Grand Cross is the highest class in many
orders, and manifested in its insignia.[1] Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g.
Grand Collar. In rare cases, the insignia itself is referred to as the "grand cross".[2]
In international relations, many times the class of Grand Cross is typically reserved for
royalty,
heads of state and equivalent. Sometimes a holder of the highest class or grade are referred to as "
Commander Grand Cross",[A 1] "
Knight Grand Cross", or just "Grand Cross".
In the United Kingdom, the rank of "Knight Grand Cross" or "Dame Grand Cross" allows the recipient to continue to use the
honorific "
Sir" (male) or "
Dame" (female) as a
style before his or her name. The knighthood is initially conferred, as in other countries, at the lower rank of the order, typically "
Knight Commander".
In Bavaria, the royal military order established by Maximilian Joseph consisted of three classes with the Grand Crosses ranking above the Commanders and Knights.[4] The Grand Cross title has also been used to confer military merit. For instance, the
Grand Duchy of Baden awarded
Prince Rupprecht a Grand Cross after
World War I.[5]
From 1870 to 1918, the
German Empire also set the Grand Cross as the highest rank of the Order of the Iron Cross, followed by the first and second classes.
^Hieronymussen, Poul Ohm; Lundø, Jørgen, eds. (1968). Eurooppalaiset kunniamerkit värikuvina [Europæiske ordner i farver] (in Finnish). Translated by Karnila, Christer. Porvoo: WSOY. pp. 14–15.
OCLC466954328.
^Burke, B. The Book of Orders of Knighthood and Decorations of Honour of All Nations. Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2016.
ISBN978-1-783-31282-5
^Carlisle, Nicholas (2012). A Concise Account of the Several Foreign Orders of Knighthood: and Other Marks of Honourable Distinction. Dallington, East Sussex: The Naval and Military Press. p. 67.
ISBN9781781514290.
^Zabecki, David (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History [4 volumes]: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 1629.
ISBN9781598849806.