View source for Order of Leopold II

<div style="text-align:right;">[https://www.bestor.be/wiki/index.php/Ordre_de_L%C3%A9opold_II FR]</div>
<div style="text-align:right;">[https://www.bestor.be/wiki_nl/index.php/Orde_van_Leopold_II NL]</div>
[[category:Creation 1876-1900]][[category:Civil and military awards]]
The Order of Leopold II or Ordre de Léopold II is one of the three national Belgian orders, alongside the [[Order of Leopold]] and the [[Order of the Crown]]. It was instituted in 1891 by Leopold II in the Congo Free State. When the Congo became a Belgian colony in 1908, the order was also taken over by the Kingdom of Belgium. After Congo's independence, the Order was placed among the Belgian knighthoods. It was from then on awarded to civilians and military personnel to reward special services to the king and as a sign of the king's grace.