Oldest and highest honor of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military William Order Militaire Willems-Orde
Knight Military William Order 4th class medal (post 2000 model)
Awarded by King of the Netherlands
Type
Chivalric order with four degrees
Established
30 April 1815
Country
Netherlands
Motto
Voor Moed, Beleid en Trouw (For Bravery, Leadership and Loyalty)
Awarded for
Performing acts of excellent Bravery, Leadership and Loyalty in battle.
Status
Currently constituted
Grand Master
King Willem-Alexander
Chancellor
Major general H. Morsink[1]
Grades
Knight Grand Cross Commander Knight 3rd class Knight 4th class Orange Lanyard (unit award)
Statistics
First induction
William Frederick, Prince of Orange
Last induction
Major Roy de Ruiter
Total inductees
5,877
Precedence
Next (higher)
None (highest)
Next (lower)
Cross for Courage and Fidelity
Ribbon bar of Knight Grand Cross Ribbon bar of Commander Ribbon bar of Knight 3rd class Ribbon bar of Knight 4th class
The Military William Order, or often named Military Order of William (Dutch: Militaire Willems-Orde, abbreviation: MWO), is the oldest and highest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is named after St. William of Gellone (755–814), the first Prince of Orange.[2][3] Its motto is Voor Moed, Beleid en Trouw (For Bravery, Leadership and Loyalty). The chivalric order was established on 30 April 1815 by King William I and was presented for feats of excellent bravery on the battlefield and as a meritorious decoration to senior military officers. Comparable with the French Légion d’Honneur but far less often awarded, it is open to everyone regardless of rank or nobility—not only to Dutch military, but also to foreigners. To date, membership in the Order is extremely rarely awarded, and only for exceptional bravery in battle.
In the spring of 1940 it was decided that civilians would receive the Order for heroic acts in the resistance. After the liberation of the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies, several men and one woman from the resistance were awarded it.
^"De Kanselarij der Nederlandse Orden" [Chancellery of the Netherlands' Orders]. Chancellery of the Dutch Orders (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 October 2022.
^"Willem de Heilige". Dutch public broadcasting organization KRO (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 31 December 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
^"Newsletter no. 5.2" (PDF). Museum of the Chancery of Dutch orders (in Dutch). 2018.
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Global Information
King of the Netherlands
Major Roy de Ruiter
