Palasia gains new resident

Austenasia’s population has increased by one, with a friend of Lord John Gordon taking up permanent residence in Palasia. Airan Bloomfield, who has been appointed head of Palasia Police Force, moved to Palasia late last month. This has brought the total population of the Empire up to 42, and also made Palasia the most populated Town in Austenasia, with five residents.

James von Puchow returns from trip to Andorra and Catalonia

Sir James von Puchow – Deputy Chief Ambassador – has returned from a two-week long trip to the Principality of Andorra and to the nearby Spanish city of Girona in Catalonia. Earlier this evening, he delivered this report to the Emperor and other members of the government: It is my intention to report to His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor, his Government and the People of this Empire and associated lands on my experience in the Principality of Andorra and the city of Girona which is politically within the Kingdom of Spain, but at the forefront of the cause for independence of Catalonia – itself, culturally and linguistically, a separate nation. It should be at the pleasure of His Imperial Majesty that I have enjoyed two weeks this month in these territories in order to improve my knowledge of the Catalan language which is spoken there and to gain a deeper understanding of the government and current social attitudes. Stress, first and foremost, should be placed on the reality of how different the Catalan Countries, or ‘els Països Catalans’ are from the culture of mainstream Spain. Both Andorra and Catalonia have existed before the establishment of the current Spanish state, sharing a unique Romance language spoken from coast to mountain. My time in Andorra has illustrated the efficacy of the transition the state had taken since establishing itself as a constitutional co-principality in the early 1990s. Through guided visits to the ancient parliament, La Casa de la Vall (The House of the Valley) and the newly constructed building which belongs to Andorra’s unicameral parliament, the ‘Consell General’, it became evident that the focus on government established from the local level and the present system of universal suffrage made this small nation as modern as most European states. Furthermore, the investment of public funds into a wide infrastructure of facilities to provide Andorran citizens and residents with opportunities to divulge into cultural activities and sport, without doubt, highlight this state’s focus on the wellbeing of its people as a means to maintain activity within the country. Naturally, the unemployment rate is extremely low and the rates of salary beat many of those in other nearby countries. The natural beauty of this territory and its upkeep also make this country unique; I can assure His Imperial Majesty that the size of this country does not pose limits on its ability to be like modern European nations. Of course, as a landlocked country, it still purchases electricity and gas from nearby countries, but Andorra is not unique in this aspect. I highly recommend that the Emperor visit this country in the future to expose himself to the detail of structure of this nation. I ask His Imperial Majesty to divert also his attention to the activity within Catalonia, currently an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Spain, but historically a nation and proud centre of historical activity with in western Europe. Varied conversations and discourse with the workers and residents of Girona have only cemented my own personal view that this territory should be granted the legal means to conduct a referendum on independence, as the central government of the Kingdom of Spain, lead by the conservative one-state ‘Popular Party’, wishes not only to refuse Catalans this right, but also to enforce policies which would reverse popular laws on autonomy and the territory’s ability to run its own services and agencies without the political interference of the rest of Spain. As much as I expect His Imperial Majesty’s Government to officially remain impartial on this issue, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all to research the current political situation in this part of the Iberian Peninsula in order that they may understand the history and potential of Catalonia. I am proud that I have been able to converse with the people who live there and I stand by the fact that in my own personal capacity, having attended lectures at the University of Girona and witnessed spectacles of this vibrant culture, I am an ambassador for these people, their language and their way of life. Thus, I invite all who read this, and His Imperial Majesty most of all, to meet with me to discuss further my time in these territories, to look at the photos I have taken from my visit and to investigate these two different parts of the world. With best wishes for our Empire and her People, and greetings to the Monarch, James von Puchow Sycamore Booker, Community of Landashir 30th July 2014

New Richmond adopts constitution

The Dominion of New Richmond, an Austenasian Crown Dependency in North America, has adopted a constitution after confirmation by the Emperor and approval by the population of New Richmond. The constitution, which was written by the Crown Dependency’s Governing Commissioner, Dux Sir Joseph Kennedy, has established the Dominion Assembly, which will act as New Richmond’s legislature and judiciary. It held its first meeting earlier today. The constitution – which can be read here – came into effect yesterday, after receiving the assent of the population. While it has not transferred the source of authority – as a Crown Dependency, all power is held by the Emperor and exercised through his Governing Commissioner – it has made the government of New Richmond somewhat more representative and accountable. Dux Sir Joseph Kennedy is currently on a week-long visit to New Richmond, which has a population of two. In his absence, it is administered by his deputy Legate Barger, who holds the title Lord Lieutenant.

