Order of Leopold (Belgium)
| Order of Leopold Ordre de Léopold Leopoldsorde | |
|---|---|
Order of Leopold (Civil Grand Cordon set of insignia) | |
| Awarded by King of the Belgians | |
| Type | Order of Merit with five degrees |
| Established | 11 July 1832 |
| Motto | L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE - EENDRACHT MAAKT MACHT EINIGKEIT MACHT STARK (Union makes strength) (Unity Makes Strength) |
| Eligibility | Belgian and foreign citizens |
| Awarded for | meritorious service to the Belgian state or society |
| Status | Active |
| Grand Master | His Majesty King Philippe |
| Grades |
|
| Statistics | |
| First induction | French Sapper Valentin Ausseil |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | None (highest) |
| Next (lower) | Order of the African Star |
Ribbon (knight) | |
The Order of Leopold (Dutch: Leopoldsorde, French: Ordre de Léopold, German: Leopoldsorden) is one of the three current Belgian national honorary orders of knighthood. It is the oldest and highest order of Belgium and is named in honour of its founder, King Leopold I. It consists of a military, a maritime and a civil division. The maritime division is only awarded to personnel of the merchant navy, and the military division to military personnel. The decoration was established on 11 July 1832 and is awarded by Royal decree.