Lord Superintendent of the Inland Empire
| Lord Superintendent of the Inland Empire | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the Lord Superintendent | |
 Standard of the Lieutenant Governor | |
| Viceroy | |
| Seat | Riverside, Inland Empire |
| Appointer |
Monarch of Sierra on the official advice of the Prime Minister of Sierra and the informal consultation of the Governor of the Inland Empire |
| Term length | At Her Royal Majesty's pleasure |
| Formation | October 22, 1888 |
| First holder | John W. North |
| Website | Lord Superintendent of the Inland Empire |
The Lord Superintendent of the Inland Empire (or Lady Superintendent of the Inland Empire when the officeholder is female) is the viceregal representative in the Inland Empire of the Sierran monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, whose role in the province serves as the foundational basis for the Inland Empire's government and also shared equally with the forty-four other subnational jurisdictions of the Kingdom of Sierra, as well as the other Columbia realms and any subdivisions thereof. The role of the Lord Superintendent of the Inland Empire is similar to the other Lords and Ladies Superintendent in the Kingdom and is tasked with fulfilling most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties. Among these responsibilities include presiding over Cabinet meetings as its chair, proroguing and dissolving the Inland Empire Provincial Assembly, issuing writs for elections, and appointing ministers, officials, judges, and other officers. By convention and practice, most of the Lord Superintendent's responsibilities and powers, including the royal prerogative, are delegated or deferred to the governor. All bills passed by the Inland Empire Provincial Assembly require the Lord Superintendent's assent, although by convention, this decision is based on the advice and counsel of the governor. The 5th and current Lord Superintendent is Sir Kent Burton, who has served the role since May 29, 1982, the second longest-serving Lord Superintendent in Sierran history, after Plumas' Lord Superintendent Pablo Gilroy.
Styles
The Inland Empire Styles and Honorifics Act officially declares that an incumbent Lord or Lady Superintendent be styled as His/Her Honor The Honorable (officially abbreviated as "HH The Hon."). Former Lords and Ladies Superintendent retain the courtesy title of The Honorable for life, while dropping the address His/Her Honor. These forms of address are extended to the spouses of the Lords and Ladies Superintendent, both serving and former.
Role and presence
The Lord Superintendent of the Inland Empire is responsible for carrying out the governmental and ceremonial duties that are associated with the Crown. The chief responsibility of the Lord Superintendent is to represent the Crown at the provincial level within the Inland Empire on behalf of the Sovereign. Among these duties, the Lord Superintendent: gives or withholds royal assent to bills presented by the Inland Empire Provincial Assembly; presides over Cabinet meetings; summons, prorogues, and dissolves the Provincial Assembly; issues writs for elections; formally appoints officials (including the Governor), ministers, judges, and other officers (likewise, the Lord Superintendent may dismiss them with same binding force); presents provincial decorations, orders, awards, and honors; and attends ceremonies, state functions, and other official events. In cases of emergency or crisis, the Lord Superintendent is constitutionally empowered to assume caretaker functions. The Lord Superintendent receives advice from the governor on carrying out their viceregal duties. In practice, the Lord Superintendent delegates the majority of administrative and governmental duties to the governor.
Within the provincial order of precedence, the Lord Superintendent ranks immediately below the Sovereign, outranking even other members of the Sierran royal family, as well as the governor. The Lord Superintendent also holds the privilege to flying their own standard and bearing the arms of the Lord Superintendent. The Lord Superintendent also has the right to use and affix the seal bearing the Crown's personal arms and monogram on official documents.