Decorations
The Military Order of William is awarded for bravery in battle. Other orders are conferred on persons who have rendered special service to the Royal House. And businesses can be granted the designation “Purveyor to the Royal Household”.
Royal decorations
There are two civilian orders of chivalry in the Netherlands:
- the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands;
- the Order of Orange-Nassau.
These honours are conferred on persons who have rendered exceptional service to society. Candidates are nominated by the mayor of the municipality where they live. Foreign nationals may also receive an honour, for which they are nominated via the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The third order of chivalry is the Military Order of William, awarded for bravery. It is a reward for civilians and military personnel who have distinguished themselves by performing acts of conspicuous bravery, leadership and devotion to duty. Candidates or their superiors may apply for this to the Minister of Defence. The Queen is the Grand Master of the orders. She signs every award.
For more information on royal decorations and how to apply for them, go to www.lintjes.nl.
Orders for services to the Royal House
There are two such orders:
- the Order of the House of Orange;
- the Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau.
These honours are conferred on persons who have rendered special service to the Royal House. The Queen is Grand Master of the Order of the House of Orange. She and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg are joint Grand Masters of the Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau.
The designation "Royal"
The Queen can confer on a business, association or institution the right to use the designation "Royal". To be eligible, an organisation has to be a leader in its field, be of national importance, and have existed for at least 100 years. There are currently some 550 "royal" businesses, institutions and associations in the Netherlands.
For more information on the designation "Royal", organisations should contact the mayor of the municipality where they are based.
Purveyor to the Royal Household
King Willem I introduced the designation "Purveyor to the Royal
Household" in 1815. This designation entitles businesses to display
the royal coat of arms with the legend "By Royal Warrant Purveyor
to the Royal Household".
The Queen can grant the designation to small and medium-sized
businesses that occupy an important position in their region and
have existed for at least 100 years. Around 250 businesses are
currently entitled to call themselves "Purveyors to the Royal
Household".
For more information on the designation "Purveyor to the Royal Household", businesses should contact the mayor of the municipality where they are based.
