Order of l'Aigle d'Or
| Order of l'Aigle d'Or | |
|---|---|
 Arms of the Order of l'Aigle d'Or | |
| Awarded by the King of Rome | |
| Type | Chivalric order |
| Motto | Selfless Service |
| Awarded for | Selfless service, honourable and valiant conduct |
| Status | Currently constituted |
| Grand Master | King Lewis I of Rome |
| Statistics | |
| First induction | 6 March 2019 |
| Last induction | 6 March 2019 |
The Order of l'Aigle d'Or is a chivalric order awarded by the King of Rome in recognition of highly valiant and and honourable acts of selfless service towards others. It is considered a highly exclusive order, with membership only bestowed on those of the highest moral character. The Order was founded on 6 March 2019 by the King of Rome in order to celebrate the Declaration of Kingship.
Membership of the Order is not hereditary, and at any one time there may only be 30 members of the Order, with individual ranks having a limited number of incumbents. There are four ranks: Squire, Knight, Knight Commander and Grand Master.
Origin
The Order of l'Aigle d'Or was founded on 6 March 2019 by the King of Rome in order to celebrate the Declaration of Kingship. It was created with the intention of recognising those whose actions represent the highest idealised chivalric virtues, such as helping those who cannot help themselves, integrity, bravery, and honesty. These virtues are summarised by the three values that determine if one is eligible to gain membership of the Order: selfless service, honourable conduct and valiant conduct. Membership of the Order grants no legal rights or privileges in any macronation or micronation at present. It is expected to remain this way whilst King Lewis I of Rome is Grand Master of the Order, as it is believed that membership of the Order would be cheapened if members were rewarded for their membership, as it may be construed that one has performed great actions for the sake of reward rather than for the sake of performing the action.
The name "l'Aigle d'Or" was chosen as a nod to the Napoleonic basis of the title of King of Rome.
Ranks
Grand Master of the Order
The Grand Master of the Order, who can also be known as the Sovereign, is the leader of the Order. This rank is the only one in the Order that is not awarded by merit - it is automatically granted to the King of Rome. As such, there can only be one Grand Master of the Order at any one time.
Knight Commander of the Order
The rank of Knight Commander of the Order is the highest possible rank that can be awarded. Naturally, it is awarded for the greatest acts of selfless service, honour and bravery.. There may be four Knight Commanders at any one time.
Knight of the Order
Knight of the Order is the most commonly awarded rank, of which there may be fifteen Knights at any one time. Despite the rank of "knight", no use of the honourific "sir" is permitted. It is an expectation of all members of the Order that they remain modest and humble, thus not losing sight of the purpose of the Order of l'Aigle d'Or.
Squire
Squires of the Order are fully recognised members of the Order. It is generally awarded for extraordinarily chivalrous actions but of a smaller magnitude than those for which Knight and Knight Commander are awarded. The maximum number of Squires of the Order is ten.
Arms
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The coat of arms of the Order itself is the arms of the King of Rome on on a blue star, encircled by a wreath of laurels. The coat of arms of each rank of the order has a number of Napoleonic eagles placed on the laurel wreath, with each rank having two more eagles than the last, except for the Grandmaster, who has one more eagle than the Knight Commander, which is placed on the blue star between the ends of the wreath.
Dischargement from the Order
It is possible to be discharged from the Order of l'Aigle d'Or for two reasons, divided into Honourable Discharge and Dishonourable Discharge.
Honourable Discharge
A member may be discharged from the Order in order to make room for a new member who has performed an act worthy of membership, but there is insufficient space within the Order. In this case, the discharged member is entitled to use the honour "their rank + discharged" It is also possible that a member is demoted and another is discharged in order to provide space for a worthier member.
Dishonourable Discharge
If a member is found to no longer act in accordance with the values of the Order then they may be discharged with dishonour. Such a dischargement is generally performed in order to protect the honour and integrity of the Order and its members.