Difference between revisions of "Protocol, Etiquette, and Customs at the Imperial Court of Diadochia"

Latest revision as of 19:43, 7 March 2015

The Protocol, Etiquette, and Customs at the Imperial Court of Diadochia are all strictly regulated and controlled in Diadochia, because of this the Imperial Court of Diadochia is known for its very strict adherence to tradition and protocol.

Imperial court ceremonial

An elaborate court ceremonial grew up throughout the centuries for the purpose of enhancing the glamour and prestige surrounding the sovereign, so as to increase his personal standing and dignity. Each of the Emperor's official appearances are precisely regulated and designed to unfold in a setting of great splendour and imperial opulence. The imperial court cremonial at the Court of Atlantis is both complicated and strict. Court ceremonies include:

• coronations
• royal births
• royal baptisms
• royal marriages
• royal burials
• the emperor's return and departure from the capital,
• emperor's presence at the Hippodrome games
• ambassadorial receptions
• emperor's presence at religious and state festivities of various forms

Imperial entry and departure

Whenever the Emperor departs or returns to the imperial capital of Atlantis he is either speeded on his way or welcomed home by his sons, the patriarch, members of the Imperial Court, the nobility, members of Parliament, the gentry, and the senior army and naval officers at a convenient point just outside the capital. If the Emperor was returning from a western campaign or western progress than the welcoming ceremony is held in the Hebdomon castle in a special pavilion designed for the event. If it were an eastern campaign or eastern progress then the welcoming ceremony is held in the Komnenos Castle. After the welcoming ceremony it is customary for the Emperor to enter his capital by way of the Golden gate riding at the head of his bodyguard and a great procession.

The ceremonies surrounding the Emperor's entry into other cities, is very similar to his entry into the capital. when the Emperor approached a city, the city authorities greet him and his party outside the city walls, handing over to him the ceremonial keys to the city, followed by a loyal addresses or speeches to the sovereign. After this the Emperor is conducted through the streets which is filled with colour, with houses on the route hanging rich tapestries and embroideries, carpets or fine cloth from their windows, and most of the city's population lines the streets.

Ambassadorial receptions

In Diadochia the opening stages for ambassadorial receptions began when the ambassador reached the frontier of Diadochia. The foreign ambassador is greeted by a reception committee bearing royal gifts at a port city. Similar ceremonies are repeated at every regional capital situated on the Ambassador's route to Atlantis, the local governor presents the ambassador with gifts that varied in value according to the ambassador's importance. Once in Atlantis the diplomat and his party are given a place to stay, usually a Palace rented out to the said country's embassy.

Meanwhile the imperial guard units, wearing full dress uniforms of gold helms and breast-plates over white undergarments ride carrying lances to the ambassadors residence to escort him to the Imperial Palace.

The route the ambassador's carriage takes are decorated with carpets and hangings suspended in the envoys honour from the windows and balconies of the houses lining the route. At the main gate of the palace a senior court official greets the ambassador and conducts him, his interpreter and retinue to the Audience hall where the imperial throne stands concealed from view by sumptuous silk hangings. At the given moment the silk curtain is drawn back to reveal the Emperor dressed in his state robes and wearing his crown.

The ambassador than approaches the Emperor but is made to halt three times in his advance to kneel before the Emperor. The ambassador than hands his letter of credence to the Megas Primikērios and greets the emperor in the name of his own sovereign. The Emperor then replies by inquiring about the latter's health, referring to fellow Emperors as brother while referring to all monarchs of europe, whether they were kings or emperors as son. After this the Emperor named the day when the Ambassador would return to discuss further diplomatic relations.

The Emperor gave a farewell banquet in honour of the ambassador the night before his departure from the capital. The guests are seated in strict order of precedence at a T-shaped table. The top of the table formed the high table, made of gold, which is were the Emperor sat in the centre dressed in a purple robe over a white tunic with the Empress on his left. Traditionally the male guests wearing sashs of honour were ranged along the right side of the Emperor, with the ladies of the court along the left. Nowadays men and women sit on both sides of the table. Throughout the banquet a silentarius or page holds a rod of office and stands behind the Emperor, while a lady-in waiting of the empress holding a wand stands behind the empress.

