Weapons of Honour (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: Armes d'honneur) are

ceremonial weapon A ceremonial weapon is an object used for ceremonial purposes to display power or authority. They are often used in parades and as part of dress uniforms. Although they are descended from weapons used in actual combat, they are not normally use ...

s awarded for service or assistance to France.

History

Swords of honour were awarded during the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

for exceptional service. On 30 April 1746, Minister of the Navy Maurepas awarded such a sword to privateer

Pierre Anguier Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

for his intervention in the

Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took ...

.Epée d'honneur du corsaire Pierre Anguier

Musée national de la Marine The Musée national de la Marine (National Navy Museum) is a maritime museum located in the Palais de Chaillot, Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It has annexes at Brest, Port-Louis, Rochefort ( Musée National de la Marine de ...

. Established on 25 December 1799 and issued by the

French Consulate The Consulate (french: Le Consulat) was the top-level Government of France from the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 10 November 1799 until the start of the Napoleonic Empire on 18 May 1804. By extension, the term ''The Co ...

, weapons of honour were awarded as military awards for feats of arms. The civilian version of this distinction is the scarf of honour (''l'écharpe d'honneur''). This completed and materialised the practice of solemnly declaring a citizen or group of citizens to have

bien mérité de la Patrie ''Bien mérité de la Patrie'' (French: "Well deserved the recognition of the Fatherland") is a French expression that qualifies national heroes. During the French Revolution, the phrase became a formula discerned as an award by the National Conven ...

. Weapons of honour were replaced during the

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...

by the institution of the chivalry Order of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...

. Recipients of weapons of honour automatically received the Legion of Honour after its inception.

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography

Armes d'honneur
via Napoleon.org (French)

page of the

Musée de l'Armée The Musée de l'Armée (; "Army Museum") is a national military museum of France located at Les Invalides in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It is served by Paris Métro stations Invalides, Varenne and La Tour-Maubourg The Musée de l'Armée ...

depicting a trumpet of honour Ceremonial weapons Honorary weapons 1799 establishments in France Military awards and decorations of France {{france-hist-stub

History

Categories

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography