The Pulse of the Empire, Delivered to You

IGS Expedition to Plemstall

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor yesterday undertook an expedition of the Imperial Geographical Society (IGS) to Plemstall via the Millennium Greenway. Although some previous IGS expeditions have had two participants, this is the first expedition to have been composed of a single person. An Imperial Decree of March 2018 authorised excursions by a single member of the society to be given expedition status. The Millennium Greenway – often known locally as Chester Greenway – is a former railway line which now functions as a footpath between Connor’s Quay and Mickle Trafford, spanning several miles north of the city of Chester. The Emperor joined the Greenway just under three miles from its eastern-most point, walking along to the village of Mickle Trafford. Once there, he continued on to Plemstall, an adjoining hamlet. Plemstall is home to St. Peter’s Church, built on the site of a hermitage inhabited by St. Plegmund. Famed for his holy life living as a hermit at Plemstall, St. Plegmund was elected Archbishop of Canterbury in 890 after being chosen by King Alfred the Great. As Archbishop, St. Plegmund worked to support a flourishing of scholarship until his death in 923. The Emperor also visited the nearby St. Plegmund’s Well, a nearby holy well. It was used by the saint for baptisms during his time as a hermit, and remains a site of Christian pilgrimage to this day. A video of the expedition can be seen here.

Imperial Guard established

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I has established the Imperial Guard by recruiting its first two members on Saturday 25th July. The Armed Forces Act 2020, passed last month, enacted radical reform to the Austenasian military, dissolving the standing armed forces and establishing a system primarily based on reserve militias. One exception to this was an Imperial Guard, which the Monarch was authorised to personally recruit as a standing military unit on active service. The Imperial Guard is to serve as an elite bodyguard unit for the Monarch. Out of the two guards recruited on July 25th, one will be stationed in Wrythe and the other in Chester, thereby providing protection for Emperor Jonathan I in whichever of the two cities he most regularly frequents he happens to be in. The guard stationed in Wrythe is none other than HIH Emperor Father Terry, who has been appointed Captain of the new unit. The Emperor Father served as a tribune and as a legate in the Austenasian Army from 2011 and 2017 respectively up until last month’s reforms.

Emperor graduates with Theology MA

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I yesterday graduated from the University of Chester with a Masters degree in Theology. The award of his degree followed a year of study from 2018-19 in Chester, culminating in his authorship of a 20,000 word dissertation on the authorship of the Johannine books of the New Testament. The graduation ceremony took place at Chester Cathedral, and was also attended by the Emperor’s fiancée Princess Hannah, Emperor Father Terry, Emperor Mother Margaret, and Crown Princess Caroline. The Emperor’s aunt, Princess Julie, joined the group afterwards for a celebratory meal.

Princess Hannah graduates with BA

Tuesday 5th November saw Princess Hannah graduate from the University of Chester with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Spanish. The Princess, who is head of state of Wildflower Meadows and the consort and fiancée of Emperor Jonathan I, started her undergraduate degree in 2015. The degree took four years to complete, the third of which she spent living in Spain with the Emperor whilst working in a Spanish primary school. Princess Hannah’s degree is classified first class with honours. Her dissertation – which was graded with an impressive 90% mark – was on religion in the works of nineteenth century English poet Christina Rosetti. The graduation ceremony was held at Chester Cathedral, and was attended by the Emperor and by Princess Hannah’s parents. The Princess remains in Chester, where she is currently undergoing a year long Master’s degree at the university, specialising in nineteenth century English literature.

Expansion for Wildflower Meadows

The Principality of Wildflower Meadows expanded yesterday for a second time since its foundation in May. A 550 feet-long stretch of the River Wandle and an adjoining area of grass and trees were claimed by Princess Hannah and named Wandleside. Wandleside is situated mere feet away from the Princess’ home in south London, where she was staying having travelled from her university accommodation in Chester for the mid-term reading week. The new annexation has been recognised by Princess Hannah’s fiancé, Emperor Jonathan I, who was present at the annexation and co-founded the principality with her earlier in the year. Wandleside is the first area to be claimed by Wildflower Meadows within the vicinity of the Carshalton Nations, having previously been based entirely in Chester. The principality also expanded last month with the annexation of Grosvenor Park in Chester.

MicroWorld Newsbites – October 2016

DELVERA On 5 October, a meeting of the Chamber of Deputies relocated the capital from Lavrada to Colo, established a Confederal Bank of Delvera, and set up a wage system for government employees. KUMANO JIRITSU On 16 October, Hatsu Aki was sworn in as the new head of state after the resignation of his father in July. The title of the head of state, Daitōryō Daimyō, can be translated as “President-Noble” or “President-Lord”. MOLOSSIA On 29 October, President Kevin Baugh and the Molossian First Family took part in the annual Nevada Day Parade in Carson City for the tenth time. The President met with various Nevadan dignitaries, including the governor and several congressional candidates, most of whom were found to be already aware of Molossia. SABIA AND VERONA On 20 October, Sabia and Verona celebrated four years since its foundation. King Tarik released a statement celebrating the stability of the kingdom. SANDUS On 19 October, Sôgmô Will Soergel celebrated the Sandum holiday of Armilustrium by publishing a playlist on Spotify and conducting a religious ritual. On 26 October, the Sôgmô announced a meeting of the Citizen’s Party of Sandus to formulate an official platform for the party, a goal which had previously been intended to have been reached by May earlier this year. WILDFLOWER MEADOWS On 14 October, the Principality of Wildflower Meadows annexed Grosvenor Park, an ornamental Victorian park in the British city of Chester, located directly between the Principality’s existing claims of Chester Meadows and the walled city itself. ZEALANDIA On 26 October, Claire Nymoria was appointed the new Prime Minister of Zealandia by leader Charlotte Lindstrom.

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.

MicroWorld Newsbites – May 2016

FLANDRENSIS On 9 May, Gwendolien de Loungville resigned from her post as Minister of Finances & Economy after completing the process of paying back all those who had invested money in the building of the nation, paying off the national debt. JUCLANDIA Over the last weekend of the month, the three political parties of Juclandia held their Congresses in the Palace of the Great National Assembly to elect a new President and General Secretary for each party. Furthermore, it has been announced via MicroWiki that a general election will be held in July or August later this year. LEYLANDIISTAN & GURVATA A new government website has been launched and can be seen here. MOLOSSIA President Baugh has set his nation a goal of having 200 tourists this year, to surpass the average of Nauru, the least-visited member state of the United Nations. As of 22 May, 42 tourists have so far visited Molossia in 2016. SANDUS On 22 May, Sogmo Gaius Soergel announced plans to gradually decentralise the currently absolute power of the monarch. On 26 May, Sandus celebrated seven years since its foundation as Sandefreistikhan in 2009. ÜBERSTADT On 26 May, the king’s father was replaced as High Chancellor – top judge – by Terrah Perera, who King Adam I described as “thoughtful, studious, and articulate… [and] the most qualified Überstadti for this job.” The king’s father, Baron Ballinger, had to resign due to taking up a ministerial position incompatible with being High Chancellor. WILDFLOWER MEADOWS A new sovereign state, the Principality of Wildflower Meadows, has been founded by Emperor Jonathan I and his unmarried partner Princess Consort Hannah, the latter of whom now reigns as Princess of Wildflower Meadows. The principality claims land in and around the British city of Chester, and the Empire earlier today ratified a treaty of mutual recognition which also gave Wildflower Meadows the status of a protected state of Austenasia. ZEALANDIA On 22 May, a new Constitution was published, with Zealandia now a socialist commonwealth after its latest revolution last month. The new Zealandian Constitution can be read here.

Emperor announces local elections as exile ends

As his final fortnight of exile comes to an end, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has announced local elections for four of the Empire’s ten towns: Thanasia, Palasia, New Richmond and Harenfall. The local election will take place on 28 May next month. Those eligible, between the 7th and 14th of May, may stand to be elected their town’s Representative. Since 8 April, Emperor Jonathan I has been in exile from Austenasia, voluntarily serving out a recommended sentence given after the outcome of a trial he arranged after pledging to have the legality of actions he committed while still Crown Prince against Esmond III examined by a court. The Emperor was sentenced to three fortnights of exile, the timing of which would be at his discretion. This final fortnight of exile was served primarily at the Austenasian Embassy to the United Kingdom in Roehampton. In one of the amendments to the Constitution passed last year, local elections can now take place in one or some towns instead of all at once. This is the first time since then that such has taken place. Although the Emperor’s self-imposed exile is now at an end, he will spend six days with his unmarried partner Princess Consort Hannah at her university accomodation in the British city of Chester before travelling back to Wrythe. He will arrive back at Carshalton station on the evening of Thursday 28th.