Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
Encyclopedia
The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau is a chivalric order
shared by the two branches (the Ottonian and Walram lines) of the House of Nassau
.
In the capacity of the Walram line the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau is the highest Luxembourg
ian national order
, bestowed by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg
. It may be awarded on foreign sovereigns, princes of sovereign houses, and heads of state
for meritous service to Luxembourg and the Grand Duke.
In the capacity of the Ottonian line the order is a house order or dynastic order
of the Dutch
Royal House of Orange-Nassau
, awarded as a personal gift by the Queen of the Netherlands. In this case the honour is conferred on a person who have rendered special service to the Royal House.
William III
. The honour was to be shared between both branches of the House of Nassau
, under agreement between William, King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg
, and Adolphe
, Duke of Nassau and future Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The order originally included only one grade, but this was increased to four by William III in 1873:
The further (lower) rank of Commander was introduced in 1882.
. Two years later, he abolished the grades that William had created unilaterally, and, to this day, the order has maintained just one grade, i.e. that of Knight. In 1905, Adolphe agreed with Queen Wilhelmina
of the Netherlands to once again share the order between both ruling branches of the House of Nassau.
At the present Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands as well Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are joint Grand Master of the Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau.
The order is awarded only on rare occasions in the Netherlands or Luxembourg. For example, the former Dutch Foreign Secretaries Max van der Stoel
and Pieter Kooijmans
have been made a knight of this order by the Queen of the Netherlands. The two Grand Masters made the South African President Nelson Mandela
a knight during his state-visit in 1999 to the Netherlands (see Nelson Mandela awards).
The knight wears the badge on a sash on the right shoulder, and the star of the order on the left chest.
Chivalric order
Chivalric orders are societies and fellowships of knights that have been created by European monarchs in imitation of the military orders of the Crusades...
shared by the two branches (the Ottonian and Walram lines) of the House of Nassau
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as...
.
In the capacity of the Walram line the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau is the highest Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
ian national order
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
, bestowed by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Grand Duke of Luxembourg
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the sovereign monarch and head of state of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815, when it was elevated from a duchy when placed in personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. It may be awarded on foreign sovereigns, princes of sovereign houses, and heads of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
for meritous service to Luxembourg and the Grand Duke.
In the capacity of the Ottonian line the order is a house order or dynastic order
Dynastic Orders of Knighthood
A dynastic order of knighthood is an order belonging to the heraldic patrimony of a dynasty, often held by ancient right. These differ from military, religious, and orders of merit belonging to a particular state, having been instituted to reward personal services rendered to a sovereign, dynasty,...
of the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Royal House of Orange-Nassau
House of Orange-Nassau
The House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War...
, awarded as a personal gift by the Queen of the Netherlands. In this case the honour is conferred on a person who have rendered special service to the Royal House.
1858 – 1892
The order was founded by Grand Ducal decree on 31 March 1858 by King-Grand DukeKing-Grand Duke
The designation of King-Grand Duke was held by the three monarchs of the House of Orange-Nassau that ruled Luxembourg and the Netherlands in personal union, between 1815 and 1890...
William III
William III of the Netherlands
William III was from 1849 King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg until his death and the Duke of Limburg until the abolition of the Duchy in 1866.-Early life:William was born in Brussels as son of William II of the Netherlands and...
. The honour was to be shared between both branches of the House of Nassau
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as...
, under agreement between William, King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Grand Duke of Luxembourg
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the sovereign monarch and head of state of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815, when it was elevated from a duchy when placed in personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, and Adolphe
Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Adolphe I, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was the last Duke of Nassau, and the fourth Grand Duke of Luxembourg.-Biography:...
, Duke of Nassau and future Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The order originally included only one grade, but this was increased to four by William III in 1873:
- Grand Cross
- Grand Officer
- Officer
- Knight
The further (lower) rank of Commander was introduced in 1882.
1892 – present
None of the changes made by William III was confirmed by Adolphe, with whom the order was supposed to be shared, and Adolphe refused to award any of the new grades. When William died without a male heir, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg passed to Adolphe, as dictated by the Nassau Family PactNassau Family Pact
The Nassau Family Pact was a mutual pact of inheritance and succession made in 1783 by princes of the old German noble and sovereign family of Nassau. It confirmed Salic Law to operate in favor of all agnatic lines of the family, divided into first surviving lines which existed in the Middle Ages...
. Two years later, he abolished the grades that William had created unilaterally, and, to this day, the order has maintained just one grade, i.e. that of Knight. In 1905, Adolphe agreed with Queen Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
of the Netherlands to once again share the order between both ruling branches of the House of Nassau.
At the present Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands as well Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are joint Grand Master of the Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau.
The order is awarded only on rare occasions in the Netherlands or Luxembourg. For example, the former Dutch Foreign Secretaries Max van der Stoel
Max van der Stoel
Max van der Stoel, KCMG was a Dutch politician and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. He served as the first High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe....
and Pieter Kooijmans
Pieter Kooijmans
Pieter Hendrik Kooijmans is a Dutch jurist, politician, and diplomat. He was a member of the Anti Revolutionary Party and is now a member of its successor party the Christian Democratic Appeal. He was State Secretary and later Minister of Foreign Affairs...
have been made a knight of this order by the Queen of the Netherlands. The two Grand Masters made the South African President Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
a knight during his state-visit in 1999 to the Netherlands (see Nelson Mandela awards).
Insignia
- The badge of the order is a white-enamelled golden Maltese CrossMaltese crossThe Maltese cross, also known as the Amalfi cross, is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is one of the National symbols of Malta...
, with the golden monogram "N" between the arms of the cross. The obverse central disc is in blue enamel, bearing the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau. The reverse central disc is also blue enamelled, with the motto "Je maintiendrai" (I will maintain) in gold. - The plaque is an 8-pointed star with straight silver rays; the same obverse of the badge of the order appears at its centre, surrounded by the motto "Je maintiendrai (I will maintain) in gold letters on white enamel.
- The ribbon of the sash of the order is yellow-orange moiréMoire (fabric)In textiles, a moire is a fabric with a wavy appearance produced mainly from silk, but also wool, cotton and rayon. The watered appearance is usually created by the finishing technique called calendering...
with a small blue stripe at each edge.