Order of the Oak Crown
Encyclopedia
The Order of the Oak Crown is an Order
of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
.
, in 1841. At that time, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands
were in personal union
; although the Order was technically a Luxembourgian award, it was often used by William II and his successor, Grand Duke-King William III
, as a house order to reward Dutch subjects, beyond the control of the Dutch government.
William II conferred the order on fewer than 30 recipients. His successor, William III, liked the ability to confer this Order on his sole discretion, and dispersed 300 decorations on the day of his coronation alone. In the following years hundreds of additional appointments in the Order were made. Indeed, there were so many recipients in the Netherlands itself that the Order was widely regarded as a Dutch decoration.
The Order of the Oak Crown ceased to be awarded to Dutch subjects in 1890, when Queen Wilhelmina
, as the only remaining member of the House of Orange-Nassau
, succeeded her father as the Queen of the Netherlands. As the constitution of Luxembourg
, which followed the Salic Law
, did not allow women to succeed the throne, the throne of Luxembourg went to a German relative of the queen, Adolphe, Duke of Nassau
, who subsequenly became the next grand duke. The Order of the Oak Crown remained a Luxembourgian award; the Netherlands established the Order of Orange-Nassau
instead.
Since the accession of Grand Duke Adolphe, the Order has been primarily an award for Luxembourgers, though it has occasionally been conferred upon foreigners, mainly on members of foreign Royal families or notable foreigners of Luxembourger descent.
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the Grand Master of the Order.
. This was probably because William II was married to a daughter of the Czar, and that he had received the Order of St. George after his gallant command at the Battle of Waterloo
.
plus gilt, silver and bronze medals, who wear the medal on a chest ribbon on the left chest.
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...
of the 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...
.
History
The Order of the Oak Crown was instituted by the Grand Duke-King William IIWilliam II of the Netherlands
William II was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg from 7 October 1840 until his death in 1849.- Early life and education :...
, in 1841. At that time, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
were in personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
; although the Order was technically a Luxembourgian award, it was often used by William II and his successor, Grand Duke-King 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...
, as a house order to reward Dutch subjects, beyond the control of the Dutch government.
William II conferred the order on fewer than 30 recipients. His successor, William III, liked the ability to confer this Order on his sole discretion, and dispersed 300 decorations on the day of his coronation alone. In the following years hundreds of additional appointments in the Order were made. Indeed, there were so many recipients in the Netherlands itself that the Order was widely regarded as a Dutch decoration.
The Order of the Oak Crown ceased to be awarded to Dutch subjects in 1890, when 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...
, as the only remaining member of the 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...
, succeeded her father as the Queen of the Netherlands. As the constitution of Luxembourg
Constitution of Luxembourg
The Constitution of Luxembourg is the supreme law of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The modern constitution was adopted on 17 October 1868.Whilst the constitution of 1868 marked a radical change in Luxembourg's constitutional settlement, it was technically an amendment of the original constitution...
, which followed 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...
, did not allow women to succeed the throne, the throne of Luxembourg went to a German relative of the queen, Adolphe, Duke of Nassau
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:...
, who subsequenly became the next grand duke. The Order of the Oak Crown remained a Luxembourgian award; the Netherlands established the Order of Orange-Nassau
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
instead.
Since the accession of Grand Duke Adolphe, the Order has been primarily an award for Luxembourgers, though it has occasionally been conferred upon foreigners, mainly on members of foreign Royal families or notable foreigners of Luxembourger descent.
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the Grand Master of the Order.
Origin
When first established in 1841, the Order of the Oak Crown was constituted in a hurry, as the Grand Duke wanted to establish the Order before the Grand Duchy was granted a codified constitution (as it was in 1848). The badge, the ribbon, and the (then) four-class structure of the order were inspired by the Russian Order of St. GeorgeOrder of St. George
The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George (also known as Order of St. George the Triumphant, Russian: Военный орден Св...
. This was probably because William II was married to a daughter of the Czar, and that he had received the Order of St. George after his gallant command at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
Grades
Nowadays the Order consists of five grades:- Grand Cross - wears the badge on a sash on the right shoulder, and the plaque on the left chest;
- Grand Officer - wears the badge on a necklet, and the plaque on the left chest;
- Commander - wears the badge on a necklet;
- Officer - wears the badge on a chest ribbon with rosetteRosette (decoration)A rosette is a small, circular device that is presented with a medal. The rosettes are primarily for situations where wearing the medal is deemed inappropriate. Rosettes are issued in nations such as France, Italy and Japan...
on the left chest; - Knight - wears the badge on a chest ribbon on the left chest;
plus gilt, silver and bronze medals, who wear the medal on a chest ribbon on the left chest.
Insignia
- The badge of the order is a giltGildingThe term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
cross pattée, enamelled in white; the Officer class has a green enamelled oak wreath between the arms of the cross. The central disc bears the crowned monogram "W" (for William) on a green enamel background. - The plaque of the order is (for Grand Cross) an eight-pointed faceted silver star, or (for Grand Officer) a faceted silver 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...
. The central disc bears the crowned monogram "W" (for William) on a green enamel background, surrounded by a red enamel ring with the motto Je Maintiendrai ("I Will Maintain", now the national motto of the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe 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...
