Coronation of the Castadillaan Emperor
The coronation of the Castadillaan Emperor is an initiation ceremony in which the King in Vallos is formally invested with regalia and crowned at the Primatial Cathedral of Las Joquis. It is based upon the coronations that take place in other Occidental monarchies, some of which have maintained traditions that date back to the medieval age, as well as traditions maintained in Caphiria for their imperial coronations. Although there were coronations in Vallos ever since the Undecimvirate era, these ceremonies were small and were only done in response to the Imperator's approval of a vassal monarch; larger coronation ceremonies would not become a thing until the colonial era when the Viceroyalty was established, complete with separate viceregal regalia to represent the Pelaxian monarchy. It must be noted that the coronation has never been used to designate the official start of a monarch's reign; de jure and de facto the monarch's reign starts as soon as they become the King in Vallos, which only happens when they are elected as emperor. A King in Vallos may not refer to himself as an emperor until the coronation, much like how the Apostolic King of Urcea does not become the symbolic Emperor of the Levantines until his coronation.
The coronation takes place several months after the grand election, a complex electoral machinery that, although resembles the kind of electoral machinery one would find in medieval times, is in fact a modern invention dating back to the 1850s that was inspired by medieval electoral machineries. In an attempt to prevent factions from rising and rogue peers holding the system hostage in an attempt to get their own way, each and every part of this election alternates between sortition and internal elections with each group being at an odd number, complete with a set quorum too. The group which ultimately elects the Emperor consists of forty-one people who vote on which candidate, which since 1994 is limited to members of the imperial family (currently the House de Bruce since 1976), should be made emperor.
Although the ceremony involves the clergy of the Catholic Church, it is ultimately the emperor-to-be himself who places the great imperial crown upon his own head, symbolising the fact that the monarch was not chosen by God to rule, but rather by the populace. This part of the ceremony existed even during the years of the ultra-Catholic Delepasian Commonwealth. As a compromise, however, the Archbishop of Los Rumas anoints the emperor-to-be to symbolise the monarch's constitutional role in ensuring the continuation of religious freedom in Castadilla as well as recognising the historical role of the Catholic Church. Other clerics and members of the Castadillaan peerage also have roles in this ceremony. Most participants wear ceremonial uniforms or robes and some even wear coronets. Many government officials and guests attend, including representatives of other countries.
The essential elements of the coronation have been based off of elements of coronations that have remained largely unchanged for the past 1,000 years. The emperor-to-be is first presented to, and acclaimed by, the people. The emperor then swears an oath to uphold the constitutional rule of law. Following that comes the anointing of the emperor with holy oil followed by him being invested with regalia, and crowned all before receiving the homage of their subjects. Consorts of emperors are then anointed and crowned as empresses. The service ends with a closing procession, with the imperial family appearing later on the balcony of El Escorial de Gama to greet crowds and watch a flypast.
The coronation is also when the Commander-in-Chief, the nation's chief executive, is officially designated; since 1994 the Commander-in-Chief has always been the Emperor.
History
One of the first major coronations associated with Vallos was the coronation of King Jeronimo I of Pelaxia as the first King in Vallos. As there was no separate Rumian regalia at the time, some of the lesser crown jewels of Pelaxia had to be used instead. It would not be until the 1530s when a distinct Rumian regalia would emerge. This sort of arrangement was a reflection of just how important the viceroyalty was to Pelaxia and to the high amount of autonomy it was given as a result. Subsequent monarchs of Pelaxia would be put through a sort of double coronation, one for Pelaxia, and one for Los Rumas. This soon became a triple coronation with the rise of the Carto-Pelaxian Commonwealth.
