the Order of the holy Cross

France : The Order of the Holy Spirit In 1578, Henry III created a decoration, la Medaille de l'Ordre du Saint-Esprit (Medal of the Order of the Holy Spirit), to unite the most important leaders of the Catholic party against the Protestants. When Louis XIV came to power, the medal was worn as a Malta cross on a light blue ribbon (un cordon bleu). Even though the original order disappeared after the French Revolution, for the next two hundred years the honor remained one of the highest accolades in the French aristocracy. It was also the forerunner of the French Legion of Honor !