Inscription discovered as stele mistakenly felled

The accidental toppling of an old memorial stone has led to the re-discovery of a forgotten inscription in an old ceremonial text. Yesterday evening saw the old Wrythe Genocide Memorial accidentally knocked over by a watering can while nearby plants were watered. The Memorial, unveiled for 2011’s International Holocaust Memorial Day in January of that year, once featured inscriptions commemorating the victims of genocide and expressing hope that such will never be repeated. Many of these inscriptions were written in Moylurgian hieroglyphs, a writing system used in Austenasia for ceremonial purposes between 2010 and 2013. However, the ink in which these inscriptions were made was not sufficiently waterproof to protect them from weathering, and by October 2012 the Memorial – which took the form of a small stone stele – was blank. Over the years, the Memorial had gradually become forgotten, and due to having been erected in a flowerbed in Wrythe Public Park was often hidden behind plants and weeds. Due to its deterioration, its dedication to genocide victims led to it being considered inappropriate to be publicised as such – with its neglect perhaps seen as a sign of disrespect – but simultaneously inappropriate to remove it. It was never designated an official national monument, a status introduced in December 2017; indeed, the legislation which introduced this status technically removed the remaining legal protections for the Memorial. The re-discovery of the forgotten inscription on the bottom of the stele, protected by the soil from the rain and sunlight, is a major archaeological find for the history of Wrythe and of Austenasia. Translated, it reads “Unveiled by His Imperial and Majestic Highness the King of Moylurg, Caesar of Austenasia”, referring to the now Emperor Jonathan I, and as such can be accurately dated to the short period of time – 19 October to 10 November 2010 – when he held the former office. Indeed, by the time the stele was actually erected, the then Crown Prince no longer held the former title. The inscription is then followed by three ciphers: that of Emperor Esmond III, that of Jonathan I as King of Moylurg, and then that of Emperor Declan I, which was added after the rest of the inscription but before the unveiling of the memorial (Declan I having ascended the Throne in December 2010). The inscription, nearly 12 years old, therefore hearkens back to a relatively tumultuous time deep in Austenasia’s past, remembered for the accession of different monarchs and the cultural influence of Moylurg (later Wilcsland). The now Emperor Jonathan I has decided against re-inscribing or re-erecting the stele, stating: “It is of the utmost importance that the horrors of genocide and the memories of its victims are never forgotten. However, it is inappropriate for us to pretend that a weathered brick in a flowerbed is in any way a fittingly dignified memorial to such. Instead of the stele being restored, we shall instead be making donations to various charities and museums which shall do a far better job than we could ever do at commemoration and education on this subject.”

Prince Dionisiy proposes constitutional changes

The new Prime Minister has proposed changes to the current system of executive and legislative power in a Prime Minister’s Broadcast released earlier today. Prince Dionisiy, who was elected earlier this month, announced plans to put forward various constitutional changes. The amendments would, in brief, change the nature of Austenasia-wide democracy from having an executive to a legislative function. Prince Dionisiy has proposed “to establish regular direct and binding referenda which will solve the important legislative questions… so that not only the House of Representatives is able to decide upon legislative questions, but that the people themselves are in charge.” This would be coupled with a change to the set-up of government, with the Consuls being appointed by the Monarch and replacing the Prime Minister as head of government. The details of how these changes would be implemented and the proposed timescale of their implementation are yet to be known, as they have not yet been officially proposed by legislation. Any changes to the Constitution require approval by the Monarch and a supermajority of Representatives, as well as confirmation by a referendum. Lord John Gordon, the Leader of the Opposition, has come out in opposition to the proposal to make the head of government an appointed position. “Austenasia is a democratic nation, a fact I am proud of. I will fight as Leader of the Opposition against any attempts to undermine the democratic process,” Lord John said today in an exclusive statement to the Austenasian Times. Given the requirement that any change to the Constitution requires the support of over 80% of Representatives, it would take just one Representative other than Lord Gordon to also vote against in order to derail the proposed amendments. Prime Minister’s Broadcasts were a semi-regular feature of the premiership of the then Crown Prince Jonathan, when the now Emperor was Prime Minister (2008-13). They were not used by Lord Marshal William (2013) or Countess Eritoshi (2013-15), but Lord Admiral Kennedy (2015-20) did publish one shortly after his initial election win.

