Fascinating Fridays (Orders of Knigththood Part 2)

Can't wait another day again. So here goes Friday's page early. We continue our Fascinating Friday series with Part 2 of the different Orders of Knighthood. If you have always wondered why Royalty often appear at very formal functions wearing coloured sashes you will now find out. We have discussed the origin and rank of the title, Knight, in a former Fascinating Friday post. There are currently six active Orders of Knighthood and two Family Orders of Honour. They all rank in an order of precedence which ranks one above the other in prestige. Normally the date of the specific Order's founding gives it precedence over younger ones but also its exclusivity gives it higher prestige Last week we dealt with the Order of the Ublient.

Today we will discuss the second lowest ranking Order of Knighthood as we work our way up towards the highest.

Part 2 The Order of the Lake

In Normandia, Revolution also led to the Order of the Lake to suffer a period of discontinued headship which leads to it being restablished as a Royal Order of Knighthood in 2011. This makes it the second youngest order and next on our list. Historically there is no documented proof of exactly when it was established but supertitious myths abound. Legend has it that somwhere in the 11th century King Olaf the Bald saved a very old willow tree from being chopped down when builders sought to clear space for a new pier on Lake Flumdal. A strange woman appeared at the dedication of the new Royal pier and gave the King a bright blue stone and charged the King to endow his knights with the same concern for nature as he apparently had. The King immediatly established the Order of the lake and set the blue stone in his badge insignia. The Order was to keep watch over proper management of Normandia's natural recources. In more modern times the Order became a standard order of merit but has always kept its distinctive nature conservationist theme especially when awarded to foreigners. The 96 Revolution saw the Order become the pawn of the new democratic Republic of Normandia and the old system was seen as officially disbanded. However with the restoration of the monarchy in Normandia the new Queen Gloria was invested with the headship of the Order of the Lake before she was even made Queen. The Order was then re-established as a Royal Order of Knighthood rather than a democratic Order of Merit. 

A light blue sash hung over the right shoulder and pinned by a four sided spiral badge with a light blue stone in the centre is the insignia of this order. Queen Gloria as the Head of State in Normandia is also the Head of the Order of the Lake.

Current members of the Order of the Lake include the Queen of Normandia's husband Prince Reggius of Northwold, her cousin the Duchess of Roswind and the Crown Prince Imperial. There are rumours of the induction of Count Szanguscko and the Duke of Swann in 2013.