This page is a list of the

orders of chivalry An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is a society, fellowship and college of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and p ...

and orders of merit awarded by

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, in the order they were established or incorporated in France, and their origins.

Kingdom of the Franks, Merovingian and Carolingian periods (485–987)

* Order of Saint Remigius 485 (probably a legend) * Order of the Rooster and the Dog 496 (probably a legend) * Order of the Oak 723 (probably a legend)

Kingdom of France, Capetian period (987–1328)

* Order of the Lion 1080 *

Order of Saint Lazarus The Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, also known as the Leper Brothers of Jerusalem or simply as Lazarists, was a Catholic military order founded by Crusaders during the 1130s at a leper hospital in Jerusalem, Kingdom of Jerusalem, whose car ...

1099 *

Order of the Temple The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

, also known as the Templars, set up in Jerusalem by 7 French knights in 1118. The Order had its headquarters in Paris but was so spread across Europe it cannot be accounted a solely French order * Order of Our Dear Lady of the Poor of Aubrac 1120 *

Order of the Holy Ghost The Order of the Holy Ghost (also known as Hospitallers of the Holy Spirit) is a Catholic religious order. It was founded in 1180 in Montpellier by Gui of Montpellier, the son of William VII of Montpellier, for the care of the sick by groups of ...

1198 * Order of the Faith and Peace 1229 * Militia of the Faith of Jesus Christ (first half of the 13th century) * Order of the Broom-cod 1234

Kingdom of France, Valois period (1328–1589)

1099 * Order of the Star, also known as the Order of Our Lady of the Noble House 1351 * Order of the Golden Shield (= Order of the Green Shield) -

Duke of Bourbon Duke of Bourbon () is a title in the peerage of France. It was created in the first half of the 14th century for the eldest son of Robert of France, Count of Clermont, and Beatrice of Burgundy, heiress of the lordship of Bourbon. In 1416, wi ...

1369 * Order of Our Lady of the Thistle -

1370 * Order of the Crown - Lord of Coucy 1378 * Order of the Ermine - Duchy of

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

1381 * Order of the Belt of Hope 1389 * Noble Order of Saint George of Rougemont -

Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; ; ) was a medieval and early modern feudal polity in north-western regions of historical Burgundy. It was a duchy, ruled by dukes of Burgundy. The Duchy belonged to the Kingdom of France, and was initially bordering th ...

1390 * Order of the Porcupine - Duke of Orleans (Valois-Orleans) 1394 * Order of the Passion of Christ 1400 * Order of the White Lady = Emprise de l'Escu vert à la Dame Blanche - Marshal

Boucicaut Boucicaut may refer to: Persons * Jean I Le Maingre ( -1367), called "Boucicaut", Marshal of France * Jean II Le Maingre (1366-1421), son of Jean I, also called "Boucicaut", Marshal of France * Geoffrey Boucicaut, son of Jean I, governor of th ...

round 1398-1400 * Order of the Hop -

Dukes of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy () was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by the Crown lands of France, French crown in 1477, and later by members of the House of Habsburg, including Holy Roman E ...

round 1400 * Order of the Golden Chains -

1414 * Order of the Greyhound (Order of the Faithfulness) Duchy of Bar 1416 = Order of Hubert - 1423 *

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

- 1430 *

Order of the Crescent The Imperial Order of the Crescent () was a chivalric order of the Ottoman Empire. History The order was instituted in 1799 by Sultan Selim III when he wished to reward Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, Horatio Nelson, an Church of England, ...

- Counts of Provence - 1448 *

Order of Saint Michael The Order of Saint Michael () is a French dynastic order of chivalry, founded by King Louis XI of France on 1 August 1469, in response to the Order of the Golden Fleece founded by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, Louis' chief competitor fo ...

- 1469 *

Order of the Ladies of the Cord The Order of the Ladies of the Cord (French: ''L'Ordre des Dames chevalières de la Cordelière'' or ''Ordre de la Cordelière''), was a ladies order founded by the French queen Anne of Brittany in 1498. This rope with knots had been added by her ...

1498 *

Order of the Holy Spirit The Order of the Holy Spirit (; sometimes translated into English as the Order of the Holy Ghost) is a French order of chivalry founded by Henry III of France in 1578. Today, it is a dynastic order under the House of France. It should not be c ...

(1578) * Order of the Christian Charity 1589

Kingdom of France, Bourbon period (1589–1793)

1099 *

(1469) *

(1578) *

Order of the Yellow Ribbon The Order of the Yellow Ribbon was founded in 1600 in Nevers by French-Italian nobleman Charles III, Duke of Nevers, nephew of the French king Henry III, and knights would be imposed very peculiar tasks. Details and insignia They would have ...

1600 * Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1606) * United Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Lazarus 1608 * Order of the Knights Bannerets 1609 * Order of Saint Magdalene 1614 * Order of the Annunciation 1619 * Order of the Celestial Blue Ribbon of the Holy Rosary 1645 * Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis (1693) * Order of the Bee 1703 * Order of the Terrace 1716 * Order of the Banner 1723 * Order of Military Merit also ''Institution du Military Merit'' (1759) * Order of the Rose 1780 On January 1, 1791, the Order of Saint Louis and the Order of Military Merit were merged into the Military Decoration (French: ''Décoration militaire'') by the Convention, the revolutionary parliament.

