History

The Order of the Union was established by Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, King of Holland, in 1806. It underwent a number of name and design changes in its short 5-year lifespan.

The Grand Order of the Union and the Order of Merit were reunited as the Royal Order of Holland on February 13, 1807. The King’s brother, Emperor Napoleon I of France, did not approve of the Order, and it was altered again in February 1808. The new order was called the Order of the Union. It was composed of 30 Grand Crosses, 50 Commanders, and 450 Knights (expanded to 500 Knights later in the same year). This Order introduced Collars and Breast Stars, but it was also short-lived. It was finally superseded by Napoleon’s Order of the Reunion in 1811.

The Grand Cross features an obverse inscription that translates to "Louis I, King of Holland," and a reverse inscription that translates to "Do what you ought, and come what will." There may be additional versions that differ in size.