Nassau House Order of the Golden Lion
The Nassau House Order of the Golden Lion , also Order of the Golden Lion of the House of Nassau ( French Ordre du Lion d'Or de la Maison de Nassau ) was on January 29, 1858 by the Dutch King William III. and Adolph , Duke of Nassau donated as a joint house order.
history
The background to the foundation was the 600th anniversary of the division of the House of Nassau into the Ottonian and Walram lines and the 50th anniversary of the Duchy of Nassau.
Today it is the highest order that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has to award. In the Netherlands it is the highest house order, but only ranks third in the Dutch order system behind the Grand Cross of the Military Wilhelms Order and the Order of the Dutch Lion .
Order classes
Originally the order was donated in only one class and by resolution of March 13, 1873 by King Wilhelm III. expanded to a total of four classes. In 1882 the foundation of a fifth class took place.
Since 1905 the medal has only been awarded in one class.
Order decoration
The gem is a golden, white enamelled Maltese cross with a golden ornate N (Nassau) in the corners of the cross. A gold-rimmed medallion is placed on the cross, which shows a golden, but uncrowned Nassau lion on a blue background. In the lapel the three-line gold inscription JE MAINTIENDRAI , the motto of the House of Nassau.
The order star is eight-pointed with smooth silver rays. In the middle shield the Nassau lion, which is surrounded by a wide, white-enameled, gold-bordered ring. On it in the upper semicircle with golden inscription JE MAINTIENDRAI , in the lower semicircle two golden oak branches tied together with a bow.
Carrying method
The medal is worn on an orange-yellow sash with blue stripes from the right shoulder to the left hip and with the eight-pointed star on the left side of the chest.
Awards
The medal, which is very sparsely awarded, is reserved for sovereigns . However, it can also be awarded to persons who have the title of excellence and at least the rank of ambassador , lieutenant general , state minister, archbishop or a top court official. The princes of the House of Nassau are born knights.
By September 1988 the medal had only been awarded 252 times.
Known owner
literature
- Jean Schoos : The orders and decorations of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the former Duchy of Nassau in the past and present. Publishing house of Sankt-Paulus Druckerei AG. Luxembourg 1990. ISBN 2-87963-048-7 , pp. 177-198.
- Paul Ohm Hieronymussen: Handbook of European Orders in Color. Universitas publishing house. Berlin 1966. pp. 133-134.
