Do you want to nominate someone for a Royal honour? You should first contact the town hall of the town where the candidate lives. The official in charge of honours can judge whether the merits are in fact special enough for a Royal honour. He will also explain the precise procedure to you. You can then start collecting all the necessary information. Once that is complete, you submit the nomination to the mayor.

2. Is it necessary to do something special outside your actual work to be eligible for an honour?

Someone who has rendered exceptional service in his or her work may be eligible for either Order. However, such ‘outstanding or exceptional services in the working environment’ must exceed what might normally be expected of a person in that position. This refers to personal dedication, vision and qualities. Furthermore, the merits must have a greater importance than only for the business, organisation or institute where the candidate works. Society must benefit.

3. More honours are conferred in the south of the country. Why is that?

A relatively larger number of nominations are made in the southern provinces. Decorations play a more important cultural role in that part of the country. Naturally, this does not mean that people in one province must do more for a decoration than in another. The Rules of Procedure are identical. The Civil Honours Advisory Commission uses them to assess all nominations.

4. Why are so few people from minority groups honoured?

Minorities are still nominated too infrequently for a Royal honour. Immigrants usually live in the larger cities. Life there is more anonymous, special merits are less obvious. Further, minorities know relatively little about the Dutch honours system, partly due to the language barrier. The Civil Honours Advisory Commission is attempting to address this situation through special information.

5. Since the system was revised, the number of people honoured has increased every year. Will this trend continue?

An annual increase in the number of people being honoured is not a matter of course. The Civil Honours Advisory Commission strives to inform as many people as possible in the Netherlands about the new honours system. This may lead to more nominations. These nominations are all checked against the Rules of Procedure.

6. The majority of the people who are honoured are appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau. Why are the honours not divided more evenly over the various grades?

A royal honour is a recognition of personal, special merits for society. A medal is really something special and must continue to be special. People who are appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau should be proud of this appointment. After all, this is a fully-fledged knightly grade in this order. Incidentally, more people were appointed to higher grades this year. The number of Knights in the Order of Orange-Nassau in particular saw an increase compared to last year.

7. Does the grade Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau replace the Honorary medals?

The honours system was revised in 1994. The Honorary medals related to the Order of Orange-Nassau have not been awarded since then.

The Honorary medals remain a separate Royal honour. They are a fully-fledged honour grade that clearly retains its value and importance as a Royal honour, because the honour is granted through a Royal decree signed by Her Majesty the Queen.

Another important aspect of the revision of the system is the new grade of Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Knight 6th grade). The Membership does not replace the Honorary medals.

8. What should be done with a medal after the bearer has died?

The medal that goes with the conferred Royal honour is the property of the State and is lent to the person being honoured. It is a personal, individual honour that is not legally transferred to one of their heirs. Hence, you are requested to return the medal that was awarded at the conferral to the Chancellery of the Netherlands Order.

The medal can be kept in loan for an indefinite period on payment of a security.

9. Where can I buy the buttonhole and miniature decorations?

At Van Wielik b.v.
Kneuterdijk 2b
2514 EN The Hague
telephone 070-346 2196
fax 070-361 7335