The Xirka Ġieħ ir-Repubblika is a society of honour that offers membership to those who have demonstrated exceptional merit in the service of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

or of humanity. Its motto is ''Għall-Ġid tal-Maltin'' ('For the Benefit of the Maltese').

Award

The Xirka is limited to twenty members. With the exception of honorary members, the number of new members may not exceed three persons for every two years. Once the maximum number of members has been met, a new member cannot be appointed until a vacancy occurs. Maltese nationals and distinguished citizens of other countries may be appointed as honorary members of the Xirka. Members and honorary members are legally entitled to have the initials "S.Ġ." (Sieħeb il-Ġieħ) placed after their names.

Insignia

The Badge of the Order, an enameled representation of

La Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 was ...

Bartizan A bartizan (an alteration of ''bratticing''), also called a guerite, ''garita'', or ''échauguette'', or spelled bartisan, is an overhanging, wall-mounted turret projecting from the walls of late medieval and early-modern fortifications from th ...

, is surrounded by a white band with golden inscriptions. The order's motto appears at the top and its name, "Ġieħ ir-Repubblika" at the bottom. The whole is surrounded by a gold and green wreath of laurel leaves. Additionally, hanging over a golden dove resting on a golden band is the order's s date of establishment: 1975. The breast-star of the Order has the same design as the badge, but resting on a radiating golden sun. The ribbon of the Order is red with two white borders.

Notable honorary members

* Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

, S.Ġ. 23.11.05 * Queen Sofia of Spain, S.Ġ. 25.11.09 * Colonel

Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by '' The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...

, S.Ġ. 05.12.75 (revoked 26.08.11) *

Giovanni Leone Giovanni Leone (; 3 November 1908 – 9 November 2001) was an Italian politician, jurist, and university professor. A founding member of the Christian Democracy (DC), Leone served as the President of Italy from December 1971 until June 1978. ...

, President of Italy, S.Ġ. 06.12.75 *

Li Xiannian Li Xiannian (pronounced ; 23 June 1909 – 21 June 1992) was a Chinese Communist military and political leader, President of the People's Republic of China (''de jure'' head of state) from 1983 to 1988 under Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping and t ...

President of the People's Republic of China The president of the People's Republic of China, commonly called the president of China, is the head of state and the second-highest political office of the People's Republic of China. The presidency is constitutionally a largely ceremonial off ...

, S.Ġ. 22.11.84 *

Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

, President of North Korea, S.Ġ. 01.08.85 *

José Manuel Barroso José Manuel Durão Barroso (; born 23 March 1956) is a Portuguese politician and university teacher, currently serving as non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs International. He previously served as the 11th president of the European Commis ...

, S.Ġ. 10.10.94 * President

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (; 9 December 1920 – 16 September 2016) was an Italian politician and banker who was the prime minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and the president of Italy from 1999 to 2006. Biography Education Ciampi was born ...

, of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, S.Ġ. 19.05.05 * President

Vaira Vike-Freiberga Vaira is a feminine Latvian given name. Notable people with the name include: * Vaira Paegle (born 1942), Latvian politician * Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (born 1937), sixth President of Latvia The president of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Valsts preziden ...

, of

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

, S.Ġ. 19.06.06 * General

Harald Kujat Harald Kujat (born 1 March 1942) is a retired German General of the Luftwaffe. He served as Chief of Staff of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, from 2000 to 2002, and as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2002 to 2005. Biogra ...

Ingrid Rüütel Ingrid Rüütel ( Ruus; born 3 November 1935) is an Estonian folklorist and philologist. From 2001 to 2006 she was the First Lady of Estonia, married to President Arnold Rüütel. Personal life Ingrid Rüütel was born in Tallinn as a daughter ...

, wife of

Arnold Rüütel Arnold Rüütel OIH () (born 10 May 1928) is an Estonian politician and agricultural scientist. He has served as the last chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR from 8 April 1983 to 29 March 1990, Chairman of the Su ...

, President of

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...

, S.Ġ. 01.10.03 * Imants Freibergs, husband of

, S.Ġ. 16.02.04 * Fotini Papadopoulou, wife of Tassos Papadopoulos (President of Cyprus), S.Ġ. 17.02.05 *

Kateryna Yushchenko Kateryna Mykhaylivna Yushchenko ( uk, Катерина Михайлівна Ющенко, née Chumachenko (Чумаченко); September 1, 1961 in Chicago) was the First Lady of Ukraine from 2005 to 2010. She is married to former Ukrainian Pr ...

, wife of

Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( uk, Віктор Андрійович Ющенко, ; born 23 February 1954) is a Ukrainian politician who was the third president of Ukraine from 23 January 2005 to 25 February 2010. As an informal leader of th ...

, President of Ukraine, S.Ġ. 09.07.08 * Maria Alves Da Silva Cavaco Silva, wife of

Aníbal Cavaco Silva Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, Order of Christ (Portugal), GCC, Order of Liberty, GColL, Order of Prince Henry, GColIH (; born 15 July 1939) is a Portuguese economist who served as the 19th president of Portugal, in office from 9 March 2006 to 9 ...

, President of Portugal, S.Ġ. 12.11.08 *

Maria Kaczyńska Maria Helena Kaczyńska (; ; 21 August 1942 – 10 April 2010) was the First Lady of Poland from 2005 to 2010 as the wife of President Lech Kaczyński. She and her husband died in the plane crash in the Russian city of Smolensk. Early and pe ...

, First Lady of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, S.Ġ. 26.01.09 *

Zorka Parvanova Zorka Petrova Parvanova ( bg, Зорка Петрова Първанова; born 4 May 1958, in Razlog) is a Bulgarian historian and former First Lady of Bulgaria from 2002 until 2012. She is the wife of Georgi Parvanov, the former President of ...

, wife of

Georgi Parvanov Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov ( bg, Георги Седефчов Първанов, ) (born 28 June 1957) is a Bulgarian historian and politician who was President of Bulgaria from 2002 to 2012. He was elected after defeating incumbent Petar Sto ...

, President of Bulgaria, S.Ġ. 20.10.09 * Maria Băsescu, wife of

Traian Băsescu Traian Băsescu (; born 4 November 1951) is a conservative Romanian politician who served as President of Romania from 2004 to 2014. Prior to his presidency, Băsescu served as Romanian Minister of Transport on multiple occasions between 1991 ...

, President of

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, S.Ġ. 30.06.10 *

Günter Verheugen Günter Verheugen (born 28 April 1944) is a German politician who served as European Commissioner for Enlargement from 1999 to 2004, and then as European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry from 2004 to 2010. He was also one of five vice pr ...

, S.Ġ. 17.03.04 * George Iacovou, Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs, S.Ġ. 17.02.05 *

Dalia Grybauskaitė Dalia Grybauskaitė (; born 1 March 1956) is a Lithuanian politician who served as the eighth President of Lithuania from 2009 until 2019. She is the first woman to hold the position and in 2014 she became the first President of Lithuania to be ...

, President of

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

, S.Ġ. 29.05.12

References

External links

Honorary Members

Honours and Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xirka Gieh ir-Repubblika Orders, decorations, and medals of Malta Orders of chivalry awarded to heads of state, consorts and sovereign family members