Country"
Lech Walesa trade union activist, politician, 1983 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, statesman and former President of the Republic of Polen (1990-1995) has been highly decorated for his successful pursuit of freedom, peace and solidarity for the people of Polen. St. Olav Grand Cross, 1995
Sonja Henie (1912-1969), St. Olav Knight Class I, 1937
Sonja Henie
Ice Figure Skating Queen and Olympic Gold Medal winner 1928 St. Moritz, 1932 Lake Placid and 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Sonja Henie, one of the few women awarded the Order of St. Olav. Sonja Henie was bestowed the Knight Class 1 in Washington D.C. by Norwegian Ambassador Wilhelm Morgenstierne on behalf of King Haakon VII on December 6th, 1937. At 25 years old she was the youngest person ever awarded St. Olav and only 17 women before had received the award for artistic or general achievement.
Legendary Norwegian actress and filmmaker Liv Ullmann was awarded the Commander with Star of the Order of St. Olav by the Chancelor of the Order Egil Vindorum on behalf of H.M. the King on 05/11/05. The Order is divided in five classes: Grand Cross (highest), Commander with Star, Commander, Knight Class 1 and Knight (lowest).
Liv Ullmann, 67, was born in Tokyo, Japan, to Norwegian parents, but grew up mainly in the central Norway city of Trondheim. She had established herself as a Norwegian stage and screen actress in the 1950s, but it was her creative liaison with Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman that gave her international stardom. Ullmann may be best known for her roles in nine Bergman films, including "Persona" from 1966, "Shame" from 1968, and "Autumn Sonata" from 1978. She made her debut as a director in 1992 with the film "Sofie".
In films from 1959, Ullmann's breakthrough role was catatonic actress Elisabeth Vogler in Ingmar Bergman's Persona (1966), a part she landed primarily because of her striking resemblance to co-star Bibi Andersson. Bergman became Ullmann's mentor and paramour; they lived together for several years, during which time Ullmann bore the director a daughter named Linn Ullmann, who has occasionally appeared in her mother's films. Ullmann was honored with numerous New York Film Critics Awards during the early '70s; she also earned Oscar nominations for her work in The Emigrants (1971) and Bergman's Face to Face (1976), and has received eight honorary college degrees.
Former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik awarded the Grand Cross of St. Olav
Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik (Prime Minister 2001 - 2005), who was awarded the Grand Cross by H.M. King Harald V in 2004, is the first sitting Prime Minister who has accepted to receive the Order of St. Olav in 80 years. This represents a breach of a long tradition among Prime Ministers not to accept the Order by the ruling Monarch while being active politicians. Famous Norwegian politicians who have declined include former Prime Ministers Gro Harlem Brundtland and Einar Gerhardsen. Members of the Norwegian Government awarded the Order of St. Olav in breach of a 80-year tradition for active Norwegian politicians not to accept the Order. Mr. Bondevik awarded the Grand Cross, Foreign Minister Jan Petersen (H) awarded Commander with Star, The Ministers Dagfinn Høybråten (KrF), Valgerd Svarstad Haugland (KrF), Hilde Frafjord Johnson (KrF), Lars Sponheim (V) and Odd Einar Dørum V) were all awarded the Commander of the Order of St. Olav.
Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik (2001 - 2005) is the first prime minister in Norway since 1923 who has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav.
Dr. juris. Carsten Smith (Photo: Kirsten Helgeland)
H.M. King Harald V's first Grand Cross award as a King since 1991 to the former Chief Justice of Norway's Supreme Court
Dr. juris. Carsten Smith
Dr. juris. Carsten Smith was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav on May 13th, 2003. Carsten Smith (born July 13th, 1932, Oslo) is a Norwegian judge and lawyer. He is the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Norway from 1991 to 2002 and a professor of law at the University of Oslo. Among his many published works is "Kausjonsrett". He is also a law professor and the former Head of the University of Oslo.
The recipient (right) can be seen in the award picture holding the diploma and wearing correctly the Grand Cross Sash and Badge. The Grand Cross Star is however missing and should have been worn on the lift side of the chest.
