Royal Order of Cambodia explained

Royal Order of Cambodia
Awarded By:

King of Cambodia
Type:Order
Status:Currently constituted
Head Title:Sovereign
Head:Norodom Sihamoni
Established:8 February 1864
1864 – 1955 (Order of the French Protectorate of Cambodia)
1908 – present (as Royal Order of Cambodia)
Image Size2:100px

The Royal Order of Cambodia (Central Khmer: គ្រឿងឥស្សរិយយសព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា; French: Ordre royal du Cambodge) was a colonial order of chivalry of French Cambodia, and is still in use as an order of chivalry in the present-day Kingdom of Cambodia.[1]

History

Colonialism

On 8 February 1864, the king founded the Royal Order of Cambodia as an order of merit with five degrees. After 1896, the French government and the kings of Cambodia each granted themselves the Order of Cambodia. The French president was rightly Grand Cross in the Royal Order of Cambodia. The order served to distinguish civilians and soldiers, subjects of the king or strangers, who had made themselves worthy. In 1896, the order was officially taken up in the French system of colonial orders of chivalry.

For French appointments, the recipient had to be at least 29 years old and enter the Order first as a knight, to be promoted to a higher grade after a certain period. Only officers of the Légion d'honneur could become a commander in the Order and only commanders of the Légion d'honneur could be Commanders or Officers of the Order. Apart from decorations for bravery or merit during foreign campaigns, the French colonial orders also required that a certain number of years had to have been spent in the tropics or overseas to be eligible - in this case, three years in Indochina, preferably in Cambodia. From 1933 the Order was also granted for the organization of exhibitions dedicated to Cambodia and sacred events important to the French colonies. None of these rules applied for grants by the King of Cambodia himself.

The colonial and overseas orders were immediately contingent on the French orders and awarded on ministerial orders. Those awarded it not only had to pay for their own registration and qualifications, but also had to buy their own insignia.[2]

Post-colonial

In 1948 France ceased granting the order. Formally it remained a French colonial policy, but it was now only granted by the King of Cambodia. The order has since then been one of the historical orders of France.

On September 1, 1950, the (colonial) French order-system was reformed. The Order of the Star of Anjouan and the Order of the Black Star were formalised as French Overseas Orders. The other three were the "Order of States Associated to the French Union" (French: "Ordre des États de l'Union Française Associés"). In 1955, Cambodia became independent. The order was approved by King Norodom Sihanouk during his government and also granted during his exile in Beijing.The order became dormant in 1975, under the government of Democratic Kampuchea. Following United Nations supported elections in 1993, H.M. King Norodom Sihanouk, was returned to the throne and the Order was reinstituted by Royal Decree No. 1095/01 dated 5 October 1995. This decree was signed by Chea Sim as the King's representative, Norodom Ranariddh, the First Prime Minister and Hun Sen, the Second Prime Minister at the time. A few design changes took place. After the restoration of the Khmer dynasty it remained the highest Cambodian distinction. The original French type crown has been replaced by the Khmer Royal Crown.

Grades

Since 1948

The five classes of appointment to the Order are, in descending order of precedence:

  1. Maha Sirivaddha (មហាសេរីវឌ្ឍន៍) or Knight Grand Cross
  2. Mahasena (មហាសេនា) or Knight Grand Officer
  3. Dhipadinda (ធិបឌិន្ទ) or Knight Commander
  4. Sena (សេនា) or Knight Officer
  5. Assarariddhi (អស្សឫទ្ធិ) or Knight or Chevalier

Prior to 1948

The five classes of appointment to the Order are, in descending order of precedence:

  1. Maha Sirivaddha (មហាសេរីវឌ្ឍន៍) or Knight Grand Cross
  2. Mahasena (មហាសេនា) or Knight Grand Officer
  3. Dhipadinda (ធិបឌិន្ទ) or Knight Commander
  4. Sena (សេនា) or Knight Officer
  5. Assarariddhi (អស្សឫទ្ធិ) or Knight or Chevalier

Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence. The highest level of the Knight Grand Cross relates to refinement. Those honored in this way are raised to the personal, non-hereditary status of nobility and henceforth bear the title His or Her Excellence (H.E.). This is prefixed to the full name.[3] [4]

Insignia

The medal of the order comes in many different forms, as a slightly elongated silver or gold star surmounted by a Cambodian crown and with an image of the king's crown and coat of arms in gold on a violet blue background and surrounded by a red circle. The reverse of the medal is left rough. To promote the order if it was awarded by the French, the Cambodian crown was replaced with a European one surmounted by a small cross, and in the early years the order was even awarded without any crown.

