The Legion Of Honor: History And Characteristics

France's highest honorary decoration, the National Order of the Legion of Honor, was established on May 19, 1802, by Napoleon Bonaparte. This decoration, which is not limited to officers only, rewards eminent merits rendered to the nation.

What is the Legion of Honor?

The Legion of Honor is the highest civil and military distinction in France. It rewards the merits earned by citizens in all sectors of the country's activity.

This decoration is not reserved only for French citizens but can be awarded to anyone who has served the interests of France.

The National Order of the Legion of Honor includes 3 ranks (knight, officer, and commander) and 2 dignities (grand officer and grand cross). The President of the French Republic is ex officio the Grand Master of the Order.

The motto of the Legion of Honor is "Honor and Country," its color is red, and its insignia are the collar, the cross, and the plaque.

The Legion of Honor looks like what?

The insignia of the Legion of Honor is a star with five double rays enameled in white, with the ten points tipped. The star and the tips are made of silver for knights and of gilded silver for officers.

The rays are connected by a wreath, either of silver or gilded silver depending on the rank, enameled in green and composed of oak and laurel leaves whose lower ends, interlaced, are tied with a knot.

The center of the star features a gold medallion with the effigy of the Republic, surrounded by a blue circle bearing the words: French Republic. On the reverse, the gold medallion bears two tricolor flags with the inscription Honor and Fatherland in exergue as well as the date of the order's creation: 29 Floréal Year X.

The badge of the first ranks is suspended from a red ribbon. That of a commander is suspended from a cravat and is always worn alone around the neck.
Grand officers wear the officer's cross but also a plaque on the right side of the chest.
Grand crosses wear the same plaque, but in gilded silver, on the left side of the chest. Their gilded silver cross is worn across the body, suspended from a wide red ribbon that passes over the right shoulder.

The President of the Republic is the Grand Master of the Order. On the day of his investiture, he receives the grand collar made up of 16 solid gold rings and wears it for official photographs. This collar is then deposited at the Legion of Honor museum.

Note: The Legion of Honor museum, located at the headquarters of the grand chancellery in the Hôtel de Salm, preserves examples of different models of stars and crosses from 1802 to the present day.

The creation of the Legion of Honor dates back to when?

The National Order of the Legion of Honor was created by Napoleon Bonaparte following the model of the Order of Saint Louis. The law establishing this new Order was passed on 29 Floréal Year X (May 19, 1802).

While the Revolution had abolished all Orders and decorations of the Old Regime, the First Consul wanted to gather around him a new elite that would represent all the activities of the nation. Breaking with the tradition of the orders of the Old Regime, the order was open to all, not just officers.

The very first awarding of the Legion of Honor by Napoleon Bonaparte to deserving officers took place on July 14, 1804 in the chapel of Les Invalides.

It was in 1805 that the Grand Decoration was created by the decree of 10 Pluviôse Year XIII. Its holders were successively named "Grand Eagle", "grand cordon" and then "grand cross" (by the ordinance of March 26, 1816).

The history of the Legion of Honor.

Since its inception over 200 years ago, the Legion of Honor has been regarded as one of the most prestigious awards, in France of course, but also around the world.

The oldest and highest French honorific decoration has stood the test of time, and its history is marked by numerous anecdotes. In 1887, President Jules Grévy had to resign after being tainted by a scandal involving the trafficking of decorations.

French athletes who medal at the Olympic Games are routinely awarded a decoration, provided they meet the criteria for awarding, including a clean criminal record. Some Olympic champions have been denied the red ribbon for having been involved in a traffic accident or a legal affair.

Moreover, a decorated individual can have their Legion of Honor revoked in case of a conviction. Lance Armstrong, the cyclist stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, is the most famous example.

How is the Legion of Honor obtained?

One cannot request the Legion of Honor. Ministers receive proposals from their staff, elected officials, prefects, or association leaders and submit these names to the Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honor. It is the President of the Republic who validates the final list.

Since 2008, citizen initiative allows a group of at least 50 people to propose a name. Admission and promotion within the order are made within the limits of quotas set by decree of the President of the Republic for a period of three years.

Access to the National Order of the Legion of Honor cannot be made in a grade higher than that of Knight, except when it comes to honoring a foreign personality: Prince Albert of Monaco was thus directly elevated to the dignity of Grand Officer of the order in 1984.

Winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games is subject to a special promotion. Since the decree of November 21, 2008, "the dignity of Grand Officer belongs by right to former Prime Ministers who have served for at least two years."

The current Code of the Legion of Honor does not provide for admission posthumously. However, the Prime Minister is authorized, by delegation from the Grand Master, to appoint or promote individuals wounded or killed in the line of duty who are deemed worthy of this distinction.

This decoration can also be awarded collectively to cities, regiments, military or civilian schools, or communities. It has thus been awarded to the French Red Cross (1946), the "Resistance PTT" Network (1946), the Abbey of Notre-Dame-des-Dombes (1948), and the SNCF (1949).

Since the overall reform of the French Orders, the Legion of Honor is reserved for "eminent merits" while the National Order of Merit (created on December 3, 1963) is intended to reward "distinguished merits."

There are currently 79,000 members of the Legion of Honor order, and the average age is 58 years.