French First Republic (1793–1804)

Revolutionary France abolished all chivalric orders of the monarchy in 1793. There were nevertheless decorations such as medals and Weapons of Honour.

Consulate of Napoleon Bonaparte (1800–1804)

*The

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

was not, strictly speaking, a chivalric order at the time of its institution, since

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

did not like knighthood orders and the Legion of Honour had to be a "real" legion with legionaries, officers and commanders. Nevertheless, at the time of its institution, the Legion of Honour had all the hallmarks of a chivalric order except the name.

French First Empire (1804–1814, 1815)

* Order of the Iron Crown (1805) an award attributed to the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

, which was in a Personal Union with the French Empire. * Order of the Three Golden Fleeces (1809) * Order of the Reunion (1811) inherited from the

Kingdom of Holland The Kingdom of Holland ( (contemporary), (modern); ) was the successor state of the Batavian Republic. It was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in March 1806 in order to strengthen control over the Netherlands by replacing the republican governmen ...

after its annexation by France.

Kingdom of France, Bourbon Restoration (1814, 1815–1830)

(1469) *

(1578) * United Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Lazarus 1608 * Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis (1693) * Order of the Academic Palms (1808) * Order of the Saint Sepulchre in Jerusalem (1814) * Décoration du Lys 1814 * Decoration of the Armband of Bordeaux (French: "Décoration du Brassard de Bordeaux" 1814) *

(from 1815 also a formal knighthood order but no more the first of French decorations.) * Hunting Order of St. Hubert (1815) * Décoration de la Fidélité (1816)

Kingdom of France, July Monarchy (1830–1848)

from 1830 the first in rank among French decorations and knighthood orders. * Order of the Cross of July, (French: "Ordre de la Croix de Juillet"), established in 1830 by the "Bourgeois King"

Louis Philippe I Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...

French Second Republic (1848–1852)

1802

French Second Empire (1852–1870)

1802 *

Order of the Public Instruction Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...

(French:"Ordre l’Instruction Publique") 1866

French Third Republic (1870–1945)

1802 *

1866 The French Republic possessed in Asia, Africa and America a large colonial empire. For the purposes of this huge area, a number of "Colonial orders of knighthood" were established or incorporated. They were : * Royal Order of Cambodia (French:"Ordre Royal du Cambodge" (1864) * Order of the Star of Anjouan (French:"Ordre de l'Étoile d'Anjouan" (1874) * Order of the Dragon of Annam (French:"Ordre du Dragon d'Annam" (1886) * Order of Nichan El-Anouar (French:"Ordre du Nichan El-Anouar" (1887) * Order of the Black Star (French:"Ordre de l'Étoile Noire" (1889) In addition, the Governor-General of French Indo-China established in 1900 : * Order of the Merit of Indochina (French:Ordre du Mérite Indochinois"). France had also not enough in the fatherland with the Legion of Honor. The various ministries therefore proposed that they themselves managed and issued orders to: * National Order of Agricultural Merit (French: "l'Ordre du Mérite Agricole") 1883 * Order of Maritime Merit (French:"Ordre du Mérite Maritime") 1930 * Order of the Social Merit (French:"Ordre du Mérite social") 1936 * Order of Public Health (French:"Ordre de la Santé publique") 1938 * Orde of the Commercial Merit (French:"Ordre du Mérite commercial") (1939)
which was renamed in 1961 "Order of the Commercial and Industrial Merit". In 1940, a French government was formed in exile . They suggested a knighthood order as: *

Order of Liberation The Order of Liberation (, ) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a worn by recipients only before the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour). In the official portrait of G ...

established in 1940 by

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

in London. The France-remaining government of Marshal

Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Bénoni Omer Joseph Pétain (; 24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), better known as Marshal Pétain (, ), was a French marshal who commanded the French Army in World War I and later became the head of the Collaboration with Nazi Ger ...

, the so-called "Vichy government", proposed 2 knighthood orders: * National Order of Labour (French: "Ordre National Du Travail" 1942 *

Order of the Francisque Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...

(French: "Ordre de la francisque") 1941

French Fourth Republic (1945–1958)

The Fourth Republic knew a very large quantity of knighthood orders and decorations. There were in 1945 16 knighthood orders. The traditional position of the Legion of Honour as highest and most prominent award remained formally intact but the French ministers founded for use in homeland and overseas no less than 11 new orders. *

1802 *

1940 The French ministries kept on establishing Ministerial Orders so there were finally 19 : *

(''Ordre de l’Instruction Publique''), 1866; renamed in 1955 to ''

Ordre des Palmes Académiques A suite, in Western classical music, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes; and grew in scope so that by the early 17th century it comprised up to ...

'' (Order of the Academic Palms) *

Order of Agricultural Merit The Order of Agricultural Merit () is an order of merit bestowed by the France, French Republic for outstanding contributions to agriculture. When it was created in 1883, it was second in importance only to the Legion of Honour within the Frenc ...

