Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g. Grand Collar. In rare cases, the insignia itself is referred to as the "grand cross". In international relations, in many times the class of Grand Cross is typically reserved for royalty, heads of state and equivalent. Sometimes a holder of the highest class or grade are referred to as "

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

Grand Cross",) is used in the

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

Orders of the

Sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

, Polar Star and Vasa and in the Finnish Orders of the White Rose and

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

., name="Ex-01", group=A " Knight Grand Cross", or just "Grand Cross". In the United Kingdom, the rank of "Knight Grand Cross" or "Dame Grand Cross" allows the recipient to continue to use the honorific " Sir" (male) or "

Dame ''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system and those of several oth ...

" (female) as a style before his or her name. The knighthood is initially conferred, as in other countries, at the lower rank of the order, typically " Knight Commander". In Bavaria, the royal military order established by Maximilian Joseph consisted of three classes with the Grand Crosses ranking above the Commanders and Knights. The Grand Cross title has also been used to confer military merit. For instance, the

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918. It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subs ...

awarded Prince Rupprecht a Grand Cross after World War I. From 1870 to 1918, the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

also set the Grand Cross as the highest rank of the Order of the Iron Cross, followed by the first and second classes.

Denomination "Grand Cordons"

The orders in which the highest rank (or second after "Collar") is named "Grand Cordons" include the following orders: * : Grand Cordons of the

Order of Leopold Order of Leopold may refer to: * Order of Leopold (Austria), founded in 1808 by emperor Francis I of Austria and discontinued in 1918 * Order of Leopold (Belgium), founded in 1832 by king Leopold I of Belgium * Order of Leopold II, founded in Congo ...

(highest) * : Grand Cross of the

National Order of Merit An order of merit is conferred by a state, government or royal family on an individual in recognition of military or civil merit. Order of merit may also refer to: * FIFA Order of Merit, for significant contribution to association football * PDC O ...

(highest National Order that admits Brazilian Nationals to its ranks) * : Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco (special purpose) * : Grand Cross of the National Order of Scientific Merit * : Grand Cross of the Order of Defense Merit * : Grand Cross of the Order of Military Merit * : Grand Cross of the Order of Naval Merit * : Grand Cross of the

Order of Aeronautical Merit Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

**: Grand Cross of the (highest of the state) **: Grand Cross of the (highest of the state) * : Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia * : Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Monisaraphon * : Grand Cross of the

Royal Order of Sahametrei The Royal Order of Sahametrei ( km, គ្រឿងឥស្សរិយយសលំដាប់សហមេត្រី) is a chivalric order conferred by the government of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Royal Order of Sahametrei was instituted in ...

* : Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Monisaraphon * : Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit (Cameroon) (2nd) * : Grand Cordon of the Order of Valour (highest) * : Grand Cross with Diamonds of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

(2nd) * : Grand Cordons of the Order of the Nile (highest) * : Grand Cross of the

Order of the Legion of Honour Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

(highest) ** : Grand Cross of the Order of Tahiti Nui (highest of the overseas collectivity) * : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany * : Grand Cross of the Kola-tree National Order (2nd) * : Grand Cross of the National Order of Fidelity and People (highest) * : Grand Cross of the

National Order of Merit (Guinea) The National Order of Merit is the pre-eminent state decoration of the Republic of Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: Républi ...

(highest) * : Grand Cross of the National Order of the Campaign of Independence (highest) * : Knight Grand Cross decorated with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (highest) * : Grand Cordons of the Order of the Chrysanthemum (2nd after Collar) * : Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown (highest) * : Grand Cordons of the

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...

(highest) * : Grand Cordons of the Order of the Star of Jordan (highest) * : Grand Cordons of the Order of Merit (Lebanon) (highest) * : Grand Cross of the National Order of Madagascar (highest) * : Knight Grand Cross Military William Order (highest) * : Knight Grand Cross Order of Orange-Nassau (3rd) * : Knight Grand Cross Order of the Netherlands Lion (2nd) * : Grand Cross of the National Order (Niger) (highest) * : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Niger) (2nd) * : Grand Cordons of the Order of the Lion and the Sun * : Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword * : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Senegal) (2nd) * : Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion (Senegal) (highest) * : Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III * Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword * Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star * Commander Grand Cross of the Order of Vasa * : Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (2nd) * : Grand Cross of the

Order of Mono The Order of Mono is the highest Togolese order of chivalry, established on September 2, 1961 by President Sylvanus Olympio. The order is named after the major river passing through the country: the Mono River. The Order of Mono consists of five ...

(highest) * : Grand Cordon of the Order of Independence (highest) * : Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit (3rd) * : Grand Cordon of the Order of the 7th November 1987 (4th) * : Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic (2nd) * : Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (highest) * : Grand Cross of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

(highest) * : Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (highest) * : Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (highest) * : Grand Cross of the Order of Saint John (highest)

Former

* : Grand Cross of the

Order of Columbus The Order of Columbus () was a short-lived Brazilian order of merit. It was instituted on 6 June 1890, just two months after the abolition of all Imperial Brazilian Orders. The first constitution of the Brazilian republic abolished the order of C ...

(Abolished as a state order in 1891) * : Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Highest, cancelled as national order in 1890, since then claimed as house order) * : Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Saint Benedict of Avis (2nd, cancelled as national order in 1890, since then claimed as house order) * : Grand Cross of the

Imperial Order of Saint James of the Sword The Imperial Order of St. James of the Sword ( pt, Imperial Ordem de Sant'Iago da Espada) was an honorific order of the Empire of Brazil, originating from the Portuguese Order of Saint James of the Sword. "Nationalized" by Dom Pedro I of Brazil, ...

(3rd, cancelled as national order in 1890, since then claimed as house order) * : Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Cross (4th, cancelled as national order in 1891 and reestablished as the

National Order of the Southern Cross Emperor Pedro I of Brazil founded the National Order of the Southern Cross ( pt, Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul) as a Brazilian order of chivalry on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate the independence of Brazil (7 September 1822) ...

in 1932) * : Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Dom Pedro I (5th, cancelled as national order in 1890, since then claimed as house order) * : Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Rose (6th, cancelled as national order in 1890, since then claimed as house order) * ** French Comoros: Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Anjouan (Deprecated in 1963 by the

) ** French Dahomey: Grand Cross of the Order of the Black Star (Deprecated in 1963 by the

) **

French Somaliland French Somaliland (french: Côte française des Somalis, lit= French Coast of the Somalis so, Xeebta Soomaaliyeed ee Faransiiska) was a French colony in the Horn of Africa. It existed between 1884 and 1967, at which time it became the French Ter ...

: Grand Cross of the Order of the Light (Deprecated in 1963 by the

) * : Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Kapiʻolani (3rd, became obsolete in 1893)

Gallery

Illustration of typical insignia, as in the case of the Legion of Honour of France. PortLegHon

Explanatory notes

References

Footnotes