Precedence, the order in which individuals are entitled to follow one another in a state procession or on other public occasions. In England the order of precedence depends partly on the statute of 1539, partly on subsequent statutes, royal letters-patent, and ancient usages. Among questions of precedence depending on usage there are some which can hardly be considered so settled as to be matter of right, and are in a great degree left to the discretion of the crown, which generally refers any disputed question to the officers of arms. In Scotland the Lyon Court has the direct jurisdiction in all questions of precedence.
It is a general rule of precedence that persons of the same rank follow according to the order of the creation of that rank; and in the precedence of the English peerage it has been fixed that the younger sons of each preceding rank take place immediately after the eldest son of the next succeeding rank. Married women and widows take the same rank among each other as their husbands, except such rank be professional or official, and it is an invariable rule that no office gives rank to the wife or children of the holder of it. Unmarried women take the same rank with their eldest brother; the wife of the eldest son, of any degree, however, preceding the sisters of her husband and all other ladies in the same degree with them. Marriage with an inferior does not take away the precedence which a woman enjoys by birth or creation; with this exception, that the wife of a peer always takes her rank from her husband. The following tables exhibit the precedence of different ranks as recognised by law in England.
TABLE OF PRECEDENCE AMONG MEN.
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The Sovereign. The Prince of Wales. Sons of the Sovereign. Grandsons of the Sovereign. Brothers of the Sovereign. Uncles of the Sovereign. The Sovereign's brothers' or sisters' sons. Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England. Lord High Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, being a Baron. Archbishop of York, Primate of England. Lord High Treasurer. Lord President of the Privy-council. } Being of the degree of Barons. Lord Privy Seal. Lord Great Chamberlain. Lord High Constable. Earl Marshal. Lord High Admiral. Lord Steward of H.M. Household. } Above all of their degree; if Dukes, above all Dukes, &c. Lord Chamberlain of H.M. Household. Dukes. Eldest sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal. Marquises. Dukes' eldest sons. Earls. Younger sons of Royal Dukes. Marquises' eldest sons. Dukes' younger sons. |
Viscounts. Earls' eldest sons. Marquises' younger sons. Bishops of London, Durham, and Winchester. All other English Bishops according to seniority of Consecration. Secretaries of State, if Barons. Barons. Speaker of the House of Commons. Commissioners of the Great Seal. Treasurer of H.M. Household. Comptroller of H.M. Household. Master of the Horse. Vice-chamberlain of H.M. Household. Secretaries of State, under degree of Baron. Viscounts' eldest sons. Earls' younger sons. Barons' eldest sons. Knights of the Garter. Privy-councillors. Chancellor of the Order of the Garter. Chancellor of the Exchequer. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Lord Chief-justice. Master of the Rolls. Lords Justices of Appeal. Judges of the High Court of Justice. Bannerets made by the Sovereign under the royal standard in open war. Viscounts' younger sons. Barons' younger sons. |
Barouets. Bannerets not made by the Sovereign in person. Knights Grand Crosses of the Bath. K. Grand Commanders of Star of India. K. Grand Crosses of St Michael and St George. K. Grand Commanders of Order of Indian Empire. Knights Commanders of the Bath. Knights Commanders of the Star of India. K. Commanders of Michael and George. Knights Bachelors. Judges of County Courts. Companions of the Bath. Companions of the Star of India. Cavalieri and Companions of Michael and George. Companions of Order of Indian Empire. Companions of the Distinguished Service Order. Eldest sons of the younger sons of Peers. Baronets' eldest sons. Eldest sons of Knights of the Garter. Bannerets' eldest sons. Eldest sons of Knights, according to their fathers' precedence. Eldest sons of Knights Bachelors. Baronets' younger sons. Knights' younger sons. Esquires. Gentlemen. |
TABLE OF PRECEDENCE AMONG WOMEN.