The central image on the star of the order is the same as the medal, though the crown is missing and the rays are usually smooth. The star is elongated, with the vertical rays longer than the horizontal rays. The regalia of Knights is in silver, whilst those of the higher grades are gold. The medal and star are equally for civilians and soldiers. The ribbon of the order was originally green with a red border, changing in 1899 to white with an orange border (in the same year the French government changed the colours of the ribbons of all five colonial orders), before reverting to the original black ribbon when it became a purely Cambodian order again.

Recipients

Year appointedClassName
1884KnightCharles Baret
1884KnightFrançois Deuve
1884KnightHypollite Herménégilde Tell
1885KnightErnest Deuve
1885Knight Grand OfficerHenri Rieunier
1889Knight Grand CrossThành Thái
1895Knight OfficerNikolai Kolomeitsev
1896KnightHenri Mordacq
1897Knight Grand CrossJean-Baptiste Billot
1898KnightAndré Michelin
1901KnightLéon Breton
1901Knight OfficerOctave Denis Victor Guillonnet
1901Knight Grand CrossPakubuwono X
1905Knight Grand CrossSisavang Vong[5]
1921Knight Grand CrossJoseph Joffre
1924KnightJean Desbois
1929Knight Grand CrossJagatjit Singh
1933Knight Grand CrossIbrahim of Johor
1941Knight Grand CrossNorodom Suramarit
1954Knight Grand CrossBhumibol Adulyadej
1956Knight Grand CrossJosip Broz Tito
1956Knight Grand CrossAntonín Zápotocký
1956Knight Grand Cross[6] Ramon Magsaysay
1959Knight Grand CrossSavang Vatthana
1960Knight Grand CrossAntonín Novotný
1962Knight Grand CrossCharles de Gaulle
1962Knight Grand CrossPutra of Perlis
1965Knight Grand CrossKim Il Sung[7]
1992Knight Grand CrossNorodom Ranariddh
2001Knight Grand CrossSok An
2002Knight Grand CrossSirajuddin of Perlis
2002Knight Grand CrossTuanku Tengku Fauziah
2003Knight Grand OfficerAun Pornmoniroth
2004Knight Grand CrossNorodom Sihamoni[8] [9]
2004Knight Grand CrossNorodom Monineath
2004Knight Grand CrossKim Jong Il[10]
2005Knight CommanderKazimierz Duchowski
2006Knight Grand CrossNorodom Arunrasmy
2006Knight Grand CrossJohn Sanderson
2007Knight Grand CrossChau Sen Cocsal Chhum
2007Knight CommanderHor Nambora
2008Knight Grand OfficierBernard Krisher[11]
2011Knight Grand CrossHor Namhong
2013Knight Grand CrossKao Kim Hourn
2014Knight Grand CrossFrank Berman[12]
2018Knight Grand CrossSong Tao (diplomat)
2020Knight Grand CrossOknha Na-Mey Ruy[13]
2022Knight Grand CrossTengku Fauziah binti Almarhum Tengku Abdul Rashid
2023Knight Grand CrossBjörn Stenvers[14] [15]
2023Knight Grand CrossSambath Pol
2024Knight Grand CrossJames McCabe
2024Knight Grand CrossMike Smith[16]
2024Knight Grand CrossNick Rose
unknownKnight Grand CrossEmperor Akihito of Japan
unknownKnight Grand CrossMarcel Alessandri
unknownKnight Grand CrossBảo Long
unknownKnight Grand CrossBảo Đại
unknownKnight Commander[17] Maryse Bastié
unknownKnight Henri Bellieni[18]
unknownKnight CommanderGustave Besnard
unknownKnight CommanderAlbert Besson
unknownKnight Grand CrossUrban Jacob Rasmus Børresen[19]
unknownKnight Grand CrossSarin Chhak
unknownKnight OfficerÉmile Duboc
unknownKnight Grand CrossHamengkubuwono VIII
unknownKnight Grand CrossHassan II of Morocco
unknownKnight Grand CrossEmperor Hirohito of Japan
unknownKnight Grand CrossJean de Lattre de Tassigny[20]
unknownKnight Grand CrossPhilippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
unknownKnight Grand CrossLeopold II of Belgium
unknownKnightJean-David Levitte
unknownKnight Grand CrossManuel Luis Quezon
unknownKnight OfficerAuguste Lumière
unknownKnight Grand CrossRaoul Magrin-Vernerey
unknownKnight Grand CrossHun Manet
unknownKnightFrançois Marjoulet
unknownKnight Grand OfficerBoun Oum
unknownKnight OfficerMarcel Ribière
unknownKnight Grand CrossWillem Rooseboom
unknownKnight Grand CrossRaoul Salan
unknownKnight Grand CrossYōhei Sasakawa
unknownKnight Grand CrossVong Savang
unknownKnight Grand CrossTea Banh
unknownKnight Grand CrossJean de Lattre de Tassigny[21]
unknownKnight OfficerMardochée Valabrègue
unknownKnight OfficerFrançois Zimeray
unknownKnight Grand CrossLeopold III of Belgium

