To all and singular to whom these presents shall come,greetings.
Let it be known that it has pleased His Imperial Majesty,The Sovereign Viking Emperor to issue this Code with rules governing the Peerage of Stormark.
Article 1:
Only the Emperor may confer peerages and He confers them in His absolute discretion.
Article 2:
a)Peerages can be hereditary or for life.
b)The Emperor may at any time convert a Life Peerage into a Hereditary Peerage.
c)The Emperor may promote at any time a Peer to a higher degree of dignity but no Peer shall be demoted.
d)The Emperor shall provide every newly created or promoted Peer with a Letter Patent or other legal document.
Article 3:
a)A Peer in is his/her own right is a holder of a Peerage.
b)A Peer who derives his /her status from his/her spouse or a parent is a bearer of a Title.
c)The spouse and children of the holder of a Hereditary Peerage derive status from the holder.
d)The spouse of the holder of a Life Peerage and the spouse of a bearer of a Title derives status from the holder;children of the holder derive no status and the same goes for the children of a bearer of a Title.
e)Upon conferment of a Hereditary Peerage shall the Emperor decide what Title the (future)children of the holder shall bear.
e)Spouses share the style,the prefix and address of their spouse.
f)When the holder of a Peerage dies or renounces his/her Peerage shall the individuals who derive their status from him /her retain their title,except the inheritor who's title is subsumed by the Peerage.
g)When a widow(er) of a Peer remarries he or she shall loose his/her Title unless the Emperor provides otherwise on his/her request.
h)In the case of dissolution of the marriage bond,from the date that the relevant decision comes into effect,the ex-spouse shall loose his/her Title unless the Emperor provides otherwise.
Article 4:
a)Peerages conferred upon a Head-of-State of a monarchy are Sovereign's Peerages;this code shall not apply to him/her,except for the personal status information requirements.
b)When a foreign Head-of-State of a hereditary monarchy inherits a Stormarkian Peerage it shall immediatly become a Sovereign's Peerage.
c)When the holder of a Stormarkian Peerage becomes Head-of-State of a foreign hereditary monarchy it shall become a Sovereign's Peerage upon notification to the Emperor of His/Her ascension of the Throne.
Article 5:
a)The Emperor shall keep a register of all the Peers of Stormark.
b)In order that the register is kept properly all Peers are required to inform the about all relevant changes in their personal status( births,marriages,adoptions,dissolution of marriages).
Article 6:
a)After death,renounciation,or in any other case that a Peer ceases to hold his/her Peerage the Peerage passes to the eldest legitimate child.
b)Life Peerages and Titles of Bearers do not pass on.
c)Illegitimate children may be legitimized by Imperial Decree.
d)Adopted children may be recognized as heir by Imperial Decree.
e)When a Peer holds multiple Peerages is he/she free to transfer the lesser Peerages,in comparison to the highest Peerage held,to his/her spouse or his/her children.
f)The Emperor may bar an heir from succession. Such action only to be undertaken in the case of a conviction of Treason,Subversion,another high or grave crime or in the case of conduct that has an adverse effect on the reputation or esteem of the Peerage of Stormark.
Article 7:
a)There are six degrees of dignity in the Peerage of Stormark.
b)They are: in descending order followed by prefix and address:
1)Prince/Princess;His/Her Serene Highness;Your Serene Highness.
2)Grand Duke/Grand Duchess;His/Her Highness;Your Highness.
3)Duke/Duchess;His/Her Grace;Your grace.
4)Earl/Count/Countess;The Right Honourable Lord/Lady;My Lord/Lady.
5)Viscount/Viscountess;The Right Honourable Lord /Lady;My Lord/Lady.
6)Baron/Baroness;The Right Honourable Lord/Lady;My Lord /Lady.
c)The Title Lord/Lady-prefix:Right Honourable;address:My Lord/Lady-shall only be borne by the children of the holder of a Hereditary Peerage.
d)In the case of a male holder of a Peerage married to a male,a female holder of a Peerage married to a ,and of a female holder of a Peerage married to a female the style "Consort" shall be added to the Title of the spouse who derives his/her status from the holder of a Peerage.
Article 8:
Any Peer may be stripped of his/her Peerage/Title by the Emperor.Such action only to be undertaken in the case of a conviction of Treason or Subversion or another high or grave cime,or in the case of conduct that has an adverse effect on the reputation or esteem of the Peerage of Stormark.
So be it!!
Done from the Imperial Hall on the Twenty Third Day of June in the Year of Our Lord the Two Thousand and Third and of the Second Viking Age the Second.
Harald Thorstein I the Generous Giver by the Grace of the Viking Law Sovereign Viking Emperor of the Viking Empire of Stormark and by the Grace of Other High Laws of His Other Realms King.