Legion of Honour
| National Order of the Legion of Honour Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded by France | |
| Type | Order of merit |
| Established | 19 May 1802 |
| Motto | Honneur et patrie ("Honour and Country") |
| Eligibility | Military and Civilians |
| Awarded for | Excellent civil or military conduct delivered, upon official investigation |
| Founder | Napoleon Bonaparte |
| Grand Master | President of France |
| Grand chancelier | Benoît Puga |
| Classes |
|
| Statistics | |
| First induction | 14 July 1804 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | None |
| Next (lower) |
|
Ribbon bars of the order | |
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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 (Ordre royal de la Légion d'honneur), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, it has been retained (and slightly altered) by all later French governments and régimes.
The order's motto is Honneur et Patrie ("Honour and Country"), and its seat is the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur next to the Musée d'Orsay, on the left bank of the Seine in Paris.[lower-alpha 1]
The order is divided into five degrees of increasing distinction: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur (Commander), Grand officier (Grand Officer), and Grand-croix (Grand Cross).
- ↑ le petit Larousse 2013 p1567
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