State Intelligence Agency publicly acknowledged

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor publicly confirmed the existence of the secretive State Intelligence Agency in an Imperial Edict published earlier today. The existence of the State Intelligence Agency (SIA) had been kept a carefully guarded secret since its creation eight years ago today, on 8 August 2009. The then Emperor Terry I had instructed his son the then Prime Minister, Crown Prince (now Emperor) Jonathan, to create an intelligence agency to guard the national security of the young Austenasian state. Since then, the SIA has engaged in several information-gathering operations to protect the Empire against both foreign and domestic threats. In today’s Edict, the Emperor relinquished direct control over the SIA. Iron Lord Daniel Dankovsky, Acting Representative of the newly-annexed town Jovanovo, has been appointed Director-General of the SIA. The precise activities of the SIA will remain covert.

Sebastian Linden visits Wrythe and Orly

Sebastian Linden, a leader of the Federal Republic of Francisville, today visited Carshalton. Linden, who is a member of Francisville’s Federal Council (a body which serves as the country’s collective head of state) and governor of the Francillian canton of Rudno, was met by Emperor Jonathan I at Carshalton station. The Emperor then gave Linden a guided tour of Orly, which is situated very close to the station, before the two walked to the house of Queen Emma I of Copan, where they were served drinks and engaged in discussion with the Queen and some of her friends. Jonathan I and Linden then walked to Wrythe, speaking to Countess Eritoshi (Chief Ambassador and candidate for Austenasian Prime Minister in next month’s elections) via mobile phone on the way. At Wrythe, Linden was introduced to Emperor Father Terry, Emperor Mother Margaret, Crown Princess Caroline and the Imperial Family’s two pet bullmastiffs Rose and Edd. After being shown Wrythe Public Park and its various monuments, Linden had his photograph taken with the Emperor before the two had some food and discussed several matters. Jonathan I then accompanied Linden back to Carshalton station. Austenasia has recognised Francisville – founded in November 2008 – as a sovereign state since 13 August 2012. Francisville does not formally recognise the Empire in return due to its complete lack of any official foreign relations, but has granted tacit recognition to Austenasia several times besides today’s visit, including a letter sent in December 2012 stating the wish of the Francillian government to eventually pursue formal diplomacy with the Empire.

Declan I abdicates – Jonathan I ascends to the Throne

Declan I has abdicated from the Throne of Austenasia, with the until today Crown Prince becoming Monarch as His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I. At 17:18:07 this afternoon, Declan I made a Declaration of Abdication, announcing his “intention to renounce the Throne of Austenasia and the title and office of Monarch.” At 17:26:30, Emperor Jonathan I – known since the founding of the Empire in September 2008 as Crown Prince Jonathan – signed the Ascension Act 2013, ascending to the Throne. Said Act had been hurriedly written up by the now Emperor as soon as he learnt of his predecessor’s wish to abdicate, and was passed through the House of Representatives in a matter of minutes. The Act was given consent by the Representative of Wrythe, and the now Emperor gave his deciding vote as then Prime Minister to pass it through the House, losing that position by signing it and thus becoming Emperor. As the Emperor cannot be the Prime Minister, Lord Marshal William has becoming Acting Prime Minister until the next General Election, which will take place in or before December 2015. The aforementioned Representative of Wrythe, Princess Caroline, has now become Crown Princess as Heir to the Throne upon her brother’s ascension. Declan I stated that his abdication was for “personal reasons”, and that his life had been “going in a different direction for some time”. HIM Emperor Jonathan I ascends to the Throne as the fourth Emperor of Austenasia, also becoming the fifth King of Rushymia, the sixth Midget Master, and the seventh Theocrat of Atkantia, titles in union with the Austenasian Throne.

