Salute to the monarch
A formal occasion at
St John's College, Cambridge
, where, beneath the
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom
, the loyal toast would be given.
A dinner hosted by
John Craig Eaton
at the
King Edward Hotel
in
Toronto
in 1919; the loyal toast would have been given to King
George V
.
Royal Navy
officers in a
wardroom
seated toasting the King, from a series titled 'The Royal Navy during the Second World War'.
A
loyal toast
is a salute given to the sovereign
monarch
or
head of state
of the country in which a formal gathering is being given, or by
expatriates
of that country, whether or not the particular head of state is present. It is usually a matter of
protocol
at state and military occasions, and a display of
patriotic
sentiment at civilian events. The
toast
is usually initiated and recited by the host before being repeated by the assembled guests in unison; the composition varying between regions and types of gathering.
[1]
There is sometimes a tradition of smashing a glass used for a loyal toast, so that no lesser toast can be made with it.
[2]
Commonwealth realms
[
edit
]
Throughout the
Commonwealth realms
, the loyal toast is most commonly composed solely of the words "The Queen"
[3]
or "The King" (as appropriate), though this may be elaborated with mention of the monarch's position as head of a particular state, such as in Canada, where the
Canadian Armed Forces
codifies the loyal toast as "Ladies and gentlemen, the
King of Canada
".
[4]
If the sovereign holds an honorary position within a
Canadian Forces
regiment, in that regiment's
mess
the toast is: "Ladies and gentlemen, the King of Canada, our Captain-General", or whatever rank the monarch may hold.
[4]
As King
Charles III
is recognised as the symbolic head of the
Commonwealth of Nations
, at any event where the guest of honour is a dignitary from any of the fifteen Commonwealth realms, the loyal toast is adapted to be "Ladies and gentlemen, the King, Head of the Commonwealth",
[5]
and should an honoured guest be from one of the other Commonwealth member-states, the loyal toast is to be recited as "Ladies and gentlemen, the King of Canada, Head of the Commonwealth".
[4]
Other unique cases exist in places such as
Lancashire
, where the salute may be "Ladies and gentlemen, The King,
Duke of Lancaster
"; in
Jersey
, where residents will informally
[1]
say "
L'Rouai, nouotre Duc
" ("The King, our
Duke
") in
Jerriais
; on the
Isle of Man
, where "The King,
Lord of Mann
", is said; in
Cornwall
where it is traditional to toast "The King and
The Duke of Cornwall
"
[6]
and at
Oriel College
,
Oxford
where members toast to "The King, our
Visitor
".
[7]
Similarly, whilst the Loyal Toast is traditionally the first given, it is often the final toast given at official debate dinners at the
Oxford Union
, following those to the speakers, Committee, and Members.
Members of the Royal Family may neither participate in nor respond to the loyal toast,
[3]
and the honour may be followed by a playing of "
God Save The King
", which is either the
national
or
royal anthem
of most Commonwealth realms.
[8]
When ambassadors or similarly senior representatives of other heads of state are present, it has become customary for a toast to be proposed after the loyal toast to "heads of state of other countries here represented".
[5]
The toast can be adapted for use at some royal foundations. For example, at
Christ Church, Oxford
, the first toast is always "The King, Visitor of Christ Church".
Official
etiquette
dictates that the loyal toast may be given following either the introduction of honoured guests and opening remarks, or the completion of all courses of the meal,
[9]
that it be the first toast given, and that a glass of any beverage other than a
cocktail
be used.
[3]
It is also customary not to smoke until the sovereign has been toasted. In carrying out the toast, the event's host will rise and request the audience's attention. Once accomplished and the guests are standing, the host raises his or her glass and recites the toast without any other words or music. The audience then responds to the toast by repeating "The King" or, in Canada, "
Le roi
", drinking the toast, and seating themselves once more.
In the
Royal Navy
, however, the toast is given with all attendees seated, a custom practised since
King William IV
, who had served as a naval officer and experienced the discomfort of banging his head whilst standing suddenly on board a vessel at sea, authorised all in the navy to toast him while sitting down. This practice is also carried out on board the ships of the
Royal Canadian Navy
, so long as neither the King nor any other member of the
Canadian Royal Family
is present, in which case the toast is given while sitting only if the royal guest so requests it.
[5]
At
Christ's College, Cambridge
the loyal toast is taken sitting down, which fellows of the college have attributed to the ambivalent attitude of their predecessors to King
Charles I
. The lawyers of
Lincoln's Inn
also traditionally take the toast sitting down, a custom dating to the reign of British king
Charles II
.
[10]
In the
British Army
several units have special privileges, and are exempted from the usual practice of standing up for the toast. For example, the
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
are allowed to remain seated, while officers of
The Queen's Royal Hussars
in their Mess have the privilege of not drinking the loyal toast and of ignoring the National Anthem when it is played at dinner.
[11]
In dispute
[
edit
]
The loyal toast was the catalyst for international friction in 1948, when the
Taoiseach
(
prime minister
) of
Ireland
, then
John A. Costello
, made an official visit to Canada. There, at a formal function,
Governor-General of Canada
The Viscount Alexander of Tunis
steadfastly refused the directions of Irish officials to toast the
President of Ireland
,
Sean T. O'Kelly
, instead of the
King of Ireland
,
George VI
; at the time, the King fulfilled the external affairs role that normally belongs to heads of state, while the President of Ireland fulfilled an internal constitutional role. An irked Costello stated to a reporter the following day that he would prompt the Irish Parliament to repeal the
Executive Authority Act
, and declare Ireland as a
republic
,
[12]
which was done
later that year.