Because of the rise of the Carto-Pelaxian Commonwealth, there began a need to modernise the Rumian crown jewels to reflect the zenith of the Pelaxian realm and so the metal of the first Rumian regalia was melted down and reused to construct the second set of Rumian regalia, the centrepiece of the new regalia being the second viceregal crown, completed in 1647, which was designed to recall a marriage between elements of Baroque and elements of the medieval era, giving the new crown a more distinctive look than the previous crown. However, this second crown, weighing at 4.9 pounds, was deemed to be too heavy and thus was perpetually put on display at the Residence of the Edifier, and was only ever brought out whenever a colonial administrator needed to be sworn in, in effect making the second crown a King in Vallos. During its time as the viceregal crown, it garnered a huge amount of public support from all across the viceroyalty, effectively making it one of the most well-known crowns in the world.
After the fall of Carto-Pelaxia in the late 18th Century, there began calls to revamp the viceregal regalia to reflect the viceroyalty's sudden rise in status. Plans to revamp the regalia were interrupted by the First Pelaxian Republic which lasted until 1814 when the Pelaxian monarchy was restored. To celebrate the restoration of the monarchy, the viceregal legislature went to work on creating a new and much more modern set of regalia that would be far more beautiful than the current regalia. The final result of this was what is now known as the Imperial Crown of Castadilla, a crown predominately made using almost 5,000 diamond gems. It was this crown that would go on to become the official crown of the Castadillaan Emperor, and thus was used for Castadillaan coronations. Although this new crown was much heavier than the previous crown, it was nonetheless worn in coronations by the Pelaxian monarch.
The traditions linked around the imperial coronation, although dating back to the 1850s, were inspired by similar traditions found in the Occident which date back over a thousand years. Indeed, the coronation takes some of its traditions from the coronation of the Apostolic King of Urcea and of the Caphiric Imperator, most notably with the imperial titles that the three heads of state have.
Preparations
Grand election
Before a coronation can happen, a prospective monarch must first be elected by a quorum of twenty-five out of forty-one electors, who themselves were chosen as the result of a complicated electoral machinery that has its origins in the medieval era. The grand election was first held in 1852 after the establishment of the Delepasian Confederation which itself emerged after the fall of the Delepasian Kingdom and subsequent flight of the Girojon monarchy. The main purpose behind the grand election's complicated machinery is to minimise factionalism and polarisation while also ensuring that it would not be paralysed by rogue peers trying to get concessions. The winning candidate is declared the King in Vallos and is immediately crowned in a short ceremony by the Primate of Castadilla, who is always the Archbishop of Las Joquis. Unlike the imperial coronation, the royal coronation is not a major public event; the ceremony is a private one, and mostly serves as a formality to symbolise that the Catholic Church approves of the new monarch as well as an official confirmation of the results of the grand election. There has been no instance in which the Archbishop of Las Joquis has refused to crown a King in Vallos.
Timing
When the imperial coronation is held is entirely dependent on both when the previous Emperor passed away and when the grand election is held. The average amount of time it takes for the grand election to be completed from start to finish is about two weeks, but never more than a month. Regardless of how long it takes for the grand election to be completed, it takes several months after the new King in Vallos has been elected before the imperial coronation can be held. This waiting period ensures that there will be enough time for both the ceremonies and the rehearsals to be completed prior to coronation day. In the case of Maximilian I, however, it only took five months to prepare for his coronation as it took two months to find a suitable descendant of Mauricio Delepas to ascend to the imperial throne, much to the chagrin of the then-living yet elderly direct male-line descendants of Delepas himself, such as Paulo Delepas.
The period of time for preparations for the imperial coronation can also be shortened in the event that a King in Vallos passes away before he could be crowned as Emperor. When this happens, a new grand election will have to be held, but this time with the list of candidates being limited to the candidates, provided that they too have not passed away, that were nominated in the previous grand election. As of 2037, there have been no Kings in Vallos who have passed away prior to their imperial coronation. A King in Vallos, however, accedes to the throne the moment they are elected, not when they are crowned as Emperor nor as King, thus meaning that from the death of the previous Emperor until the end of the grand election the acting head of state is the Speaker of the Peerage.
