Emperor announces changes for 2020 in Christmas broadcast
His Imperial Majesty the Emperor used his annual Christmas broadcast to announce that February 2020 will see a general election and the secession of New Richmond and Terentia from Austenasia. He has also revealed exclusively to the Austenasian Times that the Town of Augusta will be joining them, and was not mentioned in his broadcast due to a mistake. The three towns will create a new Commonwealth of New Virginia, to be recognised as an independent state. New Richmond is the most populated single town of the Empire, with 15 inhabitants, and is home to the current Prime Minister, Lord Admiral Kennedy. Augusta – which was part of New Richmond before becoming its own town in June this year – has three inhabitants, and Terentia has six. New Richmond and Terentia both originally joined Austenasia in 2013. It is understood that their desire to leave Austenasia and create their own country is primarily due to the growth of their own local identity and culture during this time. With the impending departure of the incumbent Prime Minister’s hometown, a general election has been called for 12 February 2020. At the time of writing, the Whig Party is expected to put forward Lord John Gordon and the Fatherland Party Lord Dionisiy Tezdzhan-Smahin as candidates. Applications for candidacy will be confirmed by the Emperor by 15 January. The Christmas broadcast was published this morning on YouTube, and can be heard here. Jonathan I has broadcast a Christmas message every year since his ascension to the Throne in 2013. Other than the publication of the Emperor’s Christmas broadcast, the Imperial Family celebrated Christmas Day by attending a morning church service at Carshalton Methodist Church and later opening presents and enjoying a Christmas meal at the Imperial Residence. The Imperial Family was joined at the church service by members of the extended Imperial Family as well as the former residents of Zephyria. Although most of the Imperial Family is Methodist, Emperor Jonathan I joined the Orthodox Church in 2011. He attended a service at his own church yesterday for Christmas Eve, but often attends the morning Christmas Day service at the Methodist church with his priest’s blessing in order to spend time with his family at Christmas. During this year’s service, Jonathan I and Crown Princess Caroline were invited to light all five of the Advent candles to mark the beginning of the service. Christmas wishes have been sent to and received from numerous foreign national leaders by cards and e-mails.
Midget titles abolished
In an Imperial Decree passed on Thursday 16th, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has decreed the abolition of all Austenasian titles derived from the Midget Nation-in-Exile. The Midget Nation-in-Exile was an entity which existed between 2009 and 2011. It was the government-in-exile of the Midget Empire, a playground-based micronation that functioned between 2002 and 2007, and was comprised of several former members of said micronation. The Midget Empire and Nation-in-Exile were both run by a “Midget Master,” a title which has been held by the Austenasian Monarch since 2010. The Nation-in-Exile was annexed by Austenasia in April 2011, with its remaining members becoming a unit in the Austenasian Army. The word “Midget” was chosen by the founders of the Midget Empire for no real reason; it is important to note that said founders were between eight and nine years old at the time. The micronation had no relation to dwarfism or little people, for whom the word “midget” is a pejorative term now regarded as politically incorrect. It is in an attempt to avoid offence and confusion that Emperor Jonathan I has therefore decreed that the instances of “Midget” in Austenasian titulature which remain from the annexation of the Nation-in-Exile in 2011 are to be abolished or revised. Most notably, the office of Midget Master is to be dissolved and subsumed into the throne of Rushymia, an entity which represents the heritage of an earlier micronation which was based at the same school as the Midgets. Furthermore, Centuria II Midgetae – the military unit comprised of former members of the Midgets – will be renamed to Centuria II Ruscimiae. The changes to titulature mandated by the Emperor will come into force on 1 January 2020.
New Austenasian March founded
Thursday 5th saw Harlemum founded as a March of Theodosiopolis. Lord Dionisiy Tezdzhan-Smahin, the Representative of Theodosiopolis, moved from said town to a new home earlier this year with his wife Lady Mariia. Their new residence has therefore been annexed as the Harlemum March. Harlemum is an enclave of the Dutch city of Haarlem, and is located just over thirteen miles west of Theodosiopolis. A March is a territory which is attached to a Town for the purposes of parliamentary representation but is governed autonomously from its Town Council. Before Thursday there had only been one March, Caldari, for which the status was created in 2014. Prior to this move, Theodosiopolis had five residents, the other three of whom remain living there.
New Town established at Chalcedon
A new Austenasian Town was yesterday founded as an enclave of Kadikoy, Turkey, the modern-day site of the ancient town of Chalcedon. The new Town consists of a section of an apartment building and is home to six people. One of its residents, İsmetcan Saraç – who initiated the process of having the properties join Austenasia – has been granted the title Count of Bithynia and appointed Acting Representative of the new Town. Said new Town has taken its name, Chalcedon, from the settlement which has occupied the site since prehistoric times and is most famous as having been the venue of the Fourth Ecumenical Council in 451. Chalcedon was only renamed to Kadikoy in the sixteenth century, and is now a suburb of the Anatolian part of Constantinople (Istanbul). The Austenasian Town’s resurrection of the prestigious Greco-Roman name of the location can be seen as a further emphasis of the Empire’s Roman and Christian heritage, although all six residents of Austenasian Chalcedon are Muslim. Lord Saraç has become the fourth Representative to join the Fatherland Party, giving the Opposition an equal number of seats in Parliament as the governmental coalition. Furthermore, this most recent expansion has increased Austenasia’s population to 97, the highest so far in its history.
