ANST - Question and Comment on Ducal Privilege

[C. L. Ward]

I have a comment and a question to add to the discussion about ducal
privilege.

First, I have to say that the ONLY reason that we have ducal privilege is
because it has always been that way.  You can argue until you are blue in
the face, the real reason is that it accidentally got started that way and
became an entrenched tradition, and status quo doesn't change readily.
There is no other reason, just LOTS of excuses made up to explain an
existing and entrenched custom.  90% of all human ritual got started this
way, and explanations added later by the theoreticians.

As has already been well-discussed here, having a duke enter the lists at
Crown Tourney and fight a few rounds doesn't test the mettle of the final
winner in any meaningful way - the only way that would be so is if every
person in the tourney fought everyone else.  But it's a nice legend, and
after all, our whole Society is established firmly in legendary territory.  

I don't really think that the "ducal prerogative" hurts anything, either.
Sure, a duke has a lot of experience and can be a seriously difficult
opponent to face, but it's very likely that today's list winner won't face
the duke, nor will the eventual winner's serious opponents.  And
furthermore, the longer you are in the Society the older you get, and with
age we all slow down some -- so eventually a duke will not be as fast or as
powerful as younger fighters, and therefore not as big a challenge in the
lists (though age and treachery are big trump cards, I understand from Duke
Lloyd!)  And it is also true that even a complete newbie will get lucky,
and so even a duke can be killed by a much less experienced fighter on some
days -- it happens!

Here's my question.  Does ducal privilege extend to Consorts?  Can Duchess
Alisha or Duchess Willow (just picking two of our duchesses that are also
fighters) enter Crown Tourney and bow out under ducal privilege, should
they wish to do so? If they cannot, why not?


Wæs Þu Hæl (Waes Thu Hael)

::GUNNORA::

Gunnora Hallakarva, OL
Baroness to the Court of Ansteorra
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Ek eigi visa þik hversu oðlask Lofstirrlauf-Kruna heldr hversu na Hersis-Aðal
(Ek eigi thik hversu odhlask Lofstirrlauf-Kruna heldr hversu na Hersis-Adhal)

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