What’s the precedence table?

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The table of precedence is a social convention that dictates the order in which people arrive, are announced, are greeted, and are allowed to leave. It also regulates seating at a table, position on a list of signatories to a document, and other social and political events where people of different ranks are involved. Even in nations where most people lack titles, this convention still determines how people like heads of state, senators, and ministers will be handled at social events like dinner parties and pageants.

In state affairs, the precedence table is extremely important and can be easy to cause offence, especially when officials from multiple nations are sitting together. Within a nation, a schedule is usually drawn up annually, indicating, for example, that the president of the United States will be seated in a position of greater honor than the secretary of state. The order also applies to the spouses and children of the officials it outlines, and it can get quite complex juggling, for example, the daughter of a member of the House of Commons and the prime minister, or some other potential combination. For special events where visitors from other countries may be hosted, government staff may set up a new table.

The Table of Precedence is also important for major social functions, such as gala openings for a city opera or any other event where attendees are likely to have different ranks and social status. This special order is not as commonly used in private homes as it used to be, except at formal dinner parties. The convention of allowing those who are older or have more power to enter a room and be seated first is common courtesy and etiquette in situations for which there is no established order.

If the table of precedence is observed, guests can immediately determine each other’s social status. The first indicator of social status is, of course, whether a title is used to refer to someone. But the order can also help distinguish between people of seemingly equal rank, or clarify the status of a guest that seems ambiguous. Since it is generally assumed that one should speak deferentially to persons of higher rank, the Precedence Table also offers suggestions on how to deal with guests who may be confused.

Configuring the order of precedence can be quite complex. Usually several etiquette-savvy officials work together as one for a government. In a private home, a hostess may consult an outside authority for assistance in ensuring she does not cause unintentional offense by seating, for example, the eldest son of an earl on top of the eldest son of a viscount at a formal dinner.

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