Order of Prince Henry

TheOrder of Prince Henry (Portuguese:Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique) is a Portugueseorder of knighthood created on 2 June 1960, to commemorate thequincentenary of the death of the PortugueseinfantePrince Henry the Navigator, one of the main initiators of theAge of Discovery. Minor reforms of the constitution of the Order occurred in 1962 and 1980.^[1]

Order of Prince Henry Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique
Sash and badge of the Grand Cross of the order
Awarded by thePortuguese Republic
Type	Order
Established	1960
Motto	Talant de bien faire
Eligibility	Portuguese and foreigners; military and civilian
Criteria	exceptional and outstanding merit for Portugal and its culture
Grand Master	President of Portugal
Chancellor	Manuela Ferreira Leite
Grades	Grand Collar Grand Cross Grand Officer Commander Officer Member
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of Saint James of the Sword
Next (lower)	Order of Liberty
Ribbon of the Order of Prince Henry

It is a five-tier order, whose titles are awarded for relevant services to Portugal and for services in the expansion of thePortuguese culture, itshistory and its values (with a particular focus on its maritime history). The number of members in each grade is restricted by its constitution, and titles are conferred by special decree by the Grand Master of the Order, i.e., thePresident of Portugal.

Grades

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The order includes several classes; in decreasing order of seniority, these are:

Grand Collar (Grande-Colar – GColIH)
Grand Cross (Grã-Cruz – GCIH)
Grand Officer (Grande-Oficial – GOIH)
Commander (Comendador – ComIH)
Officer (Oficial – OIH)
Knight/Dame (Cavaleiro – CvIH / Dama – DmIH)

There is also a Silver Medal (Medalha de Prata – MedPIH) and a Gold Medal (Medalha de Ouro – MedOIH).

The special distinction of Grand Collar can be awarded only to heads of state.

Ribbons and medals are characterized by equal stripes of blue, white and black (either horizontal or vertical) and a ruby-enameled goldencross pattée. The stars of Grand Officer and Grand Cross bear the inscription "Talant de bien faire".

Membership to the Order is conferred by the President, either on his own initiative, upon the recommendation of his Ministers or following nomination by the Council of the Order.