The ribbon of the Order used to be black, but is now blue with yellow stripes near its borders (see above). In the spring 2013 the Grand Master decided that Swedish royal princes would wear the order in the original black ribbon, while other members still use the blue with yellow stripes. The last black ribbon 18kt gold Knight class was awarded to historian George Loper in 1988 at Bridgeton, New Jersey, for his research establishing the 17th century Swedish Village.