Protocol of the Princely Household
Although conceived for parodic purposes, our Princely House of Aigues-Mortes occasionally follows a protocol based on the basic rules of the great royal and princely houses of Europe. This protocol is observed on rare occasions during official gala evenings organised by the Princely Palace.
At these events, everyone is expected to play along and is happy to do so in order to fully enjoy this unusual experience of being at the court of a great Prince such as ours. Here are the six main rules you will need to follow on such occasions.
1/ INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINCE'S FAMILY
For the Prince: You must address him as ‘Your Highness’. Always wait for him to greet you first; he will certainly do so with the utmost kindness.
For the Princess: You should address her as “Madame”. If she is accompanying the Prince, greetings should follow the same protocol as for the Prince, after you have had the opportunity to introduce yourself to the Prince.
For the Crown Prince: You must say “Your Highness” when addressing him. If he is accompanying the Prince (and/or the Princess), greetings follow the same principle as with the Prince and are exchanged after you have had the opportunity to introduce yourself to the Prince and (and/or the Princess).
When presenting yourself to the princely family, men make a slight forward nod of the head to greet them all at once, whilst ladies perform a slight curtsy. The kiss of the hand to the Princess is no longer practised at her own request, as this custom was the cause of an embarrassing incident when Her Highness was holding a glass of rosé in her hand.
Only other princes, princesses and members of the nobility of a higher rank are exempt from these forms of greeting when they are welcomed at Aigues-Mortes.
(The titles ‘Your Highness’ or ‘Your Serene Highness’ are used only by those in the service of the princely couple at the Palace. These titles are also used by everyone in written correspondence).
Note that outside of official engagements, the people of Aigues-Mortes tend to use the title rather than the title of address when speaking to their beloved Sovereigns. You will hear “Prince” or “Princess” more often than “Your Highness” or “Madame”. Outside of major official events, protocol is therefore much more flexible and left to the discretion of each individual.
2/ TABLE SERVICE
At a banquet or formal dinner, the princely family are the last to enter the room. Guests must wait standing by their seats until the Prince has taken his seat. The Prince opens the meal and always begins with the first course to be served.
Toasts and raising of glasses generally follow the end of a speech or a spontaneous wish for long life! Those proposing them stand up whilst the others remain seated at the table. This is to avoid any mishaps with the table or service.
3/ THE " EÏARE " !
“Eïare” is an Aigues-Mortes exclamation meaning “So what!”. It is customary at the Court of the Prince of Aigues-Mortes to shout “Eïare” when the Prince finishes a speech or when a toast is raised. You know the Prince has finished a speech because tradition dictates that he ends all his addresses with “See life through rose-tinted glasses!”. So do not forget to respond with a hearty “Eïare” every time the Prince or Princess says “See life through rose-tinted glasses”!
4/ THE OPENING OF A BAL
The ball always opens with the royal couple dancing to the waltz ‘The Blue Danube’. After a few steps, the royal couple pause and, with a graceful gesture, invite the assembled guests to join them.
5/ WEARING OF THE GREAT ORDER OF THE PINK FLAMINGO
In accordance with international protocol, all persons who have been awarded a medal of the Grand Princely Order of the Pink Flamingo must wear the sash of the order. This requirement has been in force since the redesign of the medals in May 2022. Visitors and heads of micronations who have been awarded the order must also wear the order’s sash within the princely residence. Heads of micronations who have not been awarded the Order of the Pink Flamingo may wear their own regalia if they so wish.
6/ THE COUPO SANTO
La Coupo Santo is our national anthem. It is also, and above all, the anthem of Provence, symbolising the sacred union between Provence and Catalonia, as well as all the Félibre nations associated with them, including the Camargue and, by extension, Aigues-Mortes. It is therefore in homage to the Félibrige nations that played a part in the building of Aigues-Mortes and its history that the Coupo Santo is our anthem. We therefore observe the rules specific to this anthem: hats are not worn whilst the anthem is being played. Out of respect, one must stand and must not applaud at the end.
Generally speaking, courtesy, politeness, respect for others and chivalry are expected as a matter of course in the Prince’s Court. Abusive, discriminatory, sexist or disrespectful behaviour or comments will not be tolerated.
Such behaviour will result in immediate and irrevocable expulsion from the Prince’s Court.
