Legion of honor

The National Order of the Legion of Honor (French: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur) is the best known and most important of the French distinctions. It was established by Emperor Napoleon I of France in 1804.

The order is awarded to men and women, whether French or foreign, for extraordinary merits carried out within the civil or military field in that country.

Origin and history of the Legion of Honor

On May 20, 1804, the consul Napoleon Bonaparte instituted the group order of the Legion of Honor, thus returning to public decorations, since those of the Old Regime were abolished with the Revolution of 1789. There were those who criticized it, saying that the new award was an "adult pacifier", to which he replied: "It is thanks to these pacifiers that men adore me".

On July 15, 1804, in a grandiose ceremony at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, Napoleon awarded the first medals of the Legion of Honor to marshals, soldiers, war invalids, scientists, artists and writers, with outstanding merit. Days later, on August 16, in the field of Boulogne, where 200,000 men were camped preparing the landing in England, Napoleon proceeded to another delivery of the Legion of Honor, in an atmosphere of indescribable enthusiasm.

The first woman to receive the Legion of Honor on August 15, 1851 was Marie-Angélique Duchemin, a sergeant in the Armed Forces of the French Republic. Before the year 1900, another 47 women received this distinction.

Throughout history, the prestige of the Legion of Honor continues to grow, and by 1914, when World War I broke out, the Order numbered 50,000 "legionnaires."

The Palace of the Legion of Honor, quai Anatole-France.

The terrible combats of the First World War and the acts of heroism of the soldiers, have as a consequence a growth of the members of the Legion of Honor, many times injured or disabled as a result of the wounds received in combat. So much so that it became necessary in 1921, the creation of the Mutual Aid Society of Members of the Legion of Honor (Société d'entraide des membres de la Légion d'honneur, SEMLH) by General Auguste Dubail, to reaffirm and develop solidarity among legionaries, and help those most in need, disabled or injured.

Over time, the SEMLH consolidated and expanded its activities. Today it has more than 60,000 members and is present both in France and in many countries around the world with its local sections, bringing together French and foreign legionaries in the same fraternity.

The Order's grand chancery is located in Paris, in the seventh arrondissement, at the Hotel de Salm, now known as the Palace of the Legion of Honor. This palace also houses the museum of the Legion of Honor.

The first decoration of the Legion of Honour by the Emperor Napoleon on July 14, 1804, the work of Jean-Baptiste Debret.

Creation of the Legion of Honor. Decree of 19 May 1802).

Delivery of the decoration of the Legion of Honor at the Camp de Boulogne to Charles Étienne Pierre Motte (1785-1836), on 16 August 1804, the work of Victor-Jean Adam (1801-1866).

Organization

The order of the Legion of Honor, instituted by the law of 29 years Floréal X (May 19, 1802) adopted in application of article 87 of the Constitution of 22 years Frimaire VIII (December 13, 1799), is a community made up of all its members, endowed with a name, a seal, a statute, a patrimony and a legal personality under public law.

It is governed by the Code of the Legion of Honor, the Military Medal and the National Order of Merit, as a result of the reform and the profound reforms desired by General de Gaulle in 1962. Its motto is "Honor and Homeland". The Legion of Honor is made up of knights, officers, commanders, grand officers and grand crosses17. The great officers and the great crosses are dignitaries of the order. His rank corresponds to a dignity and not to a degree.

Grand Master

The President of the Republic (or previously, depending on the regimes, the First Consul, the Emperor or the King) is the Grand Master of the Order. The dignity of the Grand Cross is conferred on him from the right. The President of the Republic, at the time of his inauguration, is recognized as Grand Master of the Order by the Grand Chancellor, who gives him the great necklace saying the following words: "As Grand Master of the National Order of the Legion of Honor".

Great Chancellor

General Benoît Puga, Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honor.

Under the author's authority and following his instructions, the Great Chancellor directs the work of the Order Council and that of administrative services. It reports directly to the President of the Republic, Grand Master of the Order, who can call it to listen to the Council of Ministers when the interests of the Order are mentioned there.

The great chancellor is appointed by the President of the Republic, in the Council of Ministers; He is chosen among the great crosses of the order. Remains in charge for a period of six years, unless it is fired before. This period is renewable. From Lacépède, most of the foreign ministers were soldiers. The great chancellor responsibilities are quite broad: he is responsible for all the problems associated with decorations in France. It is in particular the great chancellor who gives authorizations to use foreign decorations. He is also the chancellor of the National Order of Merit and is the authority responsible for granting and sanctioning the military medal.

Council of the Order of the Legion of Honor

The Council of the Order, gathered under the presidency of the Great Chancellor, Delibera on issues related to the State and the Budget of the Order, appointments or promotions in the hierarchy and discipline of the members of the Order and the beneficiaries. Order distinctions.

The Council includes, chaired by the Great Chancellor: fourteen members chosen among the dignitaries and commanders of the Order; a chosen member among the officers; A member chosen among the gentlemen, these members are chosen by the great teacher, at the proposal of the Great Chancellor. They are appointed by decree. The Board is renewed at half every two years; outgoing members can be appointed again

Degrees

At present, the Grand Master of Order is the President of the Republic. It is composed of five categories, which in ascending order are:

• Chevalier ou Dame (Caballero or Dama)
• Officer
• Commandeur ou Commandeure
• Grand-Officier (Great-Office)
• Grand-Croix (Gran-Cruz)
• Grand-Collier (Gran-Collar)

Uniformity

The graduations of Chevalier or Dame (1) and Officier (2) wear the decoration on the left chest. The Commandeur ou Commandeure (3) wears it hanging from his neck. The graduation of Grand-Officier (4) shows off her office star on the right of the chest and the Officier cross on the left. The Grand-Croix (5) graduation wears its plaque on the left, and over the right shoulder and tied to the left side, the sash.

Badges

Great Necklace of the Legion of Honor

The effigy that adorns the obverse of the medal has changed throughout history. Until 1815 the profile of Napoleon I appeared but, with the Restoration, it was changed to that of Henry IV. The image of Napoleon was used again between 1848 and 1880; since the end of the 19th century, a female figure has decorated the medal.

In the order of the Legion of Honor, one enters the lowest grade, which is that of a knight, being able to progress by exhibited merits. The supreme position is that of grand master, which corresponds to the President of the French Republic, who in turn receives it from the hands of the grand chancellor of the Order, and the latter is chosen from among those who possess the great cross and is the one who presides the Council of the Order.

To enter the Legion it is necessary for a minister to present the candidate to the Council of the Order. If the Council approves the ministerial proposal, the candidate becomes a member, receiving a decoration during a solemn ceremony.

Badges also change depending on the rank order, mainly due to their size. That of the knights and officers have a diameter of 37 millimeters, while that of the commanders is 60. Whoever accesses the title of great officer or great cross, apart from the decoration, receives a 90-millimeter plaque plated in silver or gold.

Knight's Insignia of the Legion of Honor	Insignia de Oficial de la Legión de Honor	Insignia de Comandante de la Legión de Honor	Plaque of the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor	Plate, scarf and jewel of the Great Cross of the Legion of Honor in your case