Emperor Jonathan I celebrates ten years on the Throne

It was ten years ago today – 20 January 2013 – that His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I ascended to the Austenasian Throne. To mark this momentous occasion, today’s Imperial Ascension Day – an annual public holiday – has been declared the start of a Decennalia year, during which various celebratory events will take place to observe the tenth anniversary of the Emperor’s first year on the Throne. Emperor Jonathan I has published an Imperial Edict thanking those who have supported him in his reign and recommitting himself to the promises made at his coronation. The Edict also contains a small honours list. The Emperor’s cousin Lord Timothy has been made Archduke of Gallia, and three other imperial rulers – Quentin I and the deputy monarchs of Imvrassia – have been given Austenasian dukedoms. To further mark today’s jubilee, His Imperial Majesty also donated coins of historical emperors to the Imperial Numismatic Museum. The first major Decennalia event is an online chess tournament which will take place tomorrow, in which twenty people are expected to take part. Jonathan I is the fourth Emperor of Austenasia, and the only one to have reached this milestone of ten years on the Throne. He became Emperor upon the abdication of his immediate predecessor Declan I, having been Heir to the Throne as son of Austenasia’s founding Monarch, Terry I. His Imperial Majesty will address the Senate on this momentous occasion later today.

Joseph Kennedy becomes regent and heir in HRE

HIH Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, Duke of New Royton, was appointed Imperial Regent of the Holy Roman Empire on September 21st, having been elected King of the Romans on July 30th. The Holy Roman Empire (HRE) is an imperial confederation of sovereign states which recognise the imperium of the Holy Roman Emperor, and claims to be the revival of the entity dissolved in 1806. The incumbent Holy Roman Emperor, Quentin I – who also serves as King of Wyvern – began to create the revived HRE in 2014, and it was recognised by Austenasia and Reyla in September 2016. The Holy Roman Emperor is not an hereditary but an elected position. On July 30th, Joseph Kennedy – who served as Austenasian Prime Minister between 2015 and 2020 – was elected heir to Quentin I by representatives of the HRE’s member states. As was the case in the original HRE, the designated heir assumes the title “King of the Romans”. Kennedy will therefore be known as King Joseph III. On September 21st, Joseph III was also appointed Imperial Regent, due to Quentin I having been unable to spend the necessary time on his imperial duties. As Imperial Regent, Joseph III has assumed the administrative duties of Quentin I, although the latter remains Holy Roman Emperor and is not thought to be considering abdication. The HRE currently has ten member states, and a cumulative population of over two hundred people.

Emperor leads heads of state in condemning Hagia Sophia conversion

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I has led a group of seven heads of state in condemning the recent decision by Turkish President Erdoğan to convert the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The statement, published yesterday, was also signed by Quentin I of the Holy Roman Empire and Wyvern, Aikaterini I of Imvrassia, Emmanuel I & II of Rhomania (formerly Mouzilo), Edward I of Ashukovo, Denis I of Vlasynia, and former Austenasian PM Lord Admiral Kennedy in his capacity as provisional head of state of New Virginia. Hagia Sophia was built as a cathedral by the Emperor Justinian and completed in 537. It stood as the greatest cathedral in the world and the centre of the Orthodox Church for almost a thousand years, until the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in May 1453. During the fall of the city, thousands of civilians and refugees took shelter in Hagia Sophia while a Liturgy was served. When the city fell, the Turks broke down the doors to the church and slaughtered, raped and enslaved those inside. The Ottomans destroyed or plastered over the Christian elements of the church, and installed minarets and other features to convert the cathedral into a mosque. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the abolition of the caliphate, Kemal Ataturk – the founder of modern Turkey – ordered Hagia Sophia to become a museum in a drive towards modernity and secularism. Archaeological and restorative work uncovered many of the Christian mosaics, and the building was open for all to appreciate its unique history. Hagia Sophia was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. The decision of President Erdoğan to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque has been seen as a regressive move aimed at bolstering his support among Turkey’s Islamists, as well as intentionally insulting Turkey’s Orthodox neighbours in Europe. Reports state that the building’s Christian mosaics will now be covered with screens and lighting effects, and that visitors will have to remove their shoes upon entry. The action has immense significance for Orthodox Christians, for whom Hagia Sophia remains a building of intense spiritual importance. Many legends and prophecies concern the cathedral. For example, one legend says that when the city fell to the Turks, the clergy paused the service they were conducting and vanished through a door on the south side of the church, where they await to complete the Liturgy. To this day the door has not been opened, and some say chanting can be heard from the other side. Of more concern are prophecies by Orthodox saints of the past century which warn that the building becoming a mosque again will herald a war. Regardless of any eschatological significance of this action, it remains one calculated to intentionally offend and belittle Turkey’s already victimised Christian minorities. The statement published yesterday by Emperor Jonathan I and others is as follows: It was with the utmost disgust and devastation that we learnt of the decision of the Turkish government to convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. At a time when so many nations around the world are looking back at their history, critical of the colonialism and oppression of the past, the Republic of Turkey – a state built on the genocide and ethnic cleansing of its Greek, Armenian, Assyrian and Kurdish minorities – has chosen to continue to insult and attack the culture and history of the people whose land it took. This action, which is illegal under international law, has been denounced by UNESCO, by the EU, by the USA, and of course by Greece and by the Orthodox Church. Under the government of Erdogan, Turkey is becoming an Islamist rogue state and international pariah, and we condemn this action unreservedly. It is an intentional insult not only towards the Christian religion, but also towards all who descend from or value the Orthodox civilisation of the medieval Roman Empire. The whole civilised world has united in condemnation of this atrociously insulting act, but we may take consolation in the knowledge that despite Erdogan’s claims, Hagia Sophia does not belong to Turkey. Rather, it belongs to God, and may His will be done. 15 July 2020 (7528) Emperor Jonathan I of the EMPIRE OF AUSTENASIAEmperor Quentin I of the HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE and KINGDOM OF WYVERNEmpress Aikaterini I of the EMPIRE OF IMVRASSIABasileus Emmanuel I & II of the BASILEIA OF THE ROMANSPrince Edward I of the REPUBLIC OF ASHUKOVOSir Joseph Kennedy of the COMMONWEALTH OF NEW VIRGINIADespot Denis I of the DESPOTATE OF VLASYNIA UPDATE 16 JULY 21:20 – Princess Hannah of Wildflower Meadows and King Ciprian of Juclandia have also expressed their explicit support for the statement.

