The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system. The order is awarded for meritorious service to the sovereign of Belgium, and as a token of his personal goodwill. It can be awarded to both Belgians and foreigners, and is seen as diplomatic gift of merit. The order has become a long service order for people in the civil service and is awarded alternatively with the Order of the Crown, as the Order of Leopold is awarded under rarer circumstances. The order currently stands third after the Order of Leopold (1st) and the Order of the Crown (2nd) in the Belgian honors hierarchy. The Order of Leopold II is awarded by royal decree. Classes The Order of Leopold II is issued in five classes and three medals: , who wears the badge on a sash on the right shoulder, plus a plaque on the left chest; , who wears only a plaque on the left chest; , who wears the badge on a necklet; , who wears the badge on a ribbon with rosette on the left chest; , who wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest; , who wears the medal on the left chest; , who wears the medal on the left chest; , who wears the medal on the left chest. Insignia The badge of the Order is a metal Maltese Cross, in silver for the Knight class and in gold for the higher classes, with a wreath of laurel leaves of the same metal between the arms of the cross. The obverse central disc features a lion on a black enamel background surrounded by a blue enamel ring with the motto "Unity Is Strength" in French (L'union fait la force) and in Dutch (Eendracht maakt macht). The badge is topped by a crown of the same metal. Up to the inclusion of the Order of Leoplold II in the Belgian National Orders, the central disk showed an enamelled blue, black and white coat of arms of the Congo Free State and the motto Travail et Progrès. The plaque for Grand Cross is a faceted silver five-pointed star with