BELGIUM : THE ORDER OF THE CROWN OFFICER MEDAL The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was first created in the year 1897. The Order of the Crown was created under the authority of Leopold II of Belgium and was originally intended to denote heroic deeds and service achieved while serving in the Congo Free State. In 1908, the Order of the Crown was made a national decoration of Belgium, junior to the Order of Léopold and awarded for any service to the Belgian state. The Order of the Crown is also eligible for bestowal to foreign nationals and is frequently awarded to military and diplomatic personnel of other countries stationed in Belgium. During the Second World War, the Order of the Crown was extensively authorized to Allied military personnel who had helped to liberate Belgium from Nazi Germany occupation Beautiful first class officers' medal