National Liberal Alliance renamed to Whig Party
Thursday 24th October saw the National Liberal Alliance (NLA), one of Austenasia’s three political parties, renamed to the Whig Party. The change was announced by Duke Bradley of Dullahan, Minister of Defence, who serves as the party’s Secretary. In comments made for the Austenasian Times, Duke Bradley explained that the change in name to the Whig Party was made in part to avoid the negative connotations often associated in today’s political climate with the term “liberal,” as well as to underscore similarities with the historical British party of the same name. The Duke of Dullahan stated that the Whig Party will stand “for the rights of the individual, for freedom and prosperity. Our stance is clear: the Throne is the anointed protector of the liberties given to all individuals, and we will strive to protect them.” Since its creation in May earlier this year, the Whig Party (then NLA) has been in government, serving in coalition with the centre-left Imperial Party. The two governing parties have one and three Representatives respectively. The only other currently registered Austenasian political party is the socially conservative Fatherland Party, with three Representatives.
Austenasia celebrates its eleventh anniversary
Yesterday saw Independence Day in the Empire of Austenasia, the yearly celebration of the Austenasian Declaration of Independence in September 2008. Independence Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of September, although the actual anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is the 20th, which this year fell on a Friday. As expected, celebrations were somewhat muted compared to last year, when Austenasia’s tenth anniversary was celebrated with a party at the Imperial Residence and the minting of commemorative coins. However, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor did release an honours list, a custom which has been performed on every Independence Day apart from 2009 and 2011. Recipients of honours included the foreign national leaders Emperor Taeglan I Nihilus of Reyla and King Eran and Prince Nathan of Florenia, who were all made Counts, as well as several Austenasian governmental and noble figures being given titles in the Austenasian Order. Independence Day also saw the Fatherland Party hold its first conference, which took place over Discord. The conference lasted just under an hour, but resulted in agreement being reached over the party’s policies.
Solar farm to be established on new Territory
An Act of Parliament passed yesterday evening has annexed a new Territory to Austenasia from Turkey, joining that of Laranda, which joined Austenasia in May. The new Territory is situated near Silifke, a town which was known as Seleucia in antiquity. It has therefore been named Seleucia ad Cilicia in reference to its past. Seleucia ad Cilicia consists of a plot of uninhabited land owned by Lord Dionisiy Tezdhzan-Smahin, who – as with Laranda earlier this year – claimed the land for Austenasia. Lord Tezdzhan-Smahin, who was appointed Governor of the new territory by Parliament, has announced his intention to install solar panels in Seleucia ad Cilicia. These solar panels will produce renewable electricity which will be sold to the neighbouring country of Turkey, making Seleucia ad Cilicia one of the only areas of Austenasia to produce an export in this way.
Oberfalcer annexed as new Territory
Austenasia expanded yet again on Friday 23rd with the annexation of Oberfalcer, a group of fields in south-eastern France. The founder of the territory, Pierre-Henri Paccard, has been named Governor of Oberfalcer and given the title Duke of Viennensis. This marks the first time that Austenasia has annexed land from France. Oberfalcer, together with Theodosiopolis, have together been placed in the new Region of Gallia for administrative purposes. Oberfalcer measures roughly 588,400 square feet.
Imperial Party announces second Annual Conference
The Prime Minister, Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, has announced the date of the second Imperial Party Annual Conference as Party Leader. The conference will occur on 31 July at 4 PM EST via the Imperial Party discord server. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Lady Vice Admiral Eryn Lewis, are expected to deliver addresses. The Deputy Prime Minister currently serves as Party Chairwoman, and will preside over the conferences proceedings. In attendance will be all Imperial Party cabinet ministers and representatives, New Richmond Mayor Alex Francis MAO, and various private members. The Prime Minister is expected to announce cabinet reforms as part of his address.
New Californian territory annexed
The Empire continued to expand on Thursday 27th with the annexation of Costa Del Sol, its newest Territory. Costa Del Sol is comprised of the garden of a residential property. It was claimed for and ceded to Austenasia by one of the residents of said property, the now Lady Sophia Albina, who had contacted the imperial government with a request for the Empire to annex the land. Lady Albina has been appointed Governor of Costa Del Sol, and will administer it on behalf of the government. The new Territory is an enclave of California, and measures roughly 2,563 square feet.
