Lords:Privileges of the Peerage

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Privileges of the Peerage

The following privileges apply to all Peers except where indicated, including: Manticoran Hereditary and Life Peers, Grayson Steadholders, Andermani Peers, and Havenite Senators.

• Peers may wear parliamentary robes (or other ceremonial garments) appropriate to their station and Star Nation in the place of uniforms. **These robes must be approved by the House of Lords and the Royal College of Arms, and are subject to approval by BuNine.
• Grayson Steadholders may wear a key on either a necklace or as a pin on parliamentary robes, civilian clothes, or day jackets.
• All Peers may wear a badge representing an element of their heraldry or a miniature representation of their heraldry on civilian clothes or day jackets.
• Peers may wear civilian clothes in lieu of uniforms for formal events, and wear representations of their awards (miniature medals, ribbons around the arm, etc.) as appropriate. This is not an exclusive right of Peers, and is only included to ensure that even military Peers may attend in civilian Peerage clothes.
• Peers will be assigned a civilian pay-grade to represent their work in the House of Lords, and are eligible for civilian service awards and decorations as such. This allows peers to have dual pay-grades, and is an exception to the normal rule against such.
  • These paygrades will be assigned by Admiralty Order or Act of Parliament at a set level, and does not need to be tracked by any other method.
• Peers are allowed a heraldic shield. This shield can be created to the peer's wishes. If they are a member of a knightly order, it may contain the encircling ribbon of the order, and below, up to 6 medals representing the peer's highest awards. Spouses of peers use the peer’s arms as they are not peers in their own right. Peers should consult the College of Arms for the initial creation of their Achievement Arms. From there it will be sent to BuComm for final approval.

Designation of Hierarchical Affiliation

• Peers at the Baronial level are allowed to affiliate voluntarily with a County or Duchy to reside in for roleplay purposes.
• Peers at the Comital level are allowed to affiliate voluntarily with a Duchy to reside within that Duchy for roleplay purposes.
• Peers at the above levels may also designate a “fictional” County or Duchy to reside in, should they wish to do so. If they choose to do so, they may name this fictional land, subject to review and approval by the Royal College of Arms.
• If a Peer chooses to designate a fictitious Duchy and is later raised to the Ducal level, the name of their fictitious Duchy shall be considered the title they would prefer to use.
  • The Peerage Board should heavily consider the name of the fictitious Duchy for use as the Ducal title, but are not required to recommend it.
• If a Peer chooses to name a fictitious County and is later raised to that rank, their lands are separated and are no longer considered to be within them.

Privileges of the Companions of the Order of the Star Kingdom

• Knights of the Star Kingdom may display a badge designed for the Order by the Royal College of Arms, with the name of their Keep and a Motto of their choice above and below the badge and the riband of the Order surrounding them.
• A Knight of the Star Kingdom may also register a simple heraldic badge to serve as their symbol and the symbol of their Keep. What constitutes this badge shall be determined by the Royal Manticoran College of Arms, save that it may be displayed in the same manner as the Badge of the Order as described above.
• The name of the Keep shall be, by default, <Surname> Keep. They may be modified either by changing the <Surname> to a descriptive name, or by adding a location after the word Keep.
• The Name. Motto, and Badge of the Keep are subject to approval by the Royal College of Arms.
• Companions of the Order of the Star Kingdom may also designate a fictitious Peerage lands for their Keep to reside in, subject to review and approval of the Royal College of Arms. If they choose to designate such, this name will be considered if the Companion is ever elevated to a Peerage.
• In the event that a Knight is made a Peer, they shall be allowed to either maintain the name of their Keep as is or change the name to reflect the name of their Peerage lands.
• In the event that a Peer is made a Knight, their Keep shall by default be named <Peerage Lands> Keep; but they may choose to have a separate name for it if they desire, subject to the rules listed above.
• The heir, whether assumed or designated, to a Knight of the Star Kingdom shall be referred to as ‘the Honorable’.
• A Knight shall be entitled to wear representations of the insignia if the Order of the Star Kingdom on civilian/court dress even under circumstances where wearing the full regalia is inappropriate. Representations include wearing the award ribbon on the lapel, a representative ribbon around the sleeve, symbolic pins, etc.