If the visiting ambassador represented a major power his place was sat at the high table; if not, or if the emperor wishs to affront or insult him the visiting ambassador is sat at the tranversal section, where his suite and his interpreter are traditionally placed.

Ceremonies at the Hippodrome

While in residence in the capital it was the Emperor's duty to preside over the circus games and chariot races in the Hippodrome. A special Hippodrome games is held annually on May 21 to honour and commemorate the founding of the city. It is the duty of the Emperor to give the signal for the race to begin. The Emperor makes this signal by dropping a white handkerchief called a mappa. Four races are run in the morning, and four in the afternoon. The Emperor gave a lunch party between the two race times with members of the imperial court in attendance. At the end of each days events the emperor awards prizes to the final winner, consisting of an aurigarion (gold emblem), a silver helmet, and a belt. During the intervals between the races the audience was entertained by theatrical performances, mimes, dancers, acrobats and circus stunts.

=New Year's Day gifts

Each start of the year is the occasion for the Emperor, the Empress, the princes and princesses of the blood imperial and the members of the imperial family to distribute New Year’s Day gifts to people of the Court as a sign of their gratitude or friendship.

The tradition started with Eric III of Diadochia and as continued to this day.

Forms of Address

The Emperor

The Emperor of Diadochia is referred to as His Most Orthodox Imperial and Royal Majesty, His Imperial and Royal Majesty, His Imperial Majesty, or simply His Majesty (in order of formality).

When one is first introduced to the Emperor it is appropriate (and required) to refer to him by the first and most formal form of address. When first addressing the Emperor in conversation (one that he must initiate), any of the forms of address is appropriate, after which he may be referred to as Monseigneur, Sire or monsieur (but never the latter in the presence of his brother the current Monsieur le Sebastokrator simply referred to as Monsiuer).

The Crown Prince

The Emperor's eldest son and heir apparent is the Byzantinóu (Crown Prince), Despotēs of the Pelopónnisos and the Prince of Bithynia. The latter title is the most commonly used title for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince may be referred to as His Imperial and Royal Highness or simply His Highness. When first being introduced to the Prince of Bithynia and or when first addressing him in a conversation, either of the above forms of address is appropriate, after which he may be referred to as Monsieur le Byzantinóu, Monseigneur le Despotēs, Monsieur le Prince de Bithynie or simply monseigneur or monsieur (but never the latter in the presence of his eldest uncle , nor the former in the presence of the Emperor).

Monsieur le Sebastokrator

The eldest brother of the Emperor of Diadochia is always styled Monsieur le Sebastokrator, or Monsieur, after the French fashion. In addition to his standing as a Prince and Archduke the Emperor's eldest brother is referred to as Monsieur.

When in the presence of Monsieur it is necessary to differentiate between him and any other "monsieurs" present when in the presence of Monsieur - whereas one might normally refer to a duke in a conversation as "monsieur", if Monsieur is present, it becomes necessary to to refer to said duke as "Monsieur le Duc", for in presence of the Sebastokrator, the term Monsieur by itself always refers to him.

Madame Impériale

The eldest living daughter of the Emperor is styled Madame Impériale or Princess Imperial and or Princess of Magnesia. The Princess Imperial may be referred to as Her Imperial and Royal Highness or simply Her Highness, but usually it is also fitting to refer to her as Madame Impériale. When first being introduced to the Princess Imperial and or when first addressing her in a conversation, either of the above forms of address is appropriate, after which she may be referred to as La Princesse Impériale, Princesse de Magnésie or simply Madame Impériale.

Court hierarchy

Modeled after the french court. The hierarchy at the Imperial court is follows:

• Emperor or Empress
• Porphyrogennitos (Fils de Diadochia): son of the Emperor
• Nobelissimos (Petit-fils de Diadochia): grand-son of the Emperor
• Protosebastos: (first prince of the blood): closest most senior prince of the blood who is not a child or grandson of Diadochia.
• Panhypersebastos: Most senior prince of the blood in terms of how long the branch goes back.
• Sebastos: (princes of the blood): - a remote (legitimate) son of a Emperor of Diadochia
• Prince légitimé: legitimized (bastard) son of the Emperor
• Duke: a man in possession of a duchy
• Marquess: possession of a marquessate or a courtesy title
• Earl/Count: possessing a county or a courtesy title
• Viscount: possessing a vis-count or a courtesy title
• Baron: possessing a barony or a courtesy title
• Baronets: a hereditary title giving the holder the right to be addressed as "Sir" as if they were knights;
• Chevalier/Knight: A nobleman with no other title but who belongs to an order of chivalry
• Esquires: originally men aspiring to knighthood, by custom the holders of certain offices (such as barristers, justices of the peace, and higher officer ranks in the armed services) are deemed to be Esquires.
• Gentlemen: Generally men of high birth or rank, good social standing, and wealth, who did not need to work for a living, are considered gentlemen.

Court Honours

In Diadochia, courtiers are entitled to certain honours - and with that certain privileges. The honours are divided into three categories and whether a courtier is entitled to them or not depended on in most cases on family connections. These are the honours:

• Honours of the Konstantina
• Honours of the Court
• Honours of Blachernae

Honours of the Konstantina

The Honours of the Konstantina are the most senior court honours a member of the Imperial Court of Diadochia are entitled to as a courtier of the Emperor. The honours of the Konstantina are superior to the lower Honours of the court.

The people entitled to such distinctions are of course all members of the Imperial Family including the Porphyrogennitos, Nobelissimos, and all of the princes of the blood known as Sebastos, the Patriarch, Archbishops, members of the Peerage, Great officers of the Realm, Great officers of the Imperial Court.

The honours include:

• the right to have a reception room with a velvet dais in your own palace, displaying their own arms in the back courtain
• the right to use gold-leaf on their carriage or car (in the case of modern times)
• the right to have a red velvet "imperiale" or covering as the roof to their carriage or car
• the right to crown their carriage lanterns with golden peerage crowns or to display thee crown of peers on their cars
• the right to enter with a carriage pulled by 4 horses or with a limo to the innermost courtyards of imperial palaces
• the right to ride (not in the presence of the king, meaning in his palaces) in a carriage pulled by 6 horses
• the right (for women) to sit on a tabouret (stool) in the presence of the Emperor, Empress, and the Imperial Family.y.
• the right (Women & men) to have a square cushion on which to kneel during mass in the presence of the Emperor.
• the right to have a prie-dieu (prayer desk) at church when the Emperor is not present.
• the right to display a peerage mantle and a peer coronet on one's arms
• the right (for women) to wear a court mantle with a train borne by a page.

Honours of the Court

The Honours of the court are second to the honours of the Konstantina and provide some perks to the holders of the honours, including:

• the right to ride in the Emperor's carriage or state car
• the right to be invited to court balls.
• the right of the Première entrée of the Emperor's Levée

Honours of Blachernae

The Honours of Blachernae are third place, after the honours of the court, and the honours of the Konstantina and provide some basic perks to the holders of the honours, including:

• the right to be presented at court (from gentlemen up)

For woman at Court, the length of their court-trains/mantles are regulated by the Imperial Court

• Empress' train is 11 feet
• Filles de Diadochia is 9 feet
• Petite-Filles is 8 feet
• Princesses of the Blood: 7 feet
• Duchesses: 6 feet
• Other Ladies: 5 feet

Levée of the Emperor

The levée of the Diadochian emperor is influnenced by the french version but contains strictly Diadochian practices. The Emperor is awaken each morning at six o'clock by the Gamprós Epimeli̱ti̱ríou (Grooms of the Chamber).

Grand entrée

At half past six the curtains of the Emperor's bed in the State Bedchamber are drawn apart and the Megas Parakoimomenos enters to greet the Sovereign, bringing with him nuemerous nobles who had the privilege of the grande entrée. The Emperor remained in bed throughout this time in a nightshirt. The Megas Parakoimomenos, or in his absence the Árchontes tou Krevatokámara (Lords of the Bedchamber), and the Kýrioi tou Krevatokámara (Gentlemen of the Bedchamber), present holy water to the emperor to wash his face and the emperor's morning clothes are laid out.

