Investiture of Crown Prince and Crown Princess
Ceremonial of the Kingdom of An Tir
Version: 12th Night, XXXVII (2003)

THE INVESTITURE

The Investiture shall take place as soon as convenient, after the conclusion of the Crown List. It is desirable that there be a short space for the combatants to rest and the victor and their consort to prepare for the Investiture, but the Crown may command immediate Investiture.

Heralds shall be sent throughout the encampment to summon the people to bear witness to the ceremony. When the people have assembled, at the Crown's command, the herald shall proclaim:

HERALD: __________________ and ________________ come and kneel before the Crown.

HERALD: Your Majesties, _________________has, by valor and skill, nobly promoted the honor of, ____________________ , and been victorious in the Crown List of An Tir. They come now before Your Majesties to claim the honor which is their due.

The victor and consort shall kneel. The King and Queen shall lay across Their palms the Sword of State. And the victor and consort will lay their hands atop the Sword, on the hands of the King and Queen, and the herald (or the King or Queen) will lead them, phrase by phrase, in this Oath:

I swear fealty and homage to the Crown of An Tir
To loyally serve this Kingdom and its Crown.
Giving wise counsel,
According to my knowledge and abilities
To listen and learn
From all those who offer wise council.
To proudly wear
This coronet
As a symbol of my duty
As heir to the Crown of An Tir.
So say I ___________________

KING: And we for our part do swear fealty unto these Our Heirs, and proclaim you Crown Prince and Crown Princess of An Tir. We swear to protect and defend you and your household to best of our ability 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.

Here shall the King and Queen place the coronets upon the heads of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

QUEEN: Wear these coronets as our successors to the Thrones of An Tir with all honor and glory.

The King and Queen shall give the Great Books of An Tir to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

KING: Take these, the Great Books of An Tir, to help you in preparation for your reign.

One of the Champions shall bring forth the Crown Prince's hammer or other item of rank.

KING: Receive this HAMMER of the Crown Prince of An Tir, and bear it bravely in our defence.

QUEEN: And now, as is proper, come and sit beside us in the places of honor.

The herald will exhort the cheers of the people for the new Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

THE HONOR OF THE SILVER ROSE AND HONOR OF THE SILVER LILY.

Then the herald shall call forth the other finalist and inspiration.

HERALD: _______________, and _______________, the Crown commands your presence.

And when they have knelt, the Queen shall present the finalist with the token of the Silver Rose, saying:

QUEEN: _______________, you have fought with great skill and valor this day. In remembrance of your prowess and bravery, We bestow upon you the Honor of the Silver Rose. Bear this token as a reminder to all of the mastery and honor you have shown this day.

And to the inspiration of the finalist:

QUEEN: _______________, you have inspired your champion to great honor this day. We bestow upon you the Honor of the Silver Lily. Receive this symbol of your inspiration and Our esteem.
The herald will exhort the cheers of the populace for the recipients as they take their leave.

Court may proceed here, or the populace may be given leave to depart, as Their Majesties command. If the court is over, the herald will urge the cheers of the people in the usual order: King and Queen, Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and the Kingdom.

NOTES FOR THE HERALD

Before the event contact BOTH Their Majesties about the regalia for the new Crown Prince and Crown Princess (the coronets, hammer, Silver Rose, Silver Lily, and the Great Books), and the extra thrones.

Confirm the presence of the props and regalia.

Check the pronunciation of the names of the new Crown Prince and Crown Princess, as well as the other finalist and their inspiration. Be certain to get their current titles as well.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are called forward by their current titles and rank.

If a female fighter wins the List, they are crowned “Crown Princess and Crown Prince.”


SCA Herald's office badge: Vert, two crossed trumpets Or. Back to the An Tir College of Heralds

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Updated: September 26, 2003