Independence Day celebrated!
The Empire of Austenasia today celebrates eight years since its foundation in 2008. Although the actual anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is on the 20th, Independence Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of September. As is customary, an honours list has been published by the Emperor, the recipients of which are listed here. Furthermore, Emperor Jonathan I has released a statement for the occasion, which can be read below: To all Austenasians, in the Empire or abroad, our greetings! As we sit writing this in the Imperial Residence, we remember how the Saturday eight years ago when the Declaration of Independence was sent was bright and sunny; in contrast, today is dark and overcast. It reminds us that the world has become a darker place in the years since 2008, with enemies of peace and proponents of barbarism growing in strength each day. If the world becomes darker, we must not let that darkness overshadow us, but rather shine all the more brighter. When our predecessor Constantius Chlorus freed Britain from the rule of an usurping tyrant, he was hailed as “restorer of the eternal light of Rome.” Just as Rome was considered then, let Austenasia be considered now a shining beacon in the world to inspire others, whether that be through the Order of Saint Constantine raising money for the poor and unwell, the Imperial Geographical Society exploring and researching the national world, or simply through ordinary Austenasians striving to be the best that they can be. To all Austenasians with a title of nobility or a knighthood, act not with hubris or pride, but with the honour and virtue that your title demands of you. On this Independence Day, let us come together and reflect on the meaning that can be given to it. Declaring independence is more than claiming sovereignty over territory; it is about saying “No; we can do things differently, and we can do things better.” As we look at the world around us, let that be the guiding philosophy of our nation. We wish you all a happy Independence Day. God bless you, and long live the Empire! ICJA, Wrythe, 17 September 2016 The Prime Minister, Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, will also release a statement later today.
Emperor and Princess Consort announce engagement upon return from Seville
His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I and his consort Princess Hannah of Wildflower Meadows arrived back in the country yesterday after a week-long holiday in the Spanish city of Seville. Whilst there, on Monday 5th the couple became engaged to be married whilst in Maria Luisa Park. The date of the wedding has yet to be announced, but will not be until after mid-2019, when the Princess completes her university course. The Princess Consort was crowned Princess of Wildflower Meadows by the Emperor on 12 May earlier this year upon the creation of a principality for her. On 11 November 2011, Hannah met the then Crown Prince Jonathan at a charity shop while lost in Carshalton. The two did not maintain contact, but met again on 10 September 2015. After several weeks of close friendship they announced the start of a romantic relationship on 5 November. Jonathan I and Princess Hannah spent eight days in Seville, during which they toured major sites of the city such as the Cathedral and royal palace. Whilst there, the imperial couple also met Sir Dominic Connolly, the Austenasian Ambassador to Spain, whom the Emperor knighted into the Order of the Bullmastiff in recognition of Connolly’s diplomatic service and in celebration of the imperial engagement.
Counsellors of State appointed as Emperor leaves on holiday
Emperor Jonathan I has appointed two Counsellors of State to exercise the powers of the Throne in his absence as he leaves for a week’s holiday in Seville, Spain, with his unmarried partner the Princess Consort. His Imperial Majesty will leave for Spain with Princess Consort Hannah tomorrow from Gatwick airport, arriving back on Thursday 8th September. The Emperor has appointed the Prime Minister, Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, and King Adam I of Überstadt (who also serves as Governing Commissioner of the Austenasian Crown Dependency of Oregonia) as Counsellors of State. In his absence, the two Counsellors will be able to jointly exercise any power of the Throne. Unlike a regency, the appointing of Counsellors of State does not prevent the Monarch from exercising the powers of the Throne himself. This is the third time that Counsellors have been appointed during the current Emperor’s reign; the previous two occasions were also due to holidays.
Emperor graduates with first class honours
His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I has graduated from the University of Roehampton, receiving a first class with honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology and Religious Studies. A graduation ceremony was held yesterday at the Royal Festival Hall in South Bank, London. Jonathan I attended along with his parents and Princess Consort Hannah. The Emperor started his three-year course at Roehampton in September 2013, and spent most of term time over said years living in accommodation on campus, in a flat which was temporarily designated Austenasian Embassy to the United Kingdom. During his course, Jonathan I took modules in which he studied topics including the Bible, Christian doctrines, classical and medieval philosophy of religion, the relation of religion to human rights and to art, the person of Jesus Christ, the history and doctrines of Islam, Judaism and Hinduism, and the religious make-up of London. The Emperor chose to take two extra modules in his final year rather than write a dissertation. His highest marked piece of work was a 3100-word essay he wrote in his final term on the way in which Jesus is presented in St. John’s Gospel.
