Happy Birthday to King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, who turns 80 today! The King is the Sovereign of the 280-year-old Order of the Seraphim, the most senior Swedish Order of Chivalry exclusively given to the Swedish Royal Family and Foreign Heads of State!
The Order of the Seraphim was founded by King Frederik I on 23 February 1748, and the initial Knights had the duty of supervising hospitals and mental asylums in Sweden, in particular the Serafimerlasarettet, Seraphim Hospital.
The Order of the Seraphim has only one grade: Knight, a change implemented in 2023 while women and priests who previously received the order were referred to as Member and Member of the Cloth, respectively. The Collar may be bestowed upon Knights of the Order of the Seraphim as a special mark of honour, usually reserved for Foreign Sovereigns.
The Badge is a white-enamelled Maltese Cross with a Patriarchal Cross in each arm of the Maltese Cross and Seraphim in between the arms, the central disc is blue-enamelled with the three crowns of Sweden and “IHS” written in white. The reverse is also blue-enamelled with “FRS” written in white (FRS means Frederik, King of Sweden in Latin) and the badge hangs from a golden royal crown.
The Star of the order is similar, but almost entirely in silver and with no crowns on top. The Sash is Blue Seraphim and is meant to be worn from the right shoulder to the left hip and the Collar has eleven blue-enamelled Patriarchal Crosses alternating with eleven golden Seraphims.
Between 1975 and 2023, the Order of the Seraphim was exclusively given to the Swedish Royal Family and Foreign Heads of State, which was repealed at the end of 2022, opening the Order to Swedish Citizens, but has yet to be conferred.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
(1946)
(1976)
(1995)
(2010)
(1997)
(2015)
(2000)
(1952)
Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson
(1952)
King Carl XVI Gustaf has given the Order of the Seraphim to all of his grandchildren on their christenings, but they have not yet worn the Order since.
(1993)
(2024)
(1958)
(1958)
(1974)
(1993)
(1975)
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
(1993)
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
(2022)
Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands
(1976)
(2001)
(1966)
(1994)
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
(1983)
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
(2008)
(1991)
(2021)
(1979)
(1979)
(2007)
(1953)
(2000)
(2003)
(2003)
(1989)
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei
(2004)
(2004)
King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand
(2003)
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand
(2003)
Raja of Perlis
(2005)
King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan
(1994)
(1960)
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi of Iran
(1970)
King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 70th Birthday Gala
King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 60th Birthday Gala
King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 50th Birthday Celebrations
King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 40th Birthday Gala
King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Portrait Brooch
Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara
Princess Lilian’s Laurel Wreath Tiara
Princess Sofia’s Wedding Tiara
