Everything about Order Decoration totally explained
An
Order is a
decoration, awarded by a government, a
dynastic house, or a religious body to an individual, usually for distinguished service to a nation or to humanity.
Modern orders and decorations can trace its origin back to the medieval
Orders of Chivalry. By the time of the
Renaissance, most European monarchs either acquired an existing Order of Chivalry, or created new orders of their own, to reward loyal civilian and especially military officials. Some of modern Europe's highest honours, such as the
Order of the Golden Fleece,
England's
Order of the Garter,
Denmark's
Order of the Elephant and
Scotland's
Order of the Thistle, were created during that era.
Such orders remained out of reach to the general public, however, until the
nineteenth century. In
1802 Napoleon created the
Légion d'honneur (Legion of Honour), which is still
France's highest award; it can be awarded to any person, regardless of status, for bravery in combat or for 20 years of distinguished service.
The Legion of Honour serves as the model for numerous modern orders of merit in the Western World, such as the
Order of Leopold (
Belgium,
1832) and the
Order of the British Empire (
United Kingdom,
1917). These orders typically have five classes, each wearing a badge (usually enamelled) on a
ribbon, as a sash for the senior class, around the neck or on the left chest for the lower grades (ladies may wear the badge on a bow on the left chest). The two highest classes also wear a star (or 'plaque') on the chest. In special cases the senior class may wear the badge on a
collar, which is an elaborate chain around the neck. Military awards may have crossed swords added onto the insignias.
In Communist countries orders of merit usually come in one to three grades, with only a badge worn with or without a ribbon on the chest. An example of a Communist order was the one-class
Order of Lenin (
USSR,
1930). Unlike the Western orders, however, Communist orders can be awarded more than once to an individual. After the collapse of the Soviet bloc most Eastern European countries have reverted to the Western-style orders originally established before the rise of
Communism.
Today almost all countries have some form of orders or country decorations. Both
Thailand's
Order of the White Elephant and
Japan's
Order of the Rising Sun are over 100 years old.
Canada has the
Order of Canada;
Australia similarly has the
Order of Australia. Though the
United States has traditionally eschewed titles and honors that smack of nobility, it does award the
Medal of Honor to members of its military for particular acts of valour; the medal even has special privileges attached to it. The
Presidential Medal of Freedom and the
Congressional Gold Medal are the highest awards presented by the United States to civilians. The
Legion of Merit is the only United States decoration which may be issued in award degrees (much like an Order of chivalry or certain Orders of Merit).
Switzerland doesn't award any orders, and the Swiss Constitution excludes Swiss citizens accepting orders from foreign governments from holding any sort of public office.
In 1974 The Swedish Government passed a resolution forbidding the
King of Sweden from awarding membership in Orders to Swedish citizens. This didn't formally abolish the Orders themselves, but today only the
Order of Seraphim and the
Order of the Polar Star continue to be awarded, and only to foreign citizens. In 1995 this law was altered, allowing the Monarch to bestow the two remaining active Orders to members of the
Swedish Royal Family.
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Modern orders are usually open to all citizens of a particular country, regardless of status, sex, race or creed (although some countries require their citizens to have reached a certain age before becoming eligible). Nominations are either made by private citizens, or by government officials, depending on the country. Once awarded, an order may be revoked if the individual dies, commits a
crime, or renounces
citizenship. Rarely, a
dissident becomes awarded, and due to personal beliefs refuses to accept it.
Further Information
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