Location
The Primatial Cathedral of Las Joquis has consistently been associated with royal coronations ever since its consecration in the 1560s, although the abbey itself never hosted a coronation until 1976. The brief Delepasian Kingdom had hoped to hold a coronation at the abbey in 1853, but the kingdom collapsed three months after it was established. However, the monarchs of Bahia have made use of the Abbey for their own coronations until 1976 when the abbey became reserved for imperial coronations, and thus subsequent Bahian monarchs have been crowned in another cathedral in Bahia.
Coronation of consorts and others
Coronations may be performed for a person other than the reigning monarch. Such coronations were common practice in the Occident during the medieval times, the most often being the coronation of the king's wife. A joint coronation of both the king and queen may be performed if the king was married at the time of his coronation. A separate coronation may have been performed if the king married, or remarried, after his coronation, although sometimes the king's wife may be unable to join him in the coronation ceremony due to circumstances preventing her from doing so.
In Castadilla, these coronations are only performed for the Emperor's wife and the Grand Prince Imperial and Archduke of Isuria. Currently the Empress Consort is Dulcabela, and the Grand Prince Imperial is Jaime. The former was coronated on the same day as her husband, and the latter was coronated on 17 July 1998 due to his father's reservations about whether or not he would be able to understand the gravity of the title he was to be given and due to plans for the coronation being interrupted by the Velvet Revolution of 1994.
Participants
Clergy
Because the Castadillaan Emperor is supposed to symbolise national unity, the Archbishop of Los Rumas, who has precedence over all other clergy and laypersons of the Catholic Church in Castadilla as the nation's primate, officiates at coronations; in his absence, the next senior-most bishop may take the archbishop's place. As there has been no historical precedence thus far of the archbishop being unable to officiate a coronation, there was no need to bring forth the next senior-most bishop in the clergy. For reference, however, the archbishop's position must always be taken by a senior cleric, thus meaning that the first cleric chosen would be the Archbishop of Las Joquis, followed by the Bishop of Santa Maria, the Bishop of Mauritius, and the Bishop of New Isuria. This ensures that no matter how many clerics have either died or been declared incapacitated there will always be a cleric who will be able to officiate the coronation as needed. This is often because the amount of time it takes for a vacant ecclesiastical seat to be filled can take weeks if not months.
Bishops Assistant
From the moment they enter the Abbey until the moment they leave, the emperor-to-be is flanked by two supporting bishops of the Catholic Church.
- The part played by two supporting bishops dates back to eh late 10th Century in the Occident. Ever since the coronation of Maximilian I in 1977, the Bishops of Mauritius and New Isuria have been designated to serve this duty. Custom has it that they accompany the emperor-to-be throughout the ceremony, flanking him as they process from the entrance of the Abbey of Los Rumas and standing either side of Santiago's Chair during the anointing. Bishops Assistant may also carry the Bible, paten, and chalice in the procession.
The Bishop of Mauritius stands to the emperor-to-be's right and the Bishop of New Isuria on his left. During the Coronation of Emperor Maximilian I, Empress Dulcabela was similarly accompanied by Bishops Assistant - the Bishops of Gama and of Adouka, on her right and left respectively.
Great Officers of State
The Great Officers of State traditionally participate during the ceremony. The offices of the Most Noble Steward and the Most Noble Constable have never been regularly filled; they are, in fact, only used for coronation ceremonies. The Most Noble Chamberlain enrobes the sovereign with the ceremonial vestments, with the aid of the Keeper of the Robes and the Master (in the case of an emperor-to-be) or Mistress (in the case of an empress) of the Robes.
The Barons of Bahia and Gemelos also participate in the ceremony. The barons of Bahia and Rios Gemelos were given special status due to the two realms being constituent monarchies. It is a ceremonial distinction that bears no political significance, but it does wield a lot of ceremonial significance. The barons who actively participate in the coronation are designated by sortition, and are charged with bearing a ceremonial canopy over the sovereign during the procession to and from the Abbey of Los Rumas. The barons who do not actively participate still attend the ceremony, mostly in the event that one of the barons who are actively participating winds up incapacitated in some way.
