History

The Cross of the Schools of the Legion of Honour was established by Louis XVIII on March 3, 1816. It was not officially part of the Order of the Legion of Honour, although it was under the direction of the Grand Chancellor.

It was conferred upon female faculty who worked in the Schools of the Legion of Honour at Ecouen, Les Loges, and Saint Denis. The Cross has five grades and was displayed in a manner to show the difference in the rank of the faculty.

The Cross was not permitted to be worn outside of the institutions, however after 20 years of service, special permission could be obtained from the Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honour.

The Cross is classified into five types according to changes instituted in different time periods.

The Type I Cross was worn during the Second Restoration. It has Fleur-de-Lys in between each arm, a surmounting crown, and oval medallions. The obverse medallion depicts the Virgin on a white background, and the reverse medallion has three Fleur-de-Lys. The obverse inscription translates to “God, the King, the Fatherland,” and the reverse inscription translates to “Royal House of Saint Denis.”

The I Class Cross is identical to the II Class Cross. The I Class Cross was worn by Superintendents on a sash, and the II Class Cross was worn by Dignitaries suspended from a ribbon worn around the neck.