}) was an

order 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 ...

of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Landgraviate Landgrave (german: Landgraf, nl, landgraaf, sv, lantgreve, french: landgrave; la, comes magnus, ', ', ', ', ') was a noble title used in the Holy Roman Empire, and later on in its former territories. The German titles of ', ' ("margrave"), a ...

and

Electorate Electorate may refer to: * The people who are eligible to vote in an election, especially their number e.g. the term ''size of (the) electorate'' * The dominion of a Prince-elector in the Holy Roman Empire until 1806 * An electoral district An ...

of Hesse-Kassel and later, the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. It was first instituted in 1770 by Landgrave Frederick II, in honour of and under the patronage of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, an ancestor of the House of Hesse, and was intended to award auspicious merit.

Overview

Initially conferred in one class (''Knight''), the order was revised in 1815 by Landgrave William IX (later William I, Elector of Hesse), who added the grades of ''Grand Cross'' and ''Commander''. It was further expanded in 1818 with William splitting the Commander grade into two separate classes; thus, the order had the grades of ''Grand Cross'', ''Commander 1st Class'', ''Commander 2nd Class'' and ''Knight''. It reverted to a single-class order on 20 August 1851 when Elector Frederick William I founded the

Wilhelmsorden The Wilhelm Order ("Wilhelmsorden") of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) was instituted by the Elector Friedrich Wilhelm I on 20 August 1851 as a civil and military Order of Merit. It was composed of the three lower grades of the Order of the Golde ...

, which was created from the latter three classes. Membership of the Order of the Golden Lion was then restricted to 41 knights, including the princes of the electoral family (who were inducted into the order from birth). In the wake of the

Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...

in 1866, Hesse-Kassel – who had sided with Austria – was annexed into Prussia, with the Order of the Golden Lion and all electoral orders of chivalry incorporated into the Prussian honours system. With the death of Frederick William I with no legitimate heirs, the main line of the Electoral House of Hesse-Kassel became extinct, and the orders were subsequently abolished on 27 August 1875. The order was later resurrected as the "Grand Ducal Hessian Order of the Golden Lion" by

Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (german: link=no, Großherzog Ludwig III von Hessen und bei Rhein; 9 June 1806, Darmstadt – 13 June 1877, Seeheim) was Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1848 until his death in 1877. Biograph ...

in October 1875, as a single-class order below that of the Ludwig Order. It was thereafter awarded to members of the Grand Ducal House and foreign royalty, as well as the high nobility. The Order of the Golden Lion ceased to be a state order in 1918 with all grand ducal orders, following the defeat of Germany in World War I and the abdication of the last

Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approxi ...

. It currently survives as a dynastic order of the House of Hesse.

Insignia

* The ''badge'' consists of a crowned golden lion within a golden oval hoop on the obverse with the motto: "Virtute et Fidelitate", and on the lapel with the inscription: ** I. Model: "Fridericus II D. G. Hassiae Landgravius inst. 1770." ** II. Model: "Wilhelmus I Hassiae Elector 1803". * The ''ribbon'' is crimson in the widths for the sash, neck cross (commander) and pectoral cross (knight). * The ''collar'', which was worn on special occasions, consisted of golden lions alternating with medallions with the inscription "FL". The knights wore this medal on a crimson ribbon, hanging from the right shoulder to the left hip, and also on the left breast an eight-pointed silver star embroidered with rays, in the center of which on a blue handle with the red background and silver embroidered motto.

Recipients

Electoral order

* Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg *

Prince Albert of Prussia (1837–1906) Prince Albert of Prussia (german: Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Albrecht; 8 May 1837 – 13 September 1906) was a Prussian general field marshal, ''Herrenmeister'' (Grand Master) of the Order of Saint John from 1883 until his death, and regent of the ...

Albert of Saxony en, Frederick Augustus Albert Anthony Ferdinand Joseph Charles Maria Baptist Nepomuk William Xavier George Fidelis , image = Albert of Saxony by Nicola Perscheid c1900.jpg , image_size = , caption = Photograph by Nicola Persch ...

* Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine *

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Gra ...

* Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington *

Burkhard Wilhelm Pfeiffer Burkhard Wilhelm Pfeiffer (7 May 1777 – 4 October 1852) was German jurist and liberal politician. Pfeiffer was the son of the evangelical preacher, theologian, and Marburg University professor Johann Jakob Pfeiffer and his first wife Lucie Re ...

* Prince Charles of Prussia * Christian IX of Denmark * Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover *

Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover Ernest Augustus (german: Ernst August; 5 June 177118 November 1851) was King of Hanover from 20 June 1837 until his death in 1851. As the fifth son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Hanover, he initially seemed unlikely to become a m ...

* Ferdinand I of Austria * Franz Joseph I of Austria * Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg *

Frederick III, German Emperor Frederick III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl; 18 October 1831 – 15 June 1888), or Friedrich III, was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days between March and June 1888, during the Year of the Three Emperors. Known informa ...

* Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin *

Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel Frederick William George Adolphus, Landgrave of Hesse (german: Friedrich Wilhelm Georg Adolf von Hessen-Kassel; 25 November 1820 – 14 October 1884) was the only son of Wilhelm I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel-Rumpenheim and Princess Louise Charlotte ...

* Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz *

Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , spouse = Grand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna of Russia , house = House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , father = George, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , mother = Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel , birth_date = , birth_place = N ...

