Orders, decorations, and medals
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| Orders, decorations, and medals | |
|---|---|
| Name | Orders, decorations, and medals |
| Type | Honorific distinctions |
| Established | Various |
| Country | International |
Orders, decorations, and medals are honorific distinctions conferred by states, monarchies, religious bodies, military establishments, and civic institutions to recognize service, valor, achievement, or merit. Recipients include members of the United Kingdom's honours list, veterans from the United States Armed Forces, civil servants in the French Republic, humanitarian workers associated with Médecins Sans Frontières, and scientists awarded by the Royal Society. The systems connect to ceremonies such as the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, commemorations like VE Day, and statutes such as the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.
Overview and classifications
Orders, decorations, and medals fall into categories including dynastic Order of the Garter-style chivalric orders, state civilian decorations like the Légion d'honneur, campaign medals exemplified by the World War I campaign medals, and commemorative awards such as the Jubilee Medal. Decorations may be subdivided into grades—grand cross, commander, officer—seen in the Order of Merit and the Order of the Bath. Medals for bravery, such as the Victoria Cross and the Medal of Honor, coexist with long service awards like the Defense Long Service Medal and decorations from organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross or the Nobel Committee.
Historical development
The roots trace to medieval investiture ceremonies associated with the Knights Templar, Order of Saint John (Knights Hospitaller), and dynastic patronage of the House of Habsburg. Early modern innovations include the Russian Order of St. Andrew and the Ottoman Order of Osmanieh, while Napoleonic reforms produced the Légion d'honneur that influenced 19th-century states such as the Kingdom of Prussia and the Empire of Japan. Twentieth-century conflicts—Crimean War, World War I, World War II—expanded campaign medal systems used by the Commonwealth of Nations, the United States, and the Soviet Union, leading to postwar initiatives like the Order of Canada and the European Union's cross-border recognitions.
Types and examples of honours
Prominent chivalric orders include the Order of the Garter, Order of the Thistle, Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, and foreign counterparts like the Order of the Chrysanthemum and the Order of the Rising Sun. Civilian decorations range from the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Order of Lenin to the Ordre national du Mérite and the Order of Australia. Bravery awards feature the George Cross, Iron Cross (1939) and the Pour le Mérite, while campaign and service medals include the Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and the Khedive's Sudan Medal. Ecclesiastical and academic honours appear as papal orders such as the Order of St. Gregory the Great, university medals like the Fields Medal, and professional awards including the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize which, while not medals in classical form, function similarly in prestige networks.
Awarding process and eligibility
Nomination and vetting procedures vary: the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom advises the monarch on honours, the President of the United States awards military medals via the Department of Defense, and the Governor General of Canada invests recipients on advice from the Canadian Honours System councils. Committees such as the Forces Personnel Recovery Board, civic nomination panels in municipalities like the City of London Corporation, and international juries including the Nobel Committee evaluate merit against statutes, precedents, and citations. Eligibility criteria often reference deeds in named conflicts such as the Battle of Gettysburg or humanitarian crises like the Rwandan genocide and may include posthumous awards as in the case of Terry Fox-style commemorations.
Insignia design and wearing protocols
Designs draw on heraldic motifs from houses like the House of Windsor, emblems of states such as the Tricolor (France), and symbols used by orders like the Maltese cross or the laurel wreath seen on the Order of Merit (Commonwealth). Manufacturing has involved workshops like the Wartski firm and state mints including the Royal Mint and the U.S. Mint. Protocols for wear follow guidance from offices such as the College of Arms and military dress regulations in institutions like the British Army, United States Army, and the Canadian Armed Forces, dictating placement on undress, mess, and full-dress uniforms, ribbon bars, and the handling of miniature insignia at events including the State Opening of Parliament and national parades like Bastille Day.
Legal status, precedence, and privileges
Statutory frameworks like the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 or constitutional prerogatives vested in the Monarchy of the United Kingdom define legal status; republican systems use legislation such as the Canadian Honours Act. Precedence tables rank awards—seen in the Order of Precedence (United Kingdom) and the United States order of precedence—affecting seating at state banquets and saluting customs in the Royal Navy and the United States Navy. Certain honours confer titles or post-nominals recognized by entities like the College of Arms, while revocation procedures have been exercised against figures implicated in scandals such as the Profumo affair or wartime treason cases involving the Nazi Party.
International and comparative systems
Comparative studies examine systems across the Commonwealth of Nations, the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and bilateral honours like the Legion of Merit exchanges between the United States and allies such as France, United Kingdom, and Australia. International organizations including the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization maintain recognition mechanisms for personnel and civilians, while intergovernmental agreements influence reciprocal recognition in cases like diplomatic credentials and state funerals attended by leaders from the G7 and BRICS nations. Cross-cultural analyses contrast award meanings in polities from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the People's Republic of China and the Republic of India.