The Order of the White Eagle () is Poland's highest order awarded to both civilians and the military for their merits. It was officially instituted on 1 November 1705 by Augustus II the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, and bestowed on eight of his closest diplomatic and political supporters. It is one of the oldest distinctions in the world still in use. It is awarded to the most distinguished Poles and the highest-ranking representatives of foreign countries. The Order of the White Eagle is attached to a purple ribbon slung over the left shoulder to the right side. The star of the Order, once embroidered, is worn on the left side of the chest. History The badge of the Order of the White Eagle was originally a red enamel oval gold medal with an image of the Polish white eagle on its front side, and the royal cypher of Augustus II the Strong over crossed swords on its reverse side, worn on a light blue ribbon. The white eagle badge was replaced by a Maltese cross badge in 1709. By 1713 it was worn from the neck, with a blue sash, and a star. Augustus limited the number of knights to 72, but only conferred the Order 40 times before his death in 1733. His son, Augustus III, however, awarded the Order more than three hundred times. Augustus may have been inspired to found the Order by the example of Peter the Great's recent founding of the Russian Order of Saint Andrew (of which he himself had been made one of the first knights by the Russian emperor), and above all by the example of the prestigious French Order of the Holy Spirit, with which the light blue ribbon, and the star with a bird, have a strong resemblance, and which had also inspired Peter the Great's Order of Saint Andrew. Initially the creation of the Order was strongly opposed by many of the Polish nobility, since membership in the Order conferred a distinction which violated the traditional equality of all Polish nobles. Since the Order had no patron saint, Augustus II made 2 August the feast of the Order. His son, Augustus III, however, changed the Order's feast day to 3 August. Under the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, the Order was abolished. It was renewed in 1807 as the highest award of the Duchy