The Emperor and Emperor Mother recover from coronavirus
Emperor Jonathan I and Emperor Mother Margaret have recovered from Covid-19, having both tested positive last weekend. After testing positive on Sunday 27th February, His Imperial Majesty tested negative on the evening of Saturday 5th March. Although he contracted cold-like symptoms during the first few days of infection, these symptoms soon abated. Emperor Mother Margaret, who also tested positive on Sunday 27th and displayed cold-like symptoms, has likewise recovered. Emperor Father Terry was unwell with Covid-19 the previous week, but his recovery began about the same time that his wife and son developed symptoms. The Emperor Father remains well and has tested negative. Upon falling ill, the Emperor appointed Counsellors of State to exercise some powers should he be absent in an emergency. Although he has recovered, the appointments will stay in place until their planned expiry at the end of the month, as a precautionary measure in view of possible escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
The Emperor catches Covid-19
His Imperial Majesty the Emperor and his parents have tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus, developing cold-like symptoms. Emperor Jonathan I tested positive for the disease on the morning of Sunday 27th February, after starting to feel unwell the previous evening. The Emperor continues to display cold-like symptoms, and Emperor Mother Margaret has also tested positive for the virus. Emperor Father Terry had tested positive a few days previously, and was likewise displaying cold-like symptoms, but has now recovered. Wrythe had previously been free of the virus since the start of the pandemic. His Imperial Majesty continues to conduct governmental business, and has not stopped working on his duties as Monarch. However, given – in his own words – “any unforeseen developments regarding the ongoing crisis in Ukraine may require a robust and immediate response from the Throne”, Jonathan I has appointed two Counsellors of State to exercise some of his powers if necessary should he be unavailable while resting or should his condition worsen. Counsellors of State are dignitaries who the Emperor can authorise to exercise various of his duties and powers as Monarch in case of short-term unavailability or incapacity. The Prime Minister, Lord William Wilson, has been authorised “to exercise all military functions of the Throne and any duty or power of such related to the administration or command of the Austenasian Armed Forces”. Furthermore, in an emergency, Lord Wilson and fellow Counsellor of State Lord Michael Simpson have been given the authority to jointly give Imperial Consent to an Act of Parliament on the Emperor’s behalf should such be considered urgently necessary. The appointment of Lord Wilson and Lord Simpson as Counsellors of State will last until the end of March, unless otherwise shortened or extended by the Emperor.
First post-pandemic tourists visit Wrythe
The capital city of Wrythe this afternoon hosted Ollie and Sebastian, two filmmakers interested in creating a documentary on Austenasia to be published on YouTube. Ollie and Sebastian are the first tourists to visit Wrythe – not including a working visit from Attorney General Anthony Clark in June – since the COVID-19 pandemic saw restrictions on movement within the neighbouring United Kingdom brought into place last year. The third and last lockdown in England officially ended on 12 April, but many restrictions remained in place until being lifted on 19 July. Ollie and Sebastian are the first tourists to have visited Wrythe since August 2019. They were met at Carshalton station by Emperor Jonathan I and Emperor Father Terry before being given a guided tour of Orly and other various locations of interest to the history and culture of Austenasia, culminating in their arrival at Wrythe. The filmmakers were then introduced to Emperor Mother Margaret, and conducted an informal interview with the Emperor in the Imperial Residence before also being shown Wrythe Public Park. A link to their documentary on Austenasia will be provided upon its publication. (UPDATE: The film can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HuurMwnAsM )
Carshalton Day marked with visit from Attorney General
Anthony R. Clark, Attorney General and Governing Commissioner of Amerdansk, visited Carshalton today by invitation of Emperor Jonathan I. June 24th is Carshalton Day, an annual celebration both of the heritage and unity of the “Carshalton Nations” as well as the anniversary of the Liberation of Orly. The occasion was taken by the Emperor to give Mr Clark a guided tour of Orly, before they headed to Wrythe for a working visit to the Imperial Residence. At the Imperial Residence, the Attorney General met the Emperor’s parents and the imperial pet cat Baby, and was able to view various objects of significance including the Imperial Regalia, King Alex’s Bottle, and Diplomabear, in addition to the Micronational Collection in the Imperial Numismatic Museum. The Emperor and Attorney General were then able to have a productive meeting in regards to various issues facing the Empire, before Jonathan I walked Mr Clark to Morden station to depart. As Attorney General since December last year, Mr Clark oversees the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for providing legal advice to the government. His visit to Wrythe marks the first time a Cabinet Minister has visited the capital while in office – with the exception of the Emperor – since Countess Eritoshi the then Chief Ambassador visited Wrythe in early 2016. It was around the same time, March 2016, that Mr Clark founded Amerdansk. He was initially known as Lord Anthony Clark, as Baron of Amerdansk, before it transitioned into a Crown Dependency. He stood in the February 2019 general election, managing to gain 5% of the vote even after dropping out, and was recently elected 33rd Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational.
