CROWNING THE MAY QUEEN
THE INSTALLATION ORDO OF QUEEN ALEXANDRA
Alexandra's reign was a reign on paper as she never personally exercised her mandate in any way, shape, or form (not that she had been expected to). Queen Alexandra amounted to a convenient arrangement whereby the Crown could be permanently set beyond the reach of Glennish subjects who altogether too often managed to obsess over or fixate upon the monarch and the monarchy.
In the end, the queen-in-name-only arrangement proved intolerable to some and the scenario ultimately led to the breakup of the GK in 2014.
As we embarked upon Queen Alexandra's ephemeral reign, however, we wanted to somehow endow it with substance and majesty, immersing our silent queen in the mystique and magic of monarchy by inaugurating her reign with a solemn ritual. Well...as solemn as text posted to a discussion board could be, at least, since that was how we were still operating in those days.
In 2008, I had written a lengthy and elaborate coronation ordo for the kings of Sconeland. Returning to that earlier ordo, I ripped pages from it, so to speak, in order to hobble together a much abbreviated version of it by which to launch the reign of our "May Queen".
The abridged version of the Sconnish ordo was presented to King James II and the prince regent (later King Erik of Hanover) for their review. It was given the thumbs up and we went with it, installing the queen on May 20, 2013, one day after her accession.
To follow is the text of the ordo for Alexandra's installation in the context of my communication of the same to the king and the prince regent:
THE CHANCERY
WEALDSTONBURY
His Majesty The King
His Highness The Prince Regent
Your Majesty,
Your Highness:
I have devised the ceremonial for the installation of Queen Alexandra to occur on May 20 and Her Royal Highness has reviewed and approved the ceremony. I thought you might like to review it in advance of the rest of the public.
His Majesty may find something familiar about this ceremony. It is derived from the Ordo for the Sacring of the King of Sconeland which I composed some years ago for myself while designing the Kingdom of Sconeland, back when we had intended to create a new Marchmain kingdom wholly separate from the Hanover community. Why we ever decided to go the route we did, instead, mystifies me at this point, but hindsight is 20/20.
At any rate, this ceremony for the installation of Queen Alexandra borrows much from that ill-fated Sconnish Coronation Ordo which never saw the light of day; it puts aside, however, the chrismation and the crowning and the robing along with most of the other sacred religious rites originally called for. It simply isn’t possible to perform a coronation or a consecration electronically without seeming silly. An simple affirmation ceremony, therefore, surrounded by a touch of anachronistic pomp seemed the best way to go.
Despite the necessary revisions, the heart of the original service, the Sacring (anointing with the sacred chrism) is vestigially preserved in the portion of the ceremony called “The Imperatives”. Here the officiant (in this case the Lord Chancellor rather than a Lord Archbishop) names each of the parts of the body that would have been anointed with chrism using, in fact, the very same words that would have been used during the chrismation. In the end, the ceremony isn’t wholly lacking religious elements, as you’ll see. There is, for example, a Psalm to introduce the ceremony, and the Great Doxology (the Gloria) is featured following the portion of the ceremony called “The Annunciation”.
On the 20th, the (future) Queen and I will execute the ceremony in real time on the discussion board. I will post my parts and the parts of the “assembly”, and she will post all of her responses herself. Perhaps when it is all over, His Highness Prince Erik might care to post the service on the national Facebook page. I will post it on my own page.
To follow is the text of the ceremony…
THE SOLEMN CEREMONY FOR THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE REIGN OF THE GLENNISH SOVEREIGN
~ALEXANDRA REGINA~
The TWENTIETH of MAY TWO THOUSAND AND THIRTEEN
OPENING: THE CALL
LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR: We seek and call forth the High and Mighty Lady Alexandra, who is now by inheritance become our lawful Queen.
THE ENTRANCE OF THE QUEEN
INTROIT(Psalm 45):
My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.
The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.
With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace.
Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.
THE QUEEN: Pray, my Lord, see that I am here.
THE RECOGNITION
LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR: Sons and daughters of Glennain, I present unto you ALEXANDRA your undoubted Queen. Wherefore all of you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you now willing to do the same?
THE ASSEMBLY: We are. Long Live Queen Alexandra!
THE SOLEMN PROMISES
THE QUEEN: I, ALEXANDRA, Queen of All the Glennains and of the Glennish Dominions Beyond the Seas, do solemnly promise my peoples that I shall maintain our worthy traditions, that I shall render honest justice to my subjects, and that I shall govern wisely and prudently in accordance with the laws of my Realms.
