[Ansteorra] Terms Coronets when to use

[vmarsh at twmarsh.net]

Greetings, most esteemed Ansteorrans.

In my most humble experiences and personal opinions, Baronial "thrones" are called such because the Landed Nobles hold the Crown's lands in fief and when the Landed Nobles hold court, they and their Herald speak for the Crown, with the Crown's permission. It is proper to give a bow towards the Baronial Thrones *when they are set up in a courtly fashion* because it represents the Kingdom of Ansteorra, through this extension of Fealty. Any old camp chair is not a baronial throne, unless the B & B are in the process of holding court, the court is recessed, they are granting audiences, or are over-seeing the scheduled activities of a baronial/canton event.

In my opinion, if the Crown requests that a member of the Royal Family or a Court Baron and/or Baroness hold court in their stead, the chair also then becomes a throne through the permission to act in the Crown's stead.

It is also why one should never sit upon a Baronial or Kingdom Throne unless one is asked to by the Landed Noble. It makes the populace very uncomfortable to have anyone else on the thrones. I made the mistake of inviting people to sit in the Baronial thrones when I was the Landed Noble and came to realize that it was not a good thing. I started carrying rugs, pillows, and extra chairs to set next to the thrones in order to make people comfortable when granting an audience. It also kept me from straining my neck with that heavy baronial coronet on!

As for the term "Coronets", I am not an expert in that area. I've always called them the Crown Prince and Crown Princess because they are wearing the Royal diadems for those positions. Kingdom law calls them Baronial Coronets.

When we were a Principality, it was important to make a large distinction between Their Royal Highnesses, the Crown/Royal Prince and Princess and their Principality counterparts, Their Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of the Principality. Of course, we also had the Tanist and the Tanista. I don't remember the term to address them - Was it "Your Radiances" or "Your Excellencies"?

I think that having Baronial Thrones adds a great deal to the majesty of a court, especially when you realize that the oath of fealty between the Crown and the Landed Nobles along with Kingdom Law states that the Landed Nobles "Reflect the royal presence in the barony when the Crown cannot be in attendance".

In Service,

Mistress Xene Theriane