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Ongoing Certification, Membership Costs & Conclusion
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The Need for Ongoing Certification 
To enable the Commission to continue its important work to protect the public from imposters or those who impersonate, and to promote nobility and royalty throughout the earth, continued membership becomes essential and critical.
Ongoing certification not only provides necessary financial support but it bestows a higher level of assurance to the public, because full certification can remain intact only so long as one's case
continues to remain on the beyond reasonable doubt or the clear and convincing level. In other words, if one's position continues to remain solid and strong despite criticisms, evidence or doubts presented by critics over the years, then ones certification has passed the important test of time, and one's claim is even stronger and more solid than ever before. Ongoing certification thus provides addition assurance that ones claim is valid and that no fatal flaw was ever found warranting removal of Board approval. Continued membership also affords one the status of enabling anyone who doubts the privilege of knowing one's claim is the genuine, because all they need do is call and confirm that one is truly authentic or real.
After ten years of continuous certification, a claim to a title or aristocratic status is considered to be perfect and inalienable. At that time no contrary evidence will ever be entertained. As far as the Commission is concerned, the claim is final and absolute unless the individual fails to maintain his or her membership.
Lineal ancestral claims, however, in too many cases could be disproved, since it is so difficult to make a perfect and final determination in genealogy that could not be disproved years later. But continuous certification strengthens the idea that it is accurate and no fault has yet been discovered or is likely to be found. (Please see "Certification and Registration Requirements.")
Certification and Membership Costs 
Because the International Commission on Nobility and Royalty is a private, service organization, fees will remain reasonable and affordable. The actual cost will vary according to individual circumstance and the general standard of living that exists in ones native land. For example, a member who lives in a poverty stricken land (any third world country) will not pay the same fee to maintain his membership or certification as a noble would who lives in Great Britain or in the United States. A petitioner in the United States or Canada would typically pay the following in U.S. dollars unless there are mitigating circumstances warranting a different set of fees.
There are two main categories of membership: regular members and certified members.
Members: (unregistered and uncertified)
(1) Regular Membership is for those honored members who do a great and important service by their financial support in helping to protect the true nobility and royalty of the earth from the increasing frauds and schemes that are clouding the identity of those who are real and genuine. The fee for such membership is $30.00 a year and $500.00 for permanent membership.
(2) Diplomates and Fellows of the International Commission on Nobility and Royalty are people who have made unusually unique, special or major contributions
financially or otherwise to the field or cause of monarchy, royalty or chivalry. Such may be awarded this designation merely upon approval of the board. "De jure" or regnant royalty automatically receive this designation if they become members. Appropriate adjectives are added, such as, high, or sovereign, noble, imperial or whatever is proper and fitting. An example would be High Sovereign Diplomate and Fellow of the International Commission on Nobility and Royalty for a "de jure" or regnant king or sovereign prince.
Registered Members: (members who have submitted genealogy)
(1) Provisional Registration
Registration and application fee: $100.00
Annual membership fee: $30.00
Permanent membership fee: (for those who do not want to pay ever again) $500.00
No research fees as the genealogy has been submitted "as is."
(2) Full Registration
Registration and application fee: $100.00
Annual membership fee: $30.00
Permanent membership fee: (for those who do not want to pay ever again) $500.00
Research fees required: to qualify at the preponderance of evidence confidence level (see "Research Fees" below)
Certified Memberships: (members who are board certified to hold a genuine knighthood, authentic titles of nobility or royalty, or have illustrious ancestors) There are five different memberships for certified members
(1) Individual membership (member of an approved nobiliary association)
Registration and application fee: $100.00
Annual fee: $30.00
Permanent membership fee: (for those who do not want to pay ever again) $500.00
No research fees
Members of this group are immediately eligible to receive final or permanent certification provided the nobiliary association never disavows them.
(2) Individual membership (not a member of an approved nobiliary association)
Registration and application fee: $100.00
Annual fee: $30.00
Permanent membership fee (for those who do not want to pay on a yearly basis): $500.00
Research fees required: to qualify for the clear and convincing or beyond reasonable doubt evidence levels (see "Research Fees" below)
(3) Family membership of immediate family only (member of an approved nobiliary association)
Registration and application fee: $100.00
Annual fee: $60.00
Permanent membership fee (for those who do not want to pay ever again): $1,000.00
No research fees
Members of this group are immediately eligible to receive final or permanent certification provided the nobiliary association never disavows them.
(4) Family membership of immediate family only (not a member of an approved nobiliary association)
Registration and application fee: $100.00
Annual fee: $60.00
Permanent membership fee (for those who do not want to pay on a yearly basis): $1,000.00
Research fees required: to qualify for the clear and convincing or beyond reasonable doubt evidence levels (see "Research Fees" below)
(5) Royal or Regal membership of an entire royal family (technically some of the high nobility are minor royals (see "Sovereignty"), but they must enter either through individual or family memberships and pay the associated fees)
No registration or application fee
No annual fee
Membership is free as long as no controversies exist and the application is filled out and the Commission is informed of changes that occur.