I promise and solemnly affirm in witness and word of a Queen that with all my powers I shall hold, guard, and defend the Domains, Lordships, and Prerogatives of the Crown of the Glennish Kingdoms, and all those things that do and can belong to it, and that I shall not alienate its domain nor suffer any part of it to be alienated or estranged or put beyond my authority.
THE SUMMONING LITANY
Come forth now you kings and queens of old,
Out from the mists of days of yore,
To see invested as our Queen
That lady whom we have clamoured for.
Come forth David,
Come forth Solomon,
Come forth Queen of the South.
Come forth Priam,
Come forth Francus,
Come forth Samothes.
Come forth Alexander,
Come forth Caesar,
Come forth Constantine.
Come forth Edgard,
Come forth Alfred,
Come forth Edmund.
Come forth Edward,
Come forth Canute,
Come forth William.
Come forth Kenneth,
Come forth Malcolm,
Come forth Duncan.
Come forth Margaret,
Come forth Mary,
Come forth Elizabeth.
All you sovereigns of old come forth.
Bear witness to the Queen’s good truth
And by your presence mind her of
Those ancient days of Brython’s youth.
THE IMPERATIVES
THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR:
Most gracious sovereign Lady, in the name of your peoples and on their behalf I charge you thus:
With your wits, think clearly.
With your right hand, dispense justice.
With your left hand, shew clemency.
With your lips, speak truth.
With your heart, love your peoples.
THE PRESENTATION OF THE SWORD OF STATE
THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR: Receive this sword and with it defend your Realms and Dominions and all your peoples therein.
THE QUEEN: I shall defend them.
THE IMPOSITION OF THE SOVEREIGN’S RING
THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR: Receive this ring, the ensign of regal dignity, and with it be wed to your Realms. Know furthermore that you are the ruler of princes; the government is upon you.
THE QUEEN: To my duties and to my peoples I shall be faithful.
THE ANNUNCIATION
THE PASSAGE: I announced the beautiful days whose dawn was blessed.
THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR: Like the Sun, the light of which succeeds the shadow of night, the Queen, in dissipating the age when her reign was not, will be the joy and delight of her peoples.
THE GREAT DOXOLOGY
Glory to you who has shown us the light.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill to all people.
We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you, we give thanks to you for your great glory.
Lord, King, heavenly God, Father, almighty; Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father who take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us, you who take away the sins of the world.
Receive our prayer, you who sit at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy on us.
For you only are holy, only you are Lord
Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Each day we bless you, and we praise your name forever and to the ages of ages.
Lord, grant that we may be kept this day without sin.
Blessed are you, Lord, God of our fathers. Your name is praised and glorified throughout all ages. Amen.
Let your mercy, Lord, be upon us, as our trust is in you.
Blessed are you, Lord, teach me your statutes.
Blessed are you, Lord, teach me your statutes.
Blessed are you, Lord, teach me your statutes.
Lord, you have been our refuge from generation to generation. I said: Lord, have mercy on me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
Lord, to you have I fled; teach me to do your will, for you are my God.
For you are the source of life, and in your light we shall see light.
Extend your mercy to those who know you.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
THE INTHRONIZATION
THE PASSAGE (read as the Queen is seated on the Throne):
Unless the fates be faulty grown
And all our hopes be vain,
Where’er is found this goodly throne
The Glennish race shall reign.
THE ASSEMBLY: Vivat Regina!
THE CHALLENGE
THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR: If any man of what degree soever, high or low, shall deny or gainsay our sovereign Lady ALEXANDRA, Queen of All the Glennains, to be the true, right, and lawful Lady of these Realms, here is her champion, who says that such a man lies, and is a traitor, being ready as I am in person to combat with him, and in this quarrel will adventure my life against him, on this day or any other.
THE QUEEN: Truly I thank you for your loyal service.
THE HOMAGE AND THE AFFIRMATION OF LOYALTY
THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR: Most Gracious Sovereign, on behalf of all your peoples I do solemnly pledge to you, our liege Lady, our true faith and allegiance to Your Majesty, your heirs and successors, from this day forward and forevermore.
THE ASSEMBLY: God save the Queen! God save the Queen! God save the Queen!
CONCLUSION: THE ROYAL ANTHEM
God save our gracious Queen.
Long live our noble Queen.
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us.
God save the Queen!
Thy choicest gifts in store
On him be pleased to pour
Long may she reign!
May she defend our laws
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice:
God save the Queen!
~ ~ ~
FINIS
AUTHOR:
His Imperial Highness The Prince James, Prince of the Glennish Empire, King of Great Hanover
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