The Order of the Crown (french: Ordre de la Couronne) is an order established in

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

on 20 July 1960. This decoration is awarded to people, who have done something exceptional or by their exceptional conduct.

Award

It is awarded to people with high merit by the Grand-Master, currently

Albert II, Prince of Monaco Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005. Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Rai ...

Reception

According to the statutes, and except for Members of the Princely Family and foreigners, one can only receive the Order first with the rank of Knight. To be awarded the following higher ranks, one must hold the lower rank for a set number of years. To be promoted to Officer, one must serve four years as a knight, promotion from Officer to Commander is three years, Commander to Grand Officer is four years, and finally promotion from Grand Officer to Grand Cross requires a period of five years. Nominations to the order belong to the Grand-Master. The Chancellor proposes promotions. According to the Prince's orders, the Chancellor proposes the projects of nomination and promotion ordonnances. The grantees must be received in the Order before wearing the decorations. The Grand-Master receives the Grand Crosses, Grand Officers and Commanders. The Chancellor receives the Officers and Knights. The exception being that foreigners will be admitted in the Order, but not received.

Military honors

Members of the Order who are wearing their decorations are entitled to receive military honours from the

Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince (in Monegsque: ''Cumpagnia d’i Carrabiniei d’u Pri̍ncipu'', Prince's Company of Riflemen in English) is the Infantry branch of the ''Force Publique'', and one of the limited number of militaries that ...

. Officers and Knights are honoured by the execution of the command "Port, ARMS" (''Portez, Armes''). For Grand Crosses, Grand Officers and Commanders, they are honoured by the execution of the command "Present, ARMS" (''Présentez, Armes'').

Grades

The order is composed of five grades: * Grand Cross. ''Badge hanging from the sash worn from the right shoulder to the left hip and breast star on the left chest''. * Grand Officer. ''Badge hanging from a necklet and breast star on the left chest'' * Commander. ''Badge hanging from a necklet'' * Officer. ''Badge hanging from a ribbon with rosette'' * Knight. ''Badge hanging from a ribbon''

Insignia

The badge of the order is a

cross pattée A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...

with fluted arms of silver and a central gold stripe. Between each set of arms of the cross is the monogram of the order's founder

Rainier III Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...

, in gold. The medallion in the center of the cross bears a prince's crown. On the reverse of the badge the medallion bears the

lozengy The lozenge in heraldry is a diamond-shaped rhombus charge (an object that can be placed on the field of the shield), usually somewhat narrower than it is tall. It is to be distinguished in modern heraldry from the fusil, which is like the loze ...

arms of Monaco and the

House of Grimaldi The House of Grimaldi ( , also , , ) is the current reigning house of the Principality of Monaco. The house was founded in 1160 by Grimaldo Canella in Genoa and became the ruling house of Monaco when Francesco Grimaldi captured Monaco in 1297 ...

. The badge is mounted by an oak and laurel wreath. The star of the order is identical to the badge, but lacks the wreath for mounting. Additionally, the center medallion is surrounded by a ring of lozenges. The ribbon of the order is olive green with a central red stripe.

Recipients

Princess Benedikte of Denmark Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (Benedikte Astrid Ingeborg Ingrid, born 29 April 1944) is a member of the Danish royal family. She is the second daughter and child of Frederick IX of Denmark, King Frederi ...

Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois (Charlotte Louise Juliette Grimaldi; 30 September 1898 – 16 November 1977), was the daughter of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, and the mother of Prince Rainier III. From 1922 until 1944, she was the Her ...

Grand Masters

Rainier III, Prince of Monaco Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...

References

{{reflist

External links

* The statutes of the Order of Saint-Charles
text of the ordonnance in French
are used for the Order of the Crown, with "Chancellor of the Order of the Crown" instead of "Chancellor of the Order of Saint-Charles" where needed. Crown (Monaco), Order of the Awards established in 1960