The royal head of the family is automatically recognized as a High Royal (Sovereign and/or Imperial) Diplomate and Fellow of the International Commission on Nobility and Royalty.
All of the above fees are non-refundable except the research retainer. Some memberships will be given out for free at the discretion of the Special Representatives of the Commission subject to Board approval. Replacement certificates and wallet recognitions are $15.00 per person. Family members of a family membership can also obtain certificates and wallet membership cards for $15.00 per individual.
Research Fees 
The verification or authentication process to confirm and validate what is real can be expensive or inexpensive depending on how complicated the case is or how easy the claim is to collaborate and check out. For example, a recognized European noble, who is the recognized head of his family and a member of a acknowledge nobiliary association, would be easy to verify and confirm as authentic and therefore easy to certify. This person could enroll his immediate family simply by paying the proper family membership fees and providing all the information required on each person.
A knighthood verification for an order approved by the International Commission on Orders of Chivalry is extremely simple and therefore the retainer is very inexpensive. Some titles or other knighthoods directly from a legitimate "de jure" king or sovereign prince can be easily confirmed as authentic, therefore, again, a small retainer would be sufficient.
But an individual whose case is difficult to establish may present a number of problems and complications, which could be time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, there is no set fee for this service, but usually no more than a modest $50.00 an hour will be charged.
Nevertheless, because the Commission is only verifying information and making
historical checks, generally speaking, the cost of the investigative process should never be unreasonably high.
If the verification process requires translators, there will obviously be an extra cost involved. A group of experts and specialized scholars are consulted on each difficult case to assure that we are not overlooking something, but it is the certification board that determines the final outcome.
A research retainer must be paid for all confirmation research pertaining to title(s), nobility, royalty or knighthood claims for those who are not members of a valid nobiliary association. This pays for professional spot checking of genealogical material if this is necessary. The research retainer is determined based on the complexity or ease of each unique case. For the true and recognized royalty of any nation, there is no research fee. All unused money for any type of research or translations will be returned.
Should a certified claim be validly questioned as to authenticity years later, and the complaint appears to be serious and believable because it is based on undeniable facts, the claim, regrettably, may have to be re-evaluated. The cost for such may vary, but the same rules apply as stated above. This, however, is a rare situation, but needs mentioning. All recognitions are free and based totally upon ones certification(s) and/or registration(s).
The Board wants it to be eminently clear that the Commission is being run to provide a needed and important service. The fair and reasonable fees that are charged are all that the Commission will accept to maintain itself. The only exception to this rule is that the Special Representatives Office of the Commission (non-administrators, who have no influence on the certification process) who represent the Commission for public relations only, and who specialize in promoting the values and objectives of the Commission. They may receive donations for their specialized work. They are the only one who may receive special help of this kind.
Please be aware that any donations to the Special Representatives Office will not impact on any decisions as they are purposely placed far outside the loop in terms of any rulings or verdicts so as to safeguard the integrity of this important process. This is one of the checks and balances we have established and set up to protect us and assure that only correct, accurate and true certification decisions are made.
Conclusion
We will promote nobility, royalty and monarchy in the earth to the best of our ability directly through the special work of the representatives, future campaigns, and through authenticating the genuine and true aristocracy of the earth. But we can't do this alone. We need your help. Membership of any kind is, therefore, critical and indispensable to our stated and deeply felt purpose and mission. By joining us, you empower us. We cannot be very effective without your sincere efforts and support. We salute you as our patrons and benefactors--the future is in the hands of those who are willing to do something unusual, unique and daring. You are welcome to become a part of something that we believe is really special in the making as we build a network of influence for the good of mankind. (See "Ideals" and "Advantages.") (The picture to the right is HM King Constantine XIII of Greece as a young sovereign)
For "Contact" information or to join the Commission as a contributor or apply for
certification for titles, knighthood, status or ancestry, please first read the "Disclaimer and Obligatory Contract." If you fully agree with them, you are welcome to contact us, make contributions, answer our survey and/or become a part of this important cause. Our goals and mission are to protect the public from counterfeit titles, phony knighthoods and fake genealogies. We also want to certify the true and the genuine as well as promote chivalry, royalty and nobility. We need your support. There is so much that needs to be done. We invite you to contribute and join with us.
We welcome your answers to the seven questions on our "Survey" page and to make a comment if you like. But, first, before you do so, please read either the article entitled "IDEALS" and/or the one entitled "ADVANTAGES."
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