The Ordre de l’Union Parfaite was established by Queen consort Sophie Magdalene of Denmark and Norway on 7 August 1732 to mark the tenth anniversary of her marriage to King Christian VI.
The French name translates to the Order of the Perfect Union or Order of Friendship, reflecting the common use of French in royal courts of the time.
This order, awarded to both men and women, bore the motto “In felicissimæ Unionis Memoriam” (“In Commemoration of the Happiest [Marital] Union”). Conferral of the Order ceased after the Queen’s death on 7 May 1770.
The Ordre de l’Union Parfaite Design
The badge or “jewel” of the Order was a white enamelled cross with each arm capped by a golden crown. Between the arms were alternating golden Norwegian lions holding a halberd and red-enamelled, golden-headed Brandenburg eagles.
The center featured a blue oval medallion, encircled by diamonds, displaying the crowned intertwined monograms of Sophie Magdalene and Christian VI.
The dark blue silk ribbon, edged with silver, was worn differently by gender: gentlemen wore the cross in a left buttonhole of their coats, while ladies wore it on their left breasts.
