The Ordre de l'Union Parfaite was created by Queen consort Sophie Magdalene of Denmark and Norway on 7 August 1732 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of her happy marriage with

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Christian VI of Denmark and Norway. It was given to both men and women. Its motto was ''In felicissimæ Unionis Memoriam'' ("In Commemoration of the Happiest aritalUnion"). Conferral of the Order ceased after the death of the Queen on 7 May 1770. The

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

name can be translated as ''Order of the Perfect Union'' or ''Order of Friendship''. The use of French was not unusual in the eighteenth century royal

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

court or in Sophie Magdalene's

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

homeland, where other such examples exist, such as the Ordre pour le Mérite and the Ordre de la Sincérité.

Insignia

130px, Badge, Ordre de l'Union Parfaite The badge or "jewel" of the Order was a white enamelled cross, each arm of which was capped by a golden crown. Between the arms, a golden Norwegian

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

bearing a golden, white-shafted

halberd A halberd (also called halbard, halbert or Swiss voulge) is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The word ''halberd'' is cognate with the German word ''Hellebarde'', deriving from ...

alternated with a red-enamelled, golden-headed

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

. A blue oval

medallion A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

, encircled by

diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...

, imposed on the center of the cross displayed the crowned intertwined

monogram A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...

s of Sophie Magdalene and Christian VI. The

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...

ribbon A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mater ...

was dark blue, edged with silver (the ribbon has become discolored over the centuries, but the original hue can still be seen in numerous painted portraits of the recipients). Gentlemen wore the cross in a left buttonhole of their coats. Ladies bore it on their left breasts.

Recipients

Men

* Count Frederik von Ahlefeldt (1770) * Count Frederik Carl Christian Ulrik Ahlefeldt (1770) * Count Christian Conrad Danneskiold-Laurvig (1758) *

Friedrich Carl, Duke of Holstein-Plön Friedrich may refer to: Names *Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich'' *Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich'' Other *Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' ...

(by 1759)Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen, ''Die Fürsten des Landes: Herzöge und Grafen von Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg''; Neumünster, Germany: Wachholtz Verlag, 2008; page 304. * Gustav Grüner (1751) * Count Carl von Hesse-Cassel (31 March 1759) * Count Frederick von Hesse-Cassel (31 March 1759) * Count Christian Christoffer Holck (1764) * Baron Adam Christopher Holsten * Poul Vendelbo de Løvenørn (1739) * Volrad August von der Lühe (1747) * Count Adam Gottlob Moltke (1747) * Frederik Christian von Møsting (1763) * Count Frederik von Oertz (1761) *

Johann Christoph von Reitzenstein Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name ''Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...

* Claus Reventlow (1751) * Count

Ditlev Reventlow Ditlev is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Emilius Ditlev Bærentzen (1799–1868), Danish portrait painter and lithographer *Hans Ditlev Bendixsen (1842–1902), American shipbuilder on the West Coast of the United States * D ...

(1756) * Count Conrad Detlev Reventlow (1750) * Mogens Rosenkrantz (1763) * Baron

Holger Rosenkrantz Holger may refer to: People * Holger (given name), includes name origin, plus people with the name * Hilde Holger, stage name of dancer, choreographer and dance teacher Hilde Boman-Behram (née Hilde Sofer, 1905–2001) Fictional characters * Holg ...

(1767) * Baron Verner Rosenkrantz (1763) * Andreas Rosenpalm * Count

Hans Schack Hans Schack (28 October 1608 – 27 February 1676) was a member of the north German noble family Schack, who after many years in French service, entered the Danish service, made major contributions during the war with Sweden, and loyally supported ...

(1735-1796) (1763) * Count Werner von der Schulenburg (1750) * Baron

Georg Wilhelm von Søhlenthal Georg may refer to: * ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker See also * George (disambiguation) George may refer to: People * George (given name) * G ...

(1738) * Henrik Stampe (1770) * Christian von Støcken (1761) * Frederik Christian von Qualen (1768) * Baron Frederik Wilhelm Wedel-Jarlsberg (1763) * Adam Levin von Witzleben (1732) * Frederick Louis von Woyda (1767)

Women

* Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel * Louise Friderica von Boyneburg of the House of Hambach *

Birgitte Sofie Gabel Birgitte Sofie Gabel (1746–1769) was a Danish noblewoman. She was the daughter of Baron Verner Rosenkrantz and Else Margrete Sehested and married the courtier and nobleman in 1762. She was known for her beauty and admired for her great intellige ...

(1764) *

Christine Sophie von Gähler Christine Sophie von Gähler, Countess von der Goltz, née von ''Ahlefeldt'' (1745 – 18 July 1792) was a Danish noble and courtier, known for her love life and unconventional life style, known in history as one of the Three Graces of the Danish ...

(née von Ahlefeldt) (1765) * Amalie Juliane von Günterrode * Christine Armgard, Duchess of Holstein-Plön (by 1759) * Countess Anna Joachima Danneskiold-Laurvig (née von Ahlefeldt) *

Louise Charlotte of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Louise Charlotte Friederike, Princess of Anhalt-Köthen (née Princess Louise Charlotte Friederike of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg; 5 March 1749 – 30 March 1812) was a member of the Danish royal family and the consort of Karl Geor ...

(1764) * Dorothea Christine, Princess of Denmark (by 1759) * Charlotte Elisabeth Henriette Holstein (1770) * Karen Huitfeldt (1755) *

Sophia Magdalena Krag Juel Vind Sophia Magdalena Krag-Juel Vind, née ''von Gram'' (1734–1810), was a Danish Salon holder, landowner and noble. She is considered to have exerted considerable political influence in Danish politics during the late 18th century. Biography ...

* Margrethe von der Lühe (1768) * Eleonora Marie von Lüttichau *

Margrethe Marie Thomasine Numsen Margrethe Marie Thomasine Numsen (née Ingenhaef(f); 8 March 1705 -8 October 1776), was a politically active Danish courtier. She was the daughter of general major noble Johan Peter Ingenhaeff. She served as lady-in-waiting to queen Anne Sophie R ...

* Anna Susanna von der Osten * Charlotte Dorothea Reventlow (née Scheel von Plessen) * Birte Rosenkrantz * Countess Anna Sophie Schack * Princess Wilhelmina Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein-Nordborg-Pløens (1749) *

Charlotte Amalie Skeel Charlotte Amalie Skeel (1700-1763), was a Danish noble. She was the object of a famous scandal of the royal court. Skeel was the issue of Christen Skeel (1663-1709) and Charlotte Amalie von Plessen (1683-1760). In 1721, she married Iver Rosenkr ...

(1750) * Margarete Giedde Vind *

Frederica of Württemberg Frederica or Fredrica may refer to: * Frederica (given name), including a list of notable people who bear the name * ''Frederica'' (novel), a romance novel by Georgette Heyer * Frederica, Delaware, United States * Frederica Academy, an American sc ...

Sources

* *

Footnotes

{{reflist 18th century in Denmark Union Parfaite, Order of