[MR] suprise elevations

[Olwen the Odd]

>While I would not presume to comment on the circumstances regarding 
>Mistress
>Elspet's elevation, what "should" or "should not" be done, or how the Crown
>chooses to orchestrate an elevation, I would like to point out one thing.
>
>Several people on this thread have spoken about consulting the Peer of the
>candidate. Not all candidates for elevation have a Peer. Is this a common
>assumption?
>
>Johanna
>Meisterin Johanna von Sudeborn, OP

I actually wondered this also.  I would assume that in the stead of 
notifying a (non-existant Peer) that a family member or Baron/Baroness and 
or the head of the household they belong to would be appropriate.

While I have heard both sides of the pre-notification to the person who will 
be elevated, I, for one, know that is not what I would have wanted.  
Frankly, if I *HAD* known, I would have skipped going to Pennsic a year 
back, my aversion to large public displays with me as the focal point has 
basis in physical stress (what? you wanna kill me with an asthma attack??).  
As it was, things could not have been handled better, and with more care and 
fore-thought from everyone involved.  The Crown(s) considered my health and 
squimish issues carefully and held a small, mostly household Court to place 
me on vigil, my Laurel and household contrived with their usual humor to 
trick me into not only allowing myself to be measured to make "someone 
else's" dress, but was gracious enough to invite me to plan the menu and 
assist with cooking the "birthday lunch for the Queen" which was actually my 
vigil offerings.  Heck, there were even houldhold members charged with 
standing guard over me so I could not run out of Court in terror!  I still 
had the asthma attack anyway.

I can see, in some very individual cases that the Crown may choose to notify 
a candidate, but, by and large, I feel the Crown takes the  care and 
personal consideration in each individual case to do Their best to meet the 
points of what would most likely be items of importance to the candidate.  
And yes, to err is human, even for the best.

Dame Olwen the Odd