The Order of the Colonial Empire (Portuguese:"Ordem do Império Colonial") was a

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Order (decoration) An order is a visible honour awarded by a sovereign state, monarch, dynastic house or organisation to a person, typically in recognition of individual merit, that often comes with distinctive insignia such as collars, medals, badges, and sa ...

, established on 13 April 1932 as a colonial order of knighthood, to reward services by soldiers and civilians in the Portuguese colonies in Asia and Africa. The Order consisted of five grades: *''Grand Cross'', which wore the badge on a sash on the right shoulder and the star on the left chest; *''Grand Officer'', which wore the badge on a necklet and the star on the left chest; *''Commander'', which wore the badge on a necklet and the star on the left chest; *''Officer'', which wore the badge on a ribbon with rosette on the left chest; *''Knight'', which wore the badge on a ribbon on the left chest. The Commander grade was dropped sometime during the 1960s , and the Order was discontinued upon the Carnation Revolution in 1974.

Insignia

The ''badge'' of the Order was an enamel

Order of Christ Cross The Cross of the Order of Christ (Portuguese: ''Cruz da Ordem de Cristo''), also known as the Cross of Christ (''Cruz de Cristo'') or the Portuguese Cross (''Cruz Portuguesa''), is a cross symbol of Portugal, originating in the Portuguese Order ...

, in silver for Knight and in gilt for higher grades, with the lesser

Coat of arms of Portugal The coat of arms of Portugal is the main heraldic insignia of Portugal. The present model was officially adopted on 30 June 1911, along with the present model of the Flag of Portugal. It is based on the coat of arms used by the Portuguese King ...

in enamel and gilt at the centre. The ''star'' of the Order was an eight-pointed faceted star, in gilt for Grand Cross and Grand Officer, in silver for Commander, with the badge of the Order at the centre. The ''ribbon'' of the Order was red with black central and edge stripes.

Notable Recipients

* António de Eça de Queirós *

António de Oliveira Salazar António de Oliveira Salazar (, , ; 28 April 1889 – 27 July 1970) was a Portuguese dictator who served as President of the Council of Ministers from 1932 to 1968. Having come to power under the ("National Dictatorship"), he reframed the r ...

Grand Crosses: *

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Prince George, Duke of Kent Prince George, Duke of Kent, (George Edward Alexander Edmund; 20 December 1902 – 25 August 1942) was a member of the British royal family, the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary. He was a younger brother of kings Edward VIII and Geo ...

Mozambique Company The Mozambique Company ( Portuguese: ''Companhia de Moçambique'') was a royal company operating in Portuguese Mozambique that had the concession of the lands in the Portuguese colony corresponding to the present provinces of Manica and Sofala in ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Order Of The Empire Colonial orders of chivalry Orders, decorations, and medals of Portugal Portuguese Empire Awards established in 1932 Awards disestablished in 1974 1932 establishments in Portugal 1974 disestablishments in Portugal