Order of the Crown (Prussia)

Catalog description

The Royal Order of the Crown (Königlicher Kronen-Orden) was a Prussian state order of chivalry instituted by King Wilhelm I on 18 October 1861. It recognised meritorious service to the Prussian Crown and state and was awarded in several classes. The First Class comprised a badge worn on a broad pale-blue sash and an eight-pointed breast star. The order ceased to be awarded following the end of the Prussian monarchy in 1918. Major-General Sir John Carstairs McNeill received the First Class in 1899 in connection with the visit of Emperor Wilhelm II to the United Kingdom. His award was a peacetime distinction; no swords or additional ribbon devices are documented. This order must not be confused with the separate Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown, instituted in 1901.