Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance

Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance
The golden Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance
Awarded by Kingdom of the Netherlands
Type	Civil decoration, with degrees gold, silver or bronze medal
Awarded for	charitable assistance
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	18 June 1822
First awarded	Lieutenant Alexander de Langle
Last awarded	SAR squadron 7 Royal Netherlands Navy
Precedence
Next (higher)	Gold: Dutch Cross of Resistance Silver and Bronze: Airman's Cross
Next (lower)	Gold: Order of the Netherlands Lion Silver and Bronze: KNMI Medal
Ribbon bar of the golden honorary medal

The Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance (Dutch: Erepenning voor Menslievend Hulpbetoon) was created at 18 June 1822 and is after the Military William Order the oldest decoration for bravery in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Furthermore, the Honorary Medal is the highest civilian decoration still being awarded for bravery, and is specifically for those who carried out a voluntary act of bravery or self-sacrifice, with an emphasis on charity.

The medal can be awarded in gold, silver or bronze. Awarding is on basis by nomination of the Netherlands government and by royal decree. The golden medal has precedence only after the Dutch Cross of Resistance (also a civilian bravery decoration, but not awarded anymore), and the silver and bronze medals have precedence after the Airman's Cross (a military bravery award).

Lieutenant Alexander de Langle was the first person to be rewarded with this medal in 1821 for rescuing a sergeant who was stuck at the bottom of a well. Although this was considered an act of bravery, King William I did not deem it important enough to award the lieutenant the distinguished Military William Order, so inatead a new award for bravery was created: the Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance.

The first medal was roundish and showed the portrait of King William I. At the reverse side a laurel wreath was portrayed and some space was reserved for an inscription. The medal was not meant to be worn. The size of the medal was related to the value of the metal used: a diameter of 50, 41 or 35 millimeter for subsequently a bronze, silver or golden medal.

In 1825 King William I decided that noble and charitable acts of Dutchmen are awarded by charitable organisations and the acts of foreigners and soldiers by the king himself.

In 1837 King William II decided by royal decree that the size of the golden, silver and bronze medals would be all 50 millimeter. Also his portrait was put on the medals.

Since 1849 the portrait of King William III was shown on the medals and from 1875 a portrait of the older and bold King William III.

When Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont became the queen regent of the Netherlands she decided to put on the medal the portrait of her minor daughter Queen Wilhelmina. In 1897 a new type of medal was created, the medal did get a ribbon to wear and also did get the same shape as the French "Medal of Saint Helena".