Legion of Honour

The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), 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 '''' ("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.''; Officer of the Legion of Honour; '; Commander of the Legion of Honour; '; Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour; '; Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour; '. The word ' is often capitalised, as in the name of the palace '.}} 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: ' (Knight), ' (Officer), ' (Commander), ' (Grand Officer) and '''' (Grand Cross). Provided by Wikipedia