Qualifications for Caputian Peerage: A Royal Memo
ON ELEVATION TO OR PROMOTION WITHIN THE PEERAGE
Presented to the Prime Minister and His Majesty’s Most Honorable Privy Council by His Majesty the Queen:
21 November 2017
Introduction
Elevation to the Peerage of the Realm is, for a Caputian subject, a signal grace and honor granted by the Sovereign in recognition of some very noteworthy achievement, or (more likely) a series of very significant public contributions over a sustained period of time. “Nobility” is not merely a word but a measurable ideal which implies a habit of public service, recognized talent or leadership abilities, an upright character, and a universally acknowledged usefulness to the community.
In earlier times upon ancient shores, nobility was typically measured by land ownership combined with military skill, battlefield heroism, and the ability to command other men. Over time, lineage, pedigree, and inherited titles became the usual means of obtaining aristocratic status. Eventually, “nobility” became an almost meaningless word, indicative not necessarily of any degree of ability or service, but merely of wealth and privilege. For both practical and idealistic reasons, such criteria do not inform the Caputian understanding or experience of the concept of nobility.
While the decision to create a Peer necessarily rests with the Sovereign as the fons honorem, it must also be conceded that, in the context of a modern democratic society, such a decision should neither be reached arbitrarily nor made unilaterally by the reigning King or Queen. Instead, the Sovereign’s decision to elevate a citizen to the Peerage should be guided, both by certain criteria and by the advice of his or her Government in the person of the Prime Minister and other ministers or officials. At the end of the day, the decision to elevate a citizen to the Peerage remains and must remain the Sovereign’s, since a title of the Peerage must be known to be within his or her direct gift. The Sovereign’s decision, nevertheless, ought to be an informed decision, refined by appropriate levels of input and advice.
Bearing in mind the expectations of the Caputian people, uniquely, and of modernity more generally, the decision has been made to present a Memorandum by which criteria are given as permanent guidance, both for the Sovereign and for those who advise the Sovereign when determining whether or not to elevate a subject to the Peerage or to what degree, or whether or not to promote a Peer to a more august rank within the Peerage.
Needless to say, neither land ownership nor military skill have any meaningful application in the context of the Kingdom of the Union of Caputia. Ancient criteria cannot apply, therefore, and neither may or should mere wealth or privilege, as neither attribute holds any usefulness whatsoever for this community, nor are such attributes considered things to be honored or rewarded for their own sake. A Caputian subject’s personal wealth or bloodlines are immaterial and of no interest to his fellow Caputian citizens. What sort of criteria shall be employed, in that case, when determining whether or not a Caputian man or woman should be designated “noble?”
Citizens alone, and the activity they bring, make the Caputian experience a meaningful and worthwhile one. When considering what “nobility” means in the context of this kingdom, therefore, the one resource that matters—our human resources—and the encouragement and expansion of that invaluable resource must be considered uppermost among the criteria given for elevation to degrees and titles of the Caputian Peerage. This Memorandum acknowledges and underscores this obvious factor, outlining precisely how the cultivation of human resources, in very simple and practical terms, shall be the chief guide and measure by which Caputian citizens are rewarded with elevation to the Peerage going forward.
Degrees of Peerage
It is important to make the determination as to what ranks or degrees are to be known within the Peerage system of the Kingdom of the Union of Caputia. In consideration of the fact that our customs are and have been at least loosely based upon those seen in the Britain, it only stands to reason that the ranks of the Caputian Peerage should reflect those traditionally recognized in the United Kingdom. It has been determined, therefore, that the Caputian Peerage shall include, in descending order, the following degrees and no others:
- Duke/Duchess
- Marquess/Marchioness
- Earl/Countess
- Viscount/Viscountess
- Baron/Baroness
It should also be noted that the determination has been made that the aforementioned degrees shall be styled as such, and not by continental variations on the same (such as “marquis” or “margrave” or “count” or “jarl”).
Principal Criterion for Elevation (Or Promotion) To Various Degrees of the Peerage
As has been already mentioned, the criterion of the cultivation of Caputia’s human resources shall serve as the principal criterion by which decisions will be reached concerning future Peerage creations.
More succinctly stated, in order to be considered for elevation to the Peerage (or promotion to a higher degree within the Peerage), a Caputian subject must have demonstrated some measurable success in the area of welcoming newcomers to the Caputian community. Those Caputians will be eligible to be rewarded with elevation to the Peerage who can demonstrate that they have been personally responsible for the recruitment of two or more citizens who have been fully engaged (not occasionally active or wholly inactive) for at least 3 whole months.
The more active and engaged citizens a Caputian subject has welcomed and led to citizenship, the higher the Peerage degree to which he or she may be eligible to be rewarded with. The specific numbers are as follows:
- THE DEGREE OF BARON/BARONESS: 2 – 4 new active citizens who have completed 3 months.
- THE DEGREE OF VISCOUNT/VISCOUNTESS: 5 – 7 new active citizens who have completed 3 months.
- THE DEGREE OF EARL/COUNTESS: 8 – 14 new active citizens who have completed 6 months.
- THE DEGREE OF MARQUESS/MARCHIONESS: 15 – 19 new active citizens who have completed 8 months.
- THE DEGREE OF DUKE/DUCHESS: 20 or more new active citizens who have completed one full year.
Other Criteria for Elevation or Promotion
While the welcoming and sustaining of new citizens shall henceforth be the most compelling criterion by which decisions shall be made concerning the elevation of Caputian subjects to the Peerage, the Sovereign, properly advised, shall have the discretion to consider other worthy criteria for elevation to the Peerage, including lengthy and significant public service, offices to which Peerages tend to be attached, or very significant instances of notable and universally acknowledged and celebrated demonstrations of uncommon valor or gallantry.
In the end, while the criteria enumerated in this Memorandum ought to serve as a normative guide for the determination of who may qualify for elevation to the Peerage, the informed judgment of the Sovereign duly advised remains the supreme and most appropriate guide for making such determinations.
