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Precedence in Seating in Court and at Feast, Toasting, and Diverse Other Matters of Protocol

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Date Written: August, 1986
Last Updated: November, 2017; August, 2018; August 2020
Author: William the Lucky, Hirsch von Henford (updates), Eilis O'Boirne (substantial revision and additions)

Policy Level: Informational
Intended Audience: Heralds and populace, particularly Guard members and autocrats
Abstract: Order of Precedence in the Kingdom of the West as determined by Law and Custom. An introduction for court and branch heralds, Court members, Guard members, and autocrats on various modes of seating of ruling nobles at court and feast. Usual format and order for toasts. Other matters of protocol as strike our fancy.

Introduction:

Historically, heralds often served their rulers as diplomats and protocol experts. They were expected to know which kings were most important, who sat where, and who was allowed by rank and privilege to participate in tournaments. While we leave the right to participate in tournaments to the Crown, the marshals, and the lists officers, this article will cover seating at court and feast, the usual style and order for toasts in this kingdom, and diverse other matters of protocol.

Definitions:

Note that these are deliberately NOT alphabetical.

Let us begin this article by stating that it is nearly impossible to write an article of this nature that deals with every combination of Ruling Nobles possible at an event. Also keep in mind that sometimes only one of a pair may be in attendance for any number of reasons. Ask each of those sitting court what their preferred form is. For M/F presenting couples, it will usually be King and Queen, Prince and Princess, Baron and Baroness. For same-sex presenting couples, it may be (for example) King and King Consort, Consuls, or Sovereign and Consort. BUT -- any time you are not positive, and even if you think you are positive -- be safe and ask. Gender-neutral terms are used throughout this article. Refer to the definitions above.

Precedence:

Basically, seating at court is determined by who is more important at that particular court. The most important are the hosting ruling nobles and they are seated in the center. Note that the West is a "Consort drives" kingdom. The Consort sits at the left hand of the Sovereign, at all levels. Some other kingdoms reverse this. It looks odd to us, but it isn't wrong -- it's just different.

Any others seated in court in addition to the hosting ruling nobles will be distributed alternately to the right and the left hand of the Sovereign, following this list of precedence (as of June LV):

The precedence of the Royalty within the Kingdom of the West (as of June LV) is as follows:

  1. Crown of the West (Sovereign and Consort)
  2. Coronets of the Mists (Principality Sovereign and Consort)
  3. Coronets of Cynagua (Principality Sovereign and Consort)
  4. Coronets of Oertha (Principality Sovereign and Consort)
  5. Sovereign Heirs of the West
  6. Heirs to the Mists Coronets
  7. Heirs to the Cynaguan Coronets
  8. Heirs to the Oerthan Coronets

Sovereign Heirs: There has been some debate about how the Sovereign Heirs rank and are seated at events. In past days, the Sovereign Heirs were considered to rank immediately after the Crown, and before the Territorial Coronets. However, custom over the years has turned this around, and the Territorial Coronets rank higher than the Sovereign Heirs, as the Coronets have been invested and have control over their lands. This is closer to period practice than the earlier SCA practice. This also applies to Heirs to Principalities.

It will sometimes be necessary to arrange the baronage by precedence, for instance, at a baronial feast with other royalty not present. The precedence of the baronies within the Kingdom of the West (as of June LV) is as follows:

  1. Allyshia
  2. Eskalya
  3. Tarnmist
  4. Westermark
  5. Winter's Gate
  6. Fettburg
  7. Darkwood
  8. The Far West
  9. Rivenoak
  10. Selveirgard

In the case where you find yourself with the Crowns of more than one kingdom present and wishing to sit at court, current custom is that they are honored guests, but are placed below the Princes and Princesses of the West. However, it may be that the visitors are especial guests and friends of the Ruling Nobles, who may wish them seated closer than the usual arrangement. In addition, if there are several, there is probably not going to be room for everyone "on stage", and the Ruling Nobles should be consulted to find out what Their desire is.

Note well that each King and Queen take precedence over everyone else within Their own Kingdom, and each Prince and Princess take precedence over the other Territorial Princes and Princesses within Their own Principality.

