Re: Peerage

[Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy@MATH.HARVARD.EDU>]

Greetings from Tibor,

Anarra wrote, and seemed to expect corrections to be inevitable.  So, hoping
no one minds, I'll try my hand at a few...

  A person admitted to the Order of Chivalry is either a Knight or a Master at
  Arms.  Knights must swear fealty to the King and Queen.  They wear white
  belts and open-link gold chains.  Only knights can wear these things.

If you check Corpora, Knights are only required to swear an oath at the time
of dubbing.  Although, universally, people presume they must do so at each
Coronation, or soon thereafter.  Custom, however, rules this one.
  
  Masters at Arms are not obligated to swear fealty.  Some do, some don't. 
  Masters wear a white baldric (a belt worn 'bandolier' style) and, if in
  fealty, an open-link gold chain.  Only Masters can wear white baldrics.

I tried to avoid discussing regalia, because it is so wide-spread and so
varied.  In some kingdoms, only knights were spurs: in others, anyone does.
Colored chains also vary by location.

I found some of these "don't wear this, don't wear that" proscriptions
unusual...  but some are very deeply ingrained custom.

  These three orders are 'Polling' orders.  The ruling Monarch must poll, or
  ask, the order about each candidate and cannot admit a candidate to the
  order without polling it first.  (Mind you, even if every single member of
  the order says 'I don't think that person is ready', the Monarch can still
  admit a person.  That's NO FUN for either the order, the new candidate or
  the Monarch after s/he's off the throne!)

In some kingdoms (especially Eastern "Book" Kingdoms) Royal Peerages and the
Rose are also polled.
  
  There are other Peerages as well.  These are not polling peerages.  I
  suppose you could call them 'entitlement' peerages, as anyone who meets the
  qualification is entitled to the peerage.  These are Royal Peers.

This is simply false.  A Patent is not awarded in each Kingdom for these
other orders.  It varies, widely.

	Tibor