Country France Status Currently awarded | Type Medal | |
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Eligibility French and foreign nationals Established Type 1 award 28 July 1816 – Type 2 award 30 August 2010 | ||
Known for a long time as the President’s medal, the Honour medal of Foreign Affairs (French: "médaille d’honneur des affaires étrangères") is a state decoration bestowed by the French Republic in the form of an honour medal for work. It was originally created by a Royal decree of 28 July 1816 as a single grade medal to reward acts of courage displayed by French nationals on foreign soil. An 1861 Imperial decree saw it be split into the silver and gold grades. The year 1887 saw the addition of swords to the medal for award to both French or allied military personnel for acts of courage in favour of the French in time of war. Although still bestowed in wartime for courage, the modern award is now aimed at rewarding civil servants of the ministry for Foreign Affairs.
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Award statute
Currently, the Honour medal of Foreign Affairs is intended to reward honorable service by French diplomats and civil servants stationed outside of France. It can also be awarded to French nationals and foreigners for exceptional service to France or that have accomplished acts of courage in assistance to French nationals either in peace or wartime. Military awards are often bestowed on order of the French president, hence the common practice of calling it the President’s medal. President Raymond Poincaré bestowed many such medals to French and foreign nationals during World War I.
The Honour medal of Foreign Affairs is currently divided into three grades, bronze, silver and gold. When awarded for service, the bronze grade is awarded for no less than 20 years of service, the silver grade may be awarded a minimum of eight years later, the gold grade, seven years after the silver.
The Honour medal of Foreign Affairs may be exceptionally awarded regardless of seniority and set quotas to reward bravery and dedication. It can be awarded, also regardless of seniority and set quotas, if the recipient was wounded or killed in the line of duty.
The wartime award with swords is bestowed as follows:
Award description
The Honour medal of Foreign Affairs, a design of engraver Daniel Dupuis, is a 27mm in diameter circular medal in bronze, silver or gold. The obverse bears the relief effigy of the republic surrounded by the relief inscription "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" (English: "FRENCH REPUBLIC") along the left and right circumference. The reverse bears a crown of half laurel and half oak leaves with the relief inscription "AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES" (English: "FOREIGN AFFAIRS") with a bare center destined to receive the recipient’s name and year of award.
The medal hangs from a silk moiré tricolour ribbon composed of three equal blue-white-red vertical stripes. The wartime award includes a wreath of oak leaves with two crossed swords on the suspension ring.
Partial recipients' list for acts of courage and devotion
Gold grade:
Silver grade:
Bronze grade:
Partial recipients' list for service to civil servants
Gold grade:
Silver grade:
Bronze grade:
Partial recipients' list to foreign military personnel
In October 1917, the design of the crossed swords on two sprays of oak leaves changed. The medal ranked after the Croix de Guerre and several were awarded to service members of Allied forces, including personnel from: