| According to the law, the Military William Order (MWO) is intended for those who "have distinguished themselves in battle by performing acts of excellent bravery, leadership and loyalty." Incidentally, this is not necessarily at a time of war. The word 'war' is not mentioned in the law. From the beginning, the Military William Order has had a strong democratic character. Anyone, from high to low, can be eligible through excellent acts of 'bravery, leadership and loyalty'. Originally intended exclusively for servicemen, the Military William Order was opened up to civilians from 1940. Over the years, the MWO has been conferred a total of over 6000 times.
At the moment, the conferral of bravery decorations, including the Military William Order, is being reviewed in light of the current deployment of the Armed Forces. This does not change the criteria for conferring the MWO and other bravery decorations, but they are interpreted on the basis of current circumstances. Even in these circumstances, such as peacekeeping operations, battle situations are still conceivable. |
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185 years of MWO, Knights during audience with Her Majesty the Queen
photo Studio Richard
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