Order of the Virtues (Egypt)

The Order of the Virtues (Arabic: Nishān al-Kamāl) is an Egyptian national honour reserved exclusively for women, awarded in recognition of notable merit or service. Originally established as a dynastic order in 1915 by Sultan Hussein Kamel, it honoured Egyptian and foreign women of distinction. After the 1952 revolution, the Republic of Egypt re‑instituted the order in 1953 under presidential decree, maintaining its four-tiered structure (Supreme, First, Second, and Third Classes). The Supreme Class is typically conferred upon first ladies or equivalents, while lower classes recognise spouses of officials such as ministers and ambassadors. Insignia include a light‑grey sash edged in gold for the Supreme Class, each with corresponding medallions and ribbons. Notable recipients span numerous royal and state figures, including Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Queen Sofía of Spain.

Order of the Virtues

Order of the Virtues Nishan al-Kamal
Type	Order
Established	1915
Sovereign	King Fuad II
Grand Mistress	Princess Fawzia-Latifa
Precedence
Next (higher)	Royal Order of Muhammad Ali
Next (lower)	Royal Order of the Nile
Equivalent	Royal Order of Ismail I
Ribbon bar of the Order

The Royal Order of the Virtues (or Malakiun Nishan al-Kamal) is a dynastic order-of-knighthood for women of the Egyptian Royal Family which is very rarely awarded by its current sovereign, King Fuad II.

History

The Order was founded in 1915 by King Hussein Kamel I of Egypt to honour women in various fields of society.

Grades

• Dame Grand Cordon, Special Class
• Dame Grand Cordon
• Dame Grand Officer
• Dame Commander
• Dame

Ribbon bars[1][unreliable source?]
3rd Class	2nd Class	1st Class	Supreme Class

Insignia

• The ribbon for the sash ribband and bows is light blue with gold edges.
• The breast stars are of five points in two variants, a larger size for the Special Class of the Grand Cordon and a regular size for the Grand Cordon and Grand Officer grades.
• The badge is similar to the regular size of the breast star and is suspended from the Grand Cordon ribband sash as well as bows of four sizes for the different grades.

Notable recipients

• Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium: Supreme Class
• Queen Nazli of Egypt: Supreme Class (1917)
• Queen Farida of Egypt: Supreme Class (1938)
• Princess Fawzia Fuad of Egypt: Supreme Class (1939)
• Empress Tadj ol-Molouk of Iran: Supreme Class (1939)
• Princess Faiza Fuad of Egypt: Supreme Class
• Princess Faika of Egypt: Supreme Class
• Princess Fathia of Egypt: Supreme Class
• Queen Narriman of Egypt: Supreme Class (1951)
• Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (later Queen Elizabeth II): Special Class (1948)
• Queen Fadila of Egypt (now Princess Fadila Loeb-Picard): Supreme Class
• Princess Fawzia-Latifa of Egypt: Supreme Class
• Princess Noal Zaher of Afghanistan: Supreme Class
• Huda Sha'arawi: Supreme Class^[2]

Order of Virtues

Order of Virtues Nishan Kamal
bow for a commander.
Awarded by President of Egypt
Type	Order
Established	1953
Awarded for	To women as an award for merit
Grades	Grand Cross Grand Officer Commander Officer Member
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of Merit
Next (lower)	Order of Labour
Ribbon bar of the Order

The Order of Virtues (or Nishan Kamal) is an Egyptian national honour awarded to Egyptian and foreign women for merits, service and contributions.

History

The Order was established under the Republic in 1953 by Presidential Decree, using a similar name and insignia of the original honour, the Order of the Virtues.

Notable recipients

• Siti Hartinah, First Lady of Indonesia (1977)
• Diana, Princess of Wales (1981)
• Queen Sofía of Spain (1997)
• Infanta Cristina of Spain (2000)
• Queen Mary of Denmark (2024)
• Princess Benedikte, Dowager Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Burleburg (2024)
• Princess Marie, Princess Joachim of Denmark (2024)
• Queen Aishwarya of Nepal (1974)
• Queen Mariam of Brunei (now Princess Mariam Abdul Aziz) (1984)
• Queen Noor of Jordan (1989)

See also

• Orders, decorations, and medals of Egypt