Grand Cross

Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, the rank of Grand Cross may come after another even higher rank, e.g. Grand Collar. In rare cases, solely the actual insignia is referred to as the "grand cross".

Josef Graf Radetzky wearing the Grand Cross's star and the sash of the Military Order of Maria Theresa

In international relations, in many times the class of Grand Cross is typically reserved for royalty, heads of state and equivalent. Sometimes a holder of the highest class or grade are referred to as "Commander Grand Cross",[A 1] "Knight Grand Cross", or just "Grand Cross".

In the United Kingdom, the rank entails admission to knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the honorific "Sir" (male) or "Dame" (female) as a style before his or her name, while entitled "Knight Grand Cross" or "Dame Grand Cross". This stands in contrast to the typical practice in other countries where knighthood is conferred at the initial, lowest rank of the order, typically "Knight".

In Bavaria, the royal military order established by Maximilian Joseph consisted of three classes with the Grand Crosses ranking above the Commanders and Knights.[2] The Grand Cross title has also been used to confer military merit. For instance, the Grand Duchy of Baden awarded Prince Rupprecht a Grand Cross after World War I.[3]

From 1870 to 1918, the German Empire also set the Grand Cross as the highest rank of the Order of the Iron Cross, followed by the first and second classes.

Denomination "Grand Cordons"
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The orders in which the highest rank (or second after "Collar") is named "Grand Cordons" include the following orders:

  •  Belgium: Grand Cordons of the Order of Leopold (highest)
  •  Cameroon: Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit (Cameroon) (2nd)
  •  Cameroon: Grand Cordon of the Order of Valour (highest)
  •  Denmark: Grand Cross with Diamonds of the Order of the Dannebrog (2nd)
  •  Egypt: Grand Cordons of the Order of the Nile (highest)
  •  France: Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour (highest)
  •  Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
  •  Guinea: Grand Cross of the Kola-tree National Order (2nd)
  •  Guinea: Grand Cross of the National Order of Fidelity and People (highest)
  •  Guinea: Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (Guinea) (highest)
  •  Guinea: Grand Cross of the National Order of the Campaign of Independence (highest)
  •  Italy: Knight Grand Cross decorated with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (highest)
  •  Japan: Grand Cordons of the Order of the Chrysanthemum (2nd after Collar)
  •  Japan: Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown (highest)
  •  Japan: Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun (highest)
  •  Jordan: Grand Cordons of the Order of the Star of Jordan (highest)
  •  Lebanon: Grand Cordons of the Order of Merit (Lebanon) (highest)
  •  Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross Military William Order (highest)
  •  Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross Order of Orange-Nassau (3rd)
  •  Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross Order of the Netherlands Lion (2nd)
  •  Niger: Grand Cross of the National Order (Niger) (highest)
  •  Niger: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Niger) (2nd)
  •  Persia: Grand Cordons of the Order of the Lion and the Sun
  •  Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword
  •  Senegal: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Senegal) (2nd)
  •  Senegal: Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion (Senegal) (highest)
  •  Spain: Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III
  •  Togo: Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (2nd)
  •  Togo: Grand Cross of the Order of Mono (highest)
  •  Tunisia: Grand Cordon of the Order of Independence (highest)
  •  Tunisia: Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit (3rd)
  •  Tunisia: Grand Cordon of the Order of the 7th November 1987 (4th)
  •  Tunisia: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic (2nd)

Illustration of typical insignia, as in the case of the Legion of Honour of France.

See also

Explanatory notes
  1. The designation (Swedish: Kommendör med stora korset) is used in the Swedish Orders of the Sword, Polar Star and Vasa and in the Finnish Orders of the White Rose and Lion.[1]

References

Footnotes
  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Carlisle, Nicholas (2012). A Concise Account of the Several Foreign Orders of Knighthood: and Other Marks of Honourable Distinction. Dallington, East Sussex: The Naval and Military Press. p. 67. ISBN 9781781514290.
  3. Zabecki, David (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History [4 volumes]: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 1629. ISBN 9781598849806.
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