Titles, Precedence, Forms of Address, and Regalia

by Mistress Jaelle of Armida

The SCA, like most of the actual middle ages, has a hierarchical structure. That means that everyone has a rank, with some people being higher than others. Let's work from the top down for Drachenwald. I am specifying Drachenwald, because some kingdoms do it slightly differently. (Note: I am using only the standard English Titles. For SCA approved titles in other languages, go to http://www.sca.org/heraldry/titles.html.

Royalty:

1. Sovereign and Consort. These are the rulers of the kingdom, referred to collectively as The Crown. The Sovereign is the person who won crown tourney, and the consort is the person for whom they fought. The male is always King, but may not necessarily be the sovereign. While as of this writing (Spring 2002) every Sovereign of Drachenwald has been male, and therefore King of Drachenwald, and every Consort has been female, and therefore Queen of Drachenwald, that doesn't mean it won't change in the future. They are referred to as Their Majesties or Their Royal Majesties. They both wear crowns.

2. Crown Prince and Crown Princess. These are the heirs to the throne. They are referred to as Their Highness or Their Royal Highness. They both wear coronets.

3. Territorial Prince and Princess. These are the rulers of a principality. Referred to collectively as the Coronet. Currently Drachenwald has only one principality, Nordmark. If there was more than one, the principalities would rank in order of creation. So, therefore, as long as Nordmark is a principality of Drachenwald, they would rank first among the principalities. They are referred to as Their Highnesses. They both wear coronets.

4. Heirs to a Principality. These are the heirs to the coronet. There is no special title for them in Nordmark. Some principalities use the term "Lord/Lady <Name of the Principality>". They have no special regalia.

Royal Peers:
	5. Duke/Duchess. These are people who have ruled an SCA kingdom two or more times. They are referred to as "Your Grace". Coronets with strawberry leaves are reserved for dukes and duchesses. Ducal coronets can look like these:
6. Count/Countess. These are people who have ruled an SCA kingdom once. They are referred to as "Your Excellency". Embattled coronets are reserved for counts and countesses. Furthermore, wreaths of roses are reserved to people who have been a consort of a kingdom one or more times. County coronets can look like this:

7. Viscount/ess. These are people who have ruled an SCA principality one or more times. They are referred to as "Your Excellency". They wear coronets of whatever type they choose (there is no standard form) so long as it is not embattled or does not have strawberry leaves. They frequently, but not always, use a coronet with pearls.

Bestowed Peers:
Note: these all rank the same, based on the date of the first bestowed peerage. Someone with 2 (or more) bestowed peerages still ranks below someone with one, whose peerage came first.

8. Order of Chivalry. This is received for heavy weapons fighting. This has two branches, Knights and Masters of Arms. A knight (male or female) is addressed as "Sir <Name>" and a Master of Arms is addressed as "Master or Mistress <Name>" (some female Masters of Arms use the title Master instead of Mistress). White belts and unadorned chains are reserved for knights. White baldrics are reserved for Masters/Mistresses of Arms.

8. Order of the Laurel. This is received for skill in a medieval art/science/craft. They are addressed as "Master or Mistress <Name>" (some female Laurels use the title Dame or Master instead of Mistress). Laurel wreaths, in the form of medallions, coronets, or on clothes are reserved for Laurels.

8. Order of the Pelican. This is received for service to the Society. They are addressed as "Master or Mistress <Name>" (some female Pelicans use the title Dame or Master instead of Mistress). A "pelican in its piety" in the form of a medallion, on their clothes, or on a coronet is reserved for Pelicans.

Grant of Arms Level:

9. Territorial Barons and Baronesses. These are the ceremonial heads of the Barony. They are called "Your Excellency", or "Baron/ess <Name>", or "Baron/ess <Name of Group>". Baronies rank by the age of the Barony. The Barony of Knights Crossing is the oldest in Drachenwald. Note: within their own barony, and while acting as baron/ess (and only then) territorial baron/ess outrank peers, and everyone but royalty. They wear coronets of whatever type they choose (there is no standard form) so long as it is not embattled or does not have strawberry leaves. They frequently, but not always, use a coronet with pearls.

10. Court Baron and Baroness. They are called Your Excellency, Baron/ess name. They wear coronets of whatever type they choose (there is no standard form) so long as it is not embattled or does not have strawberry leaves. They frequently, but not always, use a coronet with pearls.

11. Awards that carry a grant of arms. This could be an award from Drachenwald or from another kingdom. "Lord or Lady <name>". There is no special title for such people.

12. Plain grants of arms. "Lord or Lady <name>". There is no special title for such people.

Award of Arms Level:

13. Awards that carry an award of arms. "Lord or Lady <name>".

14. Plain awards of arms. "Lord or Lady <name>".

Below award of arms level:

15. Awards that do not carry an award of arms (or anything higher). There is no special title for such people.

16. Everyone else. There is no special title for such people, though by courtesy, we use "my lord" or "my lady" for everyone, if we don't have any other title to call them.

Drachenwald has no other official sumptuary laws than the ones listed here, which are the Society ones. Some kingdoms have other sumptuary laws, but Drachenwald has no other ones.

You will note that Kings and Queens wear crowns, while everyone else wears coronets. This is an SCA usage, not a historical one, since there is no difference between the two.

© Judy Gerjuoy 2002