The precedence of the Kingdoms (as of June LV) is:

  1. West
  2. East
  3. Middle
  4. Atenveldt
  5. Meridies
  6. Caid
  7. Ansteorra
  8. Atlantia
  9. An Tir
  10. Calontir
  11. Trimaris
  12. Outlands
  13. Drachenwald
  14. Artemesia
  15. Æthelmearc
  16. Ealdormere
  17. Lochac
  18. Northshield
  19. Gleann Abhann
  20. Avacal

The precedence of territorial Principalities outside the West is rarely a question, but can be determined by consulting the Orders of Precedence of the various kingdoms.

Seating at Court:

The hosting ruling nobles will usually be seated in the center. For Kingdom events, this will be the Crown. For Principality events, it will be the Principality Coronets in whose lands the event is held. For baronial events, it will be the hosting baronage. Any others seated in court in addition to the hosting ruling nobles will be distributed alternately to the right and the left hand of the Sovereign.

It is usual to seat the Crown and all Principality Coronets at all events. It is not usual to seat the Sovereign Heirs or Principality Heirs at court. The exception to this is for the Court held after the tourney through which they have achieved their new rank. At this court, the Sovereign Heirs will sit next to the Sovereign and Consort, either together at the right hand of the Sovereign or split so that the Sovereign Heir sits next to the Sovereign and the Consort Heir sits next to the Consort. This also applies in the Principalities. Note that, in general, Heirs will not sit in court after their initial "victory" appearance until they are crowned. Exceptions to this may be made if attendance by Royalty at a particular event is sparse.

The baronage will usually not be seated at court for Kingdom and Principality courts, so they are not included in this list. In a baronial court, if other members of the baronage are to be seated, they are seated by precedence of the creation of their baronies. This is given in the second list above.

These rules may be altered at any event if it is necessary and acceptable to the Royalty. For instance, if the Crown has a substantial amount of business at a Principality event, they may choose to open a Kingdom court where the Crown will be seated in the center. Note that this should always be done separately from any final court or investiture court for the Principality. This is usually be done if the court includes peerages, appointment of territorial baronage, and items of similar import.

For courts held outdoors, much depends on the event, the site, and the formality of the court. The Royal Pavilion of the hosting branch is set up, and the thrones of the ruling nobles in attendance (and guests, if any) are set up in this pavilion. The seating will follow the usual arrangement, alternating to the right and left of the center thrones. Encourage the ruling nobles to limit those seated to the capacity of the shade available, if at all possible.

At indoor courts, the ruling nobles are usually seated in an arc at one end of the room, or on a stage, if one is available. If the room is a particularly long one, consider whether more people will be able to see and hear what is going on if the court is arranged on a long side or on a short side of the room. (This gives everyone, including members of the court, a better chance to see and hear what is going on.) This may depend on how many people are sitting court, but should be considered.

Be sure that spaces are left for the heralds on each side of the hosting nobles. If any of the other seated royalty will need their own heralds, make sure adequate space for a herald is left next to their thrones. Also check that there is adequate space behind the thrones for attendants to pass back and forth, and for any tables that the royalty may need for tokens, scrolls, and gifts.

By Principality law in the Mists, the Bard of the Mists is seated to the right of the Principality Sovereign, if there is room and if the Bard chooses to exercise their prerogative to be seated at a Mists court.

If the event is a Baronial event, the local baronage may take the center position -- much will depend on the royalty at the event. If the Crown and Coronet (if in a Principality) are not in attendance, there is no issue -- the baronage are seated in the center. If the Crown or Coronet is in attendance, typically the ruling Baronage will be seated in the center -- unless the Crown (or Coronet) insists otherwise. Even though the baronage are the heads of state for the Barony, they hold those titles from the Crown, and the Coronet is a higher representative of the Crown. In addition, the Crown may wish to be seated in the center if they have business of substantial consequence, such as peerages.

At local events in Provinces and Shires, the Crown serves as host, and if the Crown is not present, the Coronet assumes that role if they are present. If there is no royalty present, the Seneschal or Herald may stand at the center and make any announcements necessary for the conduct of the event. This is not a 'court' and should NOT be referred to as one -- officers don't hold court on their own. For such a gathering, call people to gather for 'announcements of the day' or some such phrase.

