Miniature silver-gilt-edged white enamel cross pattée on laterally-pierced ball suspension; the face with a circular central green enamel medallion bearing the crowned monogram ‘W’ (for its founder, Grand Duke William II); the reverse identical; a hairline crack to the white enamel of the left of the lower arm of the reverse; diameter 14.4mm (0.57 inch); on original ribbon with rosette mounted on a silver ribbed bar denoting an award of the commander class. The order was established on 29 December 1841 by Grand Duke William II, who was also King of the Netherlands, and was the personal gift of the sovereign. In 1890, Queen Wilhelmina ascended the Dutch throne but, under Salic Law which proscribed female inheritance, Adolph of Nassau, the most senior male heir, became Grand Duke of Luxembourg and the Order purely Luxembourgeois. Since that date, the Order has been primarily awarded to nationals of Luxembourg, though it has occasionally been conferred upon foreigners, mainly on members of other Royal families. The population of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is less than 500,000 and as a consequence, the Order is comparatively rare.
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