Order of George I
Encyclopedia
The Royal Order of George I is a defunct order
of Greece
.
in honor of his father, George I
. It was only the second Greek order to be created after the Order of the Redeemer
in 1833, and remained the second senior award of the Greek state for the duration of its existence. The order was closely associated with the Greek monarchy, and was hence abolished with the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic
in 1924, to be replaced with the Order of the Phoenix. The order was restored along with the monarchy in 1935, and continued to be awarded until the final abolition of the monarchy in 1973. It was replaced by the Third Hellenic Republic in 1975 by the Order of Honour.
A sixth, supreme class comprising a Collar of the order was originally envisaged, but never realized.
As the Order was restricted to officers and senior state officials, an additional Commemorative Medal of the Order of George I (Αναμνηστικόν μετάλλιον του Τάγματος Γεωργίου Α') was instituted in 1915 for NCOs and common soldiers, junior officials and ordinary citizens. It had initially two classes, silver and bronze, with a third in gold added after 1935.
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
History
The order was founded in 1915 by King Constantine IConstantine I of Greece
Constantine I was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, in which Greece won Thessaloniki and doubled in...
in honor of his father, George I
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
. It was only the second Greek order to be created after the Order of the Redeemer
Order of the Redeemer
The Order of the Redeemer , also known as the Order of the Savior, is an order of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state.- History :...
in 1833, and remained the second senior award of the Greek state for the duration of its existence. The order was closely associated with the Greek monarchy, and was hence abolished with the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic
Second Hellenic Republic
The Second Hellenic Republic is the term used to describe the political regime of Greece from 1924 to 1935. It followed from the period of the constitutional monarchy under the monarchs of the House of Glücksburg, and lasted until its overthrow in a military coup d'état which restored the monarchy...
in 1924, to be replaced with the Order of the Phoenix. The order was restored along with the monarchy in 1935, and continued to be awarded until the final abolition of the monarchy in 1973. It was replaced by the Third Hellenic Republic in 1975 by the Order of Honour.
Grades
The Order has five classes:- Grand Cross - wears the badge of the Order on a sash on the right shoulder, and the star of the Order on the left chest;
- Commander or Grand Commander - wears the badge of the Order on a necklet, and the star of the Order on the left chest;
- Commander - wears the badge of the Order on a necklet;
- Officer or Gold Cross - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;
- Member or Silver Cross - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.
A sixth, supreme class comprising a Collar of the order was originally envisaged, but never realized.
As the Order was restricted to officers and senior state officials, an additional Commemorative Medal of the Order of George I (Αναμνηστικόν μετάλλιον του Τάγματος Γεωργίου Α') was instituted in 1915 for NCOs and common soldiers, junior officials and ordinary citizens. It had initially two classes, silver and bronze, with a third in gold added after 1935.
Insignia
- The badge of the Order was a white-enamelled Latin cross pattéeCross pattéeA cross pattée is a type of cross which has arms narrow at the centre, and broader at the perimeter. An early English example from the start of the age of heraldry proper A cross pattée (or "cross patty", known also as "cross formée/formy") is a type of cross which has arms narrow at the...
, in silver for the Silver Cross class, in gold for the higher classes, with a wreath of laurelsLaurel wreathA laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
between the arms of the cross. The obverse central disc was in red enamel, bearing the royal cypherRoyal CypherIn modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. In the case where such a cypher is used by an emperor or empress, it is called...
of George I, two crossed gammaGammaGamma is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 3. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Gimel . Letters that arose from Gamma include the Roman C and G and the Cyrillic letters Ge Г and Ghe Ґ.-Greek:In Ancient Greek, gamma represented a...
s with a crown above and a "I" below, surrounded by a white enamel ring bearing the royal motto IΣXΥΣ MOΥ H AΓAΠH TOΥ ΛAOΥ ("My Strength is the Love of the People"). The reverse central disc bore the years of George I's reign, 1863-1913. The badge was topped by a crown; the military division also had crossed swords behind the badge. The Commemorative Medal;s badge was identical in design, except that the cross was not enamelled.
- The star of the Order was a silver star with straight rays, with eight points for Grand Cross and four points for Grand Commander, and with the obverse of the badge superimposed upon it.
- The ribbon of the Order was plain red.
Famous Holders
| Holder | Date | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Viscount Andrew Cunningham Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope KT, GCB, OM, DSO and two Bars , was a British admiral of the Second World War. Cunningham was widely known by his nickname, "ABC".... |
- | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... with swords |
| Jackson Dodds Jackson Dodds Jackson Dodds, CBE was an early Scouts Canada scouting notable, rising to Deputy Chief Scout for Canada.... |
- | - |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army... |
- | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... with swords |
| Charles D. Griffin Charles D. Griffin Admiral Charles Donald Griffin was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander in chief of United States Naval Forces Europe from 1963 to 1965 and as commander in chief of Allied Forces Southern Europe from 1965 to 1968.-Early career:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to... |
- | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... with swords |
| Mark Mindler Mark Mindler Mark Joseph Mindler was a Greek civil servant and volunteer youth educator, founder of the first Greek Scouting group.... |
- | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... with swords |
| Viscount Bernard Montgomery Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from... |
1944 - 1976 | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... with swords |
| Earl Louis Mountbatten Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh... |
1946 - 1979 | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... |
| Chester W. Nimitz | - | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... with swords |
| Baron Arthur Tedder Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, GCB was a senior British air force commander. During the First World War, he was a pilot and squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps and he went on to serve as a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the inter-war... |
1946 - 1967 | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... with swords |
| Nathan Farragut Twining Nathan Farragut Twining Nathan Farragut Twining, KBE was a United States Air Force General, born in Monroe, Wisconsin. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1953 until 1957... |
- | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... with swords |
| Philippos of Greece | 1986 | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... |
| Prince Phillip | 1950 | Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name... with swords |
External links
- Greece: Royal Order of George I, at Medals of the World
- The Greek Royal Orders