Other claims to attend the coronation
Many landowners and other persons have honorific "duties" or privileges at the coronation. Such rights are determined by a special Court of Claims, over which several commissioners preside over (the Most Noble Steward, being a temporary post reserved for coronations, does not preside over this court). The first of these Courts of Claims convened in 1976 for the coronation of Maximilian I.
In 1976, the court accepted the claim of the Abbot of Los Rumas to advise Maximilian I on the proper procedures during the ceremony (for nearly five hundred years he and his predecessors have kept an unpublished Blue Book of such practices based on the coronations in Pelaxia and in Bahia), the claim of the Bishop of Mauritius and the Bishop of New Isuria to walk beside Maximilian I as he entered and exited the Abbey and to stand on either side of him through the entire coronation ritual, and the claim of the Count of El Ranchos del Sur to carry a white staff.
Other participants and guests
Along with persons of nobility, the coronation ceremonies are also attended by a wide range of political figures, including the prime minister and all members of the Cabinet of Castadilla, all the heads of state, chief executives, and heads of government of the nation's states, as well as the leadership of the legally-recognised religions that exist in the nation. For Maximilian I's coronation in 1977, 10,000 guests were squeezed into the Abbey of Los Rumas and each person had to make do with a maximum of 18 inches (46 cm) of seating.
Dignitaries and representatives from other nations are also customarily invited. Traditionally, foreign crowned monarchs and consorts do not attend the coronations of others and were instead represented by other royals. However, this tradition is not necessarily followed during Castadillaan coronations, and thus foreign crowned monarchs and consorts are allowed to attend if they wish to do so. Any empresses dowager and their male counterparts may attend coronations, another break from the traditions held in other coronations historically.
Service
The general framework of the coronation service is based on the sections contained in the Recenions used in other Occidental monarchies. Although the service in Castadilla has undergone two major revisions and a translation, and has been modified for each coronation for the following five hundred years as the viceroyalty gained more and more inspiration from other coronations, the sequence of taking an oath, anointing, investing of regalia, crowning and enthronement found in the original Pelxian text have remained consistent. The coronation ceremonies takes place within the framework of Holy Communion.
Recognition and oath
Before the entrance of the sovereign, the litany of the saints is sung during the procession of the clergy and other dignitaries. For the entrance of the sovereign, an anthem from Psalm 122, I was glad, is sung.
The sovereign enters the Abbey of Los Rumas wearing the crimson surcoat and the Robe of State of crimson velvet and takes their seat on a Great Chair of State. The Most Noble Principal King of Arms, the Archbishop of Loa Rumas, the Most Noble Chancellor, the Most Noble Chamberlain, the Most Noble Constable and the Imperial Marshal go to the east, south, west and north of the coronation theatre. At each side, the archbishop calls for the recognition of the sovereign, with the words:
- Sirs and Dames, I hereby present unto you Emperor/Empress (name), undoubtedly your Emperor/Empress if it please you: wherefore all of you who are here on this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?
These words serve as a reminder that the sovereignty of the emperor ultimately rests in the people's assent. After the people acclaim the sovereign at each side, the archbishop administers an oath to the sovereign. Because of the elective nature of the Castadillaan monarchy, the sovereign is required to "Promise and Swear to Govern the People of this Most Serene Sovereignty of Castadilla and the Laws and Customs of the same". The oath was modified for the coronation of Maximilian I, and thus the exchange between the Emperor-to-be and the archibishop was as follows:
- The Archbishop of Los Rumas: Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the Delepasian Commonwealth and the regions within the Commonwealth, and of the Loaland proctectorate, according to their respective laws and customs?
- Maximilian I: I solemnly promise so to do.
- The Archbishop of Los Rumas: Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?
- Maximilian I: I will.
