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Orders, decorations, and medals of Belgium

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Belgium has established numerous orders of knighthood, decorations and medals since its creation in 1830. Below is a list of those awards. The order of precedence is difficult to establish as Belgium does not keep an up-to-date listing with dormant and active awards. However, André Borné has established such a list[1] that is used as a basis.

National orders

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Orders displayed on a white background are active; those on a grey background are dormant or no longer awarded.

Order of Leopold Order of the African Star Royal Order of the Lion Order of the Crown Order of Leopold II

Current awards and decorations

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Military awards

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Military decoration for exceptional service or acts of bravery or extraordinary devotion Military Cross Military Decoration for faithful service Cross of honour for service abroad Commemorative medal for armed humanitarian operations Commemorative medal for foreign missions or operations Commemorative medal for missions or operations regarding the operational defense of the territory Meritorious service medal

Civilian awards

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Civil Decoration for acts of bravery, selfsacrifice and philanthropy Carnegie hero fund medal Civil Decoration for long service Labour decoration Laureate of labour

Military marching medals

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Commemorative medal for the European remembrance and friendship march Commemorative medal 'Yser march'

Historical awards and decorations

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These medals and decorations are currently no longer awarded.

Belgian Revolution (1830–31)

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Merit medal of the civil guard 1830 Star of honour Iron cross and iron medal 1830 volunteers commemorative cross

World War I (1914–1918)

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Medals are shown in order of precedence.

War cross '14-'18 Yser medal Fire cross Maritime decoration of the War Civil decoration of the War King Albert medal Queen Elisabeth medal Volunteer combatant medal
Victory medal '14-'18 Commemorative medal of the War '14-'18 Commemorative medal of the African campaigns '14-'17 Medal of the political prisoner '14-'18 Deportees cross '14-'18 Colonial commemorative medal Medal of the national committee for aid and nourishment Medal for the national restoration Liège Medal

World War II (1940–1945) and the Korean War (1954)

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Medals are shown in order of precedence.

War cross '40-'45 Armed resistance medal Political prisoner's cross '40-'45 Civil decoration '40-'45 Escaper's cross Medal of Belgian gratitude '40–'45 Medal of the war volunteer '40-'45 Commemorative medal of the war '40-'45 Foreign operational theatres commemorative medal


Prisoner of war medal '40-'45 Maritime medal Commemorative medal of the Ethiopian campaign '40-'41 African war medal '40-'45 Civilian resistance medal Civilian disobedience medal Colonial war effort medal '40–'45 Military combatant medal '40-'45 Medal for resistance against nazism in the annexed territories World War II Recruiting centres medal

Other medals and awards

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Awards and medals listed below are either obsolete or have never been awarded.

War cross The service star The meritorious service medal for native chiefs The royal household medal The native service medal The Arab campaign medal
The medal for sports merit The medal for family merit The medal for agricultural and artisanal merit The medal for services rendered

Commemorative medals

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Commemorative medal of the visit to Brazil Commemorative medal 1870-1871 Commemorative medal of the 100 anniversary of the national independence Commemorative Decoration of the 50th Anniversary of the creation of the railroads Commemorative medal of the reign of King Leopold I Commemorative medal of the reign of King Leopold II Commemorative medal of the reign of King Albert I Commemorative decoration for the 50th anniversary of the Ostend-Dover Line Commemorative medal of the VIIth olympics
Commemorative medal for the 75th anniversary of the telegraph service Commemorative medal for the 100th anniversary of the telegraph service Commemorative medal for the 75th anniversary of the Belgian postal services Commemorative medal for the 100th anniversary of the Belgian postal services Commemorative medal for Congo Commemorative cross of the House of King Albert Commemorative decoration for the 50th anniversary of the Royal donation fund Medal for the 50th anniversary of Belgian Congo

Belgian Red Cross

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Order of the Belgian red cross Blood donor's medal Cross of honour of the Belgian red cross '40-'45 Red cross decoration '40-'45 Commemorative medal 22 March Red Cross Flemish Brabant

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Borné A.C., 1985, Distinctions honorifiques de la Belgique, 1830-1985 (Brussels)
  • Quinot H., 1950, Recueil illustré des décorations belges et congolaises, 4e Edition. (Hasselt)
  • Cornet R., 1982, Recueil des dispositions légales et réglementaires régissant les ordres nationaux belges. 2e Ed. N.pl., (Brussels)
  • Borné A.C., 1985, Distinctions honorifiques de la Belgique, 1830–1985 (Brussels)
  • Van Hoorebeke, 2007, P., 175 Ans de l'Ordre de Léopold et les Ordres Nationaux Belges (MRA Brussels)
  • André Borné, 1982, Honneur au travail: Distinctions honorifiques pour les travailleurs 1830–1980, (Brussels)

Further reading

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  • Clark, Samuel (2016). Distributing Status: The Evolution of State Honours in Western Europe. Montreal: McGill-Queen's university press. ISBN 9780773546844.
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