Imperial claim of Adammia to be recognised

New Year’s Day will see a treaty come into force under which the claim of Adammia to imperial rank will be recognised by Austenasia and the Holy Roman Empire. Adammia’s monarch, Adam I, has claimed the rank of emperor since he founded the nation in 2013. Adammia entered into diplomatic relations with Austenasia in May 2018, but without the claim to imperial rank being recognised. Most opposition to recognition of Adammia’s claim came from a desire to prevent “devaluation” by having the imperial rank shared by too many emperors. However, with the Reylan throne having been downgraded from full imperial rank in October, it was felt that consideration of Adammia’s claim was possible. Emperor Jonathan I has therefore agreed with Emperor Quentin I of the Holy Roman Empire to recognise the claim of Adam I of Adammia to the rank of emperor, on the condition that the latter does not unilaterally likewise recognise any other claimants.

Emperors to rescind recognition of Reylan imperium

As of 1 October 2019, Emperor Taeglan I Nihilus of the Reylan Imperial Triumvirate will be recognised as holding the rank of Caesar rather than of Augustus, in a major change to rank and precedence on the imperial stage. Following discussions of Emperor Jonathan I with Taeglan I Nihilus and with the government of the Holy Roman Empire, it was decided that the Treaty of Wrythe – by which Austenasia granted recognition to the Reylan claim to imperial rank – would be revoked. The Treaty of Wrythe was signed between Jonathan I and Taeglan I Nihilus at the coronation of the former in February 2013. By the terms of the treaty, the Austenasian and Reylan thrones were both recognised to be of equal Augustan imperial rank. A subsequent agreement in September 2016 between Austenasia and Wyvern, made with the consent of Reyla, legitimated the claim of King Quentin I of Wyvern to restore the Holy Roman Empire. From then onwards, the three emperors reigned in a state of mutual recognition of each other’s claim to imperium. However, the decreased prominence of Reyla on the international stage in recent years – coupled with a decline in its internal activity – led Taeglan I to respond sympathetically to an Austenasian request for a review of its status as an Empire (in the Austenasian/Holy Roman understanding of the term). Specifically, permission was given to revoke the Treaty of Wrythe. The other two Emperors therefore co-authored a declaration on Friday 27th September, in which it was declared that as of 1 October, Taeglan I and his successors as Reylan sovereigns will no longer be recognised as emperors “in the full sense of an imperium-holding monarch of Augustan rank.” From henceforth the Reylan head of state will be recognised as instead holding the rank of Caesar, equivalent to Tsar, but may be referred to as “emperor” out of diplomatic courtesy with the understanding that the actual rank has been downgraded. Similar negotiations among emperors regarding the rearranging and downgrading of ranks took place during the Tetrarchy period of the classical Roman Empire, in the early fourth century. The Austenasian government has been keen to stress that the diplomatic relationship between Austenasia and Reyla remains strong and friendly, despite this change in rank. Indeed, just last week, Taeglan I was given a title of nobility in the annual Independence Day honours list. From 1 October, then, there will be three recognised Emperors: Jonathan I of Austenasia, Quentin I of the Holy Roman Empire, and Naruhito of Japan.

