Order of the Golden Sun

Order of the Golden Sun L-Ordni tax-Xemx tad-Deheb
Awarded by the President of Melite, YeLand and its Districts
Type	Chivalric order
Established	29 December 2021
Eligibility	State and Foreign Dignitaries, Melitian Citizens and Military of Melite
Awarded for	Help in the Founding of the State and close alliances.(First Induction) Service to the State (Future Inductions)
Status	Currently Constituted and Awarded
Founder	Matthew Tonna 2nd President of Melite
Grand Masters	Matthew Tonna Julian David Cassar
Grades	Grand Cross Special Class Grand Cross First Class Grand Officer Commander Officer Member
Post-nominals	GSGS GCGS GOGS CGS OGS MGS
Statistics
First induction	30 December 2021 (New Year Honours)
Total inductees	16
Ribbon Bar of the Order of the Golden Sun (Special Class)

The Order of the Golden Sun (Maltese: L-Ordni tax-Xemx tad-Deheb) is the only national chivalric decoration of the Democratic Christian Federation of Melite. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellectual or honorary fields and the recognition of services to the Republic and its citizens as a whole. This award can also be given to foreign dignitaries that help widen Melite's diplomacy as a way of gratitude. There is no limit whatsoever as to how many people can join a grade of the Order. The title 'Friend of the Nation' may also incorporated as part of the Order, though has only been awarded once as of writing.

Origins

The idea of the Order originated on 29 December 2021, by Varuna Sriraya, Rashtradhyaksh of Vishwamitra, who suggested to President Matthew Tonna to overhaul the awards system of Melite. Tonna agreed and as a result, the Order was established, replacing the Order of the Holy Cross, the Friendship Ribbon of Melite, and the High Order of Melite, which are dormant as per Presidential Decree No. 5/2021, which instituted this Order and put the old decorations to their current dormant state. The ribbons were designed by the Rashtradhyaksh of Vishwamitra, Varuna Sriraya himself. The award was given for the first time in the New Year of 2022 for the New Year Honours. No known privileges come with the Order of the Golden Sun, except for the post-nominals. The Order is similar to the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, as they both serve as the only national award of their nations, but divided in classes.

Instances Awarded

• New Year's Day Awards List 2021
• Easter Honours List 2022
• 3rd Founding Day Commemoration Honours List 2022

Ribbons of the Order

Ribbons given for the Order of the Golden Sun, from the highest grade to the lowest:

• Grand Cross Special Class

• Grand Cross First Class

• Grand Officer

• Commander

• Officer

• Member

Eligibility

Grand Cross Special Class

Full Title: Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of the Golden Sun of Melite

Only Grand Masters of the Order can receive the Order in this grade. The Grand Masters of the Order are the current or former Presidents of Melite, and the current or former Mayors of the Fgura Special Administrative Region of the Democratic Christian Republic of Melite. The President of Melite can induct members of the Order without consulting the Fgura Mayor-President, but Mayor-Presidents of Fgura have to consult with the President of Melite before inducting new members in the Order's ranks.

Grand Cross First Class

Full Title: Grand Cross First Class of the Order of the Golden Sun of Melite

Foreign Heads of State and Special Allies of Melite can receive this grade of the Order. This grade is given for exceptionally notable contributions to the Democratic Christian Republic of Melite, whether in its politics, or even its national symbols. Two notable examples are Varuna Sriraya, Rashtradhyaksh (Supreme Monarch) of the State of Vishwamitra who designed the ribbons of this Order and Ștefan Marius Snagoveanu, who designed the new and current National Flag of Melite, which replaced the old one on the 30 December 2021.

Grand Officer

Premiers of Melite and Supreme Judges of Melite (outgoing or current), can receive the Order in this grade for distinction in their tenures of office. The first awardees were Premier Arama Vella and Supreme Judge Matthew Vella who both were still serving their offices at the time of their awarding. Foreign Royalties may also receive the Order in this grade, with one example being Alexander I Constantine of Monmark, as reciprocation for the Order of the Crowned Lion which President Tonna received on Boxing Day of 2021.