- The Archbishop of Los Rumas: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the Commonwealth the Levantine Catholic Church established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolable the settlement of the Church, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in Delepasia? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of Delepasia, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?
- Maximilian I: All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God.
Coronations since the Velvet Revolution have changed the part of the oath pertaining to maintaining the "laws of God" with "Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of which the Freedoms and Liberties granted to the religions found throughout all of Castadilla which permits all the Gospels and Teachings of Christ and of His non-Christian counterparts to maintain and preserve the settlements of Faith without State persecution and of the Clergy and the Churches there committed to their charge?".
In addition to the oath, the monarch may take what is known as the Accession Declaration if they have not yet made it. This declaration is required to be taken at either the first meeting of the national assembly after a new King in Vallos's accession or at his coronation.
Once the taking of the oath concludes, an ecclesiastic presents a Bible to the sovereign, saying "Here is Wisdom; This is the royal Law; These are the lively Oracles of God." The Bible used is a full Catholic Bible, including the Apocrypha. At Maximilian I's coronation, the Bible was presented by the Bishop of Santa Barbara. Once the Bible is presented, the Holy Communion is celebrated, with a special Collect for the coronation, but the service is interrupted after the Nicene Creed. At the coronation of Maximilian I, the Epistle was 1 Peter 2:13-17, which instructs readers to respect and obey civil government, and the Gospel was Matthew 22:15-22, which contains Jesus's famous instruction to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's".
Anointing
After the Communion service is interrupted, the anthem Come, Holy Ghost is recited, as a prelude to the act of anointing. After this anthem, the Archbishop recites a prayer in preparation for the anointing, which is based on the ancient prayer Deus electorum fortitudo also used in the anointing of some Occidental kings. After this prayer, the coronation anthem Eternal Majesty is sung by the choir; meanwhile, the crimson robe is removed, and the sovereign proceeds to Santiago's Chair for the anointing, which has been set in a prominent position, wearing the anointing gown. In 1977, the chair stood atop a dais of several steps.
Once seated in this chair, a canopy of golden cloth was in the past held over the monarch's head for the anointing. The duty of acting as canopy-bearers was performed in recent coronations by four Knights of St, Brendan. This element of the coronation service is considered sacred and is concealed from public gaze; it has never been photographed or televised. The Abbot of Los Rumas pours consecrated oil from an eagle-shaped ampulla into a filigreed spoon with which the Archbishop of Los Rumas anoints the sovereign in the form of a cross on the hands, head, and heart. The Coronation Spoon is the only part of the original Rumian crown jewels that was never melted. While performing the anointing, the Archbishop recites a consecratory formula recalling the anointing of Biblical monarchs.
After being anointed, the monarch rises from Santiago's Chair and kneels down at a faldstool placed in front of it. The archbishop then concludes the ceremonies of the anointing by reciting a prayer that is a modified modern Latin translation of the ancient Latin prayer Deus, Dei Filius, which dates back to the Occidental recensions of the medieval era. Once this prayer is finished, the monarch rises and sits again in Santiago's Chair. At this point in 1977 the screen was removed.
Investing
The sovereign is then enrobed in the colobium sindonis (shroud tunic), over which is placed the supertunica.
The Most Noble Chamberlain presents the spurs, representing the ideals of chivalry. The Archbishop of Los Rumas, assisted by other bishops, then presents the Sword of the Realm to the sovereign, who places it on the altar. The sovereign is then further robed, this time receiving bracelets and putting the Robe Imperial and Stole Imperial on top of the supertunica. The Archbishop then delivers several Crown Jewels to the sovereign. First, he delivers the Sovereign's Orb, a hollow gold sphere decorated with precious and semi-precious stones. The Orb is surmounted by a cross, representing the rule of Jesus over the world; it is returned to the altar immediately after being received. Next, the sovereign receives a ring representing their "marriage" to the nation. Sovereign's Sceptre with Eagle, so called because it is surmounted by an eagle representing the imperial office, and the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross are delivered to the sovereign.