Crown Prince appointed Acting Chair of the GUM

HIH Crown Prince Jonathan has become Acting Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational in the midst of a controversy which has brought turmoil to the organisation. Controversy over the expulsion of Sandus and Juclandia from the GUM at the turn of the New Year has continued unabated with frequent arguments having taken place until a few days ago over Facebook between Will Sörgel, leader of Sandus, and GUM Vice-Chair Bradley, Duke of Dullahan, who supported their expulsion. Logs released by Haakon Lindstrom of Zealandia point to the expulsion of Sandus and Juclandia having been a calculated decision by Chairman Yaroslav Mar and the Vice-Chair made for political reasons. Some of the published logs show the GUM Security Council at first proposing to offer mediation to the frequent arguments, but Mar interrupting the discussion to propose Sandus be expelled. Lindstrom claims that he was pressured into “removing Sandus and Juclandia as a sort of return for the votes in favour of my election as Secretary of the Security Council” by Mar and the Duke of Dullahan, who he states “did wrong and have to be held accountable”. It has been pointed out that Lindstrom also held grudges against the two expelled nations, but he has since apologised for what he called “disgraceful conduct” and resigned as Secretary of the Security Council. This controversy has not stayed within the GUM. There has been a widespread loss of support for the organisation, with Renasia, Amager and Uberstadt withdrawing. Friday evening saw demands for early elections, and at 14:02 GMT earlier today Chairman Mar resigned, stating that he had “zero rights to remain” in office “after essentially betraying the Quorum of Delegates”. In his resignation statement, Mar stated that he wished Crown Prince Jonathan, who was serving as Supreme Judge, to “pick up the baton” – the Duke of Dullahan automatically became Acting Chair upon Mar’s resignation, but resigned himself 46 minutes later. Crown Prince Jonathan has thus become Acting Chair of the GUM. Quorum will be held tomorrow, in which a replacement Vice-Chair and Supreme Judge will be selected to support the Crown Prince during the rest of the term. Elections are due to be held in March, but it is possible that they may be called forward. Crown Prince Jonathan has served two terms as Chair in the past, both widely regarded as highly succesful – the first saw a revision of the outdated original constitution and a large increase in membership and activity, and the second saw the only in-person Quorum meeting of the organisation’s history and a special 24 Hour Quorum which raised over £80 for various charities. The Crown Prince has stated that, “with the support and dedication” of member states, he will “attempt to oversee the restoration of respect and integrity to” the GUM.

New year starts with Consuls appointed and IGS Expedition

The Prime Minister announced the Consuls for 2013 yesterday morning before joining an IGS Expedition around Wimbledon Common. The two Consuls are the highest judicial authorities in the Empire, appointed every New Year’s Day by the Prime Minister. Athough they have the power to decide the sentences of convicted criminals, with Austenasia’s incredibly low crime rate the office serves mostly as a ceremonial honour, with the two Consuls giving their names to the year in some formal documents. Caroline Kingsnorth OAO of Zephyria and former Emperor, Tribune Sir Terry Austen KCJ, were appointed the 2013 Consuls. The Imperial Family has a tradition of partaking in an annual walk on Wimbledon Common every New Year’s Day with the Boxalls (the family of Lady Margaret Austen, wife of the aforementioned Sir Terry) and some members of Raynes Park Methodist Church, formerly attended by the Boxall family. This year was no different, and on the suggestion of Sir Terry the walk was designated an official expedition of the Imperial Geographical Society. Due to a poor turnout from the church members unaffiliated to Austenasia – only four people, making a total of twelve – Crown Prince Jonathan was given responsibility for deciding on a route, due to having been the only person to have brought a map. The expedition made two circular walks around different parts of the Common, stopping halfway through at tea rooms under a landmark windmill for refreshments. The reason Sir Terry had requested this walk be made an IGS Expedition was so that something could be found to be named in memory of his recently deceased mother, the former Emperor Mother Bette, with the name entered into official IGS records. A small bridge near the Queensmere pond was named Bette Bridge in her memory. Four other features of the Common were also named by the IGS: a long ditch was named Daniel Ditch in celebration of the eighteenth birthday of the former First Midget Master, a crossroad of paths was named Eritoshi Junction in honour of the Countess of Memphis, and a path and a stream were given the names Pertinax and Romanos IV Diogenes respectively after two Roman Emperors who both took power on 1 January. A report and slideshow of photographs from the expedition can be found here. The next IGS Expedition is planned to take place at the start of May.

