Order of the White Eagle (Serbia)

See also: Order of the White Eagle (Poland) and Order of the White Eagle (Russia)

Order of the White Eagle Орден Белог орла
De ster van de Orde van de Witte Adelaar Servie.jpg Star of the order
Type	State order (1883–1945) Dynastic order (since 1945)
Eligibility	Serbian/Yugoslav citizens and foreign nationals.
Statistics
Established	23 January 1883
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of St. Prince Lazar (1883–98) Order of Miloš the Great (1898–1903) Order of the Karađorđe's Star (after 1903)
Next (lower)	Order of the Cross of Takovo (before 1903) Order of St. Sava (1903–1945) Order of the Yugoslav Crown (Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 1930–1945)
106px Grand Cross with swords 106px Great officer with swords 106px Commander with swords 106px Officer with swords 106px Cavalier with swords

The Order of the White Eagle (Serbian Cyrillic: Орден Белог орла) was a state order in the Kingdom of Serbia (1883–1918) and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1945).

It continues as a dynastic order, with appointments currently made by Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia.

History

King Milan I of Serbia instituted the Order of the White Eagle on 23 January 1883, concurrently with the Order of St. Sava. The Order had five classes and was conferred on Serbian and Yugoslav citizens for achievements in peace or war, or for special merits to the Crown, the state and nation. In the period between 1883 and 1898 Order of the White Eagle was the highest award in the Kingdom of Serbia. In 1898 the Royal Order of Miloš the Great took precedence over the White Eagle and in 1904 the former was replaced by the Order of Karađorđe's Star.

After his accession to the throne in 1903, King Peter I of Serbia continued awarding the Order of the White Eagle, but the reverse of the medallion had the year of the proclamation of the Kingdom (1883) instead of the cipher of Milan I.

The white eagle with wings displayed was re-established as the State Arms of Serbia, symbol descended from the Emperors of Byzantium. The order had a War Merit Division, with crossed swords between the Royal Crown and eagle's heads, that was introduced in 1915, and conferred for conspicuous bravery of the officers in the field.

In 1945, with the end of the monarchy, the order was in effect exiled, but it was revived in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a decoration with a War Merit Division. Since the end of Yugoslavia, the Royal Order continues to be awarded by Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, as the senior representative of the Crown. His awards include Angelo de Mojana di Cologna, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and posthumous conferment upon three Crown Council Members. On 22 August 2016, Prince Alexander awarded the Grand Cross of the Order to husbands of three princesses of the royal family, Sir Desmond de Silva, a former United Nations War Crimes Prosecutor, Mr Gregory Thune-Larsen, and Mr Austin Prichard-Levy.

Description

The Order of the White Eagle has five degrees, and can be awarded with swords for the military services, with or without swords for civil merit. The Order is organized into five classes:

• 80px 1st Class – Grand Cross
• 80px 2nd Class – Grand Officer's Cross
• 80px 3rd Class – Commander's Cross
• 80px 4th Class – Officer's Cross
• 80px 5th Class – Knight's Cross

The sash of the Order is worn from the left shoulder to the right hip.