Arve Tellefsen is a highly regarded Norwegian violinists promoted from Commander (1994) to Commander with Star in 2005
Mary Elizabeth, Crown Princess of Denmark awarded the Grand Cross of St. Olav in 2005. The Crown Princess can be seen wearing the Danish Order of the Elephant
PHALERISTICS
PHALERISTICS is the science, study and collecting of the insignia of orders, decorations and medals. Collectors are interested in orders and medals because they admire the accomplishments and sacrifices the awards represent. The orders and medals provide a tangible link to a past that would otherwise fade into history. Many orders and medals are beautiful objects d'art with exquisitely enameled badges and breast stars of the orders of chivalry in gold and silver representing the finest examples of jeweler's art, and many collectors specialize in these for their beauty alone.
To the right: St. Olav Grand Cross Military Division 1958 type in silver gilt and enamel, Grand Cross Star in silver sterling (925S) and enamel, Sash in red silk moiré with white-blue-white striped edges representing the national colors of Norway.
St. Olav Grand Cross Military Division. The current style since 1958 in silver gilt.
11/04/05: The new Norwegian Government with Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has declined to accept any Royal Orders from H.M. the King. The Order of St. Olav will no longer be accepted awarded to Ministers of the Government, a long tradition for almost 100 years. The former Government headed by Magne Bondevik broke this tradition and accepted to be awarded St Olav despite being criticized for doing so. The concern is that active politicians should be independent and have no formal legion with the King which the Order of St. Olav creates.
11/01/05: Jørgen Hårek Kosmo, former President of the Norwegian Parliament, awarded the Grand Cross of St. Olav
14 awards 2005 YTD is the highest number of awards in recent years over such a short period of time. The majority of the awards continue to be to artists of various kinds, politicians, officials, and professors.
34 awards for 1Q, 2Q and 3Q with 5 Grand Cross, 3 Commander w/Star, 10 Commander, 16 Knight Class 1 and 0 Knight Class 2. For the first time in history almost 1/3 (10) of the awards are to female recipients.
10/13/04: In the new book, «The People», author Tor Bomann-Larsen raises questions about who the biological father of deceased king Olav really was. According to the book, the british doctor Sir Francis Laking or his son Sir Francis Guy Laking was the real father of King Olav, not King Haakon as history dictates. Sir Francis Laking was himself a member of the British aristocracy. The foundation for the research is based on official state archives and royal archives throughout Europe, but no final conclusions are presented in the book.
Sir Francis Laking (1847 – 1914) served as the royal medical doctor under 3 British Monarchs; Queen Victoia, King Edward VII and King George V. Sir Laking was awarded the Grand Cross of St. Olav by H.M. King Haakon VII on April 29th, 1908. Sir Francis Laking accompanied H.M. King Edward VII of England on his State Visit to Norway. Sir Francis Laking was awarded the Grand Cross of Dannebrog by H.M. King Christian IX 1904 for the successful treatment of Princess Maud, later Queen of Norway, resulting in the birth of Prince Alexander, later King Olav of Norway in 1957, which was a sensation after 6 years of marriage with Prince Carl of Denmark, later King Haakon VII of Norway.
28 awards for 1Q, 2Q and 3Q with 5 Grand Cross, 3 Commander w/Star, 7 Commander, 12 Knight Class 1 and 0 Knight Class 2. For the first time in history almost 1/3 (32%) of the awards are to female recipients.
09/10/04: Mr. Bondevik is the first sitting prime minister who has accepted to receive the Order of St. Olav in 80 years. This represents a breach of a long tradition between prime ministers not to accept the Order by the ruling Monarch while being active politicians. Famous Norwegian politicians who have declined include former prime ministers Gro Harlem Brundtland and Einar Gerhardsen.
09/10/04: Members of the Norwegian Government awarded the Order of St. Olav in breach of a 80-year tradition for active Norwegian politicians not to accept the Order. Mr. Bondevik awarded the Grand Cross, Foreign Minister Jan Petersen (H) awarded Commander with Star, The Ministers Dagfinn Høybråten (KrF), Valgerd Svarstad Haugland (KrF), Hilde Frafjord Johnson (KrF), Lars Sponheim (V) and Odd Einar Dørum V) were all awarded the Commander of the Order of St. Olav.
08/18/04: Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Norwegian Castle Lars Petter Forberg, Oslo awarded the Grand Cross
07/01/04:Revised Statutes of the Order of St. Olav. Effective July 1st, 2004 The new guidelines of the Statutes have been revised at the request of the Grand Master, H.M. King Harald V, to now allow for the sitting Prime Minister of Norway and also the Foreign Minister to be awarded the Order after 1 year of service. Other Ministers of the Norwegian Government can qualify for an award after 4 years of service.
