The Prince is the leader of a city, holding the sworn oaths of all baronial council members (for appointment) and retaining majority of allegiance oaths to keep position. The Prince is usually a member of the baronial council and must be of the nobility. The rank of Prince is above the city nobility, being either of or representing the blood royal. The Prince represents the city and the Crown and decides the Ministers, Chancellor, Field Marshall and government appointments (see HELP GOVERNMENT). The Prince or Princess is invariably the city's most respected, honoured and influential citizen; defining ideals and morality and directing foreign and homeland policy. The Prince is the guardian of the city and its history - part of a long line of succession.
The Prince is not directly in command of ministries nor does the Prince dictate to the Barons of a city. He or she does, however, appoint the ministers and retains the power to appoint or remove deputy ministers. The Prince is not the source of aideships nor the day-to-day head of a ministry: this privilege and duty devolves on the Minister only. The Prince stands alongside the Sovereign as titular head of the city army but military command lies with the Field Marshall and no-one else. Noble titles (gift and removal) come from the Crown and therefore the Prince. Treaties involving the city must be ratified or indeed signed 'in person' by the Prince though negotiation and details are the responsibility of the Ambassador/Foreign Affairs ministry.
Princely appointment is through the baronial council. All Barons swear an OATH of loyalty: to no-one, to themselves or to a prospective Prince. Princely rank is only bestowed when the council is undivided: unanimously supporting the chosen Prince or majority supporting with NOBODY swearing loyalty to a rival candidate. Princely rank is stripped as soon as a Baron changes his/her oath to declare publicly for an alternative choice (as opposed to oathing nobody).
Details of how a Prince is sworn into office are in HELP BARONS, which also explains the Baron rank, powers and elected mandate. Barons oath the Prince or Princess to - in effect - declare the next city ruler, wielding the powers and privileges of the Crown as is his/her right. The Prince chooses a Prime Minister (optionally) to delegate day-to-day management of civil affairs. Emergency powers can be taken up by the Prince and the Crown has right of entry to any location on homeland soil. The Prince or Princess has sole choice of divine patron for the city and is the only citizen with authority to make laws on use of homeland soil (e..g. placement of divine temples) or affect charters for the city's guilds and chapterhouses.
NOTE: it is not possible to depose a Prince merely by swearing an oath to oneself - it must be an oath to another member of the baronial council, thus evidencing support rather than leaving a city without a leader for the sake of a solitary self-oathing.
See HELP PRIVILEGE for powers and commands available to the Crown's 'de facto' ruler, HELP PM for info on devolving power by selecting a Prime Minister, HELP BARONY for info on the baronial council, HELP DECREE to learn about the "emergency decree" and its rare but important usage.
