THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT THE BELGIAN ORDER. FOR OTHER DECORATIONS BEARING THE SAME NAME, SEE ORDER OF THE CROWN.
KNIGHT'S CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE CROWN
AWARDED BY KINGDOM OF BELGIUM
TYPE CHIVALRIC ORDER WITH FIVE CLASSES, PLUS TWO PALMS AND THREE MEDALS
MOTTO TRAVAIL ET PROGRES -
ARBEID EN VOORUITGANG
DAY AWARDED ON 8 APRIL (BIRTHDAY OF KING ALBERT I) AND 15 NOVEMBER (KING'S FEAST), AND FOR OBLIGING CASES ON 21 JULY (BELGIAN NATIONAL HOLIDAY).
ELIGIBILITY ELIGIBLE FOR PERSONS ABOVE THE AGE OF 42
AWARDED FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE TO THE BELGIAN STATE
STATUS CURRENTLY CONSTITUTED
SOVEREIGN HIS MAJESTY KING ALBERT II
GRADES (W/ POST-NOMINALS) GRAND CROSS
GRAND OFFICER
COMMANDER
OFFICER
KNIGHT
ESTABLISHED 15 OCTOBER 1897
1897 - 1908 (ORDER OF CONGO)
1908 - PRESENT (AS BELGIAN ORDER)
PRECEDENCE
NEXT (HIGHER) ROYAL ORDER OF THE LION
NEXT (LOWER) ORDER OF LEOPOLD II
RIBBON BAR OF THE ORDER OF THE CROWN (OFFICER)
THE ORDER OF THE CROWN IS AN ORDER OF BELGIUM WHICH WAS FIRST CREATED ON 15 OCTOBER 1897. THE ORDER OF THE CROWN WAS CREATED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF LEOPOLD II OF BELGIUM AND WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO RECOGNIZE HEROIC DEEDS AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ACHIEVED FROM SERVICE IN THE CONGO FREE STATE - MANY OF WHICH ACTS SOON BECAME HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL. IN 1908, THE ORDER OF THE CROWN WAS MADE A NATIONAL DECORATION OF BELGIUM, JUNIOR TO THE ORDER OF LÉOPOLD.
CURRENTLY, THE ORDER OF THE CROWN IS AWARDED FOR SERVICES RENDERED TO THE BELGIAN STATE, ESPECIALLY FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT. THE ORDER OF THE CROWN IS ALSO AWARDED FOR DISTINGUISHED ARTISTIC, LITERARY OR SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS, OR FOR COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL SERVICES IN BELGIUM OR AFRICA.
THE ORDER OF THE CROWN IS ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR BESTOWAL TO FOREIGN NATIONALS AND IS FREQUENTLY AWARDED TO MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC PERSONNEL OF OTHER COUNTRIES STATIONED IN (OR PROVIDING SUPPORT TO) BELGIUM. DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, THE ORDER OF THE CROWN WAS EXTENSIVELY AUTHORIZED TO ALLIED MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO HAD HELPED TO LIBERATE BELGIUM FROM NAZI GERMANY OCCUPATION FORCES.
THE ORDER OF THE CROWN IS AWARDED BY ROYAL DECREE.
THE ORDER OF THE CROWN IS AWARDED IN FIVE CLASSES, PLUS TWO PALMS AND THREE MEDALS:
GRAND CROSS, WHICH WEARS THE BADGE ON A SASH ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER, PLUS THE STAR ON THE LEFT CHEST;
GRAND OFFICER, WHICH WEARS A STAR ON THE LEFT CHEST, AND MAY ALSO WEAR THE NECK BADGE;
COMMANDER, WHICH WEARS THE BADGE ON A NECK RIBBON;
OFFICER, WHICH WEARS THE BADGE ON A RIBBON WITH ROSETTE ON THE LEFT CHEST;
KNIGHT, WHICH WEARS THE BADGE ON A RIBBON ON THE LEFT CHEST;
GOLDEN PALMS, WHICH WEARS A WREATH OF GOLDEN PALMS ON A RIBBON ON THE LEFT CHEST;
SILVER PALMS, WHICH WEARS A WREATH OF SILVER PALMS ON A RIBBON ON THE LEFT CHEST;
GOLD MEDAL, WHO WEARS THE MEDAL ON THE LEFT CHEST;
SILVER MEDAL, WHO WEARS THE MEDAL ON THE LEFT CHEST;
BRONZE MEDAL, WHO WEARS THE MEDAL ON THE LEFT CHEST.
