Opening

Herald
All rise!

All rise for their <adjective> Majesties ____ and ____, noble and wise rulers of the Kingdom of Drachenwald, from Aarnimetsä to Adamestor, undoubted and sole sovereigns of all lands to the East of the Atlantic Sea!

The Crown processes in and are seated. They give those in attendance leave to sit.

Herald
Your Majesties, do you have any words for these, your people?

The Crown makes personal statements from their thrones.

Call Forward the Heirs

Sovereign
Herald, call forward our successor.
Herald
Their Majesties call before them Crown Prince[ss] ____ , heir to the throne of Drachenwald.
Heirs’ Herald
Make way, make way for their Royal Highness ____ , Crown Prince[ss] of Drachenwald!

The Victor comes forward, makes reverence, but remains standing. Any escort retires save his Champion, if present.

Victor
Your Majesty, you accepted me as your successor on the day of my victory in the Crown Lists. I come before you now to claim the Crown and Throne of Drachenwald, as is my right.
Sovereign
Indeed they shall be yours, for you are my true and undoubted heir.

Know you all, that anyone challenging this right must first best me. Does any so challenge?

Short pause.

Consort
Your Highness, great are the burdens of the Crown; you cannot bear them alone. Who will share this burden and rule beside you?
Victor
They who inspired me to victory, ____ .
Consort
signals herald.
Herald
Their Majesties call before them Crown Prince[ss] ____ , heir to Drachenwald.
Heirs’ Herald
Make way, make way for their Royal Highness ____ , Crown Prince[ss] of Drachenwald!
The Inspiration comes forward and makes reverence. It is best they stand at an oblique angle to the Crown so that their words may be heard by all.

Any escort retires.

Sovereign / Herald
Heirs to the throne of Drachenwald, listen well.

The Crown is a weighty burden. As Monarchs you will stand highest in the sight of your people, but you must nonetheless take upon yourselves the heaviest burdens and the gravest responsibilities.

Consort / Herald
You must at all times place the good of the Kingdom before your own interests. You must be a source of strength and wisdom for your people.
Sovereign / Herald
You must be foremost in valour upon the field of battle and gentlest in courtesy. You must foster the pursuits of peace and beauty as well as the arts of war. You must see that the scales of justice balance fairly for high and low alike.
Consort / Herald
You must take counsel, make just laws and you must lead your people to prosperity.
Sovereign / Herald
Knowing these things, do you still wish to take the crowns of Drachenwald?
Victor & Inspiration
I do.

Coronation Oath

Sovereign / Herald
Let the Seneschal come forward and administer the coronation oath.

The Kingdom Seneschal comes forward, bows and stands beside the Consort’s throne. The Heirs keep standing and put their right hand on the Book (ideally, a nicely bound book of the Corpora and/or Kingdom law) or on a sword.

Seneschal
Do you swear to love all that is true and fair, and fight all falsehoods, lies and injustice, both with your Royal power and with justice?
Victor & Inspiration
I do.
Seneschal
Will you be true to your people, confirm to them their old rights and privileges, and not remove from anyone what is rightfully theirs, except after proper verdict of law?
Victor & Inspiration
I so swear.
Seneschal
Will you protect the Realm to the best of your ability, so that when the time comes you will leave your successors a strong Kingdom, as is their due?
Victor & Inspiration
I so swear.

The Seneschal retires.

The Coronation

The Heirs kneel on the cushions before the outgoing Monarchs, who stand up.

If the Heirs are to be anointed, they are anointed here with such chrism as they think best. Likewise it is here that they may take up such sceptre, orb and swords of justice and mercy as they please or as tradition demands.

Two courtiers come forward with cushions and kneel beside the Heirs. The Monarchs remove the Heirs’ coronets and place them on the cushions, the courtiers bow and retire from the Presence.

The following should be done as simultaneously as possible:

The Monarchs remove their crowns and hold them above the heads of the Heirs.

Sovereign
____ .
Consort
____ .
Sovereign & Consort (together)
Be thou [King / Queen / preferred title].

With this last sentence, the outgoing Monarchs crown the new Monarchs. They raise them, so that they stand beside them.

Heirs’ Herald, hereafter the Herald
For their Majesties ____ and ____ . Vivant, vivant, vivant!

The former Monarchs step back in front of the new Monarchs and bow.

Former Sovereign
Your Majesties, let us be the first to congratulate you both and wish you all success and a bountiful reign.
Sovereign
We thank you. You are released by our word from the burden of the Crown which we now bear in your stead. Go now with our blessings and the thanks of Drachenwald.
Herald
For ____ and ____ . Vivant, vivant, vivant!

Former Monarchs bow and retire with their retinue, led by their heralds.

Oaths of Office

Herald
Let those Officers of State who are ready to swear their oaths of office come forward.

The officers of state come forward and kneel.

