ANST - Patents (long)

[Burke McCrory]

><snip>
>
>So my questions are:
>  What is the difference in having a Royal Patent or not?
>  Why are we one of the very few (only?) Kingdoms that dont give them out?
>  Would it be in the Kingdom's best interest to give out Royal Patents to
>those stepping down?
>
>
>Sir Timo Kalamanos

What follows is my personal opinion.

I really don't see the need for granting a royal patent to outgoing crowns 
or coronets (from our principality days).  In my opinion it says that the 
title of Duke/Count/Viscount is not good enough and you need more titles to 
be recognized for your service as ruler.  I feel our system recognizes the 
inherent difference between the peerage and the Nobility.  A peer, no 
matter how good or special, is not a Noble unless they sit a throne 
(Kingdom/Principality/Barony) or the Crown finds sufficient reason to 
elevate them, by grace, to the nobility (Court Barony).  Only those who sit 
a Kingdom or Principality throne are Royal.  This is a very special rank 
and should not be cheapened (in my opinion) by stating that something else 
is needed.  In our Order of March all current and former rulers, including 
current Landed Baron/ess but excluding Court Baron/ess, march in front of 
everyone else including peers.  In Ansteorra a current landed baron marches 
ahead of even a triple peer.  This is how it should be as we are 
recognizing the special service that rulers give.  This is not to say that 
the service that peers give is any less valuable, it is just different.  I 
have had the honor to sit as a Landed Baron and be recognized as a Peer.  I 
can tell you from personal experience that the duties and expectations are 
very different, so is the type of service that is given.

Additionally Royal Peers would not have any say over who is or isn't added 
to their ranks.  They wouldn't need to sit in circles and advise the crown 
on matters of elevation.  The Royal Family already has special access to 
the Crown and I have seen on a few occasions where the sitting Crown has 
called a meeting of the Royal Family to advise it.  I just don't see the 
reason to add Royal Patents and I see several possible reasons that it 
could lessen something that we hold as very special.  I like our system 
that clearly defines the deference between the Nobility and the non-nobility.

When I look at other Kingdoms I wonder if the fact that sometimes the Crown 
is not given the respect and high level of standing that we do could be 
part of the reason why they have Royal Patents.  In some kingdoms the 
Crowns word is law, but only if a Curia or Council approves it.  In some 
kingdoms a Crown will catch hell if they give out a grant level award, let 
alone a peerage, without polling the order in writing first.  In those 
kingdoms it might be that the peers feel that they have a higher standing 
than a former Crown or Coronet.  One could wonder if, Royal Patents were 
not something that was put into place to help even the playing field.

This is just my personal opinion.

Sir Burke
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