Order of Charles XIII
Encyclopedia
The Order of Charles XIII is a Swedish order of knighthood, founded by King Charles XIII
in 1811. The Lord and Master of the Order is the King
of Sweden
, currently His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf. The order can only be conferred on Freemasons
of Protestant
faith. The membership of the order comprises:
There can never be more than 33 persons who have the order at the same time. (Men of royal blood are additional).
The insignia consists of a red St George cross, in the centre a white globe with the monogram of the institutor, two opposite letters C surrounding XIII, in gold. On the reverse the globe has the letter B in gold in an equilateral black and gold edged triangle. The cross is surmounted by a closed golden crown. The insignia is worn around the neck in a red ribbon.
The order uses a knight's gown, introduced 1822, and new knights are dubbed.
Charles XIII of Sweden
Charles XIII & II also Carl, , was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 until his death...
in 1811. The Lord and Master of the Order is the King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, currently His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf. The order can only be conferred on Freemasons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
of Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
faith. The membership of the order comprises:
- Three clerical members.
- Thirty lay members and never more than 7 non-Swedish members, each holding the XI (honorary and highest) degree of the Swedish RiteSwedish RiteThe Swedish Rite is a variation of Freemasonry that is worked in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. A slight variation is common in parts of Germany under the Große Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland. Also other craft masonic bodies are working in the nordic countries...
of FreemasonryFreemasonryFreemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
.
There can never be more than 33 persons who have the order at the same time. (Men of royal blood are additional).
The insignia consists of a red St George cross, in the centre a white globe with the monogram of the institutor, two opposite letters C surrounding XIII, in gold. On the reverse the globe has the letter B in gold in an equilateral black and gold edged triangle. The cross is surmounted by a closed golden crown. The insignia is worn around the neck in a red ribbon.
The order uses a knight's gown, introduced 1822, and new knights are dubbed.