Formal tradition
When His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor attends a meeting of the States of Deliberation, a formal tradition is followed to mark the occasion. At the start of the sitting, the Bailiff asks the Sheriff in French whether the Lieutenant Governor will be present, using the phrase: "Monsieur le Prévôt du Roi, Son Excellence le Lieutenant-Gouverneur assistera-t-elle à la Séance d’aujourd’hui?" The Sheriff responds, "Oui, Monsieur le Bailiff," and the Bailiff then requests that the Governor be brought into the Chamber with the words, "Veuillez lui faire savoir que les États sont assemblés."
The proceedings
Once the Governor has entered and been formally welcomed by the Bailiff, the States Greffier leads the assembly in the Lord’s Prayer in French, announces the date of the meeting, and carries out a roll call of Members, also in French. During proceedings, Members are formally addressed as Monsieur or Madame. After these formalities, the convening notice on the front of the Billet d’État is read aloud in English by the Greffier, marking the start of business.
The close
At the close of each day’s meeting, the Greffier says the Grace in French. The Bailiff, His Majesty’s Procureur, and His Majesty’s Comptroller wear traditional robes, the design of which is set out in two Ordinances passed in 1853. On rare and significant occasions, such as the proclamation of a new monarch or major anniversaries like the 80th anniversary of the Liberation - the States of Deliberation may also meet in a ceremonial capacity, highlighting the institution’s role in both the constitutional and ceremonial life of Guernsey.