(''l'Ordre du Mérite Agricole'') 1883 * Order of Maritime Merit (''Ordre du Mérite Maritime'') 1930 * Order of the Social Merit (''Ordre du Mérite social'') 1936 * Order of Public Health (''Ordre de la Santé publique'') 1938 * Order of the Commercial Merit (''Ordre du Mérite commercial'') 1939 * Order of the Artisanal Merit (''Ordre du Mérite artisanal'') 1948 * Order of the Touristic Merit (''Ordre du Mérite touristique'') 1949 * Order of the Postal Merit (France) (''Ordre du Mérite postal'') 1953 * Order of the Warrior Merit (''Ordre du Mérite combattant'') 1953 * Order of National Economy (''Ordre de l'Economie nationale'') 1954 * Order of the Sportive Merit (''Ordre du Mérite sportif'') 1956 * Order of the Labour Merit (''Ordre du Mérite du Travail'') 1957 * Order of the Military Merit (''Ordre du Mérite militaire'') 1957 * Order of the Civil Merit (''Ordre du Mérite civil'') 1957 * Order of Arts and Letters) (''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'') 1957 * Order of the Saharian Merit (''Ordre du Mérite saharien'') 1958 The French Republic knew following a decree of 1 September 1950 two "Orders of Overseas France" (''Ordres de la France d'Outre-mer'') : * Order of the Black Star 1889 * Order of the Star of Anjouan 1874 The two Orders were a heritage of the colonial time during which the decorations of the colonized states such as

Dahomey The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African List of kingdoms in Africa throughout history, kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. It developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in ...

and the Comores were included in the French orders system. The French government awarded the Order of the Black Star in Europe until 1 January 1964. The decolonisation and restructuring of the French colonial empire, one speaks now of the "

French Union The French Union () was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial empire system, colloquially known as the " French Empire" (). It was ''de jure'' the end of the "indigenous" () status of Frenc ...

", made necessary other adaptations in the French knighthood orders. Three other colonial Orders incorporated in it since 1896, namely the Royal Order of Cambodia (Cambodja), the Order of the Dragon of Annam (Vietnam) and the Order of Nichan El-Anouar (Somaliland) became therefore on 1 September 1950 "Orders of Associated States of the French Union" (''Ordres des États Associés de l'Union Française''). The French government didn't award these honors themselves anymore. In 1963 the granting of the two French Overseas Orders were also discontinued. In their place, the new " National Order of Merit" was awarded. This Order replaced fifteen of the ministerial orders so that a much clearer decoration policy became possible.

French Fifth Republic (1958–present)

1802 *

1940 The 19 Ministerial Orders - which all knew three grades Commander, Officer and Knight - were each administered by a Board which was chaired by the relevant Minister. The fragmentation of the honors system was perceived as malpractice because a clear policy was not possible.
Fifteen of these orders were abolished by the first president of the Fifth Republic,

on 1 January 1964 and were replaced by the National Order of Merit but the three following were kept: * Order of the Academic Palms (1808 or 1955) * National Order of Agricultural Merit (French: "l'Ordre National du Mérite Agricole") * Order of Maritime Merit (French: "l'Ordre du Mérite Maritime") The Order of Arts and Letters (French: "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres"), established in 1956, was also maintained. A new development is that on 5 June 1996, the

Order of Tahiti Nui The Order of Tahiti Nui was established on 5 June 1996 by the Assembly of French Polynesia to reward distinguished merit and achievements in the service to French Polynesia. History The Order of Tahiti Nui was established June 5, 1996 by resolut ...

(French: "l'Ordre de Tahiti Nui") was established by the

Assembly of French Polynesia The Assembly of French Polynesia (, ; Tahitian: ''Te apoʻoraʻa rahi o te fenua Māʻohi'') is the unicameral legislature of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic. It is located at Place Tarahoi in Papeete, Tahiti. It wa ...

(French: "Assemblée de Polynésie française"), the local French Polynesian parliamentary assembly.

Sources

Gustav Adolph Ackermann Gustav Adolph Ackermann (16 January 1791 – 19 February 1872) was a German lawyer and author of a notable book on European knightly orders. Ackermann was born in Auerbach in Vogtland, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire. He was ''Königlich S ...

, '' Ordensbuch, Sämtlicher in Europa blühender und erloschener Orden und Ehrenzeichen''. Annaberg, 1855
Google Books
(Former orders of France : p. 205-214) {{Orders, decorations, and medals of France

Kingdom of the Franks, Merovingian and Carolingian periods (485–987)

Kingdom of France, Capetian period (987–1328)

Kingdom of France, Valois period (1328–1589)

Kingdom of France, Bourbon period (1589–1793)

French First Republic (1793–1804)

Consulate of Napoleon Bonaparte (1800–1804)

French First Empire (1804–1814, 1815)

Kingdom of France, Bourbon Restoration (1814, 1815–1830)

Kingdom of France, July Monarchy (1830–1848)

French Second Republic (1848–1852)

French Second Empire (1852–1870)

French Third Republic (1870–1945)

French Fourth Republic (1945–1958)

French Fifth Republic (1958–present)

See also

Sources