Emperor Father named Pater Patriae on 60th birthday
In celebration of his sixtieth birthday, HIH Emperor Father Terry has been granted the unprecedented title of Pater Patriae by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor. Jonathan I announced the bestowing of the title with the publication of an Imperial Edict this morning. Pater Patriae, which literally translates to “Father of the Fatherland”, was a title originally conferred by the Roman Senate to individuals considered successors of Romulus. In recent centuries, the title has been used more widely to refer to the founding fathers of a country. For Emperor Father Terry, the title will be translated “Father of the Nation.” The unique honour was presented as a birthday present from the Emperor and People of Austenasia as a whole. As such, supporting the Emperor’s decision to grant the title were the Prime Minister, the Consuls, and a vote of the House of Representatives. The Imperial Edict conferred the title “in grateful recognition of his role as Father of the Nation as de facto co-Founder, first Emperor of Austenasia, and Head of the Ancient and Imperial House of Austen in addition to his other contributions towards the country.”
Third confirmed coronavirus case amongst Austenasian population
A third Austenasian subject has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. The two other infected Austenasians – one reported in December 2020 and another in February 2021 – both made a full recovery. Meanwhile, the number of Austenasians vaccinated against coronavirus continues to grow. Emperor Father Terry was vaccinated on 12 March last month, and Emperor Mother Margaret on 10 February. The Austenasian Times has not received permission to publicise the name of the most recently infected subject, but can confirm that they are a non-residential subject, hence posing no direct threat of infection to inhabited Austenasian land claims. UPDATE 13 APRIL 17:05 – The Austenasian Times is pleased to report that the infected subject has now recovered from the symptoms of coronavirus.
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.
IGS Expedition to Dorking
The Emperor, Emperor Father, and Crown Princess earlier today embarked on the Imperial Geographical Society’s nineteenth expedition. The Expedition travelled to the British town of Dorking. An initial plan to explore the town’s high street had to be cancelled due to a lack of parking spaces, and so the three instead went to a nearby pub for lunch. While driving near the town, the expedition encountered a large statue of a cockerel, a famous local landmark. The expedition was undertaken at the suggestion of Emperor Father Terry, primarily to give Crown Princess Caroline practice at driving her new car. Despite the relatively uneventful trip, the expedition (and lunch out) was enjoyed by all.
Independence Day party held at Imperial Residence
A celebration attended by various dignitaries was held yesterday at the Imperial Residence in celebration of Austenasia’s tenth Independence Day. The party, hosted by Emperor Jonathan I and his parents, was attended by Princess Hannah of Wildflower Meadows, Adam I of Adammia, Lord John Gordon of Palasia, the two leaders of Lundenwic (a nation with which Austenasia does not currently have diplomatic relations but is in the process of negotiating), and Lord Michael and Dame Rosalind (uncle and aunt of the Emperor). For most of the guests, it was their first time meeting each other in person, and so plenty of friendly discussion was able to be had. Various parlour games were also played towards the end of the evening. Several of the guests took the opportunity to sign the Wrythe Convention, an international treaty condemning falsehoods, deception and sockpuppeting within the community of small nations. The very first physical Austenasian flag to be made was hung up in Parliament Hall, having been taken out of storage for the occasion. Each attendee received a complimentary commemorative coin, and several guests were also granted peerages and knighthoods by the Emperor.
