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".Burke, B. ''The Book of Orders of Knighthood and Decorations of Honour of All Nations.'' Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2016. In international relations, 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 as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

Grand Cross", "

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

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 An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...

" Sir" (male) or "

Dame ''Dame'' is a traditionally British honorific title given to women who have been admitted to certain orders of chivalry. It is the female equivalent of ''Sir'', the title used by knights. Baronet, Baronetesses Suo jure, in their own right also u ...

" (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 () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918. The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...

awarded Prince Rupprecht a Grand Cross after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. From 1870 to 1918, the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

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 (highest) * : Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (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 **: Grand Cross of the (highest of the state) **: Grand Cross of the Order of Ipiranga (highest of the state) * : Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia (highest) * : Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Monisaraphon * : Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sahametrei * : Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sowathara * : 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 (2nd) * : Grand Cordons of the Order of the Nile (highest) * : Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty (highest) * : Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (2nd) * : Grand Cross of the

Order of the Lion of Finland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

(highest) * : Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Lamb (highest) * : Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour (highest) ** : Grand Cross of the Order of Tahiti Nui (highest of the French 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) (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 The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...

(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 (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 (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 The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

(highest) * : Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (highest) * : Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

(highest) * : Grand Cross of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(highest) * : Grand Cross of the Order of Saint John (highest)

Former

* : Grand Cross of the Order of Columbus (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 (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 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 National Order of Merit) ** French Dahomey: Grand Cross of the Order of the Black Star (Deprecated in 1963 by the National Order of Merit) ** French Somaliland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Light (Deprecated in 1963 by the National Order of Merit) * : 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 The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Explanatory notes

References

Footnotes