Orders

• The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
• The Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolphe of Nassau
• The Order of the Oak Crown
• The Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

In addition to the Grand Master, each order also has a Chancellor, who is responsible for examining nominations before the Grand Master decides on the award. For the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau and the Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolphe of Nassau, this function is performed by the Marshal of the Court. For the Order of the Oak Crown and the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, it is performed by the Minister of State.

The Grand Duchy thus has two dynastic orders and two state orders. For the first two, presented below, the Grand Duke enjoys greater decision-making autonomy, exercised through the Marshal of the Court, who holds the right of initiative.

The order was established jointly by William III, King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Adolphe, then Duke of Nassau, by Grand Ducal Royal Decree of 31 March 1858. This order is common to both branches of the House of Nassau and commemorates the excellent relations between them, which trace back to the prima divisio of 1255, from which William III and Adolphe were descended.

Unlike other orders of chivalry, it now has two Grand Masters: the King of the Netherlands and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, although in practice each Grand Master may confer the order independently, without consulting the other.

As a dynastic order, it is therefore natural that princes of the House of Nassau are members by right. More recently, under the reign of Grand Duke Henri, princesses have also been admitted, as in the case of Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, who received this distinction in 2009, and Grand Duchess Stéphanie in 2025.

Another distinctive feature of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau is that it has only one rank; apart from the two Grand Masters, all members hold equal status.

As a dynastic order, the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau is frequently conferred upon members of other royal families. As Luxembourg's highest distinction, it may also be awarded to foreign Heads of State, particularly during State Visits to Luxembourg or official receptions hosted by the Grand Duke abroad.

The Jewel

The jewel of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau takes the form of a white-enamel Maltese cross with gold edges. Between the arms of the cross are four gold letters 'N' - the initials of the Nassau dynasty - each adorned with a gold rosette.

At the centre of the cross is a blue-enamel medallion surrounded by a broad gold border. On the obverse, it depicts the golden lion of the House of Nassau, without a crown, referencing the original form of the dynasty's coat of arms. The background is scattered with gold billets, also taken from this historic coat of arms. On the reverse, the medallion bears the motto Je maintiendrai ('I will maintain') in gold letters on a blue-enamel background, this time without billets.

The jewel is suspended from an orange moiré ribbon edged with blue. It is worn over the right shoulder, with the jewel resting on the left side of the body.

The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau also includes a plaque, worn on the left breast, particularly during ceremonies where military uniform or full ceremonial dress is required by protocol. This plaque takes the form of an eight-pointed silver star. At its centre is a medallion combining motifs from the front and back of the jewel: a golden lion on a blue-enamel background sprinkled with billets, surrounded by the motto Je maintiendrai in gold letters on a white background, framed by two intertwined oak leaves.

In a strictly national context, the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau is worn in the uppermost position, the place of honour reserved for the country's highest distinction. During State Visits, however, a foreign order may exceptionally occupy this position, in which case the Luxembourg order is worn immediately below.

The order is named after Adolphe of Nassau, King of the Romans from 1292 to 1298, from whom Duke Adolphe, the founder of the order, took his first name.

After the annexation of the Duchy of Nassau by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866, the order ceased to be awarded. It was re-established in 1890, when Duke Adolphe ascended the Grand Ducal throne of Luxembourg, becoming a Luxembourgish decoration.

Since its creation, the Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolphe of Nassau has adopted a hierarchical structure with eight grades, ranging from Knight, the lowest rank, to Grand Cross, the highest. These grades are divided into two divisions: civil and military.

It is regularly awarded to individuals who have distinguished themselves in the arts, sciences or civil society. It may also be conferred upon politicians or senior civil servants in recognition of their commitment to public service.

The Jewel

The Civil and Military Order of Merit of Adolphe of Nassau takes the form of a white-enamel Maltese cross edged in gold, with each point adorned with a golden pearl.

At its centre is a white-enamel medallion. On the obverse, it bears a gold Gothic letter ‘A’ surmounted by a royal crown. This is surrounded by a laurel wreath on a blue-enamel background, inscribed with the motto Virtute in gold letters. The reverse of the medallion bears two dates: ‘1292’, referring to the coronation of Adolphe of Nassau as King of the Romans, and ‘1858’, the year the order was founded.

The ribbon of the order is blue moiré, edged with orange - the reverse of that of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau. Its width varies according to the recipient's rank.

Only holders of the Grand Cross and Grand Officer ranks wear a badge in the shape of an eight-pointed silver star. At its centre is a medallion featuring the elements of the obverse of the jewel: on a white background, the crowned gold 'A', surrounded by a blue background with a laurel wreath and the motto Virtute.

A military version of the plaque also exists, distinguished by the addition of two crossed swords beneath the central medallion.

Medals and Crosses

The Civil and Military Order of Merit of Adolphe of Nassau also includes additional distinctions, which may be awarded to Luxembourg citizens - or, more rarely, to foreigners - without the recipients being full members of the order.

These distinctions include crosses of the order, in gold or silver, and medals of the order, in gold, silver or bronze. These decorations are often conferred upon civil servants or public service employees in recognition of their dedicated service.