The Estates of Navassa

Les États de la Navasse

A voice in the counsels of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Navassa is bound by belonging, not by borders, and its counsel should be heard in the same spirit. The Estates of Navassa gather in two Chambers to debate the Crown's decrees, petition the Queen, and help set the Realm's course.

Two Chambers

The Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés): Open to every Royal Mariner and Keeper of the Lighthouse tier. Deputies debate the decrees laid before them, send petitions to the Crown, and are the first to consider any levy proposed in the Kingdom.

The Chamber of Peers (Chambre des Pairs): Open to annual members who hold a title of the Peerage as Marquis or Duke, and to any peer the Sovereign summons by Writ. The Peers review the work of the Deputies and give their own counsel to the Crown.

How it works

1. The Estates meet in session at least twice a year, online, and open each year with the Queen's Speech to both Chambers.
2. Each Member has one vote, cast by the Member alone, never by proxy.
3. The Queen may lay decrees before the Chambers for their counsel, and both may petition the Crown on any matter of the Kingdom's welfare.
4. The Crown decides. The Estates advises and petitions; the Queen holds the final word, as the Grand Charter provides.

Your seat

A seat belongs to your membership. It is yours while your membership is active, and suspended the day it ends. Titles of the Peerage follow the same rule: if an annual membership lapses, the title is kept in the Golden Book for ninety days, and renewal restores it without a break. After that, it rests in the Black Book until you return.

A membership is a contribution to the Kingdom, not a purchase. The Crown reserves the right to decline or withdraw any seat or title.

Everyone has a voice

You do not need a paid seat to be heard. Every Most Loyal Subject of three years' standing votes in any referendum on a change to the Grand Charter. Every Loyal Subject may petition the Crown at any time.

What the Estates does not do

The Estates of Navassa have no authority over the Privy Purse, the Royal & Hospitaller Order of Our Lady of the Seas, the Navassan Reformed Catholic Church, or the Office of Arms. It does not debate titles or honours, and it does not bind the Sovereign, Royal Family, or Court.

Questions

Do I need a title to sit? No. Deputies are untitled. Titles belong to the Chamber of Peers.

I hold a title the Queen gave me as a gift. Do I sit in the Chamber of Peers? Not automatically. The Queen may summon you by Writ.

What happens if I move up a tier? You move from the Chamber of Deputies to the Chamber of Peers when you reach the first titled tier.

Can my heir inherit my seat? No. A seat and a subscribed title belong to the member, like a life peerage. However, nobles may petition the Crown to grant a Royal Decree-Law allowing a title to pass to heirs of the body, as the Grand Charter provides.