TheImperial Order of the White Eagle (Russian:О́рден Бе́лого орла́) was anImperial RussianOrder based on thePolish honor. EmperorNicholas I of Russia established the award in 1831 as theImperial and Royal Order of the White Eagle. A recipient of the Order was granted the titleKnight of the Imperial (and Royal) Order of the White Eagle.
After theThird Partition of Poland in 1795, the Order of the White Eagle briefly disappeared along with the Polish monarchy. After his death in 1798, Empress Alexandra wore the Collar of the Grand Master of the Order atNicholas’s coronation as King of Poland.[3] The order was resurrected in 1807 byNapoleon I in his short-livedDuchy of Warsaw.[2]
In 1815, theCongress of Vienna divided the historically Polish lands amongPrussia, theAustrian Empire and the Russian Empire. The majority of the territory was renamed theKingdom of Poland and was to be an autonomous part of the Russian Empire.
The Order of the White Eagle is mentioned as belonging to the Kingdom of Poland in itsconstitution of 1815:
The Polish civilian and military Orders, of the White Eagle, Saint Stanislaus and the Cross of the Military, are preserved.(Ordery Polskie cywilne i woyskowe, to iest: Orła Białego, Świętego Stanisława i Krzyża Woyskowego, są zachowane.)
During the years immediately following the Congress of Vienna, the badge and cross of the Order were awarded with the same Polish insignia, but the majority of the recipients were Russians or members of the Austrian Empire.[3]
After Russian troops put down thePolish uprising of 1830-31, Nicholas I stripped the autonomy from the Kingdom of Poland and adopted all Polish orders of merit.[4]
The Order of the White Eagle was officially "annexed" by Nicholas I on 17 November 1831 and became part of the Russian Imperial honors system. Among the first recipients of the Imperial Order of the White Eagle wereIvan Paskevich andPyotr Petrovich Palen, recognised for their part in suppressing the Polish uprising.[4]
The new design featured significant alterations: the badge was now of gold and red enamel; on the front, the original redmaltese cross and white eagle were reduced in size and superimposed over thedouble-headed eagle of the Russian Empire. The back of the badge featured the original Polish badge design, superimposed over the Russian imperial eagle. The star now featured the Russian royal crown.[3]
On 25 January 1832, a blue ribbon and sash were introduced.[4]
The Order of the White Eagle was given a high status in the hierarchy of distinction, ranked only behind theOrder of Saint Andrew, theOrder of Saint Catherine (for women only) and theOrder of Saint Alexander Nevsky. As the top three awards were named afterRussian Orthodox saints, the Order of the White Eagle was the preferred award to bestow upon non-Christians. It granted hereditary nobility.[4]
^abJames Robinson Planché (1879).A cyclopedia of costume, or, dictionary of dress, including notices of contemporaneous fashions on the continent: a general chronological history of the costumes of the principal countries of Europe. Chatto and Windus. p. 372.ISBN9781179956510.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
Head of theHouse of Romanov
