At 11:47 later today, precisely three years after it was signed, the Empire of Austenasia will withdraw from the Treaty of Wilton.
The Treaty of Wilton was signed during a state visit by the then Crown Prince Jonathan and other members of the Imperial Family to Moylurg, a predecessor state of what is now New Wessex. It was signed between Crown Prince Jonathan and King Declan I near the River Wylye in the Moylurgian capital Wilton, and established a military alliance between Moylurg and the Empire.
Although never used to call either nation to arms in defence of the other, the Treaty of Wilton established a diplomatic link with New Wessex unequalled in strength by any other country recognised by Austenasia.
In recent months, relations between Austenasia and New Wessex have swiftly declined, catalysed by the circumstances surrounding the abdication of Declan I from the Austenasian Throne in January and the liberation of Orly from Wessaxon rule in June.
Emperor Jonathan I confirmed on 12 July that there had been an “irreparable breakdown in relations and communication” between himself and Declan I in an Imperial Decree which cut many of the ties between Austenasia and New Wessex, including the revocation of the status of Declan I as an Austenasian subject and the relinquishing of Wessaxon titles and citizenship by Jonathan I, and gave notice that the alliance between the two countries would end on 7 August.
A further Imperial Decree passed on 5 August removed what was perhaps the only other tie between the nations, the capacity for Austenasian subjects to hold dual citizenship with New Wessex, which had been confirmed in April 2012.