Lady Evren Filgert and Sir James von Puchow visit Carshalton

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor yesterday gave Lady Evren Filgert and Sir James von Puchow a guided tour of the Carshalton Nations. Emperor Jonathan I met Filgert – currently Acting Representative of the newly annexed Town of Porthbokon – at Mile End in London, where they were then joined by von Puchow of Landashir, who became a non-residential subject of Austenasia last month. The three travelled by train to Carshalton station, and walked the short distance to Orly, where they were given a tour by the Emperor of its constituent states Copan and the Grove and their respective capitals of Memphis and the Secluded Place. The Emperor spoke at length about the history of Orly, mentioning the recent floods, its liberation from foreign rule, and the strange discovery of a turkey carcass in the Grove one and a half years ago. After the tour of Orly, the three of them went to Carshalton High Street and had lunch at a café there. The tour then continued, with Filgert and von Puchow being shown the former site of Rushymia and the Midget Empire from the vantage point of the neighbouring recreation ground. The final point of the tour was the capital itself, Wrythe. The two guests briefly met Crown Princess Caroline and pet bullmastiff Edd, and were then shown Wrythe Pet Cemetery and the ruins of the Orange Pyramid in Wrythe Public Park. The tour of the Carshalton Nations over, the three went back into London. After von Puchow left for Landashir, the Emperor explored Mile End with Lady Evren until it was time for them to depart.        

Micronational book club: King Nicholas and the Copeman Empire – Book review and interview with the former king

Article by Evren Filgert, Duchess of Dumnonia – originally at Porthbokon News Part micronational memoir and part ballsy fictionalised tale, ‘King Nicholas and the Copeman Empire’ is a story of a man with a Hyacinth Bucket-esque talent for self delusion with a wit that makes all the ludicrous events described excusable. Most of the facts about the author’s life are completely made up, but it’s told with such a straight face that you can’t help but play along – something that fits with the subject matter of the yarn itself. Peppered with documentation of the Copeman Empire’s rise (something I was very thankful for, since any actual micronational information seemed to have disappeared from the web) and obsessively detailed accounts of local fast food establishments, this book works as both an entertaining, dryly humorous tale and a micronational account, like an explorer’s journal. As someone who immediately put his micronation into the ‘real world’, so to speak, going about town in micronational dress, becoming the gossip of his town and issuing royal warrants, Copeman gets quite a bit further than many of his micronational readers have before. With a national religion based on the ‘Order of the Zinger’, a KFC burger, headed by the ‘Archbishop of Fantaberry’, a royal signet ring made out of a cannibalised pound coin and a Throne Room which is actually a caravan’s bathroom, it reminds one of the Kingdom of Lovely documentary quite a lot, and it’s just as entertaining and hard to put down. I read it obsessively at work, during snatched breaks, because it was so engaging, and it gave a micronational zeal that’s sadly hard to regain sometimes when reading an endless barrage of internet micronationalism. Though the story is about a man’s dramatic, flourishing failure at life, in terms of micronationalism – and having a good time – Nicholas gets things done, whether it be outfitting a static caravan into a lushly kitsch palace or gatecrashing a  regional society ball in his kingly persona. I contacted the former King (now just plain Nick Copeman), who was polite and accommodating when speaking about the former micronation, despite it having been defunct for nearly a decade. He put up an archived version of the Copeman Empire’s site, a very well-designed and funny example of a micronational web presence, complete with custom headers featuring the king and his inspirational quotes and a parodical citizenship qualification list: 1. Get hold of a copy of King Nicholas and the Copeman Empire 2. Read it 3. Give it to a friend/enemy/stranger 4. Tell them to read it 5. Buy a Zinger Tower burger from KFC 6. Eat it, while listening to Zadoc the Priest on your iPod 7. Buy a Zinger Tower Burger for a friend/enemy/stranger 8. Watch them eat it while they listen to Zadoc the Priest on their iPod 9. Get a £1 coin and bore the middle out 10. Stick it on your finger 11. Change your name by Deed Poll to something snazzy-sounding 12. Eat a 10p bag of spicy Transform-a-Snacks 13. Email me Which gives you a clue as to the nature of the micronation (I’m at no. 4, planning to complete 5-8 this weekend!). Nick also agreed to an interview about the book, his life, and his former micronation, but unfortunately some of it might not make sense to those who haven’t read it. All the more reason to buy a copy! They’re a couple of quid on Amazon. Evren: The book is told with this very straight-faced dry wit as if Adrian Mole were the heir to Grand Fenwick, but a lot of the events described seem very fantastical. Are any of the people or events in the book exaggerated or did everything really play out like that?  Nick: Yes, everything is distorted and screwed up. All the characters are 100% real but some had their names changed so they wouldn’t beat me up, and certain episodes are slightly Walter Mitty. I think there is a term for it .. something along the lines of “unreliable author”, where one isn’t clear whether the narrator is telling the truth, deluded, outright lying, or a mixture of all three. But one thing is totally true: I became King Nicholas. I walked this earth for some time — not as a mere mortal — but as God’s anointed one. The ending to the whole tale, on the other hand, is quite sobering, a sharp turn away from stuff like having lobster on a bed of pot noodles and riding around town on a horse. Did everything work out all right in the end? I can’t stand happy endings. They just don’t happen. Life is bitter-sweet. The problem is that consumerist society wants you to believe that if you buy a certain fragrance, then you’ll attract an aspirational partner, get a free upgrade to business class, whitened teeth, and generally live the dream. Becoming “King” was escapism and wanting to feel good about doing badly in life, but it was a doomed dynasty from the start. That was the whole point really. To be an epic failure, rather than just a meek, downtrodden and apologetic failure Coming from a small seaside town myself, I know how much people like to gossip. It seems like the whole endeavour had a big effect on the residents of Sheringham. If you still live there, do people still talk about it? Is the Copeman Empire alive in the hearts of Norfolk (or, some of Norfolk’s hearts)? One interesting thing about living on the coast is that there is one less direction to run in if some yobos happen to be chasing you, and also your community is much denser, simply because it can’t dissipate out in one direction — everyone’s crowded around the waterfront. So yes, people did gossip about me and my empire: most people were just perplexed by it, some thought I was acting above my station and a minority was outright hostile. But some people loved

