Legion of Honour
Also known as Légion d'honneur, French Legion of Honor, Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur, Legion of Honor
highest French order of merit
AI overview
The Legion of Honour is France's highest order of merit, awarded to recognize exceptional service and achievement. It matters because it represents official French recognition of distinguished contributions in fields like military service, government, science, arts, and humanitarian work.
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Wikidata facts
- Official website
- www.legiondhonneur.fr
- Image
- Grand Croix Ordre Légion d'Honneur Troisième République AEA Collections.jpg
- Motto
- Honneur et Patrie
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- National Order of the Legion of Honour
- inception
- 1802-05-19
- Commons gallery
- Ordre national de la Légion d'Honneur
- native label
- Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur
Sources (7)
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Article
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (French: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur [ɔʁdʁ nɑsjɔnal d(ə) la leʒjɔ̃ dɔnœʁ] ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (Ordre impérial de la Légion d'honneur), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. It consists of five classes and was originally established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. The order has been retained, with occasional minor alterations, by all subsequent French governments and regimes.
The order's motto is Honneur et Patrie ("Honour and Fatherland"); 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. Since 1 February 2023, the Order's grand chancellor has been retired general François Lecointre, who succeeded fellow retired general Benoît Puga in office.