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Royal Order of the Crown
The Star and Badge of the Order
Awarded by The Head of the House of Württemberg
Type	Dynastic Order
Royal house	House of Württemberg
Ribbon	Pale blue with gold edges bearing a narrow red stripe
Motto	Furchtlos und Treu ("Fearless and True")
Awarded for	Conspicuous and special merit
Status	active
Sovereign	Duke Wilhelm
Grades	Knight Grand Cross, Special Class
Former grades	Knight Grand Cross Knight Commander Commander Cross of Honour Knight Gold service medal Silver service medal
Precedence
Next (higher)	None (highest)
Next (lower)	Royal Decoration of Olga
Sovereign, Grand Master and Grand Crosses, Special Class Al other grades of the Order.

The Order of the Württemberg Crown (Orden der Württembergischen Krone) was an order of chivalry in Württemberg.

History

First established in 1702 as the St.-Hubertus-Jagdorden (Hunting Order of St Hubert), in 1807 it was renamed the Ritterorden vom Goldenen Adler (Knightly Order of the Golden Eagle) by Frederick I, and on 23 September 1818 renewed and restructured (at the same time as the civil orders) by William I as the Order of the Württemberg Crown with (initially) 3 classes (grand cross, commander, knight). In 1889 and 1892, the order was expanded and changed.

Its motto reads 'Furchtlos und treu ('fearless and loyal'). Until 1913 the higher orders were restricted to the nobility. In descending order, its ranks were:

1. Knight Grand Cross, Special Class (for sovereigns)
2. Knight Grand Cross
3. Knight Commander (since 1889)
4. Commander
5. Cross of Honour (Ehrenkreuz; since 1892)
6. Knight (since 1892 with golden lions, and since 1864 also with a crown, as a special honour)
7. Gold service medal (Verdienstmedaille)
8. Silver service medal (Verdienstmedaille, abolished 1892)

Insignia

Cross

The order's cross was a white enameled Maltese cross with gold lions in its four angles. The lions came as standard for the grand cross and Komtur, but were only on knight's crosses as a special honour. On the upper arm, a golden crown was secured by means of two gold bands, from which – except in the honour cross in stuck form – the cross hung. The medallion was gold and blue on the front, and in the middle were the golden initials of king Frederick I and a crown – on the back was a golden crown, on red. All grades could since 1866 be awarded with swords. With the changes of 1890, the swords were only granted in awards of a higher class. Since 1892 the lowest grades (1870–1886 knight 2nd class, after that honour-cross) also had the special honours of golden lion and (since 1864) lion added.

Stars

The grand-cross was a silver 8-pointed star in whose middle was a reduced cross in a medallion with a circular motto in the centre. Sovereigns received the star in gold. The Komtur (since 1889 no longer of the Komtur with star) had a 4-pointed silver star whose rays went through the cross angles.

Ribbon

The ribbon was carmine red with black stripes and carmine borders. Members of reigning houses received insignia of the grand-cross with a ribbon in scarlet.

Awards

Many awards were made – in the First World War alone, the numbers were:

• Gold Verdienstmedaille: 141
• Knight cross with swords: insgesamt ca. 350
• Knight cross with swords and lions: 80
• Ehrenkreuz with swords: ca. 160
• Komtur with swords: 75
• Komtur with star and swords: 6
• Grand cross with swords: 6

As an extraordinary instance, the grand-cross "in Brillanten" was granted to Reichskanzler Otto von Bismarck in 1871.

Bibliography

• Jörg Nimmergut, Handbuch Deutsche Orden, Saarbrücken 1989, 315-320
• ders., Deutsche Orden und Ehrenzeichen 1800-1945, Bd. III Sachsen - Württemberg I, München 1999, 1677–1704, ISBN 3-00-001396-2

v t e Orders, decorations, and medals of Württemberg
Order of the Crown Military Merit Order Friedrich Order Order of Olga

v t e Orders, decorations, and medals of the German Empire
Kingdom of Prussia	Order of the Black Eagle Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown Order of the Red Eagle Order of the Crown House Order of Hohenzollern Pour le Mérite Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg) Order of Louise Wilhelm-Orden
Kingdom of Bavaria	Order of Saint Hubert Military Order of Max Joseph Military Merit Order (Bavaria) Order of Theresa Order of Saint Elizabeth Royal Order of Saint George Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown Order of Saint Michael (Bavaria) Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art Order of Louis (Bavaria) Medical military Order
Kingdom of Saxony	Order of the Rue Crown Military Order of St. Henry Albert Order Civil Order of Saxony Order of Sidonia Order of Maria Anna
Kingdom of Württemberg	Order of the Crown (Württemberg) Military Merit Order (Württemberg) Friedrich Order Order of Olga
Kingdom of Hanover	Order of St. George Royal Guelphic Order Order of Ernst August
Grand Duchy of Baden	Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order Order of Berthold the First Order of the Zähringer Lion House Order of Fidelity
Grand Duchy of Hesse	House Order of the Golden Lion Ludwig Order Order of Philip the Magnanimous Order of the Star of Brabant General Honor Decoration
Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel	House Order of the Golden Lion Wilhelm Order Order of the Iron Helmet
Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt	Order of Philip the Magnanimous
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Order of the Griffon (Mecklenburg) House Order of the Wendish Crown
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz	Order of the Griffon (Mecklenburg) House Order of the Wendish Crown
Grand Duchy of Oldenburg	House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis Friedrich-August Cross
Duchy of Saxe-Weimar	Order of the White Falcon
Duchy of Brunswick	Order of Henry the Lion
Duchy of Nassau	Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau Order of Adolphe of Nassau
Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg	Saxe-Ernestine House Order
Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha	Saxe-Ernestine House Order (2006: Saxe-Coburg-Gotha House Order)
Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen	Saxe-Ernestine House Order
Duchy of Anhalt	Order of Albert the Bear Order of Merit for Science and Art
Principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen	House Order of Hohenzollern
Principality of Hohenzollern-Hechingen	House Order of Hohenzollern
Principality of Lippe-Detmold	Order of the Cross of Honour (Lippe) Order of Leopold (Lippe) Order of Berta Order of the Rose of Lippe
Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe	Order of the Cross of Honour (Lippe)
Principality of Reuss	Princely Reuss Honour Cross
Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt	Princely Schwarzburg Honor Cross
Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen	Princely Schwarzburg Honor Cross
Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont	Order of Merit (Waldeck and Pyrmont)
Free cities	Hanseatic Cross

• Orders of chivalry of Germany
• Orders, decorations, and medals of Württemberg
• 1702 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire
• Awards established in 1702