Holy Roman Empire restored!

The Holy Roman Empire, an imperial polity which existed between 800 and 1806, has been re-established by King Quentin I of Wyvern. Emperor Jonathan I yesterday signed a treaty with Quentin I in which the latter was granted recognition of his claim to imperial rank, thus finally legitimising his restored Holy Roman Empire (HRE), a project by Wyvern which has been ongoing since 2014. Taeglan I Nihilus, the Reylan Emperor, gave his consent for Quentin I to be recognised as an Emperor. With Jonathan I, Taeglan I, and Quentin I all now recognised as holding the rank of Emperor, this marks the first time since 1867 that there have been three Emperors of three different imperial states in the West. The original Holy Roman Empire was effectively established in 800, before dissolving during the Napoleonic Wars. Quentin I based his claim to have re-established the HRE on the grounds that Wyvern is situated on land formerly belonging to the Empire, and that he himself is descended from various Holy Roman Emperors. The re-established HRE is structured very similarly to the way in which the original was in the latter part of its existence, as an imperial confederation of sovereign states over which the Holy Roman Emperor holds imperium. The member states of the new Holy Roman Empire are the Kingdom of Wyvern, the Kingdom of Natal, the Principality of Montania, and the Free City of Hoogland, the latter three of which are exclaves of the United States of America.

GUM in turmoil as member states expelled

The State of Sandus and Kingdom of Juclandia were yesterday expelled from the GUM after a motion to do so was made by Haakon of Zealandia. Sandus and Juclandia have for several weeks now made known their active opposition to King Quentin and Prime Minister Bradley of the Kingdom of Wyvern frequently bringing up controversial topics in Skype chatrooms such as the GUM Lounge and Micropolitan Lounge. Said topics frequently involve race, with the two Wyvernian leaders having been accused of xenophobia and – in some cases – racism. Wyvern’s leadership has gained a reputation for talking about little other than race or religion, with Joseph Puglisi of Tiana saying that they “relate every single conversation to Islam”. It was due to statements such as these that Sandus, Juclandia and some other states opposed the nomination of Bradley of Dullahan to the position of Vice-Chair of the GUM by newly elected Chair Yaroslav Mar. After the nomination passed two weeks ago, Sandus and Juclandia changed their full membership to observership in protest. During yesterday’s Quorum the Secretary of the Securty Council, Haakon of Zealandia – who was suspended from the GUM in February for unprofessional behaviour and is known for a long-standing feud with Sandus – shocked the Quorum by proposing the expulsion of Sandus and Juclandia for “agressive [sic] and unaccatable [sic] behaviour”. Expulsion from the GUM is an extremely grave sanction, with the only other time it having been utilised this year being in May with the expulsion of the UDR from the community for confessed criminal actions by its founder. Despite protests that Haakon was assuming a role incompatible with the Security Council’s function of promoting peace in the community, “not exarcabat[ing]” conflicts, a motion to expel Sandus passed by a single vote, with the Chair passing the motion before all online delegates had a chance to cast their vote. Haakon then initially asked the Chair to move on, but after accusations of hypocrisy and of acting in the interests of Zealandia rather than the GUM, was pressured into also proposing the expulsion of Juclandia, again passed by a single vote. Later in the Quorum, Austenasia made a formal complaint in regards to the actions by Haakon, reminding him that the purpose of the Security Council is “not to arbitrarily decide who is in the wrong, and it is certainly not to propose expulsions of those who take part in diplomatic conflicts”, and criticising him for not “first trying to solve the issue at hand through negotiation or mediation, as [the Security Council] is obliged to do.” Renasia and Amager both expressed their support and backing for the complaint, and the Nemkhav Federation resigned from the Security Council in protest. In an interview with the A1 News Service, Chairman Mar stated that the “official reason” for the expulsion of Sandus and Juclandia “was for making racist comments and offending the leadership of the GUM”, despite this not having been mentioned at the time of the expulsion. This statement has come under heavy criticism – the only “racist comment” referred to by the Chair is a joke taken out of context by King Ciprian of Juclandia during a discussion about the Moon, with no comments at all claimed to have been made by Sandus. King Adam of Uberstadt stated that “Sandus is the last micronation I would suspect of being racist”. The second justification, “Offending the leadership of the GUM”, has also come under criticism, with Sebastian Linden of Francisville referring to the new Chair as “authoritarian” and an A1NS interviewer noting that it has “implications for freedom of speech”. Haakon has been directed to author a statement fully justifying why he considered it appropriate to motion for the expulsion of two member states instead of taking up the constitutional function of the Security Council to attempt to mediate the dispute.