Two years ago today, HIM Emperor Declan I was made joint Monarch of Austenasia by an Act of Parliament.
Act 138 (Dual Monarchy) brought an end to the ongoing War of the Orlian Reunification and shared the Throne between the then Emperor Esmond III and the victor of the war, Declan I. As revealed by HIH Crown Prince Jonathan last year, this was a plan to limit the powers of Esmond III, who was plotting to overthrow the Empire’s constitutional government and replace it with a military dictatorship.
Esmond III and Declan I ruled together until 31 March 2011 when Parliament voted to remove the powers of Esmond III after the Austenasian Army pledged not to rebel to restore him to the Throne should he be removed from power. The plan to avoid Esmond’s plot complete, Declan I remained the only effectively ruling Austenasian Monarch – Esmond III remained titular joint Emperor until September last year, when the implementation of the new Constitution deprived him of this rank.
The Austenasian Star is flying from the Prime Minister’s Office in celebration of this Cotton Jubilee of Declan I, the first Austenasian Monarch to celebrate two years on the Throne. His predecessors, Terry I and Esmond III, reigned for only seventeen and nineteen months respectively.
The reign of Declan I has so far seen a long period of peace for Austenasia, which has been involved in no conflicts as of yet – in contrast, skirmishes were fought in Beddington Park and in the Imperial Residence itself during the reign of Terry I, and Esmond III reigned during both the Austenasian Civil War and the aforementioned war over Orly. The Empire has furthermore made great advances in diplomacy and culture over the past two years, and implemented an improved Constitution last year.