Commander

Diplomats to Melite and Non-Royalty Heads of State may be awarded this grade of the Order for their distinction in their services to the Republic's foreign policy, and to allies of Melite. A notable Commander of the Order of the Golden Sun is the President of the Parliamentary Monarchy of Duckionary Arthur C. de Tourneau in his capacity as Ambassador of Duckionary for Melite and Malta.

Officer

This grade is exclusive only for citizens of the Democratic Christian Republic of Melite. This grade does not make discrimination of the awardee's District. Therefore this grade does not make distinction of whether the awardees' region is any of Melite's eight Districts, or the Socialist Fgura Special Administrative Region of the Democratic Christian Republic of Melite. The only inductee of this award is Raphael Cassar.

One notable awardee is Ștefan Marius Snagoveanu, President of the Republic of Snagov, who was given the Grand Cross First Class of the Order for designing the second National Flag of Melite.

Member

This grade can be awarded to anyone regardless of status, with no special criteria. None have been awarded as of yet.

Recipients

Grand Cross Special Class

Serie number	Country	Recipient	Date
1	Melite	Matthew Tonna, President of Melite	30 December 2021
2	Fgura	Julian David Cassar, Mayor-President of Fgura
3	Melite	Thomas Jacobs, former President of Melite	5 October 2022

Grand Cross First Class

Serie number	Country	Name	Date
1	Vishwamitra	Varuna Sriraya	30 December 2021
2	Snagov	Ștefan Marius Snagoveanu
3	Norton	Rafe Burfield
4	Yara	Vidak Jovic

File:Birthday Portrait of Rashtradhyaksh Varuna Sriraya (2023).jpeg

Another notable awardee is Varuna Sriraya, Rashtradhyaksh (Supreme Monarch) of the State of Vishwamitra, who was also given the Grand Cross First Class of the Order, for designing the ribbons of this National Award.

Grand Officer

Serie number	Country	Name	Date
1	Melite	Arama Vella	30 December 2021
2	Monmark	Alexander I Constantine
3	Obscurium	Zar Antonov
4	Fontasia	Emperor Connor I
5	Melite	Matthew Vella
6	Pontunia	Andrew I
7	Melite	Vincent Paul	10 April 2022
8	Novus Hierosolymis	Jayden Dagsa
9	Begon	Christoph Billung
10	Cheskgariya-Litvania	Michal Fryderyk Nowacki
11	Vishwamitra	Tanishkaa Patranabish
12	Austenasia	Jonathan I	5 October 2022
13	Gradonia	William I
14	Vishwamitra	Bishnu Chetry

Commander

Serie number	Country	Name	Date
1	Duckionary	Arthur C. de Tourneau	30 December 2021
2	Zeprana	Terry McKeen III
3	Nexan Republic	Desslock V. Nafage
4	Richensland	Nyck Bradaten
5	Istria	Iordan Luca-Nicolae
6	State of Faltree	Jebediah Powell	10 April
7	Roscamistan	Thomas Jacobs
8	Trasona	Sean Dunkerque
9	Græcia	Quintus de Vitaliis
10	Vishwamitra	Farhaz Hazarika
11	Meritia	Joseph I
12	Scynja	Džözyp I
13	Snagov	David Robert Davidovici	5 October 2022
14	Paloma	Aidan McGrath

Officer

Serie number	Name	Administrative Division of Melite or Country	Date
1	Raphael Cassar	Socialist Fgura SAR	30 December 2021
2	Thorin Neal	Mustensis	10 April 2022
3	Matthew Laptev	Bepistan	5 October 2022

Member

Serie number	Country	Name	Date
1	Begon	Ludwig Brienovic	10 April

Friend of the Nation

'Friend of the Nation' is a title that can be given with the order to an individual, regardless of status in Melite or micronationalism ingeneral. It is given in gratitude to someone that has given immensely large help to the forming of Melite, helping it become what it is today, and also friendship with the President. The only current recipient of this title is currently Varuna Sriraya of Vishwamitra. The title holds no post-nominals and only serves as an honorary prefix.

References

Endnote

Citations