Crowning
The Archbishop of Los Rumas lifts the Great Imperial Crown from the high altar, sets it back down, and says a prayer: "Oh God, the crown of the faithful; bless we beseech thee and sanctify this thy servant our emperor, and as thou dost this day set a crown of pure gold upon his head, so enrich his royal heart with thine abundant grace, and crown him with all princely virtues through the King Eternal Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen". This prayer is the translation of the ancient formula Deus tuorum Corona fidelium, which first appeared in the twelfth-century third recension.
The Abbot of Los Rumas picks up the crown and he, the archbishop and several other high-ranking bishops proceed to the Coronation Chair where the crown is handed back to the archbishop, who reverently hands it to the sovereign, who proceeds to place it on his own head. At this moment, the emperor is crowned, and the guests in the abbey cry in unison three times, "Long Live the Emperor! Long Live the Commander-in-Chief!", thus proclaiming the Commander-in-Chief and the Emperor as vested in one and the same person. Peers of the realm and officers of arms put on their coronets, the trumpeters sound a fanfare and church bells ring out across the nation, as gun salutes echo throughout the land.
Finally, the archbishop, standing before the emperor, says the crowning formula, which is a translation of the ancient Latin prayer Coronet te Deus: "God crown you with a crown of glory and righteousness, that having a right faith and manifold fruit of good works, you may obtain the crown of an everlasting kingdom by the gift of him whose kingdom endureth for ever." To this the guests, with heads bowed, say "Amen".
When this prayer is finished, the choir sings a Pelaxian translation of the traditional Latin antiphonConfortare: "Be strong and of a good courage; keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways". During the singing of this antiphon, all stand in their places, and the emperor remains seated in Santiago's Chair still wearing the crown and holding the sceptres. The recitation of this antiphon is followed by a rite of benediction consisting of several prayers, after each one the congregation replies with "a loud and hearty Amen".
Enthronement and homage
The benediction being concluded, the sovereign rises from Santiago's Chair and is borne into a throne. Once the emperor is seated on the throne, the formula Stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth… is recited; a translation of the Latin formula Sta et retine…, which was first used in Bahia and Rios Gemelos since the 19th Century.
After the enthronement proper, the act of homage takes place: the archbishops and bishops swear their fealty, saying "I, N., Archbishop [Bishop] of N., will be faithful and true, and faith and truth will bear unto you, our Sovereign Lord, Emperor of this Realm and Protector of the Religious Freedoms , and unto your kin and successors according to law. So help me God." The peers then proceed to pay their homage, saying "I, N., Duke [Marquess, Count, Viscount, Baron, or etc.] of N., do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship; and faith and truth will I bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks. So help me God." The clergy pay homage together, led by the Archbishop of Los Rumas. Next, members of the imperial family pay homage individually. The peers were then led by the premier peers of their rank: the dukes by the premier duke, the marquesses by the premier marquess, and so forth.
If there is an empress consort, she is anointed, invested, crowned and enthroned in a simple ceremony immediately after homage is paid. The Communion service interrupted earlier is resumed and completed, but with special prayers: there are prayers for the emperor and consort at the Offertory and a special preface. Finally, the emperor and consort receive Communion, the Gloria in excelsis Deo is sung and the blessing is given.
Closing
The sovereign then exits the coronation theatre, entering Santiago's Chapel (within the abbey), preceded by the bearers of the Sword of the Realm, the Sword of Spiritual Justice, the Sword of Temporal Justice, and the blunt Sword of Mercy. While the emperor is in Santiago's chapel, the choir recites a Pelaxian translation of the hymn of thanksgiving Te Deum laudamus. The Great Imperial Crown and all the other regalia are laid on the High Altar of the chapel; the sovereign removes the Robe Imperial and Stole Imperial, exchanges the crimson surcoat for the purple surcoat and is enrobed in the Imperial Robe of purple velvet. The sovereign then puts the Great Imperial Crown back on and takes into his hands the Sceptre with the Cross and the Orb and leaves the chapel first while all present sing the national anthem.
