Invite the Chairman to an event

To invite the Chairman to an event, contact us with:

• a brief outline of the event
• details of any points that the Chairman should include in the
• opening address or thanking response
• dress code for the occasion
• time of arrival and departure
• the name of the person who will meet the Chairman
• car parking arrangements.

Send your invitation to the Civic Office:

Official order of precedence for civic dignitaries

Except for royal visits, it is not necessary for all the civic dignitaries to be invited to a function, but where any are invited this order of precedence must be followed:

• Lord Lieutenant of Kent
• High Sheriff of Kent
• Chairman of Kent County Council
• Mayor or Chairman of the borough or district in which the event takes place
• Borough or district Chief Executive
• Town Mayor of the town in which the event takes place
• Member of Parliament for the constituency in which the event takes place
• Member of the European Parliament for the constituency in which the event takes place
• Chief Constable of Kent.

If an event is hosted by a borough council, or relating to a particular borough, the mayor of that borough and the borough chief executive take precedence over the Chairman of Kent County Council.

Visiting members of the royal family take precedence over all civic dignitaries, but other visiting dignitaries, including Mayors of other boroughs, normally take precedence after those listed above.

Eight districts in Kent have borough or city status, and have Mayors as their civic heads, except Canterbury, which has a Lord Mayor. The remaining four districts (Dover, Sevenoaks, Shepway and Thanet) have Chairmen rather than Mayors as their civic heads.

Medway is a unitary authority that has a Mayor as its civic head.