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Planning a Peerage Ceremony

From EastKingdomWiki

(NOTE: this page is still a work in progress)

So you've been informed by the Crown that your friend/vassal/significant other is going to be elevated to the peerage - great news! But now you have to take care of the ceremony. What do you have to do? What gets taken care of for you? This article will briefly describe the elements of the elevation and help you understand what you need to take care of.

"To be opened in case of peerage..."

At a certain point in one's SCA career, it can be useful to think about creating a set of instructions to be used in case of a peerage. These preferences, often documented long before you might receive a peerage, can let your friends know what you'd like for your ceremony without having to ask you and spoil the surprise (assuming you prefer to be surprised).

If the recipient has such a letter, by all means use it. Consider having one yourself, just in case.

To writ, or not to writ

A practice seeing increasing use in the East Kingdom is the issuance of a writ. A writ is where the Crown calls someone into court and says "We plan to offer you a peerage at a future event." This allows for an element of surprise for the recipient, while still allowing them to express preferences. Not to mention it makes sure they show up on the day in question. Writs are not mandatory or even customary. Some people prefer them, and some Crowns prefer to issue them. It is something you can discuss with the Royal Scheduler and work out the best path forward. If a writ will be issued, then it gets a lot easier to plan the ceremony since you can ask the recipient questions.

Overview of the Ceremony

There are several elements of the peerage ceremony that need to be managed.

1. Letting friends know 2. The speakers from the various peerage orders 3. The scroll 4. The regalia (the medallion and other items) 5. The vigil

Letting Friends Know

This is pretty straightforward. Let your friends and family know. The Crown does not typically inform anyone but a single person close to the recipient, and does not typically inform the Order. Don't assume the recipient's friend/spouse/peer knows just because you do. Get the word out. If the person is a squire/apprentice/protege/provost etc, and you are not their peer, start with talking to their peer, who will likely know many of the details as well as have a strong interest in being involved.

The Speakers

Traditionally, a representative from each of the peerage orders speaks for the recipient. This means having a member of the Order of the Chivalry, the Order of the Laurel, the Order of the Pelican, the Order of Defense, and the Order of the Rose.

It's up to you to arrange the speakers - they won't show up by themselves or be provided by the Orders. A recipient usually has strong preferences regarding their speakers. Contact each of the speakers and ask them if they will speak for the recipient. Most peers are usually very happy and honored to have the chance to speak for someone.

At this time, the Order of Defense is still fairly new, and the order is not large. It's possible that you or the recipient may not know a Master of Defense. That's ok. Since this is a new peerage, the Order of Defense is used to this happening. Initially the Order had very few members and they were speaking for a lot of people. They are happy to arrange a speaker for someone. You can look at the Order of Defense page for members of the order, or if you are having difficulty contacting one, contact the Kingdom Rapier Marshal who can help put you in touch.

In some kingdoms, there may be a speaker from the populace. This additional element has been used occasionally in the East, but rarely. Given that there are already five speakers with the addition of the Order of Defense, and a speaker rarely speaks for less than two minutes each, that is already ten minutes worth of speaking aside from the rest of the ceremony. If there are multiple peerages in a court, this adds up fast. As such, it may be better to avoid having a speaker from the populace unless the recipient feels very strongly about it.

It may be helpful to confirm/remind your speakers as the event date approaches. In some cases, you may want to have back-up speakers ready in case someone doesn't make it in time (for example, at chaotic events like Pennsic).

The Scroll

This is one thing you don't have to do. The Tyger Signet office handles the creation of scrolls for all awards. The Signet will assign an available scribe to create the scroll. That said, if the recipient has preferences regarding the scribe or wordsmith, contact the Signet Office to make that known. Do not ask a friend to create the scroll without letting the Signet Office know; this can result in having two scrolls show up, and that would be unfortunate.

The Regalia

Regalia is usually provided for a peerage candidate. Some households have legacy medallions or other items that get passed on from one peer to the next. You, your household, your friends, the recipient's peer etc. should arrange for appropriate regalia.

Chivalry: A white belt/baldric, chain, often spurs. Sometimes a sword. Laurel: A medallion. Sometimes a laurel wreath and/or cloak Pelican: A medallion. Sometimes a cloak and/or a cap of maintenance Defense: A white collar and a glove. Sometimes a cloak.

The Order of the Rose is different in many ways. For one, it is known well in advance and by people who have a strong grasp of the ceremonies and preparation. As such, it is less likely that someone reading this article needs advice on how to prepare for such a ceremony.

The Vigil

Most initial peerages today are preceded by a Vigil. This is a period after the candidate is told about their impending elevation but before it happens, when they have the opportunity to reflect on it, receive advice, and generally make sure that they consider themselves ready for it. Some vigils can run as long as weeks, but they are usually a few hours long: the Royalty most often send the candidate off to vigil in the morning, to be elevated in the afternoon. If someone is receiving their second peerage, they typically do not have a vigil, but there are exceptions.

Vigils are typically pretty significant projects: you should recruit some help to work on it. If the candidate is in a household, they will usually want to help out. Sometimes, the candidate's household will have strong vigil traditions -- it is usually best to go with this, if so. (Also, some candidates make their wishes known well in advance, as a sort of, "If I ever get a peerage..."; it is wonderful to be able to give them the experience they want, if this is the case.)

Well in advance of the event, you should start working with the Event Steward to figure out where the vigil will take place. Vigils typically have a main space that has somewhere for the candidate and at least a couple of people to advise them at any given time; if possible, it is helpful to have an anteroom for those who are waiting to speak. It's often best to do this inside if possible, but many good vigils have been held using pavilions set up outside the main event area.

Make sure that you arrange for appropriate furniture. Typically, this will involve nice chairs for a few people, but some candidates have personae that are more suited to floor cushions. Rugs, wall hangings and candlelight can make even the most mundane room feel much more atmospheric.

Figure out who will be allowing to visit with the candidate. This varies considerably from vigil to vigil, and is often the subject of household traditions. Some people strongly prefer that the vigil be open to anyone who wants to come visit; some are only open to peers; some are only open to the Order that the candidate is being inducted into.