by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2012
There are currently four orders granted in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The Grand Duke is Grand Master of all four orders, although none are granted without recommendation from either the government or the royal household.
The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
photo: Wikipedia
The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Huisorde van de Gouden Leeuw van Nassau) is an order shared by Luxembourg and the Netherlands. While only a House order in the Netherlands, The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau is the highest national order in Luxembourg. It was established in 1858 by Willem III, King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg, to be shared by both branches of the House of Nassau. Originally established with one class, Willem III later increased this to four, and eventually to five different ranks. However, none of these were recognized in Luxembourg and now the order remains at only the original one class – with the rank of Knight.
The order is rarely granted, other than to members of the two royal families. The sovereign of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg are joint Grand Masters of the Order. In a nice tradition, the sovereign of one country usually grants the order to the children of the other sovereign (i.e. Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg granted the order to Crown Prince Willem-Alexander in 1980 upon Queen Beatrix’ accession to the throne.)
The Badge is a white-enameled Maltese Cross, with a gold monogram ‘N’ between the arms. In the center is a blue enameled disc bearing the gold lion of the House of Nassau. The reverse of the disc is also blue-enameled and contains the motto ‘Je Maintiendrai’ (I Shall Maintain).
The Star of the Order is an 8-point silver star, bearing the same central disc as the badge, surrounded with the motto and a laurel wreath in gold on white enamel.
The Sash is orange with a narrow blue stripe along each edge. This design is used for the ribbons as well.
The Order of Adolphe of Nassau
photo: Wikipedia
The Civil and Military Order of Adolphe of Nassau was originally established in 1858 as an order of the Duchy of Nassau. Several years later, The Duke lost his throne when Nassau was annexed by Prussia, and the order ceased to be awarded. However, upon the birth of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg ended its personal union with the Netherlands (Luxembourg followed strict Salic Law where women were excluded from the line of succession), and the now dethroned Duke of Nassau, Adolphe, was created the fourth Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Shortly thereafter, he revived the Order and it remains the second highest order within Luxembourg.
The Order is awarded in recognition of meritorious service and loyalty to the Grand Duke, the Grand Ducal House and Luxembourg. It is also used to reward achievement in arts and sciences and can be awarded to foreign heads of states as well. All members of the Grand Ducal House are born members, however, they do not actually wear the order until reaching the age of 18.
There are eight classes, as well as Crosses and Medals. There is also an additional class for women – Cross of Honour for Ladies. There are also slight differences in some of the insignia to note those awarded in the Military division.
Grand Cross – wears the badge on the sash, with the star on the left chest.
Grand Officer – wears the badge on a necklet, with the star on the left chest.
Commander of the Crown – wears the badge on a necklet.
Cross of Honour for Ladies – wears the badge on a bow on the left chest.
Commander – wears the badge on a necklet.
Officer of the Crown – wears the badge on a ribbon with rosette on the left chest.
Officer – wears the badge on a ribbon with rosette on the left chest.
Knight of the Crown – wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.
Knight – wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.
Crosses (in Gold and Silver) – worn on a ribbon on the left chest.
Medals (in Gold, Silver and Bronze) – worn on a ribbon on the left chest.
The Badge of the Order is a white-enameled Maltese cross, each tipped with a gold pearl. The central disc, in white-enamel, bears the letter ‘A’ in gold, surmounted by an imperial crown. This is surrounded by a ring of blue-enamel bearing a gold laurel wreath and the motto ‘Virtute’. The reverse of the disc shows the inscriptions ‘1292’ – representing the year Adolf, Count of Nassau-Weilburg was crowned King of the Romans – and ‘1858 (the year Adolphe, Duke of Nassau created the order) in gold, on a white enameled background. The badges for the Military Division feature crossed swords under the central disc. For those classes designated ‘Classes of the Crown’, the badge is topped by a gold crown (Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander of the Crown, Cross of Honour for Ladies, Officer of the Crown, and Knight of the Crown).
The Star of the Order for the Grand Cross is an eight-pointed faceted silver star, while the Grand Officer star is a faceted silver Maltese Cross with silver rays between the arms. On both, the central disc is the same as the badge. For those in the Military Division, crossed swords appear beneath the central disc.
The Crosses of the Order are identical to the badge, in gold or silver, with no enameling.
The Medals of the Order, in gold, silver, and bronze, feature a portrait of Adolphe, Duke of Nassau and later Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
The Sash is blue with a small orange stripe at both edges. This is also used for the necklets, ribbons, and bows.
The Order of the Oak Crown
photo: Wikipedia
The Order of the Oak Crown was originally established in Luxembourg in 1841 by Grand Duke Guillaume II. Because he and his successor were also Kings of the Netherlands due to the personal union between the two nations, the order was often used as a House order within the Netherlands (meaning it was at the sole discretion of the King and not subject to government involvement). When the union ended between the two countries in 1890, the order remained a national order of Luxembourg. It is the third-ranking order in Luxembourg and is awarded in five classes as well as three medals.
Grand Cross – wears the badge on the sash over the right shoulder, with the star on the left chest.
Grand Officer – wears the badge on a necklet, with the star on the left chest.
Commander – wears the badge on a necklet.
Officer – wears the badge on a ribbon, with rosette, on the left chest.
Knight – wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.
Medals (gold, silver and bronze) – worn on the left chest.
The Badge of the Order is a white enameled cross pattée, edged in gold. The central disc, in green-enamel, bears the letter ‘W’ topped with a grand-ducal crown. For the class of Officer, the star sits atop a wreath gold oak leaves.
The Star of the Order is an eight-pointed faceted silver star (Grand Cross) or faceted silver Maltese Cross (Grand Officer). The central disc bears the crowned monogram ‘W’ from the badge, but this is surrounded by a red-enameled ring with the motto ‘Je Maintiendrai’ (I Will Maintain), which is then surrounded by a green-enameled wreath of oak leaves.
The Medal of the Order (in gold, silver, and bronze) is an octagonal shape, depicting the Badge of the Order on the front, with an oak wreath on the reverse.
The Sash of the Order is a yellow-orange with three dark green stripes.
The Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
photo: Wikipedia
The Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was established in 1961 by Grand Duchess Charlotte to reward achievement and meritorious service. It has remained unchanged since its establishment and is awarded in five classes plus a medal.
Grand Cross – wears the badge on a sash over the right shoulder, with the star on the left chest.
Grand Officer – wears the badge on a necklet, with the star on the left chest.
Commander – wears the badge on a necklet.
Officer – wears the badge on a ribbon, with rosette, on the left chest.
Knight – wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.
Medal – worn on the left chest.
The Badge of the Order is a white enameled crossed edged in blue. The central disc is blue-enameled, featuring the crowned grand-ducal lion in red, surrounded by a border featuring a laurel wreath in gold. The reverse bears two interlaced letters ‘C’ (representing Grand Duchess Charlotte) in gold, topped with the grand-ducal crown. This is set on a red-enameled background, bordered in blue-enamel.
The Star of the Order is a twelve-point star (in gold for Grand Cross; silver for Grand Officer) depicting the Badge of the Order at its center.
The Sash of the Order is red with white and blue edges and is used for the necklets and ribbons as well.
The Medal is awarded to citizens upon reaching their 100th birthday, as well as awarded for acts of rescue. It is a gilded depiction of the Badge of the Order with faceted rays between the arms of the cross.
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