[Ansteorra] CROWN HEIRS-VALID QUESTION

[Jay Rudin]

Alice asked:


> Greetings From Alina Unto All:
>
> On the crown heir issue, instead of another crown tourney can't the
> person who fought Patrick Michael in the final round take over as
> second in line? Kinda like most contest, when the winner can't
> fulfill the obligation the second in line takes over.

You are making the implicit assumption that we are currently deciding what 
to do.  That isn't the case.  Kingdom Law exists, and should already cover 
this case.

Unfortunately, it doesn't, quite.  It covers the case of forfeiture for 
failing to meet the requiremements (VI.1.A-B), and the case of the Crown 
being unable to serve (VI.2.A-C), and of a single heir being unable to 
serve (VI.1.C).  Re-fighting the tourney seems to me to be the decision 
that most closely follows the intent of the law.  (If they had stepped down 
after becoming Crown, the former Sovereign would have a Crown tourney to 
replace them, which is pretty much what's happening.  See Ansteorran 
Kingdom Law, Article VI. Rights of Succession.)  I assume that Kingdom Law 
will soon be updated to cover the case that both heirs must drop out 
together.

It would certainly have been possible to write the rules the way you 
suggest, and many competitions carry a statement that the person who comes 
in second must accept the responsibility to take over if the winner cannot 
do the job.  But the rules for Crown are set up differently.

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin