Order of the Aztec Eagle

The Order of the Aztec Eagle () is a Mexican order and is the highest decoration awarded to foreigners in the country. It is the highest honor in Mexico.

Recipients include Dwight D. Eisenhower, Elizabeth II, Nelson Rockefeller, Ted Kennedy, Cesar Chavez, Bill Gates,Donald Winkelmann and Nelson Mandela. The order was created in 1933.

History
It was created by decree on December 29, 1933 by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to the services given to Mexico or humankind by foreigners. It is similar to awards given to Mexican citizens such as the Condecoración Miguel Hidalgo or the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor. It is given by the office of the foreign minister on the instructions of a Council established for this purpose headed by the President.

Notable recipients

Royalty

Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia – Collar (1954)
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom – Collar (1973)
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Emperor Mohammed Reza of Iran – Collar (1975)
King Olav V of Norway –  Cross
King Juan Carlos I of Spain – Collar
Queen Sofía of Spain – Grand Cross, Special Class
Emperor Akihito of Japan – Collar
King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden – Collar (2004)
King Mohammed VI of Morocco – Collar (2005)
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark – Collar (2008)
Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark – Grand Cross, Special Class (2008) 
Felipe VI of Spain – Sash ( 1996 ); Collar ( 2015 )
Queen Letizia of Spain – Grand Cross (2008); Grand Cross, Special Class (2015 )
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands – Grand Cross woth Chain (2009)
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands – Grand Cross with Chain (2009)
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands – Grand Cross, Special Class (2009)
Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (2016)
King Salman of Saudi Arabia (2016)

Presidents

Dwight D. Eisenhower – Collar (1945)
Juscelino Kubitschek – Collar
Rafael Trujillo – Collar
Charles de Gaulle – Collar
Josip Broz Tito – Collar (1963)
Julius Nyerere – Collar (1975)
Lennart Meri – Collar (1995)
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – Collar (2007)
Michelle Bachelet – Collar (2007)
Nelson Mandela – Sash (2010)
Juan Manuel Santos – Collar (2011)
José Mujica – Collar (2014)
Dilma Rousseff – Collar (2014)
Mauricio Macri – Collar (2016)

Politicians

Edmond Leburton
Alexandra Kollontai – Sash (1944)
Henry H. Arnold – Collar (1945)
Dr. Jože Brilej – Sash (1950s)
Lisa Shoman – Sash (2008)
Ted Kennedy – Sash (2008)
Yves Ducharme
Benoît Hamon
David Dreier – (2017)

Other

Walt Disney (1943)
Spencer Atkinson (1946)
Nigel Davies (1980)
Edward Hidalgo (1980)
Diana Kennedy (1981)
Gabriel García Márquez (1982)
Claudio Arrau (1982)
Plácido Domingo – (1985)
W. Michael Mathes (1985)
Yuri Knorozov (1995)
Hector P. Garcia (1998)
Satish Gujral – Insignia proper
Charles Butt – (2001)
Candelaria Mayan Singh – Placard (2007)
Melinda Gates – Insignia proper (2007)
Anne d'Harnoncourt – Insignia proper (2007)
Adair Margo – Insignia proper (2007)
Earl A. Powell III – Insignia proper (2007)
Tomás Ybarra-Frausto – Insignia proper (2007)
Rigoberta Menchú – Insignia proper (2010)
Mario Vargas Llosa – 2011
Amartya Sen 2011
Bono – Insignia proper (2012)
Rick Bayless – 2012
Cesar Chavez
Ralph Roeder
Stuart Gulliver – 2017
Roderic Ai Camp – 2017

References

Other websites
http://www.medals.org.uk/mexico/mexico001.htm
http://www.blasoneshispanos.com/Ordenes/OtrasOrdenes/AguilaAzteca/AguilaAzteca.htm

Orders, decorations, and medals
Mexican culture
1933 establishments
1930s establishments in Mexico