Music
The music played at coronations has been primarily classical and religiously inspired. Much of the choral music uses texts from the Bible which have been used at coronations throughout the Occident for centuries; these are known as coronation anthems.
Dress
Several participants in the ceremony wear special costumes, uniforms or robes. For those in attendance (other than members of the royal family) what to wear is laid down in detail by the Imperial Marshal prior to each Coronation.
Sovereign's robes
The sovereign wears a variety of robes and other garments during the course of the ceremony. In contrast to the history and tradition which surround the regalia, it is customary for most coronation robes to be newly made for each emperor.
Worn for the first part of the service (and the processions beforehand):
- Crimson surcoat – the regular dress during most of the ceremony, worn under all other robes.
- Robe of State of crimson velvet or Legislative Robe – the first robe used at a coronation, worn on entry to the abbey and later at State Openings of the National Assembly. It consists of an ermine cape and a long crimson velvet train lined with further ermine and decorated with gold lace.
Worn over the surcoat for the Anointing:
- Anointing gown – a simple and austere garment worn during the anointing. It is plain white, bears no decoration and fastens at the back.
Robes with which the Sovereign is invested (worn thereafter until Communion):
- Colobium sindonis ("shroud tunic") – the first robe with which the sovereign is invested. It is a loose white undergarment of fine linen cloth edged with a lace border, open at the sides, sleeveless and cut low at the neck. It symbolises the derivation of imperial authority from the people.
- Supertunica – the second robe with which the sovereign is invested. It is a long coat of gold silk which reaches to the ankles and has wide-flowing sleeves. It is lined with rose-coloured silk, trimmed with gold lace, woven with national symbols and fastened by a sword belt. It is somewhat inspired by the tunic the Imperator of Caphiria wears at his coronation.
- Robe Imperial or Pallium Imperatoris – the main robe worn during the ceremony and used during the crowning. It is a four-square mantle, lined in crimson silk and decorated with silver coronets, national symbols and silver imperial eagles in the four corners. It is lay, rather than liturgical, in nature.
- Stole Imperal or armilla – a gold silk stole or scarf which accompanies the Robe Imperial, richly and heavily embroidered with gold and silver thread, set with jewels and lined with rose-coloured silk and gold fringing.
Worn for the final part of the service (and the processions which follow):
- Purple surcoat – the counterpart to the crimson surcoat, worn during the final part of the ceremony.
- Imperial Robe of purple velvet – the robe worn at the conclusion of the ceremony, on exit from the abbey. It comprises an embroidered ermine cape with a train of purple silk velvet, trimmed with ermine and fully lined with pure silk satin. The purple recalls the imperial robes of Caphiric Imperators.
Headwear
The sovereign wears the crown of the King in Vallos for the opening procession and when seated in the Great Chair of State during the first part of the service. For the Anointing, the sovereign is bareheaded, and remains so until the Crowning. Sovereigns are crowned with the Great Imperial Crown, which they continue to wear for the final part of the service, and the processions that follow.
Other members of the imperial robes
Certain other members of the imperial wear distinctive robes, most particularly empresses consort (including dowagers) and grand princesses of Castadilla, all of whom wear purple velvet mantles edged with ermine over their court dresses. Other members of the imperial family in attendance dress according to the conventions listed below, except that imperial archdukes wear a distinctive form of peer's robe, which has six rows of ermine on the cape and additional ermine on miniver edging to the front of the robe.
Headwear
Empresses consort arrive at their coronation bareheaded, and remained so until the point in the service when they were crowned with their own crown, that being the Lesser Imperial Crown.
Grand princesses and grand princes of Castadilla are provided with distinctive forms of coronet, which they don during the service. The Grand Prince Imperial and Archduke of Isuria wears a distinctive crown inspired by the shape and design of the Great Imperial Crown. Other members of the imperial family each wear lesser crowns and coronets depending on their status within the imperial family.