Prince Frederick of the Netherlands Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau (full names: Willem Frederik Karel; 28 February 1797, in Berlin – 8 September 1881, in Wassenaar), was the second son of William I of the Netherlands and his wife, Wilhelmine of Pru ...

* Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828–1885) *

Prince George, Duke of Cambridge Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (George William Frederick Charles; 26 March 1819 – 17 March 1904) was a member of the British royal family, a grandson of King George III and cousin of Queen Victoria. The Duke was an army officer by professio ...

Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (2 April 1826 – 25 June 1914), was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914. For his support for his successful court theatre he was also known as the ''Theaterherzog'' (theatre duk ...

Prince George of Prussia Prince George of Prussia (Frederick William George Ernest; 12 February 1826 – 2 May 1902) was a member of the House of Hohenzollern. A man of many talents, George was at various periods of his life a Prussian general, poet and writer, often goin ...

* George, King of Saxony *

Prince Heinrich of Hesse and by Rhine Prince Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm Adalbert Waldemar Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (November 28, 1838 - September 16, 1900) was a member of the House of Hesse-Darmstadt and a General of the Cavalry. Biography He was the second son of Prince Charle ...

Baron Karl Ludwig von der Pfordten Ludwig Karl Heinrich Freiherr von der Pfordten (11 September 1811 in Ried (Innkreis) – 18 August 1880 in Munich) was a Bavarian attorney and politician. Biography Von der Pfordten studied law at the University of Heidelberg and Erlangen. In ...

Konstantin of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst The first name Konstantin () is a derivation from the Latin name ''Constantinus'' (Constantine) in some European languages, such as Russian and German. As a Christian given name, it refers to the memory of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. ...

* Leopold I of Belgium * Leopold II of Belgium *

* Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse * Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria *

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of J ...

* William I, German Emperor *

William II, Elector of Hesse William II (german: Wilhelm II; 28 July 1777 – 20 November 1847) was the penultimate Elector of Hesse.After 1806, the title of ''Elector'' was meaningless, since no more Holy Roman Emperors could be elected, because the Empire had been dissolve ...

* William III of the Netherlands

Grand ducal order

Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, (Adolphus Charles Alexander Albert Edward George Philip Louis Ladislaus; 13 August 1868 – 24 October 1927), born Prince Adolphus of Teck and later the Duke of Teck, was a relative of the Britis ...

* Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz * Alexander Frederick, Landgrave of Hesse * Alexandra of Denmark * Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse) *

Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Princess Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, (1 September 1878 – 16 April 1942) was the fourth child and third daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. As the wife o ...

* Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha * Princess Alice of Battenberg * Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark * Princess Anna of Montenegro * Princess Anna of Prussia * Princess Augusta of Cambridge * Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom * Bruno, Prince of Ysenburg and Büdingen *

Chlodwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld Chlodwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (''Chlodwig Alexis Ernst''; 30 July 1876 – 17 November 1954) was an officer in the Prussian Army and head of the Hesse-Philippsthal line of the House of Hesse. As head of the house he was styl ...

* Edward VII *

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...

Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich Princess Eleonore Ernestine Marie of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (17 September 1871 – 16 November 1937) was Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine as the second wife of Grand Duke Ernest Louis. She was nicknamed "Onor" by her family. She was regent ...

* Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Kassel * Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine (1864–1918) * Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse * Ernest, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal *

Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse Frederick Charles Louis Constantine, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse (german: Friedrich Karl Ludwig Konstantin Prinz und Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel; fi, Fredrik Kaarle; 1 May 1868 – 28 May 1940), was the brother-in-law of the German Empe ...

Frederick William III, Landgrave of Hesse Frederick William (III), Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (german: Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl, 15 October 1854 – 14 October 1888) was (titular) Electorate of Hesse, Elector of Hesse-Kassel. Early life He was the eldest son of Frederick William of ...

* George V * Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929) * Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine * Julia, Princess of Battenberg * Prince Louis of Battenberg * Louise of Hesse-Kassel *

Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (russian: Мария Александровна; – 24 October 1920) was the fifth child and only surviving daughter of Emperor Alexander II of Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine; she wa ...

Princess Marie of Battenberg Princess Marie of Battenberg (german: Marie Karoline; 15 February 1852 – 20 June 1923) was a Princess of Battenberg and, by marriage, the Princess of Erbach-Schönberg. She worked as a writer and translator. Background and early life Marie was ...

* Princess Marie Luise Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel *

Marie of Romania Marie (born Princess Marie Alexandra Victoria of Edinburgh; 29 October 1875 – 18 July 1938) was the last Queen of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I. Marie was born into the British royal family. Her parents were Prince Alfred, D ...

* Princess Margaret of Prussia * Mary of Teck * Nicholas II of Russia * Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia * Otto Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode * Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine * Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha * Victoria, Princess Royal * Queen Victoria * Wilhelm II, German Emperor

References

Literature

* Maximilian Gritzner, "Handbuch der Ritter- und Verdienstorden". Leipzig. 1893. {{DEFAULTSORT:House Order Of The Golden Lion (Hessen-Kassel) Orders of chivalry of Germany House of Hesse-Darmstadt House of Hesse-Kassel Orders, decorations, and medals of Hesse 1770 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Awards established in 1770 Orders of chivalry awarded to heads of state, consorts and sovereign family members