Odd goings-on in Orly as tree blows over

HIH Crown Prince Jonathan, Viceroy of the nearby Wessaxon constituent country of Orly, came across the carcass of a dead turkey as he made his weekly inspection of the nation earlier today. The turkey – headless, plucked, and with the innards removed – had been left on the ground in Wisdom, an area in the Grove region of Orly. After helping a dog walker stop their dog from trying to eat the bird, the Viceroy took a closer look at the carcass before depositing it in a nearby rubbish bin. The bird, although missing most of its meat, showed no sign of decay or rot. Judging by the incident which had just taken place and the many dogs walked in Orly, it had probably not been there for more than a day due to still being mostly in one piece – a leg of the bird was found a few feet away. The state of the carcass made it seem likely that it had been prepared for somebody’s Christmas dinner before, for some inexplicable reason, being left in the Grove. It was unclear if the turkey had been cooked or not. What made this find somewhat more significant than it would otherwise have been was that the turkey was discovered almost exactly on the former spot of the Wisdom Tree, a young ash tree which gave the surrounding area its name and had been uprooted in 2010. The Wisdom Tree was used as a central meeting point for the social group that would become the Orlian nation, with its loss being angrily mourned. Continuing on his patrol of Orly, the Viceroy came across some flower stalks attached to a tree in Memphis, capital of the Grove, with adhesive tape. Memphis became the main meeting place for Orlians after the loss of the Wisdom Tree, with the flower stalks found attached to a tree within a few yards of a large stone used as the throne of the Grovian monarch between 2010 and 2012. Any significance to or meaning behind these two objects being found placed at the two most important cultural sites of the Grove is yet to be determined. A brief inspection of the Secluded Place, capital of the other Orlian region Copan, found nothing out of the ordinary. A clue to the origin of the flower stalks was found in a fallen tree near the border with Copan. Said tree was felled at some point after 22 December, the date of the most recent visit by the Viceroy, probably by recent heavy winds. A bunch of flowers was found in the branches of the fallen tree – whether the flower stalks came from here, and if so why, is unknown. No meaning has been found for the turkey and flowers, and it is unknown if they are even connected, although two such out of place objects being found at two such culturally significant sites on the same date is unlikely to be a coincidence. A follow-up visit to Orly has been planned for some point over the next few days to see if any more anomalous objects appear.

Imperial Family celebrates Christmas

The Christmas season has been celebrated by the Austenasian Imperial Family over the past few days. On Christmas Eve (Monday 24th), the immediate Imperial Family – consisting of Sir Terry the former Emperor, his wife Lady Margaret, and their children Crown Prince Jonathan and Princess Caroline – went out for a meal at local Carshalton pub The Racehorse to start the Christmas season, traditionally celebrated in Austenasia over the days of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Christmas Day (Tuesday 25th) commenced with the opening of presents in Parliament Hall, followed by the Imperial Family joining the population of Zephyria at the Christmas morning service at Carshalton Methodist Church. Crown Prince Jonathan accompanied the Imperial Family despite having converted to Orthodox Christianity in early 2011. Princess Caroline sung an up-beat version of Silent Night as part of the Christmas service, accompanied by two friends and with Sir Joseph the former Prince of Copan on the ukulele. The Imperial Family returned home to have a traditional Christmas dinner of roast turkey, joined for the afternoon by Dame Joyce Boxall, mother of Lady Margaret. The Imperial Residence then played host in the evening to the Allens, family friends of the Imperial Family who visited for drinks and a game of charades. Boxing Day (Wednesday 26th) saw the Boxall family (Lord Michael, brother of Lady Margaret, and his wife and children) visit the Imperial Residence for a roast dinner and a buffet supper, joined again by Dame Joyce. The popular board game Articulate was played and small presents were handed out to the guests. The Austenasian Times hopes all its readers have had a Merry Christmas, and wishes you all a happy 2013.

Crown Prince abdicates from Domanglian throne

HIH Crown Prince Jonathan abdicated from the throne of Domanglia yesterday afternoon. Domanglia, in which the Crown Prince ruled as Prince Darkomere, had been in a state of legislative inactivity for some time. In a speech given to the Domanglian legislature, the Landtag, immediately before his abdication, the Crown Prince accused the ministers of “do[ing] nothing”, saying that he “became monarch of Domanglia with the assumption that its government would actually want to govern it”. The Crown Prince named Domanglia’s founder, Urokah Doshevik, as his heir before abdicating. However, Urokah abdicated himself a few hours later, leaving the throne to Kaushik Legata (better known as Matthew Burklandssen) who has ascended it in a provisional capacity as Prince Vladimir. Crown Prince Jonathan has remained in the Landtag in an advisory position, stating that he had “no intention of just abandoning” the nation. It is expected that the reign of Vladimir will be short-lived, as the Landtag plans further reforms for the nation, which has changed its name and system of government several times in the past year. Doshevik has stated that he will soon retake the throne with a coronation which will mark Domanglia’s transition from its current government “into its next, hopefully stable form”. Prince Vladimir has voiced no opposition to requests that he willingly cede the throne back to Doshevik when the time comes. Speaking to the Austenasian Times, Doshevik said the following: “I will create a new Domanglian realm, called, simply and memorably, Doshevika. It will be advertised as a confederation/federation of small, controllable claims, to boost activity, and have a government that isn’t just made of cyber citizens. It will have updated MicroWiki.org.uk articles and an improved website, as well as a once-again updated and active YouTube channel, so the nation has a greater online presence. I will also organise real-life events with Doshevika, including a YouTube-broadcasted coronation… I really do hope Doshevika will last longer than its last Domanglian incarnations”.