Change made to Imperial style
The official style of the Austenasian Monarch has been altered by Emperor Jonathan I. Three of the titles in his official full style (which can be seen here, and is used only for formal ceremonial or diplomatic occasions) – “Emperor of Austenasia”, “Romanorum Imperator”, and “Basileus kai Autokrator Rhomaion” – have been merged into one: “Austenasian Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans”. The idea that the Emperor of Austenasia is in some sense an heir or successor to the Roman Emperors was first officially taken up by Emperor Esmond III in March 2010, since which the Empire has adopted more and more Roman attributes (e.g. the names of military officers and units, a system of consuls, etc.). However, Austenasia first began to explicitly emulate Rome as early as November 2009, when the Imperial Diadem was modified to include pendilia (dangling chains emblematic of medieval Roman crowns). A prefix, “by the Grace of Christ our God faithful”, has also been added to the Emperor’s style, adopted from the imperial style used by the late Eastern Roman Emperors. Jonathan I stated that this change was made to reflect his personal faith, with the changes to his style being made five years to the day that he joined the Orthodox Church. The (ordinary) style of the Emperor now, then, is His Imperial Majesty Imperator Caesar Jonathan Augustus, by the Grace of Christ our God faithful Austenasian Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans. The use of “our” in this style indicates the Emperor personally speaking (albeit in the majestic plural), not the implication that Christianity is in any way an official national religion of the Empire.
New town founded as another leaves the Empire
The new town of Ionathanopolis was founded earlier today, while Harenfall returned to Norway. The Ionathanopolis and Harenfall Act 2016, given Imperial Consent this afternoon, annexed Ionathanopolis to the Empire while ceding Harenfall to Norway. The entirety of Harenfall’s population voted to abstain in last month’s local election; it had previously been agreed by Harenfall and the imperial government that such would be considered a vote for secession by the former, Harenfall’s Representative having raised the issue some months previously. Harenfall has therefore been ceded by the Empire back to Norway, the country which previously held sovereignty over the town, due to a wish by its population to become solely Norwegian once more. The Prime Minister, Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, stated in Parliament that it was “sad to see a town go, but the people of Harenfall have exercised their right to self-determination and Parliament has concurred.” The Act of Parliament reserves the right for Austenasia to reassume sovereignty over Harenfall “should such be in accordance with the wishes of its population, and/or if the Norwegian government proves incapable of governing it.” Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the new town of Ionathanopolis – consisting of a residential property with a population of five – has been annexed to the Empire after its residents requested to join. An enclave of the U.S. state of South Carolina, Ionathanopolis replaces Harenfall as Austenasia’s tenth town. Lord Peter Palaiologos, who has been granted the noble title Count of Mentavlos, has been appointed Ionathanopolis’ Acting Representative.
Imperial Geographical Society Expedition to Sealand
The Imperial Geographical Society (IGS) yesterday conducted an expedition to Sealand. Not the Principality of Sealand, a tiny sovereign state off the British coast, but rather a Welsh town of the same name. The expedition, consisting solely of Emperor Jonathan I and Princess Consort Hannah, walked two and a half miles from the latter’s university accommodation in Chester over the English-Welsh border to Sealand, stopping for lunch near the border sign. Sealand is not only of interest due to it sharing a name with the famous Principality; the land used to be marshland under shallow seawater until a land reclamation project in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Countess Eritoshi resigns from politics
Countess Eritoshi of Memphis, Prime Minister from November 2013 to March 2015, has announced her resignation from Austenasian government. The Countess today resigned from her offices as Deputy Prime Minister and as Chief Advisor of the Privy Council, and relinquished her title of Augusta. She remains a member of the Privy Council and a military officer as Legate of Legio I Britannica. Countess Eritoshi earlier this year resigned as Chief Ambassador in March, and later refrained from running for re-election as Representative for her home town of Thanasia. Although she no longer has an interest in politics, the Countess has reaffirmed her commitment to her military position, and remains leader of the autonomous County of Memphis in Orly. Her successor as Prime Minister, the incumbent Lord Admiral Joseph, has replaced Eritoshi as Chief Advisor of the Privy Council. In other news, the Emperor has announced that 8 June will be the first day of the summer of 2016 in the Austenasian calendar.
Local election results in
The results of yesterday’s local elections are now in. Elections for the office of Representative took place in the towns of Thanasia, Palasia, New Richmond and Harenfall. In Palasia and New Richmond, the incumbents – Lord John Gordon and Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, respectively – were re-elected. In Thanasia, Countess Eritoshi – who had served as the town’s Representative since its foundation in May 2013 – was replaced by her sister, Lady Imogen, who has chosen to assume the pseudonym of Lady Strawberry. In Harenfall, every voter voted to abstain. The incumbent, Lord Sivert MacLean, has remained as Acting Representative, and he will soon take part in discussions with the Emperor and Prime Minister in regards to the future of the town.
Emperor founds Christian charitable order
Emperor Jonathan I has founded the Order of Saint Constantine as a specifically Christian order of chivalry for Austenasia. Members of the Order must be baptised Christians. Also – uniquely for Austenasian orders of chivalry – the Order is to function as a philanthropic organisation, raising money for various charities. A meeting of the Order, which has started off with ten founding members, will take place at some point in July or August in order to discuss the means and decide the recipients of their fundraising. The date of the Order’s foundation is of some significance. May 21st is the feast day of Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother Helen, who Christians venerate as saints. Ss Constantine and Helen have been named the patron saints of the new Order. They are also the patron saints of the church attended by the Emperor, to which he went this morning to attend a service celebrating the feast day. The new Order ranks below the Glorious Order of St. John and above the Order of the Bullmastiff.