The Principality of the Northern Forests

The Royal Order of the Northern Star is the highest Order in the Principality of the Northern Forests. The courtesy title for the lawful spouse of the recipient is  Lady [surname]. The Order uses the title of Grand Skutilsvein from the old Norse system of Nobility which is the equivalent of the post-Viking age title of Grand Cross or Grand Cordon.

 

Ranks of the Order
There are three ranks in the Order. The Order may be granted as a hereditary award or as a non-hereditary honour. In most cases it is granted for the life of the recipient. If it is a hereditary award it will only be stated in the Letters Patent. There is a limit to recipients at any given time which is stated numerically next to the rank. The rank advancements include:

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• Grand Skutilsvein (30)

• Dame/Knight Commander(70)

• Dame/Knight (100)

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Requirements for Admission

Admission into the Order is by invitation only. 

Disqualification from the Order

The Princely Family will not honour those who are involved in any blatantly dishonourable or sarcastic self-styled orders of chivalry or who claim absurd Noble, Royal, or academic titles that cannot be establish as real, genuine, and authentic.  Thus, if you claim absurd titles such as the "Baroness of the Backyard", or having a PhD in Hard Knocks then you will not be honoured with admission to the order. Be advised that at some time in the process, a candidate making a claim to some public honour may be asked to present further substantiation than is required on the application, discard a questionable or counterfeit claim, or have his or her petition rejected. 

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Armorial Achievements

A valid legally obtained Coat of Arms is required even for heads of state. Valid and legal means a full grant by a heraldic authority such as the College of Arms of the Northern Forests, the Chief Herald of Ireland, the College of Arms in England, the South African Bureau of Heraldry, and/or matriculated arms from the Lord Lyon of Scotland. Assumed arms are not considered legally valid unless they are granted by some organization such as the American College of Heraldry or the International Registry of Arms.

Post-Nominals of the Order

The post-nominal for Grand Skutilsvein recipients of the Order is “GSNS”. This stands for [G]rand [S]kutilsvein of the [N]orthern [S]tar. The post-nominal for Dame/Knight Commander recipients of the Order is “DCNS or KCNS respectively”. This stands for [D]ame or [K]night [C]ommander of the [N]orthern [S]tar. The post-nominal for Dame/Knight recipients of the Order is “DNS or KNS” respectively. This stands for [D]ame or [K]night of the [N]orthern [S]tar. 

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Passage of  Hereditary Title and Honour

The Knightly titles and honours of the Principality of the Northern Forests may only pass to another person in strict accordance what is stated in the Letters Patent affixed with the Princess's Royal Coat of Arms in Metallic coloured Wax of Azure (Blue). They cannot be sold, transferred, or otherwise altered. If a grant of the Order is hereditary, the Letters Patent and it alone will state it. Unless the Letters Patent for a particular grantee specifically stipulates another method of transmission, the default method of transmission is bloodline through absolute primogeniture springing solely from the original grantee.

 

Absolute primogeniture in the Principality of the Northern Forests means the honour and  title of Dame or Knight will only pass from a current substantive title-holder to the eldest child of the title holder (or the next in line to the title and honour if there are no living descendants of the current title-holder, but there are living collateral descendants elsewhere who spring from the original grantee of the title and honour) upon the death of the current title-holder.

 

There may only be one inheritor of the title and honour at any time. The rank within the Order will be retained by transmission. Said another way, a member of the rank of Grand Skutilsvein who passes the title and honour to an heir will have the heir also be at the rank of Grand Skutilsvein. Similarly, a member of the rank of Commander who passes the title and honour to an heir will have the heir also be at the rank of Commander. 

 

Written notice of each transfer of the title and honour should be made to the current Head of the Northerner Royal House so that good record-keeping is maintained and registration occurs of the new holder of the title and honour. A small registration fee might be necessary to record this transfer. However, title passage will occur without the need for official blessing by a future Head of the Northerner Royal House. In the event that the descendant lines of the original grantee of the noble title and honour all fail – that is, that each line eventually has no bloodline heirs left – the title will become extinct, as all possible heirs have died out. 

Nobility Conveyance

All ranks in this order convey nobility and is stated in the Letters Patent. The rank of Grand Skutilsvein is always a hereditary honour and specifically stated in the Letters Patent.