History

The Order of Faithful Service was established by King Carol II in 1932. It was suppressed in 1947 following the abolition of the Romanian monarchy, but it was later reinstated in 2004 following the collapse of the communist regime. The President of Romania is the Grand Master.

The Order of Faithful Service is currently conferred in six grades and two divisions upon Romanian citizens, military units, and foreigners in recognition of long and meritorious service to the nation. At the time of its creation, the Order was awarded in three grades: Grand Cross, Grand Officer, and Commander. The Collar and Officer grades were added in 1937, and the Grand Officer, Commander and Officer grades were suppressed in 1939. From 1937-1941, the Order could also be conferred with swords in recognition of wartime merit.

There was a peacetime limit of 50 members in the Grand Officer grade from 1932-1938, and 70 members from 1938-1939. There is a current peacetime limit of 240 members in the Civil Division and 60 in the Military Division. There has never been a limit on wartime conferral.

There are four versions of the Grand Officer. The first, awarded prior to 1947, features a surmounting crown and the royal coat of arms of Romania, while the others, awarded since 2000, feature a surmounting wreath and the national coat of arms of Romania. The Grand Officer (Military Division, peacetime) features surmounting swords and the Grand Officer (Military Division, wartime) features swords that run through the cross. All versions have a reverse inscription that translates to "Faithful Service."

The previous version is listed in the Orders of the Kingdom of Romania (1881-1947). See also the Faithful Service Medal and the Faithful Service Cross in the Medals & Decorations of the Kingdom of Romania (1881-1947) for the awards that preceded the Order of Faithful Service.