), in turn surrounded by a green enamelled oak wreath. - The medal of the order is in an octagonal shape, with the motif of the badge of the Order without enamel on the obverse, and an oak wreath without enamel on the reverse.
- The ribbon 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 three dark green stripes. The colors are said to be inspired by the oak forests and the fields of rueRueRue is a genus of strongly scented evergreen subshrubs 20–60 cm tall, in the family Rutaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, Macaronesia and southwest Asia. There are perhaps 8 to 40 species in the genus...
of the Luxembourg countryside.
Selection of recipients
- Floris Adriaan van HallFloris Adriaan van HallFloris Adriaan, Baron van Hall was a Dutch nobleman and an important statesman from the middle of the 19th century. He played an important role as representative of the Amsterdam trade and bankingsector and as politician.He studied law in Amsterdam and Leiden, en became a lawyer in Amsterdam...
- François AltwiesFrançois AltwiesFrançois Altwies was a Luxembourgian politician. He sat in the Chamber of Deputies, of which he served as President from 1917 until 1925....
- Jean BernardJean BernardJean Bernard may refer to:* Jean Bernard , French hematologist* Father Jean Bernard , Catholic priest who survived the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau...
- Alphonse BernsAlphonse BernsAlphonse Berns is a Luxembourgian diplomat and current Ambassador to Belgium and Permanent Representative to NATO. He has previously been Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva .-Honours:He is a recipient of numerous decorations, including:*...
- Charles, Count of Limburg StirumCharles, Count of Limburg StirumCount Charles Gaëtan Corneille Marie François-Xavier Ghislain of Limburg Stirum, GCVO, GCSG , a Count of the Holy Roman Empire and Knight of the Golden Fleece , was a member of the House of Limburg-Stirum...
- Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
- Augustin Dumon-DumortierAugustin Dumon-DumortierAugustin Aimable Dumon-Dumortier was a Belgian industrialist, diplomat and liberal politician.Born at Lille, he was President of the Belgian Senate from 27 June 1848 until 28 January 1852, governor of the province of Hainaut and burgomaster of Tournai...
- Hugo GernsbackHugo GernsbackHugo Gernsback , born Hugo Gernsbacher, was a Luxembourgian American inventor, writer, editor, and magazine publisher, best remembered for publications that included the first science fiction magazine. His contributions to the genre as publisher were so significant that, along with H. G...
- Bernard ter Haar
- Dennis HastertDennis HastertJohn Dennis "Denny" Hastert was the 59th Speaker of the House serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history...
- Jean HengenJean HengenJean Hengen was a Luxembourgian Roman Catholic priest. He served as the ordinary of the Roman Catholic Church in Luxembourg from 13 February 1971 until 21 December 1990...
- Auguste LavalAuguste LavalAntoine Marie Auguste Laval-Metz was a Luxembourgeois politician and industrialist. He sat in the Chamber of Deputies, of which he served as President from 1905 until 1915....
- Henry J. LeirHenry J. LeirHenry J. Leir was an American industrialist, financier, and philanthropist. He is primarily known for his role in the post-World War II economic development of Luxembourg.-Early life and career:...
- Josy Linkels
- Astrid LullingAstrid LullingAstrid Lulling is a politician in Luxembourg, and a Member of the European Parliament for the Christian Social People's Party, part of the European People's Party.- Current positions held :...
- Nicolas Majerus
- Perle MestaPerle MestaPerle Skirvin Mesta was an American socialite, political hostess, and U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg ....
- Jean-Baptiste NothombJean-Baptiste NothombJean Baptiste, Baron Nothomb was a Belgian statesman and diplomat, the sixth Prime Minister.-Revolution:...
- Pierre NottingPierre NottingPierre Notting was a Luxembourgian rosarian known for his breeding of rose cultivars.In 1855, in association with his friend Jean Soupert, he established the "Soupert & Notting" company specializing in growing roses in Limpertsberg...
- Samuel SarphatiSamuel SarphatiSamuel Sarphati was a Dutch physician and Amsterdam city planner.- Biography :Sarphati's ancestors were Portuguese Sephardi Jews who arrived in the Netherlands in the 17th century. While only middle-class, his parents were able to let him attend a Latin school...
- Otto SchilyOtto SchilyOtto Georg Schily was Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany from 1998 to 2005, in the cabinet of former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .-Biography:...
- Émile ServaisÉmile ServaisÉmile Servais was a Luxembourgian left liberal politician. He was an engineer by profession.On 9 January 1919, a company of the Luxembourgian army revolted against the Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde, and declared itself to be the army of a new socialist republic...
- Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-RathsamhausenLudwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-RathsamhausenLudwig Samson Arthur Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen was a Bavarian general.-Early life:Born at Darmstadt, on the day of Waterloo, Ludwig von der Tann was descended from the old family of von der Tann, which had branches in Bavaria, the Alsace and the Rhine provinces, and attached his...
- Joseph WeylandJoseph WeylandJoseph Weyland is a Luxembourgian diplomat and was Luxembourg's Ambassador to the United States from 2 March 2005 to 2008. In addition, he is concurrently accredited to Canada, Mexico, and the Organization of American States...
- Jean Hirtz
External links
- Honorary distinctions of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg - Official website of the Luxembourg gouvernement