Orders of precedence in Karnia-Ruthenia

The Order of precedence in Karnia-Ruthenia is the sequential hierarchy for royalty, nobility, officers of state, senior members of the clergy, holders of the various Orders of Chivalry and other key-persons within the Empire.

Determination of precedence
The order of precedence is determined by various methods. Precedence technically applies only to determine positions in social events of the Imperial and Royal Court for members of the nobility. The statutes of the various Orders of Chivalry set precedence for their members. In other cases, precedence may be decided by the sovereign's order, by the Imperial Diet or by custom.

Source of precedence
One may acquire precedence for various reasons, as be an office-holder or being of a particular degree such as a prince or being the companion of a title-holder and even being the offspring of a title-holder. Furthermore, if a child of a peer marries a commoner, then he or she retains his or her precedence as a child of a peer. However, if he or she marries a peer, then his or her precedence is based on his or her companion's status, and not on his or her parents.

Dynasts
The Emperor-King or Empress-Queen of Karnia-Ruthenia, as the Sovereign, is always first in the order of precedence. An Emperor-King is followed by his consort, the first in the order of precedence for women. The reverse, however, is not always true for an Empress-Queen regnant. There is no established law of precedence for a consort, so may be specially granted precedence above all other males by letters patent or, on the other hand, may rank lower than the heir apparent or the heir presumptive, even if the heir is his own son.