The Royal Arch is an Order in Freemasonry with very close links to the Craft. It is often referred to as the completion of the journey in “pure Antient Masonry.” This relationship was defined by the 1813 Act of Union which created the United Grand Lodge of England. Since then, the Craft and Royal Arch have been thought of as two sides of the same coin – on one side the three degrees of Craft Freemasonry, and on the other the Royal Arch.
It is often said that Freemasonry consists of four elements the first three being the three degrees in Craft Masonry with the Royal Arch being the fourth.
So special is this relationship that, uniquely, the Royal Arch’s breast jewel may also be worn with Craft regalia.
Both Orders are headed by HRH The Duke of Kent, who is Grand Master of the Craft and the First Grand Principal of the Royal Arch, and both are governed from Freemasons’ Hall, in London. In many Provinces, the Provincial Grand Master and the Grand Superintendent are the same person.
The Craft’s Third Degree leaves many questions unanswered. The Royal Arch’s ceremony of Exaltation provides the answers, so without it the circle of your Masonic knowledge can never be complete. The Royal Arch takes the Master Mason into a bigger story which began with King. Solomon and the building of the Temple at Jerusalem in the Craft and guides him to continue the journey with deeper, dynamic and more dramatic events.
The symbolism and language of the Exaltation ceremony are somewhat different to the Craft and are quite philosophical, even spiritual, in nature. They impress on the candidate that he has moved to another level in Freemasonry.
There is no “one size fits all” answer to this question. It will depend on inclination, circumstances and when a member wishes to discover more. The minimum qualification is to have been a Master Mason for at least four weeks. Some brethren join very soon and some wait longer. We encourage brethren to discuss the timing with their personal mentor and their Lodge’s Royal Arch Liaison Officer.
Royal Arch Chapters meet three or four times each year, and so the time involved and fees payable are both less than Craft Lodges.
Derby Freemasons Hall,
457 Burton Road,
Littleover,
Derby, DE23 6XX
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