First the Ploíarchos tou Skampó (Master of the Stool) and the Ploiárchou to̱n rómpes (Master of the Robes), pull the emperor's nightshirt over his head, one grasping each sleeve. Next the Megas Parakoimomenos presented the day shirt. After this time the gentlemen retired to an adjoining chamber while the emperor prayed before an icon of the saviour.

Première entrée

After the emperor finishes his prayers he calls the Megas Parakoimomenos back, now accompanied by those who had the lesser privilege of the première entrée, the elaborate process of dressing began.

The emperor is handed a dressing-gown, and a mirror is held for him. Privileged courtiers are admitted, a few at a time, at each stage of the royal dressing, so that just as the emperor was putting on his shoes and stockings "everyone" who was anyone was there.

The emperor then passes into the cabinet where all those who possessed any court office attended him; he now at that time announces what he expects to do that day and is left alone with them.

Church Rituals

The Emperor attends mass or the divine liturgy as it is called by the Diadochian Orthodox Church. The Church follows the Byzantine rite.

While at mass, court etiquette follows. The main rules include:

• The Nobilissima or granddaughters of Diadochia (the Emperor's granddaughters) are entitled to a servant - known as a Chapel Clerk. It is his responsibility to hold a candle, he was also trusted with the task of giving responses to the Mass.
• The Sebaste or princesses of the blood are not entitled to a Chapel Clerk so they have to make due with a page.
• At the end of the divine liturgy the patriarch, archbishop or priest officiating always carries holy cross and bible to the imperial family for them to kiss it. But it was not for everyone in the imperial family - the princes and princesses of the blood are not given this honour.

Sitting etiquette

When in the presence of the Emperor or Empress of Diadochia there are strict rules that must be followed when taking a seat. First of all one does not simply sit in the presence of the Emperor or Empress. As a rule only the Patriarch and Empress Consort are allowed to remain seated when the Emperor rises, enters, or leaves a room.

It is only the right of the Emperor and Empress to sit on an armchair or fauteuil; the only occasion this was broken is when another monarch visits the Diadochian court in which case he or she would be offered an armchair as well.

Chairs without arms but with a back are reserved for those who are closest in rank to the emperor- this could be the emperor's brothers, sisters and children. The court tabouret is an elaborate, upholstered stool with curved wooden legs and tassels, carried by a liveried servant. The use of the tabouret is only for the peeresses of the court. Everyone else is required to stand when in the presence of their majesties the Emperor and Empress, no matter their age or fortune.

However, the rules of sitting are quite different when it is the Empress alone who is present. In this case a Archbishop was allowed to take a seat (a simple one of course). In the presence of the Emperor unless invited to sit an Archbishop must stand.

When neither the emperor or the empress were present the rules changed - yet again. Whenever the Crown Prince is in the room, the right to a stool (or tabouret) belongs to the Nobelissimos (grandchildren of Diadochia), Sebaste(princesses of the blood), Archbishops and Peeresses. But the Porphyrogennitos (children of Diadochia) - who were the brothers and sisters of the Crown Prince - have the privilege of an armchair.

Grand-Couvert

The Grand-Couvert of the Diadochian Court was adopted from the french court by Eric II of Diadochia. Grand-Couverts or public banquets are held annually to mark the emperor’s birthday, high religious feast days, saint days, the festivities of imperial Orders, coronations and imperial homage ceremonies. During these events the Emperor often dines in full view of the public as the Diadochian monarch must be born, live, and die in the eyes of the public. The Grand-Couvert is opened to all persons, as long as they are decently dressed, this special privilege allows the Emperor's subjects the rare opportunity of observing their emperor at close quarters. During public banquets members of the nobility serve the emperor.

The public banquets are intended to display to observers the splendour and power of the imperial Court of Diadochia and followed a clear ceremonial procedure. The emperor and his retinue entered the dining room, announced by a fanfare. The individual courses are announced with a drumbeat, and the company dine to the accompaniment of table music.

