Ordre national du Mérite facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ordre national du Mérite
Sash, badge and star of a Grand Cross
Awarded by the President of France
Type	Order of merit
Established	3 December 1963
Ribbon	Blue
Awarded for	Distinguished civil or military achievements
Status	Active
Grand Master	President Emmanuel Macron
Grades	Grand Cross Grand Officer Commander Officer Knight
Statistics
First induction	1963
Precedence
Next (higher)	Military Medal
Next (lower)	National Recognition Medal for Victims of Terrorism
Related	Order of Agricultural Merit Order of Maritime Merit
Grand-croix Grand-officier Commandeur Officier Chevalier Ribbon bars of the order

The Ordre national du Mérite (which means National Order of Merit) is a special French award. The President of France gives this award to people who have done great things. It was started on December 3, 1963, by President Charles de Gaulle.

This award was created for two main reasons. First, it replaced many smaller awards given by different government groups. Second, it offered an award for achievements that were important but perhaps not quite at the level of the very famous Legion of Honour. The Legion of Honour is usually given to French citizens for truly exceptional service. Today, about 185,000 people are members of this order. Over 50 years, more than 306,000 people have received or been promoted within it.

History of the National Order of Merit

The National Order of Merit has about 185,000 members today. Over its 50-year history, more than 306,000 people have been honored. An interesting rule is that half of the people who receive this award must be women.

Why the Order Was Created

Before 1963, many different French government groups gave out their own special awards. The National Order of Merit was created to bring all these awards under one main system. This made the awards simpler and more organized.

It replaced many older awards, including some from France's former colonies. These older awards recognized achievements in specific areas like trade, public health, or sports. The new National Order of Merit became a single award for all kinds of important civil or military achievements.

How the Order Works

Rules for Receiving the Award

Both French citizens and people from other countries can receive the National Order of Merit. It is given for excellent achievements in military or civilian life. These achievements are important, but they are usually not as high-level as those needed for the Legion of Honour.

The President of the French Republic is the main leader of the order. He or she is called the Grand Master. The President chooses all the members, usually based on advice from the French government. The order shares an office and a leader (called a Chancellor) with the Legion of Honour. Every Prime Minister of France automatically becomes a Grand Cross of the order after serving for six months.

Different Levels of the Order

The National Order of Merit has five different levels, just like the Legion of Honour. These levels show how important a person's achievements are and how long they have been a member.

• Three Ranks:
  • Knight (Chevalier): This is the first level. To become a Knight, a person must be at least 35 years old. They also need to have done at least 10 years of public service and shown "distinguished merits." For military officers, this usually means 15 years of good service.
  • Officer (Officier): To move up to Officer, a person must have been a Knight for at least 5 years. For military officers, this means 7 years as a Knight.
  • Commander (Commandeur): To become a Commander, a person must have been an Officer for at least 5 years.

• Two Higher Dignities:
  • Grand Officer (Grand Officier): This is a very high level. To reach it, a person must have been a Commander for at least 3 years.
  • Grand Cross (Grand-Croix): This is the highest level of the order. To become a Grand Cross, a person must have been a Grand Officer for at least 3 years.

The Insignia (Badges and Medals)

The National Order of Merit has special badges, stars, and ribbons that members wear. These items show their level in the order. The famous French artist Max Leognany designed them.

• Knight – wears a medal on the left side of their chest.
• Officer – wears a medal with a small flower-like decoration (called a rosette) on the left side of their chest.
• Commander – wears a medal on a ribbon around their neck.
• Grand Officer – wears a medal with a rosette on the left side of their chest, plus a special star on the right side of their stomach.
• Grand Cross – wears a wide ribbon (called a sash) from their right shoulder to their left hip. They also wear a star on the left side of their stomach.

How the different levels of the National Order of Merit are worn.

Reverse side of the Knight's medal.

The medal of the order is a blue, six-pointed star with laurel leaves between its points. It looks like a Maltese cross. The front of the medal shows the head of Marianne, who is a symbol of the French Republic. Around her head are the words République française (French Republic). The back of the medal has crossed French flags and the name of the order with its founding date.

The star (also called a plaque) is worn by Grand Officers and Grand Cross members. It is a twelve-pointed sunburst shape. The center of the star also shows the head of Marianne, surrounded by the words République française and the order's name.

The ribbon for the medal is a solid blue color. For Officers and higher levels, a rosette is added to the ribbon. For Commanders, Grand Officers, and Grand Cross members, the rosette has special silver or gold bars.

Ordre national du Mérite Ribbons
Knight	Officer	Commander	Grand Officer	Grand Cross

Buttonhole Ribbons

People can also wear smaller ribbons on their lapels or buttonholes to show they are members of the order. These small ribbons look different for each level.

Knight	Officer	Commander	Grand Officer	Grand Cross
Knight's buttonhole ribbon	Officer's buttonhole ribbon	Commander's buttonhole ribbon	Grand Officer's buttonhole ribbon	Grand Cross's buttonhole ribbon

Famous People Who Received the Award

Many well-known people, both French and from other countries, have been honored with the National Order of Merit. This list includes actors, scientists, politicians, and military leaders.

French Citizens

Foreign Nationals

• James R. Allen Us Air Force General

Images for kids

• 

  Commandant Jacques Cousteau, a Grand-Croix of the Ordre national du Mérite.

• 

  Actor, director and writer Jacques Weber, a Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite.

• 

  US Navy Admiral Frank Bowman, an Officier of the Ordre national du Mérite

See also

In Spanish: Orden Nacional del Mérito (Francia) para niños

• List of Foreign recipients of the Ordre national du Mérite
• Order (decoration)
• Ribbons of the French military and civil awards
• State decoration