Order of Civil Merit (Spain)

The Order of Civil Merit was established by King Alfonso XIII of Spain by royal decree on June 25, 1926 , after approval by the Head of the Council of Ministers of Spain, General Miguel Primo de Rivera ( 1870 - 1930 ). The first statute of the order was published on May 25, 1927 .

The order was established with the aim of recognizing civil merits for the state, provinces and municipalities, as well as rewarding emergency service employees who have done things for the good of the nation. The order could also be awarded to foreign citizens as a reward for their merits, or by diplomatic protocol.

Initially, the order consisted of 4 degrees:

• Big cross
• Grand Officer
• Commander
• Cavalier

In addition, the Silver Cross was established as a difference of a lower degree.

The order was presented on behalf of the king, at the suggestion of the Minister of State, with the consent of the Council of Ministers when it came to awarding the degree of the Grand Cross, or through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On July 24, 1931, by its decree, the Provisional Government of the Spanish Republic abolished the order along with other orders of Spain, with the exception of the order of Isabella the Catholic, and intended to replace it with republican orders. During the interregnum, by order of November 7, 1942, the Order for Civil Merit was reinstated in its former meaning, benefits and length of service, with the determination that the order can be awarded to women (on the bow), and new degrees were also determined:

• Order chain
• Big cross
• Grand Officer
• Commander
• an officer
• Cavalier
• Silver cross

The updated statute was approved by decree of February 3, 1945 .

By a subsequent decree of July 26, 1957, the Order Chain was established in the order as the highest degree of distinction. The chain of orders was reserved for delivery to foreign monarchs and heads of state, in exceptional cases, to those submitted to the Spanish Crown who had already been awarded the degree of the Grand Cross of the Order, but had been presented for the next award.

The badge of the order is a golden Andreev cross of blue enamel with anchor ends. Between the shoulders of the cross are golden strals. In the center is an oval medallion in the center of which on a red enamel is a golden composition of a goddess holding a sword over a bowl with a lit fire. The medallion is bordered with a border of blue enamel with the inscription “AL MERITO CIVIL”. Above the medallion is a royal crown with colored enamels. The sign with the help of a transitional link in the form of a laurel wreath in green enamels is attached to the order ribbon.

The star of the order is rhomboid with the sign of the order superimposed. For the degree, the Order chain is gold, with a laurel wreath of green enamel under the image of the sign of the order. Degrees The big cross is golden, without a wreath. Degrees Grand Officer - similar to a star of the degree of the Grand Cross, but silver.

The sign of the degree of a cavalier is silver, without enamels on the medallion.

The silver cross is similar to the sign of the degree of a gentleman, but without the stral between the shoulders of the cross and without enamel.

The ribbon of the order is blue with a white stripe in the middle.

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  Sign of the Big Cross with diamonds

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  Big Cross Star with Diamonds

• Royal Decree of November 6, 1998 No. 2396/1998 approving the new Statute of the Order of Civil Merit

• Peace Awards (link not available)
• Order of Civil Merit
• Spain: Order of Civil Merit