House Order of Orange
Encyclopedia
The Order of the House of Orange (Dutch: Huisorde van Oranje), sometimes referred to as the House Order of Orange, is a dynastic order of the House of Orange-Nassau
, the royal family of the Netherlands
. The order was instituted by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands in 1905 and is not subject to ministerial responsibility or influence, but is awarded at the discretion of the Dutch monarch alone.
of the Grand Duchy
of Luxembourg
, used by her father and grandfather to reward Dutch subjects, was no longer available to her, as females were not allowed to succeed the throne of Luxembourg due to the Salic Law
within its constitution in 1890.
The Order of the House of Orange had a very complex nomenclature
, with 18 different classes and medals:
The number does not indicate a rank within the Order. The Dame of Honour was neither inferior or superior to another grade; however the highest rank was the Grand Cross. The insignia vary considerably amongst these awards; however they all share the same orange ribbon, symbolizing the House of Orange.
More than 3200 decorations were conferred between 1905 and 1969, mostly to Court Dignitaries, the Queen's household, and doctors and lawyers who could choose between sending a bill for their services or a decoration in the House Order.
Every subject of the Queen, apart from the members of the Royal House (see note), can be awarded the Cross of Honour. Once awarded, the recipient can be promoted to a higher grade of the House Order after three years.
Note: The Royal House (Koninklijk Huis) is a rather vague definition within Dutch constitutional theory and Dutch law. It consists of the Monarch, his or her consort, former monarchs and their consorts and those members of her family that have a right to succeed her. The Government is responsible for the actions and words of the members of the Royal House. It is not the same as the Royal Household, although that calls itself, and is usually called the Royal House as well. The Queen's second son decided not to ask for parliamentary approval for his marriage and lost his right to succeed to the throne, his membership of the Royal House and the title Prince of the Netherlands. He did however remain a Royal Highness ,a Prince of Orange-Nassau and a member of the Royal Family.In the eyes of the genealogy and heraldry the words Royal House apply to various descendants of the Dutch monarch. The law on funerals does not apply to funerals of the members of the Royal House, but in this context membership will probably be defined in yet another way.
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...
, the royal family of the Netherlands
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...
. The order was instituted by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands in 1905 and is not subject to ministerial responsibility or influence, but is awarded at the discretion of the Dutch monarch alone.
1905 – 1969
In 1905, Queen Wilhelmina felt the need for a House Order because the Order of the Oak CrownOrder of the Oak Crown
The Order of the Oak Crown is an Order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.-History:The Order of the Oak Crown was instituted by the Grand Duke-King William II, in 1841...
of the Grand Duchy
Grand duchy
A grand duchy, sometimes referred to as a grand dukedom, is a territory whose head of state is a monarch, either a grand duke or grand duchess.Today Luxembourg is the only remaining grand duchy...
of 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...
, used by her father and grandfather to reward Dutch subjects, was no longer available to her, as females were not allowed to succeed the throne of Luxembourg due to the Salic Law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
within its constitution in 1890.
The Order of the House of Orange had a very complex nomenclature
Nomenclature
Nomenclature is a term that applies to either a list of names or terms, or to the system of principles, procedures and terms related to naming - which is the assigning of a word or phrase to a particular object or property...
, with 18 different classes and medals:
- Grand Cross
- Grand Officer
- Commander
- Officer
- Knight
- Knight 2nd. Class (since 1908)
- The Golden Medal for Art and Science (equal in rank to a Grand Officer and very rare)
- The Golden Medal for Initiative and Ingenuity (since 1917, equal in rank to a Grand Officer and very rare)
- The Silver Medal for Art and Science (equal in rank to an Officer and rare)
- The Silver Medal for Initiative and Ingenuity (since 1917, equal in rank to an Officer and rare)
- Dame of Honour
- Golden Cross of Merit
- Silver Cross of Merit
- Golden Medal of Honour
- Silver Medal of Honour
- Bronze Medal of Honour
- Medal for saving lives from deadly peril (since 1910)
- The Bronze Medal for Art and Science. (equal in rank to a knight and rare)
The number does not indicate a rank within the Order. The Dame of Honour was neither inferior or superior to another grade; however the highest rank was the Grand Cross. The insignia vary considerably amongst these awards; however they all share the same orange ribbon, symbolizing the House of Orange.
More than 3200 decorations were conferred between 1905 and 1969, mostly to Court Dignitaries, the Queen's household, and doctors and lawyers who could choose between sending a bill for their services or a decoration in the House Order.
Reorganisation of the order in 1969
By court decree on 30 November 1969, Queen Juliana decided to reorganise the Order to bring it more in line with the ever more egalitarian spirit of the Dutch society. As a result the order is now diveded into four semi-independent groups:- The House Order
- The Order for Loyalty and Merit
- Honorary medals
- The Honorary medal for Arts and Science
- The Honorary medal for Initiative and Ingenuity
- The Order of the CrownOrder of the Crown (Netherlands)The Order of the Crown is a house order of the Dutch Royal House of Orange-Nassau. The order came into being as a result of Queen Juliana's reorganization of The House Order of Orange in 1969. The 18 classes of the House order were no longer felt to be appropriate in the ever more egalitarian...
| House Order (knight's cross) |
Order for Loyalty and Merit (knight's cross) |
Order of the Crown (knight's cross) |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| Ribbon Bar | ||
The House Order today
Since the reorganisation in 1969 the House Order itself has these grades:- Grand Cross (Grootkruis) - badge may be worn on a sash on the right shoulder, plus an 8-pointed star on the left chest;
- Grand Honorary Cross (Groot erekruis) - wears the badge on a necklet;
- Honorary Cross (Erekruis) - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.
Every subject of the Queen, apart from the members of the Royal House (see note), can be awarded the Cross of Honour. Once awarded, the recipient can be promoted to a higher grade of the House Order after three years.
Note: The Royal House (Koninklijk Huis) is a rather vague definition within Dutch constitutional theory and Dutch law. It consists of the Monarch, his or her consort, former monarchs and their consorts and those members of her family that have a right to succeed her. The Government is responsible for the actions and words of the members of the Royal House. It is not the same as the Royal Household, although that calls itself, and is usually called the Royal House as well. The Queen's second son decided not to ask for parliamentary approval for his marriage and lost his right to succeed to the throne, his membership of the Royal House and the title Prince of the Netherlands. He did however remain a Royal Highness ,a Prince of Orange-Nassau and a member of the Royal Family.In the eyes of the genealogy and heraldry the words Royal House apply to various descendants of the Dutch monarch. The law on funerals does not apply to funerals of the members of the Royal House, but in this context membership will probably be defined in yet another way.
External links
- Order of the House of Orange - Official website of the Chancellery of the Netherlands Orders (English)
- Order of the House of Orange - Official website of the Dutch Royal House (English)