Order of Civil Merit facts for kids

For other uses, see Order of Civil Merit (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Order of Civil Merit Orden del Mérito Civil
Grand Cross set of insignia of the Order
Awarded by the Spanish Monarch
Type	Civil Order
Established	1926; 99 years ago (1926)
Royal house	House of Bourbon-Spain
Awarded for	Service to the State, the Provinces and Municipalities
Status	Currently Constituted
Grand Master	King Felipe VI
Grand Chancellor	José Manuel Albares, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Chancellor	Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs
Grades	Collar Grand-Cross Commander of Number Commander Officer Cross Cross Silver Cross
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of Isabella the Catholic
Next (lower)	Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise
- The Ribbons of the Order

This image shows the special coat of arms for Ignacio Echeverría. It includes his Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit from Spain, the Silver Medal of the Order of Police Merit from Spain, and the George Medal from the United Kingdom.

The Order of Civil Merit (Spanish: Orden del Mérito Civil) is a special award from Spain. King Alfonso XIII of Spain created it in 1926. This award honors people who show great "civic virtue." This means they have done amazing things for their country. It can be given to Spanish citizens or even people from other countries. They are recognized for their excellent service to Spain.

History of the Order
Ranks and Badges
Famous People Who Received the Order
Gallery
See also

History of the Order

The Order of Civil Merit was created by King Alfonso XIII of Spain. This happened on June 25, 1926. The idea came from the President of the Council of Ministers, General Miguel Primo de Rivera. The first rules for the Order were set on May 25, 1927.

Why the Order Was Created

This award was made to recognize public workers. These are people who serve the government, provinces, and cities. It also honors Spanish citizens who do extraordinary things for the country. Sometimes, it can even be given to foreign citizens. This might be a polite gesture or a way to return a favor between countries.

How the Order Changed Over Time

When it first started, the Order had five main levels:

Grand Cross (Gran Cruz)
Commander by Number (Comendador de Número)
Commander (Comendador)
Knight (Caballero)
Silver Cross (Cruz de Plata)

The King would decide who received the award. He would get suggestions from the Minister of State. For the highest award, the Grand Cross, the Council of Ministers also had to agree. Each award needed a clear reason for why the person deserved it.

Later, in 1931, the government changed. The new government, called the Provisional Government of the Republic, stopped this Order. They wanted to create a new award instead.

However, the Order of Civil Merit was brought back. This happened on November 7, 1942. It returned with its old features and importance. New levels were added, like "Cordon" for women receiving the Grand Cross. "Knot" was added for women receiving the Knight degree.

In 1957, the highest level was added: the Knight of the Collar. This special award is usually given to kings, queens, or heads of state. Very rarely, it goes to other important people who already have the Grand Cross.

Modern Rules for the Order

Over the years, Spain changed a lot. Its society, politics, and laws evolved. Because of this, the rules for the Order needed to be updated. The goal was to keep the original spirit of the award. It also kept its important place among other Spanish awards.

So, new rules were approved on November 6, 1998. These new rules brought all the scattered old rules into one document.

One big change was removing gender-specific names for awards. For example, "Lady's Cordon" became part of the "Grand Cross." "Knight's Cross" and "Dame's Knot" became simply "Cross." This was done to make sure there was no unfair treatment based on gender.

Women who receive the award can now wear smaller versions of the badges. They can also wear them differently. This is for comfort and style, especially with formal dresses.

The rules also added new ways to give awards to organizations. If an organization has flags, it can get a "Tie." If it doesn't have flags, it can get a "Badge of Honor."

Finally, the new rules made sure awards are given for real merit. They clearly explain what achievements count for an award. They also detail how proposals for awards should be made. This ensures that each award is truly deserved.

Ranks and Badges

The ribbon for most levels of the Order is blue. It has a thin white stripe in the middle. The "Collar" level ribbon is blue with two white stripes on its edges.

The Order of Civil Merit has seven different levels, or classes:

Collar (Collar) - This is the highest award. It includes a special necklace.
Grand Cross (Gran Cruz) - This level includes a sash and a golden star badge.
Commander by Number (Encomienda de Número) - This level has a silver star badge.
Commander (Encomienda) - This level features a golden star badge worn around the neck.
Officer's Cross (Cruz de Oficial) - This is a golden cross hanging from a ribbon.
Knight's Cross (Cruz) - This is a silver cross hanging from a ribbon.
Silver Cross (Cruz de Plata) - This is a simpler silver cross on a ribbon.

Insignia


Collar	Collar Grade Star	Grand Cross Star	Commander by Number Star


Commander	Officer's Cross	Knight's Cross	Silver Cross

Famous People Who Received the Order

The Collar and Grand Cross are the highest levels of the Order. They have been given to many important people. This includes kings, queens, presidents, and diplomats from around the world.

Leaders and Presidents

2023: João Lourenço and Ana Dias Lourenço, the president and first lady of Angola.
2021: Moon Jae-in and Kim Jung-sook, the president and first lady of Republic of Korea.
2015: Mohamed Ould Ahmed Salem Ould Mohamed Rare, interior minister of Mauritania.
2012: Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, the president of Mexico.
2009: Sir Kenneth Hall and Lady Rheima Hall, the governor-general and first lady of Jamaica.
2010: Petro Poroshenko, president of Ukraine (he was minister of foreign affairs at the time).
2008: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates.
2007: Roh Moo-hyun and Kwon Yang-suk, the president and first lady of the Republic of Korea.
2003: Georgi Parvanov and Zorka Parvanova, the president and first lady of Bulgaria.
2003: Ion Iliescu, the president of Romania.
2003: Islom Karimov, the president of Uzbekistan.
2002: Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the president of Algeria.
1999: Petar Stoyanov and Antonina Stoyanova, the president and first lady of Bulgaria.
1996: Leonid Kuchma and Lyudmila Kuchma, the president and first lady of Ukraine.
1995: Mahathir Mohamad, the prime minister of Malaysia.
1994: Fidel V. Ramos and Amelita Ramos, the president and first lady of the Philippines.
1993: Zhelyu Zhelev and Maria Zheleva, the president and first lady of Bulgaria.
1994: Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya and Aïcha Mint Ahmed Tolba, the president and first lady of Mauritania.
1988: Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, the president of Indonesia.
1979: Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the president of Côte d'Ivoire.
1978: Saddam Hussein, who was then the vice president of Iraq.
1968: Habib Bourguiba and Wassila Ben Ammar, the president and first lady of Tunisia.
1968: Habib Bourguiba Jr., minister of foreign affairs of Tunisia.
1965: Chiang Kai-shek, the president of the Republic of China.
1957: Camille Chamoun, the president of Lebanon.