Civic Protocol Guidelines
The following information explains the correct procedure when the Mayor attends a public engagement.
The Mayor (Councillor Mrs Christine Mills) welcomes invitations to attend events held by local organisations throughout Wolverhampton as she is able to extend recognition and appreciation on behalf of the Council.
The Mayor is the Queen’s Representative in this City and as such takes precedence over all other citizens.
It is not customary to ask the Mayor to perform a secondary role within her own City, apart from two exceptions: -
- When Royalty are present and
- When Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant is present
The Mayor takes precedence over Government Ministers, Members of Parliament and visiting personalities.
If the Mayor is not hosting the engagement she should be seated on the immediate right of the host. It is customary for the Mayor to be the first speaker, however an introduction by the host is acceptable.
All invitations should be sent in writing on the organisation’s letter headed paper, telephone bookings will not be accepted. It is important you give plenty of notice when inviting the Mayor to attend an event and a minimum of three weeks in all cases is required.
Your letter of invitation and any correspondence following an acceptance should include:
- the date, time and venue
- an itinerary or programme if available and how long the event is expected to last
- confirmation of whether or not you will be calling upon the Mayor or the Mayor’s Consort to undertake any specific duties
- any relevant background information or speech notes
- details of any special requirements regarding the dress code and
- details of the arrangements made by the organisation for parking.
When the Mayor and the Mayor’s Consort attend an engagement, it is essential they are met upon arrival at the entrance (by an appointed person), they are accompanied throughout the time they remain at the function and they are escorted to the Civic car at the end of the engagement.
How to Address the Civic Heads
The Mayor
The full title of the Mayor is:
The Mayor's Consort
The Mayor’s Consort is a courtesy title. The full title is:
The Deputy Mayor
The full title of the Deputy Mayor is:
- Addressed in direct speech as "Mr Deputy Mayor".
The Deputy Mayoress
The Deputy Deputy Mayoress is a courtesy title. The full title is:
For any further information please contact the Mayor’s Parlour.