06/08/04: H.E. President Constantinos Stephanopoulos of Greece, Athens awarded the Grand Cross
01/21/04: The newborn HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway will automatically be awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav at age 18. She is the second in line to inherit the Norwegian Throne after her father Crown Prince Haakon.
27 awards: 4 Grand Cross, 3 Commander, 20 Knight Class 1 and 0 Knight Class 2
01/04/04: Total awards of St. Olav for 2002:
31 awards with 2 Grand Cross, 1 Commander with Star, 9 Commander, 19 Knight Class 1 and 0 Knight Class 2
01/05/04:Total awards of St. Olav for 2001:
31 awards with 1 Grand Cross with Collar, 6 Grand Cross, 6 Commander (including 1 award post mortem), 18 Knight Class 1 and 0 Knight Class 2
01/03/04: President Jorge Sampaio of Portugal to be awarded the Grand Cross of St. Olav at the Offical State Visit to Norway on February 3rd to the 5th. by the President and his wife Maria José Rittene.
08/02/03: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil to be awarded the Grand Cross of St. Olav in October, 2003. HM King Harald V and HM Queen Sonja has accepted an invitation to make a state visit to Brazil from October 7th - 11th, 2003, the first since 1967 when King Olav V last visited the country. The award is expected to be made as customary to a foreign head of state.
05/20/03:HRH Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium, Duke of Brabant, bestowed the Grand Cross.
05/13/03: Dr. juris Carsten Smith, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Norway, has been bestowed the Grand Cross. The fourth Grand Cross bestowed by HM King Harald V to a Norwegian civilian since 1991.
10/19/02: General Herman F. Zeiner Gundersen, former Chairman of the NATO Military Committee has passed away. Recipient of Grand Cross Military, 1977.
10/08/02:President Ferenc Mádl, Republic of Hungary, has been bestowed the Grand Cross.
04/10/02: President Arnold Rüütel, Republic of Esthonia, has been bestowed the Grand Cross.
05/25/01:Stein Mehren, author and painter has respectfully declined to be awarded the Knight Class 1. Over the last 10 years about 20 persons have reportedly declined to accept the Order mostly due to principle reasons per the Royal Court's press information service. (Source: NTB 05/25/01)
05/25/01: The first person known to have declined to receive the Order of St. Olav is Arne Garborg (1851-1924) one of Norway's famous authors.
Web site content: Presented is the history of the Order with images of all the numerous variations over 155 years together with listings of more than 500 recipients of the Grand Cross, or more correctly in Norwegian "Storkorset", the highest class of the Order and rarely bestowed since the inception in 1847.
The presentation is focused on civilian and military recipients who have been awarded the Grand Cross based on merit. Less focus is placed on Royals and Heads of State who have been awarded the Order as a courtesy to their respective countries and not based on merit. The award of the Grand Cross is based on exceptional merit in the interest of Country and Mankind per the Statutes of the Order.
There are many honorable recipients (non-royals) of the Grand Cross of the Order with the example of the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen for his first successful conquest of the South Pole in 1911. The former President Lech Walesa of the Republic of Poland deserves to be mentioned as an exceptional icon of freedom, peace and solidarity representing the spirit of today's "New Europe". An honorable American recipient for military merit is General Carl Spaatz, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff, for his leadership as the top American air commander of the Second World War. Also more than twenty awards of the Grand Cross for miltary merit have been bestowed to Members of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom for distinguished services to Norway or the Allied Cause during World War II. Today the Orders provide a tangible link to a past that would otherwise fade into history. - Armand Knutsen, Webmaster 2002.
A. Knutsen Webmaster
Disclaimer: Please note that this is an informative for non-profit site presenting the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, it's history, insignia and Grand Cross awards of the Order since the 1847 inception. Every effort is made to provide a high quality and accurate presentation, however webmaster is not responsible for any inaccuracies in the information presented or links to other sites. Please contact webmaster with any queries, updates or corrections. Thanks. - Armand Knutsen, Webmaster, 2006
Den Kongelige Norske St. Olavs Orden ble stiftet av Kong Oscar I i 1847, og tildeles som «belønning for utmerkede fortjenster av fedrelandet og menneskeheten». St. Olavs Orden er oppkalt etter Norges helgenkonge, Olav den Hellige, og er inndelt i fem grader: Storkors, Kommandør med Stjerne, Kommandør, Ridder av 1. klasse og Ridder. Til ordenen hører det også et Kjede som H.M. Kongen kan tildele innehavere av Storkorset - in Norwegian.
