Free Idea Fridays: A royal wedding, a hero’s return, an election… and the protocol of it all

A few interesting news items caught my attention this past week –

The 1900 guests invited to the April 29^th Royal Wedding received a 22-page long etiquette document this week (including such instructions as how to drink tea and just the right way to hold a tea cup)
Florists and flower enthusiasts are all trying to predict what flowers Miss Middleton will carry on her wedding day and royal revelers are also wondering if the future Princess will follow the tradition of surrendering her flower bouquet to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after the service. (This heartfelt gesture began with the Queen Mother, who lost two brothers in World War I, and has been carried on by many royals since, including Princess Diana.)
Sadly Canada lost another soldier in Afghanistan and the motorcade along the Highway of Heroes drew hundreds of supporters. (We have a nephew serving in Afghanistan and to support his efforts my husband and I often join the gathering of mourners down at the coroner’s office to pay homage to these brave men and women. The atmosphere is serene with rows of police cars and fire trucks lined up along the final route, their officers at attention saluting – it is a solemn and majestic pageantry unlike anything I have ever seen)
The federal election has derailed the plans for Prime Minister Harper and Mrs. Harper to attend the Royal Wedding. Though not mandated by any electoral ruling, canceling the trip in the middle of an election is probably the most pragmatic move (though if I was Mrs. Harper I would be looking for lots of “make it up to me” gifts for canceling that official commitment)

All of this got me thinking about the PROTOCOL of it all. What is the difference between tradition, military customs, diplomatic precedence, or just plain common manners?

Now you don’t want to mess around with PROTOCOL and to deal with this sensitive subject matter I consulted with a leader in the industry - Barbara Sullivan, Chief of Protocol, City of Toronto.

Barb and I have been great friends for over 25 years. Those close to her often tease her with the nickname “the flag police”. She has a supernatural passionate zeal for her work – but isn’t that the point? you really can’t be lax ABOUT protocol.

Barb cautions that “many people think protocol is only about etiquette - which fork goes where, or how to fold a napkin”, but she and her team do very little of that. She goes on to explain “international protocol is a complex system of rules and conventions that govern the relationships between nations and international organizations. Most protocol is contextual - it depends on the situation, who is involved, what are the circumstances, what is the purpose, what is the expected outcome, past actions and future plans. Consideration needs to be given to issues of culture which may include religion/faith and accessibility/special needs”.

So what is the right thing to do and as meeting and event planners when do we do it? As there is no one complete resource for protocol, which often frustrates people, Barbara generously offers the following suggestions –

Protocol and Diplomacy International - Protocol Officers Association

www.protocolinternational.org

(This association is having their Education Forum here in Toronto the last week of July)

Canadian Heritage Protocol (precedence, titles, styles of address, etc.)

www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/prtcl/index-eng.cfm

Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada Government

www.international.gc.ca/protocol-protocole/index.aspx

Ceremonial and Canadian Symbols

www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/index-eng.cfm

Canadian Flag www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/symbl/df1-eng.cfm

US Dept of State - Office of the Chief of Protocol

www.state.gov/s/cpr/