The final word on who sits where in court belongs to the Crown, (or to the hosting ruling nobles). The job of the herald is to advise the Ruling Nobles on what is customary, traditional, and appropriate. If no special instructions are given by the Ruling Nobles, follow this article; if the ruling nobles wish another arrangement, follow their wishes. The ruling nobles can also make a final determination in any case of dispute.

Feasts:

At High Table at a feast, the hosting ruling nobles will usually be seated in the center. For Kingdom events, this will be the Crown. For Principality events, it will be the Principality Coronets. For baronial events, it will be the hosting baronage. Any others seated at High Table in addition to the hosting ruling nobles will be distributed alternately to the right and the left hand of the Sovereign.

By Principality law, in the Mists, the Bard of the Mists is seated to the right of the Principality Sovereign, if there is room and if the Bard choses to exercise their prerogative to sit at High Table.

In the Province of Golden Rivers in Cynagua, at the annual Anniversary Banquet, the Lord and Lady of Golden Rivers, who were chosen in a tournament earlier in the year, will sit in the center. In the Barony of Tarnmist, the "hosts" at the Court of Love held in February are the Lord and Lady of Love and Beauty who were selected earlier.

It is never appropriate (unless it has been specifically requested) that any couple sit alone at High Table. If there is only one set of ruling nobles at the feast, ask them who they would like to invite to join them. They may have friends present who they would like to have join them. Note that it is appropriate for High Table (but not appropriate for court) to seat any "attachments" that the ruling nobles have besides the person with whom they are reigning. Spouses, partners, and children of ruling nobles may sit with them at High Table as long as there is sufficient room. If there is not, try to find them a place of honor elsewhere in the hall.

If the ruling nobles request that you find them dinner companions, some who might be asked are the Seneschal, the branch's champion(s) or titled bard, or the day's champion(s), and their lords or ladies. You can also ask any Royal Peers present. Bear in mind that, while some people love sitting at High Table, others would much rather sit elsewhere with friends. Ask individuals if they wish to sit at High Table; don't try to order them to do so.

If there are no ruling nobles present at a feast, and if there is no one else present that it would be appropriate to seat at High Table, one possibility is to set a High Table and have nobody sit there. This approach has been tried and worked well in the past. Alternately, a High Table is not required and can simply be omitted.

Toasting:

It is a tradition in the West that, at some point during the feast, toasts are offered to the High Table by those in the hall. These are usually offered by the highest-ranking guest present (based on the Order of Precedence) who will not be among those toasted. Ask that person to help arrange for the toasters needed for the number of toasts to be made. If possible, try to keep the number to no more than five toasts.

The toasters will decide among themselves or have assigned to them by thee ranking guest, in order of precedence, which toast each of them will give. The exact toasts will depend on which of these are actually present.

The order of toasts is as follows:

  1. *The Sovereign and Consort of the West, whether or not they are present
  2. *The hosting ruling nobles
  3. *Principality Coronets present at the feast, in pairs
  4. *Sovereign Heirs, if sitting at High Table
  5. All absent Coronets, as a group
  6. All members of the Baronage sitting at High Table
  7. *The populace of the West

The starred (*) toasts are the ones that are required. The first toast is always to the Crown, and it helps if the first toaster says something like "My friends! (Pause for the hall to quiet, repeat if needed.) Please charge your glasses and join me in a toast: To the King and Queen of the West!" The populace toast is a good closing toast, and the final toaster may wish to add something like "In closing, and so that we may all return to our meals, to the populace of the West!"

There will usually be a toast to the cooks at some point during the feast. It is a good thing to have this toast offered by the host ruling noble or by the Crown. If you suggest this to them, also suggest that you would be happy to determine with the cooks what would be a good time for this to occur. There are always times during a feast when it is not possible for the cooks to leave the kitchen.

Hall Entertainment:

This falls into the area of herald as emcee (M.C. -- Master of Ceremonies). While it is not part of your job to arrange for feast entertainment, you may find that you can assist in making the entertainment run more smoothly. Keep in mind that many people come to feasts to speak with their friends, and that singing and dancing, even well done, will make conversation difficult. It is also better to have any entertainment during breaks in the feast, so that those who wish to pay attention to the entertainment can do so and others can leave the hall. None of this applies to quiet background music, usually instrumental, which can happen at any time that there is not more active entertainment happening.