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The Queen. The Princess of Wales. Princesses, daughters of the Sovereign. Princesses and Duchesses, wives of the Sovereign's sons. Granddaughters of the Sovereign. Wives of the Sovereign's grandsons. The Sovereign's sisters. Wives of the Sovereign's brothers. The Sovereign's aunts. Wives of the Sovereign's uncles. The Sovereign's nieces. Duchesses. Wives of eldest sons of Royal Dukes. Daughters of Dukes of the Blood Royal. Marchionesses. Wives of the eldest sons of Dukes. Daughters of Dukes. Countesses. Wives of younger sons of Royal Dukes. Wives of the eldest sons of Marquises. Daughters of Marquises. |
Wives of the younger sons of Dukes. Viscountesses. Wives of the eldest sons of Earls. Daughters of Earls. Wives of the younger sons of Marquises. Baronesses. Wives of the eldest sons of Viscounts. Daughters of Viscounts. Wives of the younger sons of Earls. Wives of the eldest sons of Barons. Daughters of Barons. Maids of Honour. Wives of Knights of the Garter. Wives of Bannerets. Wives of the younger sons of Viscounts. Wives of the younger sons of Barons. Wives of Baronets. Wives of Knights Grand Crosses of the Order of the Bath. Wives of K.G.C.S.I. Wives of K.G.C. Michael and George. Wives of K.G.C. Order of Indian Empire. |
Wives of Knights Commanders of the Bath. Wives of K.C.S.I. Wives of K.C. Michael and George. Wives of K.C. of Order of Indian Empire. Wives of Knights Bachelors. Wives of Companions of the Bath. Wives of Companions of the Star of India. Wives of Cavalieri and Companions of St Michael and St George. Wives of Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire. Wives of Companions of the Distinguished Service Order. Wives of eldest sons of Peers' younger sons. Daughters of the younger sons of Peers. Wives of the eldest sons of Baronets. Daughters of Baronets. Wives of the eldest sons of Knights. Daughters of Knights. Wives of the younger sons of Baronets. Wives of the younger sons of Knights. Wives of Esquires and Gentlemen. |
At the coronation of Charles I. the rule of precedence of the nobility of England was introduced in Scotland; and it was arranged that peers of England (or their sons, &c.), of a given degree, should within England take precedence of peers of Scotland of the same degree; and that in Scotland this precedence should be reversed. But by the acts of Union with Scotland and Ireland the precedence in any given degree of the peerage has been established as follows: (1) Peers of England; (2) Peers of Scotland; (3) Peers of Great Britain;
The Sovereign.
Lord High Commissioner during sitting of General Assembly.
The Prince of Wales.
Younger sons of the Sovereign.
Grandsons of the Sovereign, including sons of daughters.
Brothers of the Sovereign.
Uncles of the Sovereign.
Nephews of the Sovereign, including sons of sisters.
Lord Provost of Edinburgh within the city.
Hereditary High Constable.
Master of the Household.
Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, if Baron.
Dukes.
Eldest sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal.
Marquises.
Eldest sons of Dukes.
Earls.
Younger sons of Royal Dukes.
Eldest sons of Marquises.
Younger sons of Dukes.
Viscounts.
Eldest sons of Earls.
Younger sons of Marquises.
Barons.
Keeper of the Great Seal.
Keeper of the Privy Seal.
Eldest sons of Viscounts.
Younger sons of Earls.
Eldest sons of Barons.
Knights of the Garter.
Privy-councillors.
Lord Justice-general.
Lord Clerk-register.
Lord Advocate.
Lord Justice-clerk.
Lords of Session (by date of appointment).
Knights Bannerets.
Younger sons of Viscounts.
Younger sons of Barons.
Knights Marischal.
Baronets.
Knights of the Thistle.
Grand Cross of the Bath.
Grand Cross of the Star of India.
Grand Cross of St Michael and St George.
Knights Commanders of the Bath.
Knights Commanders of the Star of India.
Knights Commanders of St Michael and St George.
Lord Lyon King-of-Arms.
Ushers.
Knights Bachelors.
Companions of the Bath.
Companions of the Star of India.
Companions of St Michael and St George.
Eldest sons of younger sons of Peers.
Eldest sons of Bannerets.
Eldest sons of Knights of the Garter.
Eldest sons of Baronets.
Eldest sons of Knights.
Younger sons of Baronets.
Younger sons of Knights.
Dean of Faculty.
Solicitor-general.
Esquires, including Heralds.
Gentlemen, including Pursuivants-at-Arms.
It seems to be held in England that the precedence of Scottish officers of state, judges, &c., as recognised before the Union, does not now extend beyond Scotland. There are rules for precedence for the members of the different professions, recognised among themselves, but which give no general social precedence. No rank, for instance, in the army, however high in itself, entitles its holder to precedence. Doctors in the universities are ranked thus: (1) Divinity, (2) Law, (3) Medicine. Official rank may often place its possessor, upon occasion of public ceremonials, in a position far above others of higher dignity than himself, but this, of course, confers no rank in the general order of civil precedence; on the other hand, men of official rank, who have higher personal precedence, are placed according to the latter; the wives and children of all those who derive their places on the scale from official rank have no consequent privilege. One of the leading principles of the law of precedence is that it emanates solely from father or husband, and cannot be acquired through a female unless in the case of a peeress in her own right.