New Richmond expands

New Richmond, one of the two North American Crown Dependencies of Austenasia, has gained two residents and thousands of square feet of land. The Crown Dependency, officially titled the Dominion of New Richmond, yesterday grew by over 120% by annexing an adjacent piece of land. This land is lived on by the Lord Lieutenant of New Richmond, who administers the Crown Dependency on a day-to-day basis on behalf of the Governing Commissioner Joseph Kennedy (who in turn represents the Emperor), and his wife, giving New Richmond a population of two. While precise measurements are very difficult, this territorial acquisition by New Richmond – first annexed by Austenasia on 16 August 2013 – is thought to have increased the size of the Empire to over one and a half million square feet for the first time. There are also plans for the newly acquired population of New Richmond to be given powers to propose legislation for the Governing Commissioner to consider.

Imperial encounter with the True Cross

The Emperor and his parents this afternoon saw what is believed to be part of the wooden cross on which Christ was crucified. Jonathan I, Emperor Mother Margaret and Emperor Father Terry met in Knightsbridge to walk the short distance to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God, where part of the Cross was being brought. The relic, usually kept in Jerusalem, is currently on a “tour” of the United Kingdom. The Emperor and his parents arrived at the start of an hour and a half long service, during which the piece of the Cross arrived and was placed on a stand in the middle of the church while hymns and psalms were sung and prayers were chanted. After the service, members of the congregation went up to venerate the relic, which is encased in an icon of silver and gold. Jonathan I has been an Orthodox Christian since 2011, but this was the first time that his father has been to an Orthodox service, while the Emperor Mother has previously been to two.

Australian police escorted from New South Scotland

Two Australian constables from the New South Wales Police Force have been escorted from the Austenasian Crown Dependency of New South Scotland. The two police constables are reported to have been harassing visitors to New South Scotland (which is surrounded by the Australian state of New South Wales) by asking visitors of the crown dependency for identification in a rude manner. A constable from New South Scotland’s own police force, the New South Scotland Constabulary, then asked the Australian police to leave. The Australian police were escorted from New South Scotland by the constable, who was assisted by a group of socialists visiting from Australia who to the amusement of others sang the Internationale while escorting the Australian constables out. New South Wales Police Force is not thought to have made any formal comment on the incident.

State of mourning declared in Palasia

Lord John Gordon, the Baron and Representative of Palasia, has declared a state of mourning in the Town after learning of the death of his grandfather early this morning. His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has sent Lord John his condolences.

The Emperor moves into Roehampton University

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor yesterday moved into accommodation at the University of Roehampton. Emperor Father Terry and Emperor Mother Margaret helped Jonathan I to unpack his belongings in the en suite room he now lives in, located in the Digby Stuart College of the university. The university is located just over 6 miles away from Wrythe, which the Emperor plans to visit every few weeks. The Emperor shares the floor which his room is on with six other people. Although each room has its own bathroom, there is a shared kitchen area. After moving into the university yesterday, Jonathan I today attended talks given to those in the Humanities Department before having lunch and spending the afternoon with Countess Eritoshi, who is also studying at the university although not taking up residence there. The Emperor will start a three-year course on Theology and Religious Studies next week after formal enrolment on Wednesday.