The Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol, also called the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Umbrella ( Itsariyaphon Lan Sang Hom Khao), is the highest knighthood order of the Royal Family of Laos.
History The Order was founded on 1 May 1909 by King Sisavang Vong.The Illustrated London News, vol. 138 (1911), part 1, p. 138
The name of the order reflected an old name of Laos, Lan Xang Hom Khao which means "million elephants and white umbrella".Bijan Raj Chatterjee, Southeast Asia in Transition (1965), p. 18
The Royal system of Orders and Medals effectively ended with the fall of Laos in 1975. The Royal Orders, by their nature, remain the dynastic property of the Royal House of Laos in absentia, and are still awarded by the Royal House as a dynastic award. The honour is still awarded in recognition of dedicated services to charity and humanitarianism. All grades of the Order are approved for wear as a foreign order (i.e. after all British and other Commonwealth decorations) by Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, as it is on the "Schedule of Approved Countries and Awards".
Classes The Order consisted of the following classes, in descending order: Grand Cross with Collar Grand Cross (ປະຖະມາພອນ Pathamaphon) Grand Officer (ທຸຕິຍາພອນ Thutiyaphon) Commander (ຕະຕິຍາພອນ Tatiyaphon) Officer (ຈະຕູດຖາພອນ Jatutthaphon) Knight (ປັນຈະມາພອນ Panchamaphon)
Ribbon barsGrand Cross with CollarGrand CrossGrand OfficerCommanderOfficerKnight
Insignia The ribbon on which the Order is worn is red, ornamented with a yellow geometrical design.
Notable recipients Crown of Nepal Mahendra, King of Nepal (1955–1972) (1970) Ratna, Queen consort of Nepal (1960–1972) (1970) Birendra, King of Nepal (1972–2001) when Crown Prince (1970) Aishwarya, Queen consort of Nepal (1972–2001) when Crown Princess (1970) Crown of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand (1963) Sirikit, Queen consort of Thailand (1963) Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Prime Minister of Thailand Sarit Thanarat, Prime Minister of Thailand Thanom Kittikachorn, Prime Minister of Thailand Crown of Cambodia Sisowath Monivong, King of Cambodia (1927–1941) Norodom Suramarit, King of Cambodia (1955–1960) (1955) Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia (1941–1955) / (1993–2004) Crown of Vietnam Bảo Đại, Emperor of Vietnam (1926–1945) Bảo Long, Crown Prince of Vietnam (1939–2007) French Republic Charles de Gaulle Marcelle Lafont Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque Adrien Conus René Joyeuse René Gaurand Roger Faulques Louis Renault Others Hamengkubuwano VIII James Greenway Eisaku Sato BG. Dean Murphy USV-JSC BG. Robert C. Quesada USV-JSC
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