Jonathan I and Princess Hannah marry

Emperor Jonathan I and the now Empress Hannah have been married in two ceremonies over the last few days. The couple were legally wed in a Church of England ceremony on Saturday 5th November, and their marriage was then celebrated according to the rites of the Orthodox Church on Monday 7th. The decision to hold two ceremonies was taken by the couple in order to emphasis equal respect for both of their respective religious traditions. The Anglican service, held on Saturday 5th, took place in the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Beddington, the parish attended by the Empress and her family during her childhood. This was followed by a reception at a golf course conference centre by Oaks Park. The Orthodox service, held on Monday 7th, took place in the Church of Ss. Constantine and Helen, attended by the Emperor since he joined the Orthodox Church in July 2011. It was livestreamed by Emperor Father Terry in the official Austenasia Facebook group, and followed by a celebratory buffet. Both services were attended by many of the friends and family of the imperial couple, as well as various state dignitaries. Emperor Adam I of Adammia and King Calum I of the Grove – the former of whom served as one of Jonathan I’s groomsmen – attended both services, and the former Emperor Esmond III attended the Orthodox service. Lord Timothy, the Emperor’s cousin, was his best man, and his sister Crown Princess Caroline was another of his groomspeople. Lord John Gordon, former Prime Minister, had planned to attend as another of the Emperor’s groomsmen, but was unfortunately unable to make it due to illness. Congratulations have been pouring in from numerous well-wishers from across the globe. The Prime Minister, Lord William Wilson, designed an arms of alliance for the imperial couple in his capacity as Chief Herald, which was prominently displayed behind their table at Saturday’s wedding reception and referenced in the Emperor’s speech. The imperial couple first met on 11 November 2011, began a romantic relationship on 5 November 2015, and were engaged in September 2016. Their engagement lasted several years, due to the desire to complete their university degrees before focusing on wedding planning. The Empress has reigned as Princess of Wildflower Meadows since May 2016. As this position is that of a sovereign head of state, she will likely continue to go by Princess in various contexts.

Expedition investigates tunnel legend

Emperor Jonathan I and Countess Eritoshi yesterday investigated legends of a huge network of tunnels underneath the British town of Beddington leading into the surrounding area. Emperor Esmond III had led an informal expedition in search of the entrances to these tunnels on 29 May 2010, but this had little success other than finding a shaft covered by a large rock which went into a mound in a park in Wallington. The expedition, recorded on camera for the Imperial Geographical Society, first went to Copan, where they investigated some pipes directly over one of the possible routes taken by the tunnels if they branched off towards various old buildings as rumoured. However, these pipes were found to have been for drainage in the days when a watermill stood in the north of Copan. The Emperor and Countess next headed into Wallington, to the same park explored by Esmond III’s expedition in 2010. It was judged that the mound with a shaft leading down into it was probably once an old air raid shelter – it could not be proven otherwise, as an attempt to move the rock which blocks the entrance failed. The expedition afterwards walked to Beddington Park to visit Carew Manor. It is known that a tunnel exists under the medieval Carew Manor, but both it and the church next to it were closed and so there was nobody there to ask about the tunnels. Walking in the direction of the Plough Inn, the Emperor and Countess explored a small wooded area between the two locations. A circle of tarmac was discovered in the woods, which the Emperor suggested may possibly be a blocked entrance to the tunnel running between the two. Arriving at the Plough Inn, the expedition spoke to the assistant manager, who confirmed that the tunnel entrance in the cellar had been bricked up. She told them that a nearby hill on which some houses were built had been made with the soil excavated when the tunnels were dug. After walking over the hill and noting the large amount of soil that would have been needed to construct it, the Emperor and Countess walked down a road known to have a manhole cover leading down to the tunnels. A relatively large, unmarked one was found, which is likely to have been the one connected to the tunnels. The expedition then departed via bus to Thanasia. This was the fourth IGS Expedition to have taken place so far in 2013. A video of the expedition can be seen here.