Note that hall entertainment can do a lot to keep people occupied when the kitchen is running behind. However, if the kitchen is running more than fifteen minutes behind, it is a kindness to let the attendees know what is happening, so that they know how to plan their time. Note that if you tell people that the kitchen is running half-an-hour late and that half-hour has past, people should be given an update.

Singing and Bardic Performance: The hosts may wish to ask some singers and bards to perform during breaks in the feast. It is better to invite particular performers to do one or two pieces than it is to open the floor for volunteers There is a reason the phrase "Hostage Dinner Theater" strikes terror into many hearts.

Dancing: Most halls will have to be at least partially rearranged for dancing, so it tends to be either a pre-meal or post-meal activity. However, it can sometimes happen as an activity between courses. It does not require the attention and quiet that vocal performance does, so most people feel free to continue their conversations.

Games: On occasion, competitive physical games will break out in the time between courses. These can range from wrestling to tests of strength and agility. These tend to be self-limiting.

Boasting: This is a form of hall entertainment sometimes seen at Norse-themed feasts, or with Norse ruling nobles. The general idea is that a warrior will stand and praise one of his fellows (or occasionally himself). This may go on for some time, with several people wishing to join in. If there are people who are good spontaneous speakers, this can be very enjoyable and add to the period atmosphere. However, as with all hall entertainment, it can be difficult for those not participating to continue their conversations. At that point, you may wish to suggest to the host ruling nobles that it might be time for a different activity.

Escorts for Royalty:

In general, it is not necessary for ruling nobles to be attended in the hall or in the area of their personal or royal pavilions on the list field, unless they wish attendants. However, the protocol at interkingdom events is very different. While ruling nobles do not need to be attended within their own camps, it is expected that they will be attended when they step outside their camp. Having the Crown or Coronet wander around unattended makes the kingdom look bad, as though no one wishes to attend them. The heralds are royal servants, and should always stand ready to serve as escorts, if it is within their power. This is also a good opportunity to get to know and become comfortable with the people you may be serving as court herald.

Being Called into Court:

People are called into court to make an announcement (in which case they should be aware of why they are called and be ready to make their announcement), or for some business of the ruling nobles. In either case, the beginning of the procedure is the same: walk to within a few yards of the thrones and bow.

If you are there to make an announcement, request permission to address the populace, turn to face the crowd, and make your announcement. (It is not necessary for each person making an announcement to begin with some form of "Hello, West Kingdom!" Just make your announcement.) Remember that any announcement should be short, complete as to the information contained, and audible. When you have finished, bow to those on the throne and request permission to leave. When given permission, turn and leave.

If you are there at the ruling nobles' request, after bowing proceed to the thrones and kneel on the pillows. When their business with you is complete, you will be raised to your feet. Back off to approximately where you bowed entering court, bow again, turn and leave.

Bowing:

When you meet any ruling noble for the first time in a day (outside their personal camp), treat it as a formal occasion. Bow and greet them by their title -- this is not the time for "Hi, Susie! Long time no see..." This is time for "Good morning, Your Majesty. May I be of assistance?" Later meetings can be less formal unless you are in court. A nod of the head and a murmured "Your Majesty" is sufficient. Save anything less formal for in their camp or after the event.

Herald's Regalia:

If you are the herald in charge of a court, you will need a tabard and a ceremony book. If there is a herald for the consort, they will also need a tabard and a ceremony book. These will be available from the Green Crown Herald (for the West), the Principality Herald, or the baronial herald.

For the Kingdom, the tabards with the kingdom arms are for the sovereign's side herald; the rose ones are for the consort's side herald. Matching tabards make a prettier picture. All heralds working a court should be in some sort of heralds' regalia, even if it is only a baldric.

Last Words:

Have fun! Heralds, remember that what you do and how you manage these matters will reflect on the kingdom and on the College of Heralds. Much of what you have read here can be flexible, and if you can make a solid case for what you did following the principles in this article, you didn't do it wrong.