Blue red turquoise silk scarf "Order of the Elephant"

The Order of the Elephant is the highest-ranked national honour of Denmark and without a doubt one of the most unusual and expensive orders in the world. Insignia are used to made flat, adjacent to the clothes of chivalry. But the Order of the Elephant is made in the form of a miniature voluminous figurine of an elephant, covered with white enamel and decorated with diamonds. The motto of the order is: "Magnificent reward" (Magni animi Pretium), which is not accidental, because the emblem of this animal symbolizes wisdom, nobility and justice.

The modern statute of the order of the Elephant was approved on December 1, 1963 by the Danish King Christian V to award the outstanding people for services to the country and the heads of foreign states. Membership in the Order was limited to princes of the blood and thirty knights led by the monarch (Grandmaster of the Order). However, there is a legend according to which the Order of the Elephant arose in 1190 in honor of the victory of Denmark over the Saracens during the Crusade. One of the most memorable battles for the Danes was that in which fighting elephants took part. Europeans had never seen before such astonishing giant creatures, victory on which symbolizes the established order.

Another distinctive feature of the order, in addition to appearance, is that it is almost exclusively awarded to royalty and sovereigns. Exceptions were made for the following figures: Professor Vilhelm Thomsen, businessman Hans Niels Andersen, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, General Dwight Eisenhower, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, physicist Niels Bohr and shipping magnate Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller.

According to the statute, it is forbidden to wear the order of the Elephant with other insignia at the same time, and on special days it is supposed to be worn with a gold collar consisting of towers and elephants. The order can be revoked for misconduct or violation of statute. Also, it is not inherited, after the death of the knight, the order with all the attributes must return to its homeland in Denmark.