In 1852, the first recorded woman, Angélique Duchemin, an old revolutionary of the 1789 uprising against the absolute monarchy, was admitted into the order. A nephew of the founder, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, was elected president and he restored the image of his uncle on the crosses of the order. Yet another revolution in Paris (in 1848) brought a new republic (the second) and a new design to the Légion d'honneur. The insignia were drastically altered the cross now displayed tricolour flags. Louis Philippe I, King of the French, wearing the sash of the order.įollowing the overthrow of the Bourbons in favour of King Louis Philippe I of the House of Orléans, the Bourbon monarchy's orders were once again abolished and the Légion d'honneur was restored in 1830 as the paramount decoration of the French nation. Napoleon's own decorations were captured by the Prussians and were displayed in the Zeughaus (armoury) in Berlin until 1945. The king of Sweden therefore declined the order it was too common in his eyes. The Emperor always wore it, and the fashion of the time allowed for decorations to be worn most of the time. The Légion d'honneur was prominent and visible in the French Empire. This collar was abolished in 1815.Īlthough research is made difficult by the loss of the archives, it is rumoured that three women who fought with the army were decorated with the order: Virginie Ghesquière, Marie-Jeanne Schelling and a nun, Sister Anne Biget. Napoleon had dispensed 15 golden collars of the Légion d'honneur among his family and his senior ministers. The title was made hereditary after three generations of grantees. After Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French in 1804 and established the Napoleonic nobility in 1808, award of the Légion d'honneur gave right to the title of 'Knight of the Empire' ( Chevalier de l'Empire). This decoration, a cross on a large sash and a silver star with an eagle, symbol of the Napoleonic Empire, became known as the Grand aigle (Grand Eagle), and later in 1814 as the Grand cordon (big sash, literally 'big ribbon'). In a decree issued on the 10 Pluviôse XIII (30 January 1805), a grand decoration was instituted. The badge of the Légion d'honneur has five arms. The new legionnaire had to be sworn into the Légion d'honneur.Īll previous orders were Christian, or shared a clear Christian background, whereas the Légion d'honneur is a secular institution. The Légion d'honneur, however, was open to men of all ranks and professions only merit or bravery counted. Under the monarchy, such orders were often limited to Roman Catholics, all knights had to be noblemen, and military decorations were restricted to officers. The order was the first modern order of merit. The soldier needs glory, distinctions, rewards.' This has been often quoted as 'It is with such baubles that men are led.' That is good only for the scholar in his study. Do you think that you would be able to make men fight by reasoning? Never. Napoleon famously declared, 'You call these baubles, well, it is with baubles that men are led. The members were paid, the highest of them extremely generously: The highest rank was not a Grand Cross but a Grand aigle (Grand Eagle), a rank that wore the insignia common to a Grand Cross. The Légion d'honneur was loosely patterned after a Roman legion, with legionaries, officers, commanders, regional ' cohorts' and a grand council. The organization would be used as a façade to give political favours, gifts, and concessions.

Napoleon originally created this award to ensure political loyalty. The insignia of the Légion d'honneur bear a resemblance to those of the Ordre de Saint-Louis, which also used a red ribbon. However, the Légion d'honneur did use the organization of the old French orders of chivalry, for example, the Ordre de Saint-Louis. From this wish was instituted a Légion d'honneur, a body of men that was not an order of chivalry, for Napoleon believed that France wanted a recognition of merit rather than a new system of nobility. It was the wish of Napoleon Bonaparte, the First Consul, to create a reward to commend civilians and soldiers.

JSTOR ( September 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)ĭuring the French Revolution, all of the French orders of chivalry were abolished and replaced with Weapons of Honour.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This section needs additional citations for verification.

Knighthood medal