The Order of the African Star was established by Leopold II of Belgium on 30 December 1888, in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State, and was awarded for services to Congo and for the "promotion of African civilisation in general". It was incorporated into the Belgian honours system on 10 October 1908 following the annexation of the Congo Free State by Belgium. The motto of the Order is "Travail et progrès". The King of the Belgians is its Grand Master; although the Congo is no longer a Belgian colony, it is still considered to be a Belgian Order by tradition.
The Resistance Medal 1940–1945 was a Belgian war medal established by royal decree of the Regent on 16 February 1946 and awarded to all members of the Belgian armed resistance during the Second World War and to members of the intelligence service who operated in occupied territories and participated in combat actions aimed at the liberation of Belgium.
The Cross of Honour for Military Service Abroad is a Belgian military decoration originally established for award to Belgian servicemen who served for a long period of time in the Federal Republic of Germany, Zaire, Rwanda or Burundi. It was established on 16 June 1997 in three classes.
The Commemorative Medal for Armed Humanitarian Operations is a military decoration of Belgium. It was established on 11 September 1987 and is awarded to military and civilian members of the Belgian Armed Forces who participated in armed humanitarian operations. Although never explicitely stated, in practice, the medal is only awarded for a select number of operations on African soil.
The Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operations or Missions is a military decoration of Belgium. It was established on 13 April 1993 and is awarded to military and civilian members of the Belgian Armed Forces who participated in operations or missions outside of the territory of Belgium.
The Military Decoration is a military award of the Kingdom of Belgium. It was established on December 23, 1873 and is awarded to non-commissioned officers and other ranks of the Belgian Armed Forces for long service. Initially, the medal was created in 2 versions. The version for exceptional service, gallantry or devotion to duty was created by the same royal decree, has the same jewel, but a different ribbon. Currently, both medals still exist, but are considered to be separate awards, not variations of the same award.
Belgium has established numerous orders of knighthood, decorations and medals since its creation in 1830. Below is a list of those awards. The order of precedence is difficult to establish as Belgium does not keep an up-to-date listing with dormant and active awards. However, André Borné has established such a list that is used as a basis.
The 1870–71 Commemorative Medal was a Belgian campaign medal established by royal decree on 20 September 1911 and awarded to all members of the Belgian Army who were mobilized during the period from 15 July 1870 to 5 March 1871 during the Franco-Prussian War.
The 1940–1945 Military Combatant's Medal was a Belgian war medal established by royal decree on 19 December 1967 and awarded to all members of the Belgian Armed Forces who fought from the United Kingdom during the Second World War.
The Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 was a Belgian war medal established by royal decree of the Regent on 16 February 1945 and awarded to Belgian and foreign civilians who voluntarily enlisted in the Belgian Armed Forces during the Second World War. The medal could also be awarded to volunteers serving in the Belgian units of the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy or British merchant navy.
The Civilian Resistance Medal was a war service medal of the Kingdom of Belgium established by royal decree on 21 March 1951 and awarded to all members of the Belgian civilian resistance during the Second World War who were recognised as such by the law of 24 September 1946.
The Commemorative Medal of the Reign of King Albert I was a Belgian military medal established on 17 February 1962 to commemorate the reign of Albert I of Belgium.
The Victory Medal is the Belgian variant of the Inter-Allied Victory Medal 1914–1918 was a Belgian commemorative war medal established by royal decree on 15 July 1919 and awarded to all members of the Belgian Armed Forces who served during the First World War. Later royal decrees enlarged the list of potential recipients to include service in African campaigns and under special circumstances, to members of the merchant navy and fishing fleet. In all, 350,000 were awarded.
The Deportees' Cross 1914–1918 was a Belgian war medal established on 27 November 1922 by royal decree and awarded to Belgian citizens deported to Germany for forced labour during the First World War.
The Civilian Disobedience Medal was a war service medal of the Kingdom of Belgium established by royal decree on 12 February 1951 and awarded to Belgian citizens refusing to support the German war effort during the Second World War.
The Commemorative Medal of the African Campaigns 1914–1917 was a Belgian military war service medal established by Royal Decree on 21 February 1917 to recognise combat service on the African continent between 1914 and 1918.
The Medal for Services Rendered is a Belgian military service medal that was proposed to be created on 18 April 1988 by ministerial decree. It was intended to be awarded to members of the army, navy, air force and medical services of the Belgian Armed Forces for service rendered in particularly difficult circumstances over an extended time period. However, the creation of the medal was presented to the Council of State under the form of a ministerial decree and the Council ruled that the creation of such an award should be done by the King, thus via a Royal Decree. As a Royal Decree was never adopted, the medal was never officially created and has not or cannot be awarded.
The Labour Decoration is a Belgian labour long service medal originally established on 7 November 1847 under the name "Industrial and Agricultural Decoration". Its statute and design were reformed in 1958, since when it has retained its present name and design. The Labour Decoration is awarded to those who use their knowledge, talent and dedication in the pursuit of their work for a specified time. It is awarded by the Belgian Ministry of Employment and Labour.
The Escapees' Cross 1940–1945 was a Belgian war service medal established on 25 February 1944 by the Belgian government in exile in London. It was awarded to all Belgian citizens who, during World War II, escaped from occupied Belgium, from another occupied land or from Germany and that, following said escape, had proven their patriotism by joining and serving with a resistance group, or had been imprisoned for a minimum of three months following an act of patriotism, or for having travelled clandestinely to participate in a Belgian action aimed at promoting the war against the enemy. Escaped prisoners of war could also be awarded the medal if they met this last criteria.
The Military Decoration for Exceptional Service or Acts of Courage or Devotion is awarded to personnel of the Belgian Armed Forces for either displayed herorism or for display of extraordinary devotion to duty. In history, sometimes it is referred to as an 'Article 4' award, as originally, the medal was created as a variation of the military decoration for long service. However, nowadays, both medals are distinct awards, albeit still having the same guilt cross.