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ODM of Cambodia: Royal Order of Cambodia. www.medals.org.uk.
  2. Sylvester, J. The Orders and Medals of Cambodia and Laos, 1986: pp. 5-8.
  3. News: Cambodian Decorations of Honor. Geoffrey Oldham & Brett Delahunt. 2004. Milymen Books. 9780473097998., pp.17-25.
  4. Stair Sainty, G. World Orders of Knighthood and Merit, 2006: pp.953-954.
  5. Book: 2010-09-19. en. Travels of a Naturalist. 9781103374984 . Boucard . Adolphe . February 2009 . BiblioBazaar .
  6. Web site: Official Month in Review: February 1956 . Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines . August 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200825161252/https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1956/02/01/official-month-in-review-february-1956/ . August 25, 2020 . February 1, 1956 . The Prince presented the President with the Grand Croix de l’Ordre Royal du Cambodge..
  7. Book: News from Hsinhua News Agency: Daily Bulletin. 1 October 1965. Xin hua tong xun she. London. 300956682. 53.
  8. Web site: 13 May 2019. BIOGRAPHY OF HIS MAJESTY KING NORODOM SIHAMONI OF CAMBODIA. 24 June 2020. Khmer Times. en-US.
  9. Web site: 2010-09-19. en. King's Biography. Cambodia.gov.kh.
  10. Grand Cross Order of the Kingdom of Cambodia. 12. 726. 2016. Korea Today. 0454-4072.
  11. Web site: Chutzpahdik philanthropist aids Cambodians. 2008-07-06. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. en-US. 2019-03-19.
  12. https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/news/2014-04-21-sir-frank-berman-awarded-royal-order-cambodia Sir Frank Berman awarded the Royal Order of Cambodia
  13. https://www.rasmeinews.com/archives/372200 May Ruoy Receives Royal Medal of the Kingdom of Cambodia
  14. https://www.information.gov.kh/articles/100326 Deputy Prime Minister Chea Sophara for direction 2023 of Tbong Khmum Province
  15. https://www.phnompenhpost.com/gallery/eye-care-foundation-recognised-cambodias-highest-honour Recognised with Cambodia's highest honour
  16. https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kingdom-s-top-honours-for-child-protection-unit Kingdom’s top honours for Child Protection Unit
  17. Jacques Cheymol, Alain Fradet, ibid, .
  18. Web site: 28 June 2020. Brigitte Caquelin. Charles Henri GIMEL BELLIENI. Geneanet. .
  19. Amundsen, Otto Delphin. 1947. Den Kongelige norske Sankt Olavs orden 1847-1947. Oslo: Grøndahl & Søn Forlag, p. 73.
  20. http://www.fondationmarechaldelattre.fr/bio.htm FONDATION MARECHAL DE LATTRE. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  21. Web site: Biographie de Jean de Lattre de Tassigny. National Order of Liberation. 21 July 2019.