Herald
Do you swear on your honour to hold ____ and ____ your rightful sovereigns, until the end of their lawful reign, and support their royal might and justice?
Officers
I do.
Herald
Will you give them such obedience as is their due, obeying their commands in such matters as are theirs to command?
Officers
I will.
Herald
Will you be true officers of the Kingdom, discharging your duties to the best of your ability?
Officers
I will.
Sovereign
And We in turn promise to support you with our royal power and justice.

So say We ____ , Rex/Regina.

Consort
So say We ____ , Rex/Regina.

The officers retire.

Fealty of Peers

The peers can be called forward all at once, by order, or singly. If there are many, it is better to call them by their orders since otherwise they swear in a great mob. If they are called at once, it is done like this:

Herald
Let all Peers of Our Realm who wish to swear fealty at this time come forward.

If each group of peers are called separately, they are called as follows:

Herald
Let all Royal Peers who wish to swear fealty at this time come forward.

Stand forth those of the Most Ancient Order of Chivalry who are ready to swear fealty.

Let all members of the Order of Chivalry who wish to swear fealty at this time come forward.

Stand forth those of the Right Worshipful Order of the Laurel who are ready to swear fealty.

Stand forth those of the Right Noble Order of the Pelican who are ready to swear fealty.

Stand forth those of the Right Trusty Order of Defense who are ready to swear fealty.

Peers come forward, bareheaded and ungirt, and bow and kneel as to do homage. If possible they swear their oath on a book or on a sword or other relic. If there are many, the book, sword or other relic should be brought forward so that they may be on many sides of it. It is not meet to force them to assemble touching each other’s bodies in order to conduct their oath as though it were electric current.

Herald
Will you swear on your honour (and on this book/sword/relic) to hold ____ and ____ your rightful sovereigns, right until the end of their lawful reign, and support their royal might and justice?
Peers
I will.
Herald
Do you wish to give the Crown such counsel which is to the benefit of them and their Realm, and support them in upholding the laws and fulfilling their coronation oath?
Peers
I do.
Herald
And will you keep secret such matters as the Crown wants to keep in confidence, and not divulge such secrets that could harm their Realm?
Peers
I will.
Crown
And We in turn promise to grant you, the
  • Peers of our Realm
  • Royal Peers
  • Knights
  • Companions of the Order of the Laurel
  • Companions of the Order of the Pelican
  • Companions of the Order of Defense

and your households, all the rights and privileges of old, and to protect you with the Law of the Realm.

Sovereign
So say We ____ , Rex/Regina.
Consort
So say We ____ , Rex/Regina

Those peers who reserve their insignia until they have sworn may replace their insignia.

The peers retire.

Homage for Territorial Coronets and Baronage

Those nobles who hold their lands in feof directly from the Crown are called up to swear homage in order of precedence of the principality / barony. At the time of compiling this edition, these territories are the Principalities of Nordmark and Insulae Draconis and the Baronies of Knights Crossing and Aarnimetsä. It is expected that Baronies within the territories of Nordmark and Insulae Draconis will pay homage to their Coronets, who hold the lands directly in feof from the Crown.

For brevity, only Nordmark is written out in full; the others follow suit. The landed nobles may have their own oaths instead of the one suggested here.

Herald
Let the Prince[ss] and Prince[ss] of Nordmark come forward to swear homage.
Nordmark Herald
Make way, make way for ____ and ____ , Prince[ss] and Prince[ss] of Nordmark!

The Coronet comes forward as for homage, ungirt and bareheaded, make reverence and kneel. Unlike fealty, homage is sworn with hands between those of the overlord, so the Coronet puts their hands between those of the Crown.

Nordmark Herald / Coronet
Let all present and to come know that we ____ and ____ , Prince[ss] and Prince[ss] of Nordmark, swear to be your vassals of life and limb and acknowledge verily to you ____ and ____ , Crown of Drachenwald, that we hold and ought to hold as a fief the Principality of Nordmark. For this we make homage with hands and with mouth to you, and we swear that we will always be faithful vassals to you in all things in which a vassal is required to be faithful, and we will defend you and the Kingdom and the Principality against all malefactors and invaders, and we will give you power over all the castles and manors in the Principality, in peace and in war, whenever they shall be lawfully claimed by you.

And if we do not observe to you each and all the things declared above, and should come against these things, we wish that the aforesaid fief should, by that very fact, be forfeit to you.

Coronet
So say I ____ , Prince[ss].

So say I ____ , Prince[ss].

Crown
We receive the homage for the Principality of Nordmark, in the manner you have sworn; and likewise We concede to you, the Prince[ss] and Prince[ss] of Nordmark, all the castles and manors and places aforesaid, as a fief. And We promise to you that We will be a good and faithful liege concerning all those things described above.
Sovereign
So say We ____ , Rex/Regina.
Consort
So say We ____ , Rex/Regina.

Closing

Herald
There being no further business, I do hereby declare this court closed.

All rise for their <adjective> Majesties ____ and ____ of Drachenwald!

The Crown departs. During the procession the herald says the following.

Herald
Long live the [King / Queen / preferred title]! Long live the [King / Queen / preferred title]! Long live Drachenwald!

The territorial nobles may withdraw in state. The members of the court may then withdraw as they please.