Legion of Honour
| National Order of the Legion of Honour Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur | |
|---|---|
Current version of the Grand Cross of the order given by President René Coty to Dutch Prime Minister Willem Drees | |
| Awarded by the president of France | |
| Type | Order of merit |
| Established | 19 May 1802 |
| Country | France |
| Motto | Honneur et patrie ("Honour and Fatherland") |
| Eligibility | Military and civilians |
| Awarded for | Excellent civil or military conduct delivered, upon official investigation |
| Founder | Napoleon Bonaparte |
| Grand Master | Emmanuel Macron, President of France |
| Grand Chancellor | François Lecointre |
| Secretary-General | Julien Le Gars |
| Classes | (in 2010)
|
| Statistics | |
| First induction | 15 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 [ɔʁdʁ nɑsjɔnal də 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. Currently consisting of five classes, it was originally established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, and it has been retained (with occasional slight alterations) by all later 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.
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).