Investiture of a Countess
Ceremonial of the Kingdom of An Tir
Version: 12th Night, XXXVII (2003)

ENTRANCE
At Their Majesties command, the herald shall call forth the new count: 
HERALD: _______________, approach the Throne. 

The Countess and her Retinue shall arrange themselves as follows: 
BANNER BEARER                 CORONET BEARER
COUNTESS
This party may be followed by a group of supporters. 

HERALD: May it please Your Majesties, your loyal subject, _______________, having by beauty, grace, and virtue inspired her champion to win for her the Crown of this Kingdom, and having reigned as Queen, has thus earned the title and rank of a Countess of this Realm. She now makes bold to approach Your Majesties that she may receive the title, and be invested with the dignities of this estate. 
QUEEN: Let the Letters Patent be proclaimed. 
HERALD: Attend these words and know that by these presents, We, _______________ and _______________, King and Queen of An Tir, in recognition that _______________has reigned as Queen in our Realm, do hereby style her Countess, and We do affirm her sole and exclusive right to bear by Letters Patent: [blazon]*, and to bear above the shield a gold embattled coronet, shield encircled by a wreath of alternating red hearts points to center and red heraldic roses barbed, leaved, and seeded proper. In acknowledgement whereof We do here set Our hand and seal this __________ day of __________, Anno Societatis __________, being __________ Gregorian. 
(Herald’s note: *If the new Countess doesn't have registered arms, the herald shall read: " . . . We do affirm her right to bear by Letters Patent such suitable and unique Arms as, by consulting with Us and Our heralds, she shall choose, and to bear above . . .".)

THE CORONET
QUEEN: Let the Coronet be brought forth. 
The coronet-bearer kneels before the Queen, and then returns to her place. If the new Count is participating, the Queen shall call him forward. 
QUEEN: My Lord Count, it would please Us greatly if you would invest your lady with the coronet of her new estate. 
Taking the coronet from the hands of the Queen, the Count shall place it upon the Countess' head, saying: 
COUNT: As it was my delight to win for you the Crown of An Tir, so it is today my exceeding joy to give you this coronet of a Countess of this Realm. 
But if the Count is not participating, the Queen shall give the coronet to the King, who investing the new Countess, shall say: 
KING: _______________, be henceforth Countess, in this Our Realm, and wear this coronet in token of your estate. 
In either case, before rising, the Countess shall receive from the Queen a rose. 
QUEEN: My Lady Countess, be welcomed into the Order of the Rose, whose token this is, and be henceforth as you have been hitherto, a model of honor and grace to the ladies of this Realm. 
The Queen will hand the Countess the writ, and the herald will exhort the cheers of the people. 

THE FEALTY
(Herald’s note: If the Count has participated in the investiture of his lady, he shall then swear fealty to the Crown with her. But if he has not, then she shall swear by herself at this time )
HERALD: My lady Countess, is it your desire to swear fealty to Their Majesties? 
COUNTESS: It is. 
After she kneels before the King and Queen the herald says: 
HERALD: Do you now swear fealty to _______________ and _______________, your undoubted King and Queen, that you will obey their lawful commands in all matters that concern this Realm, and as you have sat upon the Throne and received the oaths of the people, do you in turn swear faith to the Crown and Kingdom of An Tir? Being mindful that the honor of the Realm springs from your own deeds, do you swear that you shall treat chivalrously and courteously with those of every degree, so long as Their Majesties remain Sovereigns of An Tir? 
COUNTESS: I so swear. 
KING: And We, for Our part, do swear fealty to this Countess of An Tir, and promise to protect and defend her and her household with all Our power, so long as We remain Sovereigns of An Tir. So say We, _______________, King of An Tir. 
QUEEN: And so say We, _______________, Queen of An Tir. 
Then she shall be given leave to depart, and the herald will exhort the cheers of the populace. 

NOTES FOR THE HERALD
Mail copies of the ceremony to the King, Queen, Crown Prince, and Crown Princess along with the coronation ceremony. 

Remind the Crown Princess to bring a rose for the new Countess. 

Learn which title the Countess will use (Countess, Ban-Jarla, Grafin, etc.). 

Be sure that the Committal retinue will be ready to go at the start of the First Court. 

Have a blazon of the new Countess' arms for the Scroll. 

If the text of the actual writ is different from that given in the ceremony above, use the text of the actual writ.