In 2000,
Captain
Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh
, a professor at the
Royal Military College of Canada
, petitioned to be personally excused from, amongst other displays of loyalty, having to stand and participate in the loyal toast.
[13]
The Canadian Forces Grievance Board, the
Chief of the Defence Staff
, and the
Federal Court of Canada
all upheld the Canadian Forces' requirements that members respect the Canadian head of state and
Commander-in-Chief
.
[14]
[15]
In Scottish
Jacobite
circles, special very fine glassware engraved with Jacobite symbols was made to toast
Charles Edward Stuart
, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, the
pretender
to the thrones of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland; very little remains due to the tradition of smashing glasses after the toast so that they could not be used for a lesser toast.
[2]
After the defeat of the Jacobites and the exile overseas of Bonnie Prince Charlie, Jacobite Scots would stand for the loyal toast to "the King" but pass their drink over a glass or jug of water on the table symbolising "the king over the water" instead of the British monarch, as a sign of solidarity with the Jacobite cause and a protest against the
Hanoverian
succession.
[16]
Because of this, for many years,
finger bowls
were not used on British royal tables, as some people would pass the glass over the bowl. King
Edward VII
authorised the use of finger bowls during his reign, deeming his dynasty to be sufficiently secure.
[17]
Spain
[
edit
]
At formal occasions in the
Spanish Armed Forces
, the first toast is to the
King of Spain
. The highest-ranked officer toasts "
Por el primer soldado de Espana
" ("For Spain's first soldier"), and the concurrence answers "
Por el Rey
" ("For the King").
[
citation needed
]
Sweden
[
edit
]
At the
Nobel Banquet
or other such formal events in
Sweden
, the first toast is usually to
the Swedish sovereign
. It is proclaimed by the host or, if the host is the monarch himself, the second-highest-ranking official. It is simply "
Hans Majestat Konungens skal
" ("the toast of His Majesty the King"). All guests then rise, raise their glasses, and, if the sovereign is present, turn towards him and answer "
Konungen
" ("The King"). In
wardrooms
and officer's messes during formal dinners, the Royal Hymn can be sung after the loyal toast, even when the king is not present.
[
citation needed
]
United States
[
edit
]
At formal military social occasions, the first toast is traditionally to "the
President of the United States
", who is
commander in chief
of U.S. armed forces.
[18]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"The loyal toast, official functions, hierarchies, forms Of address, people of influence"
.
www.Debretts.com
.
Debretts
. Archived from
the original
on 7 March 2016
. Retrieved
3 May
2016
.
Protocol of the loyal toast at UK official functions.
- ^
a
b
Mairead McKerracher (30 June 2012).
Jacobite Dictionary
. Neil Wilson Publishing. pp. 106?.
ISBN
978-1-906000-25-7
.
Entry on 'Jacobite glass', specially made for drinking toasts; very little remains, due to the tradition of smashing glasses after the loyal toast.
- ^
a
b
c
"Government > Protocol Office > Toasting The Queen"
. Alberta Office of Protocol ? Queen's Printer for Alberta. Archived from
the original
on 18 September 2010
. Retrieved
9 June
2009
.
- ^
a
b
c
Department of National Defence
(1 April 1999),
The Honours, Flags and Heritage Structure of the Canadian Forces
(PDF)
,
Ottawa
, Canada: Queen's Printer for Canada, pp. 12?2?1, A-AD-200-000/AG-000, archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 25 March 2009
, retrieved
8 June
2009
- ^
a
b
c
Department of National Defence 1999
, p. 12-2-2
- ^
Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons Official Report, Standing Committees Session 1972-73, Volume VI, H.M. Stationery Office.
- ^
"Oriel Record 2016"
.
issuu.com
. 20 December 2016.
- ^
Department of National Defence 1999
, p. 7-3
- ^
"Government > Protocol Office > Suggested Dinner Protocol"
. Alberta Office of Protocol ? Queen's Printer for Alberta. Archived from
the original
on 18 September 2010
. Retrieved
9 June
2009
.
- ^
"Student Dining > Dining Customs"
.
www.LincolnsInn.org.uk
. The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn. Archived from
the original
on 23 January 2010
. Retrieved
19 February
2010
.
- ^
"Badges and Privileges of the Regiment"
. QRH Museum. 26 August 2019
. Retrieved
15 September
2022
.
- ^
Ryan, Ray (6 January 2001).
"Introduction: State and Nation: The Republic and Ireland, 1949 ? 1999"
. In Ray, Ryan (ed.).
Writing in the Irish Republic
. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 1?2.
ISBN
978-0-312-23153-8
. Archived from
the original
on 22 February 2012
. Retrieved
9 June
2009
.
- ^
McGregor, Glen (24 October 2006).
"Officer wages war against allegiance to Queen"
.
Ottawa Citizen
. Retrieved
9 June
2009
.
- ^
"Military staff must pledge to King: court"
. CBC. 22 January 2008
. Retrieved
17 February
2009
.
- ^
Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh v. The Attorney General of Canada
,
T-1809-06 The Honourable Mr. Justice Barnes
, 14.5 (Federal Court of Canada 21 January 2008).
- ^
Holt, Mack (2006).
Alcohol: A Social and Cultural History
. New York: Berg. p. 184.
ISBN
978-1-84520-166-1
.
- ^
Michie, A.
God Save The Queen
. p. 99.
- ^
"Ideas for Toasts at Military Balls | Synonym"
.
Classroom.Synonym.com
.