Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol

The Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol, also called the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Umbrella (Lao: ອິສະຣິຍາພອນລ້ານຊ້າງຮົ່ມຂາວ Itsariyaphon Lan Sang Hom Khao), was the highest knighthood order of the Kingdom of Laos.

Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol
ອິສະຣິຍາພອນລ້ານຊ້າງຮົ່ມຂາວ
Awarded by the King of Laos
StatusExtinct as the Kingdom, now Dynastic award
SovereignSisavang Vong
Savang Vatthana
GradesGrand Cross with Collar
Grand Cross
Grand Officer
Commander
Officer
Knight
Precedence
Next (higher)None; highest.
Next (lower)Order of the Crown

Ribbon of the Order

History

The Order was founded on 1 May 1909 by King Sisavang Vong.[1]

The name of the order reflected an old name of Laos, Lan Xang Hom Khao which means "million elephants and white umbrella".[2]

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.

Classes

The Order consisted of the following classes, in ascending order :

  • Grand Cross with Collar
  • Grand Cross (ປະຖະມາພອນ Pathamaphon)
  • Grand Officer (ທຸຕິຍາພອນ Thutiyaphon)
  • Commander (ຕະຕິຍາພອນ Tatiyaphon)
  • Officer (ຈະຕູດຖາພອນ Jatutthaphon)
  • Knight (ປັນຈະມາພອນ Panchamaphon)
Ribbon bars
Grand Cross with Collar
Grand Cross
Grand Officer
Commander
Officer
Knight

Insignia

The ribbon on which the Order was worn is red, ornamented with a yellow geometrical design.

Notable recipients

Notes
  1. The Illustrated London News, vol. 138 (1911), part 1, p. 138
  2. Bijan Raj Chatterjee, Southeast Asia in Transition (1965), p. 18
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