Most of the dishes served are for display only, their elaborate decoration intended solely to enhance the imperial splendour of the emperor, the imperial family, the imperial court, and the empire as a whole. The dining services are made of precious materials, while allegorical centrepieces allude to the glory of the imperial majesty of the emperor.

The emperor sits beneath a canopy of state (usually of imperial purple or red), while the other participants are all placed according to a meticulously worked out seating order based on rank and precedence.

At public banquets the food is served by by the aristocratic nobles present at court. They are organized by the Domestikos trapezes (Grand Master of the Table), who oversees the course of events according to the strict rules of ceremonial. He his assisted by Atriklines who is responsible for making sure court dignitaries, officials and ministers of state are received in order of strict precedence and rank during the event.

Certain aristocrats called Oikonómos (seneschals/stewards) are responsible for the ceremonial presentation of the dishes. The Mégas Trochistí̱s (Grand Carver) assisted by the trochistí̱s (lesser carvers) celebrated the elaborate carving of the meat, while the Megas Pinkernes (Chief cupbearer) assisted by the oinochóos (lesser cupbearers) attend to the serving of the drinks. The imperial Koubikoularios or chamberlains, a rank which allows special proximity to the emperor, tests the quality of the dishes and serves the emperor at his table. In addition, between each course, the chamberlains hold a basin of water and towel for the emperor to wash his hands.

In recent years the Emperor has traditionally held twelve public banquets a year, one for each month or more.

Court balls

The number of Grand Court Balls are limited to ten per year.

The court etiquette is strict for the organizing of the balls. The invitations to the Imperial balls are required to be sent out no later than two weeks prior to the date of the ball. The first ball of the season, known as the Premiere Ball is held in the Nicholas Hall of the Konstantina Palace, where up to 4,000 quests are invited. Then the Court State Ball occurs in the reception rooms of the at the Atlantis Imperial Palace (up to 2000 invitees). After this was the exclusive Ball at Court for the aristocracy and Diadochian nobility (up to 900 invitees) held in the Palace of St. Constantine. Then the concert ball is organized (up to 700 invitees), followed by the Philadelphion ball (up to 200 invitees).

The titles of the balls match the names of the halls in which the event occurs dancing. The Great Officers of the Realm, Members of Parliament, Great Officers of the Imperial Court, with spouses are all invited to the court balls, as well as holders of senior Imperial Court offices, foreign diplomats with their families, young officers, and special guests selected by the Imperial family. The Megas Parakoimomenos keeps a special Register of the "acceptable" invitees.

Certain essential requirements have to be met to be able to attend a court ball:

• for men that was a formal right to be introduced to the Emperor,
• for women — the prior actual introduction to the Empress.

All court balls began, as a rule, at eight o'clock in the evening. It was impossible to arrive late or to use the wrong entrance of the Palace. Everything is organized in accordance to precise order: the princes and princesses of the blood imperial and the members of the imperial family came through the entrance in the Sardelis lane, the senior officers of the court, Members of Parliament, etc — through Their Majesties' entrance, civil servants had to come through the Epiphany entrance, and military officers — through the Commandant's entrance.

Women are supposed to wear over clothes — pelisse (special cape), to which they usually attach their visitors' cards. Head decorations are also regulated by strict etiquette:

• married women wear diadems,
• young ladies decorate their hair with flowers.
• The Court Ladies or Dames attach the appropriate diamond cipher or a portrait of the reigning Monarch to their left side (reflecting their rank).
• Officers showed off their dress uniforms.
• Officers of the Imperial Court, according to strict regulations, have to wear short pantaloons and white silk stockings.

The Megas Parakoimomenos opens the ball. After this the Imperial orchestra starts playing the polonaise. The Emperor led the first pair, usually with the Empress or the wife of the Megas Primikērios or the Master of the diplomatic corps. The Megas Kouropalatēs surrounded by the other great officers of state walks in front of the Emperor, as if laying the way for him. After the polonaise comes the waltz, followed by the mazurka, then comes a host of Diadochian folk dances, and then the guests are at that point led into the state dining room or whatever room has been selected for dinner. Court balls always end with a Cotillion.