Sweden has reintroduced two royal orders and once again allows Swedish citizens to be granted knighthoods.
The Order of Vasa and the Order of the Sword have been reintroduced.
The Royal Court said: “Anyone who has made personal efforts for Sweden or for Swedish interests can once again receive Swedish knighthoods from 2023.”
They added: “With the revived law enforcement, the state should be able to recognise and reward meritorious efforts that go beyond what can be expected of a person in the field in which the person operates.”
The contributions can be in Sweden or abroad, and deeds carried out on local and regional levels can also be considered for the Order of the Sword and Order of Vasa.
The King will confer the royal orders on the advice of the Swedish government.
In 1975, Sweden reorganised their royal orders; appointments of Swedish citizens to the orders ceased and were restricted to foreigners. As of 2023, Swedish citizens can again be bestowed with royal orders.
There are now four Swedish orders: Order of the Seraphim, Order of the Polar Star, Order of the Sword and Order of Vasa.
The Order of the Seraphim is handed out by the Royal House, with input from the government. Many foreign heads of state and foreign royals hold this honour alongside the Swedish Royal Family.
The Order of the Polar Star is a reward for people’s efforts in Sweden and for Swedish interests. Public service and assignments that have been completed well are considered for this order. Swedes and foreign nationals can be honoured; Princess Madeleine’s husband, Chris O’Neill, was bestowed the order before the couple’s 2013 wedding.
The Order of the Sword is only for military personnel. It is designated for those who “have made personal efforts for Sweden or for Swedish interests.”
The Order of Vasa can be bestowed on those who have made personal efforts for Sweden or Swedish interests; it is mainly aimed at those who partake in non-public activities as well as public service.
The Royal Court has given information on nominating someone for the reintroduced Order of Vasa and Order of the Sword. They direct people to this site to learn how to nominate people deserving of the honours.
