Princess Ingrid Alexandra is the newest recipient of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon.
The future queen received her new order at the welcoming ceremony for President Halla Tómasdóttir, and her husband Björn Skúlason, who are paying a State Visit to Norway through Thursday.
At the start of State Visits, it’s traditional that heads of state gift each other with orders. Princess Ingrid Alexandra was the only participant who had yet to receive an Icelandic order—every member of the Royal House has previously been gifted the Order of the Falcon.
As a return gift, King Harald bestowed President Tómasdóttir with the Grand Cross of the Order of St Olav; her husband received the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit.
The Order of the Falcon was created in 1921 by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland, and it is the only chivalric order in the realm. Falcons play an important part in the history of Iceland, having once been the gift given to foreign dignitaries and also one of the most valuable exports. The falcon was also on the Icelandic coat of arms between 1903-1919.
At the time, King Christian X issued a decree that read: “We consider it right, in order to give official recognition to those men and women, Icelandic and foreign, who have made outstanding contributions to the honour and prosperity of the country in some way, to establish an Icelandic order, which We wish to be named ‘the Icelandic Falcon.’”
Today, the President of Iceland serves as the Order’s Grand Master and bestows it based on recommendations from a five-person Council. It is presented to Icelandic people with great achievements or foreign dignitaries as gifts.
The badge of the Order of the Falcon is a white cross with a blue centre that features the image of a white falcon. It rests on blue ribbon that features a white, red, and blue striped border; its collar links have the Icelandic coat of arms and the falcon image.
This is Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s second foreign honour. On her 18th birthday, she received the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav and was named as a Knight of the Order of the Elephant in Denmark.
