Decorations and medals of the Netherlands

Throughout the ages hundreds of medals, decorations for merit or valour and orders of knighthood have been instituted by the successive governments of the Netherlands. The oldest of these were founded by the counts of Holland. Their successors of the House of Burgundy founded the famous Order of the Golden Fleece. This order still exists in Spain and in the Austrian imperial House.

The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands did not possess an order of knighthood. Instead so called "Beloningspenningen", golden medals on golden chains, were given as gifts to ambassadors and successful admirals.

In 1781 a medal called the "Doggersbank-medaille" was awarded to the officers that partook in the battle of the Doggersbank against the English fleet. It was the first modern Dutch decoration.

The Batavian Republic was founded after the French invasion of 1795. It did not institute an order or medals.

The Kingdom of Holland was founded in 1805 to provide a throne for Napoleon's younger brother Lodewijk Napoleon Bonaparte. The "King of Holland" founded an "Orde van de Unie", (English: Order of the Union, later dubbed "Order of Holland" then "Royal Order of Holland").

The first king of the Netherlands William I of the Netherlands founded a military order the Military Order of William, and a civilian order and the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

His successors founded several orders of merit and some two hundred medals, stars and crosses. The Netherlands never founded a colonial order for their Indian empire.

Decorations and medals

• Cross for Courage and Fidelity
• Honorary Sabre
• Dutch Cross of Resistance (Verzetskruis 1940–1945)
• Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance
• Honorable Mention (Eervolle Vermelding)
• Bronze Lion (Bronzen Leeuw)
• Resistance Star East Asia (Verzetsster Oost-Azië)
• Bronze Cross (Het Bronzen Kruis)
• Cross of Merit (Kruis van Verdienste)
• Airman's Cross (Vliegerkruis)
• Medal of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
• De Ruyter Medal
• Museum Medal
• Flood Disaster Medal
• Medal of the Red Cross
• Medal of Recognition 1940-1945
• Decoration of Merit
• Expedition Cross (Ereteken voor Belangrijke Krijgsbedrijven)
• Lombok Cross (Lombokkruis)
• War Commemorative Cross (Oorlogsherinneringskruis)
• Resistance Cross (Verzetsherdenkingskruis)
• Medal of Peace and Order (Ereteken voor Orde en Vrede)
• New Guinea Commemorative Cross (Nieuw-Guinea Herinneringskruis)
• Mobilisation War Cross (Mobilisatie-Oorlogskruis)
• Cross Law and Liberty (Kruis voor Recht en Vrijheid)
• Commemorative Medal UN Peace Operations (Herinneringsmedaille VN-Vredesoperaties)
• Commemorative Medal Multinational Peace Operations (Herinneringsmedaille Multinationale Vredesoperaties)
• Remembrance Medal Peace Operations (Herinneringsmedaille Vredesoperaties)
• Commemorative Medal for Humanitarian Assistance in Disasters (Herinneringsmedaille voor Humanitaire Hulpverlening bij Rampen)
• Kosovo Medal (Kosovo-medaille)
• Officer's Cross (Onderscheidingsteken voor Langdurige Dienst als officier)
• Badge for Long, Honest and Loyal Service (Onderscheidingsteken voor Langdurige, Eerlijke en Trouwe Dienst)
• Badge for Loyal Volunteer Service for the Navy and Coast Guard (Onderscheidingsteken voor trouwe dienst bij de Militaire (Marine) Kustwacht voor vrijwillig dienende militairen beneden de rang van officier)
• Volunteer Medal Public Safety (formerly called Volunteers Medal )
• Inauguration Medal 1898
• Royal Wedding Medal 1901
• Royal Wedding Silver Medal 1926
• Honor Guard Commemorative Medal 1933
• Royal Wedding Medal 1937
• Inauguration Medal 1948
• Royal Wedding Silver Medal 1962
• Royal Wedding Medal 1966
• Inauguration Medal 1980
• Netherlands Antilles Visit Medal 1980
• Royal Wedding Medal 2002
• Commemorative Medal for State Visits
• Commemorative Medal of the Second Hague Peace Conference 1907
• Master-Sharpshooter on Rifle of the Royal Navy
• Master-Gunner on Rifle of the Royal Navy
• Royal Medal of Shooting Contests
• Medal for First Class Sharpshooters
• KNIL awards
• Rietkerk Medal
• Navy Foreign Service Medal
• Army Foreign Service Medal
• Marechaussee Foreign Service Medal
• Air Force Foreign Service Medal
• Commemorative Medal Voluntary Police 1948-1998

Other approved medals

• Carnegie Hero Fund Medal
• The Cross for the Four Day Marches(Vierdaagse)

See also

• Orders of knighthood of the Netherlands

External links

• [1]

• Descriptions on http://www.onderscheidingen.nl/nl/medailles/dapperheid/mrd.html

Literature and sources

• W.F. Bax, "Ridderorden, eereteekenen, draagteekens en penningen, betreffende de Weermacht van Nederland en Koloniën (1813-heden)", 1973
• H.G. Meijer, C.P. Mulder en B.W. Wagenaar, "Orders and Decorations of the Netherlands", 1984
• C.H. Evers, "Onderscheidingen", 2001
• J.H. van Zelm van Eldik, "Moed en Trouw", 2003
• O Schutte, De Orde van de Unie" , 1985