View source for Order of the Crown (Monaco)

{{Infobox order
|title            = Order of the Crown<br>''Ordre de la Couronne''
|image           = [[Image:Orde van de Kroon van Monaco 1964.jpg|100px|]]
|caption         = Knights' cross of the Order of the Crown
|awarded_by      =[[Image:Flag of Monaco.svg|18px]] [[Prince of Monaco]]
|type            =[[House Order]]
|motto           =
|day             =
|eligibility     = Citizens of Monaco and foreigners
|for             = People who have done something exceptional or by their exceptional conduct
|status          = Currently constituted
|head_title=Grandmaster
|head = [[Albert II, Prince of Monaco]]
|head2_title     = Chancellor
|head2           = [[Raoul Biancheri]], Plenipotentiary Minister
|commander       =
|grades          = Knight-Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer, Knight
|former_grades   =
|date            = 20 July 1960
|first_induction =
|last_induction  =
|total           =
|recipients      =
|individual      =
|higher          = [[Order of Saint Charles (Monaco)|Order of Saint Charles]]
|lower           = [[Order of Grimaldi]]
|image2          = [[Image:MCO Order of the Crown - Knight BAR.svg|85px]]
|caption2        = Ribbon bar of the Order of the Crown
}}
The '''Order of the Crown''' ({{langx|fr|Ordre de la Couronne}}; [[Monégasque dialect|Monégasque]]: ''U̍rdine d’a Curuna'') is an order established in [[Monaco]] on 20 July 1960. This decoration is awarded to people who have done something exceptional or for their exceptional conduct.<ref>{{cite web|title=Royal Orders and Decorations|url=http://www.palais.mc/monaco/palais-princier/english/sovereign-house/royal-orders-and-decorations/royal-orders-and-decorations.363.html|work=palais.mc/|publisher=Prince's Palace Monaco|accessdate=17 June 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511011840/http://www.palais.mc/monaco/palais-princier/english/sovereign-house/royal-orders-and-decorations/royal-orders-and-decorations.363.html|archivedate=11 May 2012}}</ref>
== Award ==
It is awarded to people with high merit by the Grand-Master, currently [[Albert II, Prince of Monaco]].
=== Reception ===
According to the statutes, and except for Members of the Princely Family and foreigners, one can only receive the Order first with the rank of Knight. To be awarded the following higher ranks, one must hold the lower rank for a set number of years.  To be promoted to Officer, one must serve four years as a knight, promotion from Officer to Commander is three years, Commander to Grand Officer is four years, and finally promotion from Grand Officer to Grand Cross requires a period of five years.<ref name=ordonnance/>
Nominations to the order belong to the Grand-Master. The Chancellor proposes promotions. According to the Prince's orders, the Chancellor proposes the projects of nomination and promotion ordonnances. The grantees must be received in the Order before wearing the decorations. The Grand-Master receives the Grand Crosses, Grand Officers and Commanders. The Chancellor receives the Officers and Knights. The exception being that foreigners will be admitted in the Order, but not received.<ref name=ordonnance>{{cite web|title=Ordonnance 2.284 du 20/07/1960 instituant l'Ordre de la Couronne|url=http://www.legimonaco.mc/305/legismclois.nsf/db3b0488a44ebcf9c12574c7002a8e84/d5c6aa3f28b331f2c125773f003829da!OpenDocument|work=legimonaco.mc/|publisher=Gouvernement de Monaco|accessdate=17 June 2012|language=French}}</ref>
=== Military honors ===
Members of the Order who are wearing their decorations are entitled to receive military honours from the [[Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince]].  Officers and Knights are honoured by the execution of the command "Port, ARMS" (''Portez, Armes'').   For Grand Crosses, Grand Officers and Commanders, they are honoured by the execution of the command "Present, ARMS" (''Présentez, Armes'').<ref name=ordonnance/>
== Grades ==
The order is composed of five grades:<ref name=ordonnance/>
* Grand Cross. ''Badge hanging from the sash worn from the right shoulder to the left hip and breast star on the left chest''.
* Grand Officer. ''Badge hanging from a necklet and breast star on the left chest''
* Commander. ''Badge hanging from a necklet''
* Officer. ''Badge hanging from a ribbon with rosette''
* Knight. ''Badge hanging from a ribbon''
== Insignia ==
The badge of the order is a [[cross pattée]] with fluted arms of silver and a central gold stripe.  Between each set of arms of the cross is the monogram of the order's founder [[Rainier III]], in gold.  The medallion in the center of the cross bears a prince's crown.  On the reverse of the badge the medallion bears the [[Lozenge (heraldry)|lozengy]] arms of Monaco and the [[House of Grimaldi]].  The badge is mounted by an oak and laurel wreath.<ref name=orders>{{cite book|last=Hieronymussen|first=Paul|title=Orders and Decorations of Europe in Color|year=1967|publisher=The Macmillan Company|location=New York|pages=168–169}}</ref>
The star of the order is identical to the badge, but lacks the wreath for mounting.  Additionally, the center medallion is surrounded by a ring of lozenges.<ref name=orders/>
The ribbon of the order is olive green with a central red stripe.<ref name=orders/>
{|align=center class=wikitable width=60%
! colspan=5|'''Ribbon bars'''
|-
|width=20% valign=top align=center|[[File:MCO Order of the Crown - Grand Cross BAR.svg|100px|center]]<small>Grand Cross</small>
|width=20% valign=top align=center|[[File:MCO Order of the Crown - Grand Officer BAR.svg|100px|center]]<small>Grand Officer</small>
|width=20% valign=top align=center|[[File:MCO Order of the Crown - Commander BAR.svg|100px|center]]<small>Commander</small>
|width=20% valign=top align=center|[[File:MCO Order of the Crown - Officer BAR.svg|100px|center]]<small>Officer</small>
|width=20% valign=top align=center|[[File:MCO Order of the Crown - Knight BAR.svg|100px|center]]<small>Knight</small>
|-
|}
==Recipients==
* [[Princess Benedikte of Denmark]]
* [[Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois]]
===Grand Masters===
* [[Albert II, Prince of Monaco]]
* [[Rainier III, Prince of Monaco]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* The statutes of the Order of Saint-Charles ([http://www.legimonaco.mc/305/legismclois.nsf/db3b0488a44ebcf9c12574c7002a8e84/847b3db8901892bec125773f003757df!OpenDocument text of the ordonnance in French]) are used for the Order of the Crown, with "Chancellor of the Order of the Crown" instead of "Chancellor of the Order of Saint-Charles" where needed.
[[Category:Orders, decorations, and medals of Monaco|Crown (Monaco), Order of the]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1960]]