Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau Ordre du Lion d'Or de la Maison de Nassau Huisorde van de Gouden Leeuw van Nassau |
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Plaque, badge and ribbon of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
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Awarded by Grand Duke of Luxembourg King of the Netherlands |
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Type | Luxembourg: National Order Netherlands: House Order |
Motto | JE MAINTIENDRAI |
Awarded for |
Luxembourg: for foreign sovereigns, princes of sovereign houses, and heads of state that displayed meritous service to Luxembourg and the Grand Duke Netherlands: for people who have rendered special service to the Royal House |
Status | Currently constituted |
Grand Master | His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg |
Chancellor | Henri Ahlborn |
Grades | Knight |
Former grades | Knight Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Officer, Knight, Commander |
Statistics | |
Established | 31 March 1858 |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | Luxembourg: None (highest) Netherlands: Order of Orange-Nassau |
Next (lower) | Luxembourg: Order of Adolphe of Nassau Netherlands: Order of the House of Orange |
Ribbon bar of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau |
The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (French: Ordre du Lion d'Or de la Maison de Nassau, Dutch: (Huis)orde van de Gouden Leeuw van Nassau) is a chivalric order shared by the two branches (the Ottonian and Walram lines) of the House of Nassau.
In the capacity of the Walram line the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau is the highest Luxembourgian national order, bestowed by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. It may be awarded on foreign sovereigns, princes of sovereign houses, and heads of state for meritous service to Luxembourg and the Grand Duke.
In the capacity of the Ottonian line the order is a house order or dynastic order of the Dutch Royal House of Orange-Nassau, awarded as a personal gift by the King of the Netherlands. In this case the honour is conferred on a person who have rendered special service to the Royal House.
The order was founded by Grand Ducal decree on 31 March 1858 by King-Grand Duke William III. The honour was to be shared between both branches of the House of Nassau, under agreement between William, King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Adolphe, Duke of Nassau and future Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The order originally included only one grade, but this was increased to four by William III in 1873: