Peerage Act of 2025
Décret-Loi Royal n° 21-2025
Année IX du Règne de Sa Majesté Marie-Adélina Première
Establishing the Livre d’Or de la Pairie de la Navasse and the Regulation of the Heraldic Office
PREAMBLE
Whereas it is the duty of the Crown to preserve the integrity and dignity of the noble estates, titles, and heraldic honors of the Realm;
And whereas an ordered and verifiable record of such dignities is necessary for the administration of precedence, ceremony, and royal favor;
And whereas the continuity of noble families, their arms, and their services to the Crown form an essential part of the historical and cultural patrimony of Navassa;
We, therefore, Marie-Adélina the First, Sovereign of Navassa, by virtue of Our prerogative and upon the advice of Our Privy Council, do hereby decree and ordain as follows:
ARTICLE I — Establishment
There is hereby established a permanent register of the peerage known as the Livre d’Or de la Pairie de la Navasse, hereinafter referred to as the Golden Book.
The Golden Book shall serve as the authoritative record of all titles of the peerage, honorary, and hereditary dignities recognized or created by the Crown of Navassa.
ARTICLE II — Custody and Authority
The Golden Book shall be maintained under the Office of the Sirène King of Arms, Chief Herald of Navassa, within the Secretariat of the Royal Household.
The Sirène King of Arms shall exercise oversight over the Royal College of Arms of Navassa, herein referred to as the Heraldic Office, which shall perform all duties of registration, verification, and ceremony.
All instruments relating to noble or heraldic status shall bear the Great Seal of the Realm.
ARTICLE III — Classes of Entry
The Golden Book shall record entries under the following headings:
Royal Peers — Holders of Titles within the Royal Family & House.
Peers of the Realm — Holders of Non-Royal Princedoms, Dukedoms, Marquiships, Countships, Viscountships, Baronships, and Lordships of Navassa.
Royal Honors — Holders of Honorary Dignities and Crown Distinctions conferred by Letters Patent or Warrant.
ARTICLE IV — Proof and Effect
Entry in the Golden Book constitutes official recognition by the Crown of the lawful dignity and precedence of the person so recorded.
Certified extracts from the Golden Book, under the signature of the Sovereign or Sirène King of Arms, shall serve as legal proof of title in all ceremonial and administrative matters.
ARTICLE V — Establishment and Purpose
The Heraldic Office of the Realm, operating under the authority of the Sirène King of Arms, shall have charge of all heraldic, genealogical, and ceremonial affairs pertaining to the peerage of Navassa.
It shall maintain accurate records of arms, crests, supporters, and mottos belonging to recognized noble and knightly houses, and shall safeguard the heraldic traditions of the Realm.
ARTICLE VI — Structure and Officers
The Heraldic Office shall be composed of:
a. The Sirène King of Arms — Principal officer of arms, head of the Office, and custodian of the Golden Book.
b. The Herald-Marshal of the Realm — Deputy Chief Herald, responsible for the granting and registration of arms.
c. The Rouge-Sea Herald, Azure Reef Herald, and Verdant Isles Pursuivant — Officers of Arms subordinate to the Herald-Marshal.
d. The Registrar of Arms and Lineages — Responsible for record-keeping, genealogical verification, and publication.Royal Warrant shall make the appointments of all Heralds and Pursuivants upon the advice of the Sirène King of Arms.
ARTICLE VII — Registration of Titles and Arms
No person may bear arms, claim noble status, or exercise precedence in the Realm unless their title or armorial bearings are duly recorded in the Golden Book.
Application for registration shall include:
a. Documentary evidence of lawful creation or inheritance;
b. Proof of descent verified by the Registrar of Arms;
c. Any Letters Patent, Decree, or Warrant granted by the Crown.Upon approval, the arms and grant shall be entered into the Golden Book, and an Instrument of Registration issued to the holder.
ARTICLE VIII — Grants and Confirmations
The Crown, through the Sirène King of Arms, may grant new arms or confirm existing arms by Letters Patent.
All new arms shall be unique within the Realm and described in full blazon according to heraldic law.
Arms may be inherited by direct descent unless otherwise restricted by the terms of the original grant.
ARTICLE IX — Succession and Extinction
Succession to titles and arms shall follow the terms of inheritance expressed in the Letters Patent of creation, or, if none exist, according to the customary laws of the Grand Charter of the Realm.
Upon the death of a titleholder, their heir shall notify the Heraldic Office within one year to have succession entered into the Golden Book.
Titles and arms that lapse, remain dormant, or are attainted shall be recorded in the Livre Noir de la Pairie de la Navasse (Black Book of the Peerage of Navassa).
ARTICLE X — Heraldic Disputes
The Court of Arms of Navassa, a committee of the Privy Council headed by the Sirène King of Arms, shall hear and determine all matters concerning heraldic or noble precedence, lineage, and entitlement.
Its decisions shall be final, subject only to appeal by direct petition to the Crown.
ARTICLE XI — Public Record and Access
The Heraldic Office shall maintain both a Great Register (archival) and a Public Register (published digitally).
The Great Register shall be preserved as a permanent record of the peerage of Navassa.
ARTICLE XII — Unlawful Use
Any person falsely claiming noble dignity or bearing arms not granted or registered by the Heraldic Office shall be subject to forfeiture of claim and removal from any civic or ceremonial post held by Crown appointment.
The Sirène King of Arms shall have authority to investigate such infractions and to recommend disciplinary measures to the Crown.
ARTICLE XIII — Revocation and Amendment
The Crown reserves the right to amend or expand the provisions of this Decree–Law as may be necessary for the preservation of the dignity and order of the Peerage.
ARTICLE XIV — Commencement
This Decree–Law shall take effect immediately upon its publication in the Royal Gazette of Navassa.
