Orders in the monarch’s gift
These decorations are conferred by the head of a royal house (the monarch) on persons who have rendered special service to the Royal House.
The Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau
The King and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg are joint Grand Masters of the Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau. They may confer decorations in this Order separately or together. The Order symbolises the unity and solidarity between the two branches of the House of Nassau. There is only one class: Knight. Princes and Princesses born into the two branches, and the sons, daughters, brothers and sisters of the heads of both branches are Knights of the Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau from birth. The Order may be conferred on sovereigns and members of other royal houses, and also on individuals with the title of ‘Excellency’ if they have earned a distinguished international reputation.
The Order of the House of Orange
The Order of the House of Orange is conferred on nationals of the Netherlands and other countries who have rendered meritorious service to the King or to the Royal House. The award of this Order is entirely a matter for the head of the House of Orange-Nassau: as Grand Master, he or she decides who is to be appointed to the Order. There are three classes: Grand Cross, Grand Cross of Honour and Cross of Honour.
The Order of the Crown
The Order of the Crown is a decoration conferred on ‘foreign nationals who have rendered meritorious service to Us or Our House’. It is divided into five classes: Grand Cross, Grand Cross of Honour with Plaque, Grand Cross of Honour, Cross of Honour with Rosette and Cross of Honour.