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Order of Beneficence

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Order of chivalry in Greece

Order of Beneficience (Greek: Τάγμα της Ευποιΐας) is the name given to two different orders in Greece. One of them (the "Royal Order of Beneficience") is conferred by the Greek royal family, and the other (the "Republican Order") is conferred by the Greek government.

The two orders share three symbols: a "badge", a "star", and a "ribbon". The badge is a five-petaled flower, enameled in blue. The star is a silver eight-pointed star with straight rays. The ribbon is an orange ribbon with blue edges.

Royal Order

Order of Beneficence
Τάγμα της Ευποιΐας
Grand Cross and Star of the Order of Beneficence
Awarded by Kingdom of Greece
the Head of the Royal House of Greece
TypeOrder
MottoΕΥΠΟΙΪΑ
EligibilityOnly for women
Awarded forDistinguished services to Greece and in the public sphere
Statusrarely constituted
SovereignCrown Prince Pavlos
Grand MistressCrown Princess Marie-Chantal
GradesDame Grand Cross
Dame Grand Officer
Dame Commander
Dame Officer
Dame
Precedence
Next (higher)Order of the Phoenix
Next (lower)-

Ribbon bar of the Order of Beneficence

The Royal Order of Beneficence (Greek: Τάγμα της Ευποιΐας) is an order of knighthood of the Greek Royal Family that was established in 1948 by King Pavlos I, following the death of King George II of Greece, in accordance with his wishes.

It is conferred by the Head of the Royal House of Greece as a dynastic Decoration for women especially, Greek and foreign, for the good services they have rendered to the Fatherland in the field of charity as well as for their performance in the arts and letters. The fact that the order is awarded to women does not mean that the other Greek decorations are awarded exclusively to men.

After the abolition of the Kingdom of Greece and its replacement by the Third Hellenic Republic, all orders and decorations of knighthood were disbanded as state orders (although retained as dynastic house orders by the Greek Royal Family) and replaced by republican versions of the orders of knighthood, including this order which is currently awarded by the two entities but as separate orders with their own statutes.

Grades of the Royal Order

The Order has five grades:

  • Dame Grand Cross - wears the badge on a sash from the right shoulder, plus the star on the left chest;
  • Dame Grand Officer - wears the badge on a bow, plus the star on the right chest;
  • Dame Commander - wears the badge on an elongated ribbon bow (day and evening dress) and wears a necklet (uniform)
  • Dame Officer - wears the badge suspended on a ribbon bow on the left chest;
  • Dame - wears a smaller badge suspended on a ribbon bow on the left chest.
Ribbon bars
Dame Grand Cross
Dame Grand Officer
Dame Commander
Dame Officer
Dame

Recipients

Dames Grand Cross

Dame Grand Officer

Republican Order

Order of Beneficence
Τάγμα της Ευποιΐας
Grand Cross and Star of the Order of Beneficence
Awarded by the President of the Hellenic Republic
TypeOrder
MottoΕΥΠΟΙΪΑ
EligibilityOnly for women
Awarded forDistinguished services to Greece and in the public sphere
StatusCurrently constituted
GradesGrand Cross, Grand Commander, Commander, Gold Cross, Silver Cross
Precedence
Next (higher)Order of the Phoenix
Next (lower)-

Ribbon bar of the Order of Beneficence

The Order of Beneficence (Greek: Τάγμα της Ευποιΐας) is an order of Greece which was established in 1975 by law no.106/1975, using the same name and same insignia as that of the order instituted in the previous governance of the Kingdom of Greece, although a separate order with different statutes.

It is conferred by the Greek government as a moral reward for women especially, Greek and foreign, for the good services they have rendered to the Fatherland in the field of charity as well as for their performance in the arts and letters. The fact that the order is awarded to women does not mean that the other Greek decorations are awarded exclusively to men.

Grades

The Order has five classes:

  • Grand Cross - wears the badge on a sash from the right shoulder, plus the star on the left chest;
  • Grand Commander - wears the badge on a bow, plus the star on the right chest;
  • Commander - wears the badge on a bow;
  • Gold Cross - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;
  • Silver Cross - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.
Ribbon bars
Grand Cross
Grand Officer
Commander
Officer
Member

Recipients

Grand Cross

Insignia

The badge of the Order is a five tipped blue-enamelled flower, in silver (or silvered) for the Silver Cross class, in gold (or goldened) for the higher classes. The overall design is clearly derived from the then-recently abolished British Order of the Indian Empire.

There are four versions of the badge :

  • The first was awarded from 1948 to 1973. It is surmounted by a royal crown and features a reverse medallion with the cypher of King George II.
  • The second and third versions were awarded from 1975 to 1984. These versions do not have a surmounting crown and feature reverse medallions without an inscription, or with the initials “ED” (the first letters to “Greek Republic”).
  • The fourth version has neither a crown but features a reverse medallion with the national coat of arms and “Greek Republic” in full.

All four versions feature an obverse central disc bearing a portrait of the Theotokos with the Divine Child in Her arms with the legend "ΕΥΠΟΙΙΑ" («Beneficence») on a white enamel ring.

The star of the Order is a silver eight-pointed star with straight rays, with the same central disc as the obverse of the badge.

There may be other slight differences of the badge or the star depending on the manufacturer.

The ribbon of the Order is orange with blue edges.

References

See also

Further reading

  • George J. Beldecos, "Hellenic Orders, Decorations and Medals", pub. Hellenic War Museum, Athens 1991, ISBN 960-85054-0-2.

External links

Greek orders timeline
Orders by precedence 1832–1909 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970–present
Order of the Redeemer . Rep.
Order of Honour Rep.
Order of Saints George and Constantine . . . Dynastic
Order of Saints Olga and Sophia . . . Dynastic
Order of George I . . . . Dynastic
Order of the Phoenix . Rep.
Order of Beneficence . Rep.
Years
Regime Monarchy Republic Mon. Rep. Monarchy Rep.
1832–1909 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970–present
Orders, decorations, and medals of Greece
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