Peers
All peers and peeresses in attendance are "expected to wear" Robes of State, as described below. Peeresses' robes are worn not only by women who are peers in their own right, but also by wives and widows of peers. Those entitled to a collar of an order of knighthood wear it over (and attached to) the cape.
Peers' robes
A peer's coronation robe is a full-length cloak-type garment of crimson velvet, edged down the front with miniver pure, with a full cape (also of miniver pure) attached. On the cape, rows of "ermine tails (or the like)" indicate the peer's rank: dukes have four rows, marquesses three and a half, counts three, viscounts two and a half, and barons and senators two.
Peeresses' robes
A peeress's coronation robe is described as a long (trained) crimson velvet mantle, edged all round with miniver pure and having a cape of miniver pure (with rows of ermine indicating the rank of the wearer, as for peers). Furthermore, the length of the train (and the width of the miniver edging) varies with the rank of the wearer: for duchesses, the trains are 1.8 m (2 yds) long, for marchionesses one and three-quarters yards, for countesses one and a half yards, for viscountesses one and a quarter yards, and for baronesses and senatrixes 90 cm (1 yd). The edgings are 13 cm (5 in) in width for duchesses, 10 cm (4 in) for marchionesses, 7.5 cm (3 in) for countesses and 5 cm (2 in) for viscountesses, baronesses and senatrixes.
This Robe of State is directed to be worn with a sleeved crimson velvet kirtle, which is similarly edged with miniver and worn over a full-length white or cream court dress (without a train).
Headwear
During the Coronation, peers and peeresses put on coronets. Like their robes, their coronets are differentiated according to rank. Peeresses' coronets are identical to those of peers, but smaller. In addition, peeresses were told that "a tiara should be worn, if possible".
Others
Those taking part in the Procession inside the Abbey who were not peers or peeresses were directed to wear full-dress (whether it be naval, military, air force, or civil) uniform, or one of the forms of court dress laid down in the Noble Chamberlain's Regulations for Dress at Court. These regulations, as well as providing guidance for members of the public, specify forms of dress for a wide variety of office-holders and public officials, clergy, the judiciary, members of the Imperial Househole, etc.
Officers in the Armed Forces and the Civil, and Foreign Services who did not take part in the Procession wore uniform, and male civilians: "one of the forms of court dress as laid down in the Noble Chamberlain's Regulations for Dress at Court, or evening dress with knee breeches or trousers, or morning dress, or dark lounge suits".
Ladies attending are instructed to wear "evening dresses or afternoon dresses, with a light veiling falling from the back of the head". Coats and hats were not permitted but tiaras could be worn.
After-celebrations
The newly-crowned Emperor and other members of the Imperial Family sit for official portraits at El Escorial de Gama and appear on the balcony, from where they would watch a flypast by the Imperial Air Force. During the appearance, the emperor wears the Great Imperial Crown and, if there is one, the empress consort wears her Lesser Imperial Crown. In the evening, a fireworks display is held nearby on the grounds of El Escorial. Two state banquets are held in the palace's ballroom, and classical music is provided by the Imperial Mounted Guards. During this banquet, the Imperial Marshal would then make a proclamation of the readiness of the champion to fight anyone denying the Emperor. The form for this is as follows:
- If any person, of what degree soever, high or low, shall deny or gainsay our Sovereign Lord ..., Emperor of the Realm, Protector of the Religious Freedoms, elected by the people whom he reigns over, to be the right heir to the Imperial Crown of this Realm, or that he ought not to enjoy the same; here is his Champion, who saith that he lieth, and is a false traitor, being ready in person to combat with him; and in this quarrel will adventure his life against him, on what day soever he shall be appointed.
The Emperor's Champion would then throw down the gauntlet; the ceremony would be repeated at the centre of the hall and at the High Table (where the sovereign would be seated). The sovereign would then drink to the champion from a gold cup, which he would then present to the latter.