Peerage Ceremonies
During the peerage ceremony for each of the four polled peerage Orders, it is common in Lochac for a member of each of these Orders and the Royal Peerage to speak on the qualities of the candidate to be elevated. It is also common for candidates, upon their elevation, to be gifted a token of their new Peerage, which may have a lineage that is read out in Court.
Peerage meetings in Lochac are usually held at each of the four Crown events – Twelfth Night Coronation, May Crown Tournament, Midwinter Coronation and November Crown Tournament. They are also often held at other large Kingdom events such as Rowany Festival and Canterbury Faire.
In the early days, all members of all Peerages were often present at all meetings with different Peerages commenting on each other’s candidates, but that no longer occurs.
Polling Peerages
The very first Peer of Australia was Mistress Rowan Perigrynne, who was made a Pelican by the West Kingdom in October 1982 (AS 17).
The first Peer of New Zealand was Master Christopher Foxe (formerly Yoshitoshi Matsuyama), who was made a Pelican by the Kingdom of Caid in January 1993 (AS 27).
The four polled peerages are the Order of Chivalry (Knighthood), given for heavy combat; the Order of the Laurel, given for artistic achievement; the Order of the Pelican, given for service; and the Order of Defence, given for rapier combat.
Royal Peerages
The remaining, non-polled peerages are the Viscounty, given for ruling as Prince and Princess; the County, given for ruling as King or Queen one time; and the Duchy, given for ruling as King or Queen a second time. These rank above the polled peerages, and are known as Royal Peerages. Despite this, we usually list them along with the Kingdom awards.