The past few days have seen Christmas celebrated by the Imperial Family, with the Emperor’s annual broadcast including some important news for next year.
Christmas Day, Monday 25th, saw Emperor Jonathan I join his parents and his sister the Crown Princess as they attended the morning service at Carshalton Methodist Church, where both Crown Princess Caroline and Emperor Mother Margaret gave readings from the Bible.
Afterwards joined by Empress Hannah, the Imperial Family travelled to the Boxall residence, home of the Emperor’s maternal relatives, where they were hosted for Christmas dinner by Lord Michael, Duke of Merton and his wife Lady Boxall.
On Boxing Day, Tuesday 26th, the Boxalls were hosted at the Imperial Residence while Jonathan I and the Empress visited Empress Hannah’s parents.
Christmas Day saw the publication on YouTube of the Emperor’s annual Christmas broadcast.
In the broadcast, His Imperial Majesty reflected on the need to bring peace through love to others, and looked back on a year which has seen Austenasia’s fifteenth anniversary, his Decennalia, and the expansion of parliamentary representation to non-residentials.
The Emperor also used the broadcast to give formal notice of a general election to take place on February 12th next year. The incumbent Prime Minister, Lord William Wilson, has already stated he will not be running, whereas his predecessor Lord John Gordon has stated that he will.
His Imperial Majesty furthermore announced that the general election will take place alongside a referendum to amend the constitution, both to entrench parliamentary representation for non-residentials but also to make various other changes, the details of which will be announced in due course.
Candidates for the 2024 general election will be confirmed by January 15th.
Christmas decorations in the Imperial Residence will remain up until January 5th, Twelfth Night, the traditional date on which they are to be taken down.