The Order of the Falcon or Hin íslenska fálkaorða is a national Order of Iceland, established on July 3, 1921 by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland.

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.

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.

Classes

The Order has five classes:

1. Keðja með stórkrossstjörnu or Collar with Grand Cross, only for heads of state
2. Stórkrossriddari or Knight Grand Cross
3. Stórriddari með stjörnu or Grand Knight with Star
4. Stórriddari or Grand Knight
5. Riddari or Knight

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.

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;
• Grand Knight with Star - wears the badge on a necklet, plus a star on the left chest;
• Grand Knight - wears the badge on a necklet;
• Knight - 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 on his or her death.

Some notable recipients

• Guðni Ágústson (Former 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)
• 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 of the United Kingdom
• 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 Margrethe II (Queen of Denmark)
• His Majesty Harald V King of Norway
• Her Majesty Sonja Queen of Norway
• Sigrún Eðvaldsdóttir (violinist), 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.
• Thorbergur Thorvaldson, cement chemist, awarded 1939.
• Rory McTurk, Professor of Icelandic Studies, University of Leeds, awarded 2007
• Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (former president of Iceland)
• Anders Grubb, Professor of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lund, awarded 2007 for research on Icelandic hereditary diseases

External links

• The Collection of Henrik Revens Website features orders and medals of Iceland as well as other Nordic countries
• Images of the medals conferred on the members of the Order of the Falcon