Motto VIRTUTE Chancellor Henri Ahlborn | Status Currently constituted | |
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Type Chivalric order with eight degrees Awarded for The award recognises those persons that have performed meritorious actions or heroic deeds in the name of Luxembourg Sovereign His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg |
The Civil and Military Order of Merit of Adolphe of Nassau (French: Ordre du Mérite Civil et Militaire d'Adolphe de Nassau) was founded as a chivalric order of the Duchy of Nassau by Adolphe of Nassau in 1858 in honor of his namesake and ancestor, Adolf, Count of Nassau, the only member of the House of Nassau to have been Roman King of Germany. After the duchy of Nassau was annexed by Prussia in 1866 and Adolphe became Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1890, he revived the order as an order of merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The award recognises those persons that have performed meritorious actions or heroic deeds in the name of Luxembourg.
Contents
Grades
The Order consists of eight grades, with two crosses and three medals attached to the order:
- Grand Cross - wears the badge with a crown on a sash on the right shoulder, and the plaque on the left chest (unlike the civil version, the military version of the Grand Cross bears two swords on its badge and plaque);
- Grand Officer - wears the badge with a crown on a necklet, and the plaque on the left chest;
- Commander of the Crown - wears the badge with a crown on a necklet;
- Commander (male) / Cross of Honour for Ladies (female) - men wear the badge on a necklet; women wear the badge with a crown on a ribbon tied as a bow at the left chest (the crown of the Cross of Honour for Ladies is slightly smaller and the sash slightly different from that of the Commander of the Crown, and the badge bears four letters on the outside);
- Officer of the Crown - wears the badge with a crown on a chest ribbon with rosette on the left chest;
- Officer - wears the badge on a chest ribbon with rosette on the left chest;
- Knight of the Crown - wears the badge with a crown on a chest ribbon on the left chest;
- Knight - wears the badge on a chest ribbon on the left chest;
- Crosses in Gold and Silver - wears the cross on a ribbon on the left chest;
- Medals in Gold, Silver and Bronze - wears the medal on a ribbon on the left chest.
Members belong to either the Civil or the Military Division. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the Grand Master of the Order.
The Order of Adolphe of Nassau may also be issued to foreigners and is common as a diplomatic order. The decoration was issued as well in World War II to a handful of Allied officers who had helped liberate Luxembourg from the rule of Nazi Germany. Because of the small size of Luxembourg, and its minor role as a campaign theater, the Order of Adolphe of Nassau was not issued as frequently as other major World War II orders, such as the Croix de Guerre.
Insignia
Award criteria
"Honorary distinctions of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg" :
Prince and Princesses of Luxembourg
By statute of the order, princes and princesses of the Grand-Ducal House of Luxembourg are Grand Crosses of the Order by birth, but they don't wear the order decoration until they are 18 years old.