James Norrington's promotion ceremony

"We are an unimaginative lot when it comes to naming things." The title of this article is conjectural. Although this article is based on canonical information, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.

James Norrington's promotion ceremony
Timeframe	Blood of the Aztec Curse
Date	Late 1720s
Place	Fort Charles, Port Royal
Description	Loyal service to His Majesty the King had brought James Norrington respect and status. As captain of HMS Interceptor, he had chased and captured some of the Caribbean's most fearsome pirates. Because of this, Norrington had achieved a promotion from captain to commodore of the British Royal Navy Fleet.
Affiliations involved	Crew of the HMS Dauntless Royal Marines
Participants	James Norrington Governor Weatherby Swann Elizabeth Swann Port Royal citizens

"l had hoped you might wear it for the ceremony today."
"The ceremony?"
"Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony."
"I knew it."
"Commodore Norrington, as he's about to become."

―Weatherby Swann and Elizabeth Swann

James Norrington's promotion ceremony was the ceremony that saw Captain James Norrington's promotion to commodore of the British Royal Navy fleet, taking place at Fort Charles in the British settlement of Port Royal. Norrington's promotion ceremony at the fort was a glittering military spectacle. Pipes and drums play as sailors and marines marched in perfect formation. Norrington himself was the star of the show as he was given a new sword by Governor Weatherby Swann. After the ceremony, Commodore Norrington proposed to Governor Swann's beautiful daughter, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, Elizabeth's corset spoiled everything, as she plunged swooning from the battlements into the sea.

Behind the scenes

• In the first draft of the The Curse of the Black Pearl's screenplay, there was more detail of the ceremony. After James Norrington drew the ceremonial sword, he flourished the sword and snapped the blade up in front of his face. Governor Swann then stepped forward to pin a medal to Norrington's jacket, then steps back. Norrington nodded before turning to nod to his fellow officers, then turned again and nods to the audience. Another flourish, and he returned the sword to its scabbard. The silence was broken by loud applause and backslapping from the Navy men. Whereas, the last part of the ceremony seen in the film was Norrington flourishing the sword.
• During the ceremony, Norrington can be seen wearing the neck badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath. This, however, is an error, as the Pirates of the Caribbean films are set during the reign of King George II of Great Britain (as seen in On Stranger Tides), and the Order of the Bath did not receive three classes until 1815; before that, it only had the class of Knight Companion, whose badge was suspended from a sash. It's unknown if this was an oversight by the writers or not.
• In the non-canonical LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, the ceremony is shortened, as Norrington discovers that his sword was accidentally replaced and mistaken for a carrot by Mr. Brown. Norrington then angrily throws the carrot in Will Turner's face.

Sources

• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003 junior novelization)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2006 junior novelization)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide