Parliament declares Austenasia a Christian country

At 7:40 am this morning, Imperial Consent was given to an Act of Parliament establishing Christianity as the state religion of the Empire. Christians make up the majority of the Empire’s population, and much of Austenasia’s symbolism and ceremonies have been inspired by Christianity. For example, the Chi-Ro holds a prominent place on the Empire’s coat of arms, and Emperor Jonathan I made his coronation oaths while holding a Bible. The Act of Parliament has reaffirmed the provisions included in the Constitution that all have the right to choose and practice their own religion without discrimination or persecution. The Emperor has announced that he will consider the creation of an ombudsman-like position to ensure that no religious discrimination takes place. No particular denomination has been specified as Austenasia’s state religion, but rather Trinitarian Christianity as a whole. Austenasia has never before had an official religion, but since its founding the largest religion in the Empire has always been Christianity, which has influenced many of its laws and national symbols. Several Christian feast days have been made national public holidays, and local authorities have been given the right to declare a local public holiday on the feast day of the patron saint of their town or territory.

Coronation of Emma I as Queen of Copan

Emma I was crowned Queen of Copan this afternoon by Emperor Jonathan I. The Emperor, who appointed Emma I to the Copanese throne in June last year after Copan became independent from Wessaxon rule (along with the neighbouring state of the Grove), placed a silver crown on the Queen’s head with the words “As Emperor of Austenasia and Romanorum Imperator Occidentalis, I crown you Emma I, Queen of Copan.” The coronation was held at Beddington Park in the United Kingdom. The capital of Copan is still flooded, and so an alternative place for the ceremony had to be found. This is the first time that the Emperor of Austenasia has physically crowned a vassal monarch. Unlike the coronation of Jonathan I himself, which took place only a month after his ascension to the Throne, the coronation of Emma I has taken place just over nine months into her reign.

Coronation of Emperor Jonathan I

Several dignitaries visited the Imperial Residence today to attend the coronation of His Imperial Majesty Jonathan I as Emperor of Austenasia. Jonathan I, who ascended to the Throne after the abdication of Declan I last month, crowned himself in his capacity as Founder of Austenasia with the Imperial Diadem on the spot from which he sent the Declaration of Independence via e-mail in September 2008. The guests present were Emperor Taeglan I Nihilus of Reyla, Premier James Puchowski of Landashir, Countess Eritoshi of Memphis, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Micheal Mitchell the head of the Imperial Air Force. Declan I had been invited but was unable to attend due to illness. Acting Prime Minister Lord Marshal William was also unable to attend due to having made prior commitments. A photographer from local newspaper the Sutton Guardian took photographs and video of the guests and the preparations for the coronation and recorded the ceremony, which began at roughly 11:45. The coronation ceremony was based on the guidelines laid out in the 2011 Constitution and the precedent set by the 2009 coronation of Emperor Terry I (now Emperor Father), with influences from the coronations of the British and Russian monarchs. The ceremony began with Jonathan I – wearing the Imperial Robes and Imperial Chain – being seated on a chair on the exact spot where Terry I was crowned and from where the Declaration of Independence was sent. He swore an oath to rule fairly and wisely, defend Austenasia and its people, and to uphold and abide by the law. He was then annointed with holy oil before being handed the Imperial Sceptre by Countess Eritoshi, who helped to officiate as Leader of Ceremonies. With the words “as Founder I crown myself, Imperator Caesar Jonathan Augustus, Emperor of Austenasia”, Jonathan I then placed the Imperial Diadem on his head to shouts of “Vivat Imperator” as those present bowed and saluted before the Austenasian national anthem was played. After the ceremony, Jonathan I and Taeglan I signed the Treaty of Wrythe, in which both emperors formally gave recognition of each other’s full imperial rank while agreeing that either of them addressing another as “Emperor” would not constitute recognition of imperial rank under the Carshaltonian political doctrine of Imperium without the consent of the other, and reaffirmed an earlier treaty of friendship between the two states. The ceremony over, Emperor Father Terry took photographs of the Emperor and his guests before joining them at the Racehorse, a pub in Carshalton, for lunch. There followed a quick visit to the (very) nearby Wessaxon constituent country of Orly and a brief (and unplanned) meeting with Lord Marshal William’s father before Taeglan I and Premier Puchowski departed. The Emperor, his father, the Countess and Air Chief Marshal returned to the Imperial Residence, with the Air Chief Marshal and then the Countess also departing after a few hours of socialising with the Emperor and his sister Crown Princess Caroline. The Sutton Guardian will most likely be publishing an article on the coronation on Thursday 28th February, once more bringing Austenasia to the attention of thousands of local Britons. This will be the third time the Empire has been featured in said paper, which ran articles on Austenasia in January 2009 and September 2011. An album of photographs taken at the coronation can be seen by following this link.

Coronation date announced

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has announced the date of his coronation. The new Monarch, Jonathan I, has announced that the crowning ceremony will take pace in the Imperial Residence on Saturday 23 February, just over a month after he ascended to the Throne. This is much sooner than the previous two coronations – that of Terry I took place eight months after he became Monarch, and that of Esmond III took place just over seven months after he ascended the Throne. The Emperor’s predecessor, Declan I, did not have a coronation, as he was the only Austenasian Monarch to have never set foot in the Empire. Planned visits of Declan I to Wrythe in February and April 2012, for which the possibility of a coronation was discussed, never took place. The Emperor will be crowned with the Imperial Diadem while wearing the other Imperial Regalia (the Chain, Sceptre, and Robes) and sitting in the same spot in which the Declaration of Independence was sent in 2008. Foreign heads of state and nobility have been invited to attend the ceremony.