[EDIT] INSIGNIA
THE BADGE OF THE ORDER IS A WHITE-ENAMELLED "MALTESE ASTERISK" (FOR WANT OF A BETTER DESCRIPTION - SEE MALTESE CROSS) WITH STRAIGHT RAYS, IN SILVER FOR THE CHEVALIER CLASS AND IN GOLD FOR THE HIGHER CLASSES. THE OBVERSE CENTRAL DISC HAS A GOLD CROWN ON A BLUE ENAMEL BACKGROUND; THE REVERSE CENTRAL DISC HAS THE FACE-TO-FACE MONOGRAM "L" (FOR KING LEOPOLD II) ON A BLUE ENAMEL BACKGROUND. THE BADGE IS SUSPENDED ON A GREEN-ENAMELLED WREATH OF LAUREL AND OAK LEAVES.
THE STAR OF THE ORDER IS A TEN-POINTED STAR OF ALTERNATE GOLDEN STRAIGHT RAYS AND SILVER FACETED RAYS FOR THE GRAND CROSS CLASS, AND A SILVER FACETED "MALTESE ASTERISK" WITH GOLDEN STRAIGHT RAYS BETWEEN THE ARMS FOR THE GRAND OFFICER CLASS. BOTH STARS HAVE THE OBVERSE OF THE BADGE, MINUS THE WREATH SUSPENSION, AT THE CENTRE.
THE RIBBON OF THE ORDER IS USUALLY PLAIN MAROON. HOWEVER, IF THE ORDER IS WARDED IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THE RIBBON OF THE OFFICER AND KNIGHT CLASSES SHOW THE FOLLOWING VARIATIONS:
CROSSED SWORDS ARE ADDED TO THE RIBBON WHEN AWARDED IN WARTIME (IF THE ORDER WAS AWARDED DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR OR DURING THE KOREAN WAR, A SMALL BAR IS ADDED TO THE RIBBON MENTIONING THE NAME OF THE WAR);
THE RIBBON HAS A VERTICAL GOLD BORDER ON BOTH SIDES WHEN AWARDED FOR A SPECIAL ACT OF VALOUR;
THE RIBBON HAS A CENTRAL VERTICAL GOLD STRIPE WHEN AWARDED FOR AN EXCEPTIONALLY MERITORIOUS ACT;
A GOLD STAR IS ADDED TO THE RIBBON WHEN THE RECITPENT HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL;
SILVER OR GOLD PALMS ARE ADDED TO THE RIBBON WHEN AWARDED IN WARTIME TO MILITARY PERSONNEL.
STARS AND BORDERS OR STRIPES CAN BE AWARDED TOGETHER, BUT THESE DEVIATIONS ARE CURRENTLY ONLY RARELY AWARDED.
THE MEDAL IS ROUND IN GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE VERSIONS, WITH A SUSPENSION IN THE FORM OF A ROYAL CROWN WITH TWO PENDELIA AND A RIBBON RING. THE OBVERSE SHOWS A FINELY RIBBED CENTRAL AREA WITH BEAD SURROUND, WITH THE ROYAL CROWN SUPERIMPOSED. THE SURROUNDING CIRCLET CARRIES THE MOTTO OF THE BELGIAN CONGO: TRAVAIL ET PROGRÈS (WORK AND PROGRESS) - THE LATER ISSUES ARE BILINGUAL INCLUDING THE DUTCH ARBEID EN VOORUITGANG IN THE LOWER HALF OF THE CIRCLET. THE REVERSE IS A STYLISED 'DOUBLE L' CROWNED LEOPOLD II MONOGRAM WITHIN A PALM WREATH.
THE RIBBON OF THE PALMS AND MEDALS HAS A VERTICAL WHITE BORDER ON BOTH SIDES AS WELL AS A METAL PIN SHOWING A REDUCTION OF THE PALM OR MEDAL.
THE RIBBON BAR OF THE ORDER, WHICH IS WORN ON THE SEMI-FORMAL DRESS UNIFORM IS:
HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/ORDER_OF_THE_CROWN_(BELGIUM)
17/05/2010
