Prince Peter passes away aged 82
The death of His Highness Prince Peter, brother-in-law to the former Emperor Terry I, was announced yesterday evening. Prince Peter was married to Princess Julie, paternal aunt of Emperor Jonathan I and fourth in line to the Throne. Although Prince Peter was a much loved member of the extended Imperial Family, he had no real involvement with Austenasia, and the Emperor has asked for the privacy of the family to be respected at this time. Five days of national mourning have been declared, to last from Monday 15th until Friday 19th January.
Oldest Austenasian, Tulsabai Pethe, dies aged 86
Tulsabai Ramdas Pethe, the eldest member of Austenasia’s population, passed away early this morning aged 86. The news was announced on social media by The Rt Hon. Ketan Uzagi, Mrs Pethe’s grandson, “with profound grief and sadness”. Mrs Pethe, born in January 1937, was a resident of Imperia, an Austenasian Crown Dependency situated in central India which has been governed by Mr Uzagi as governing commissioner since its annexation in October 2015. His grandmother was the eldest of the family of five who lived there. Emperor Jonathan I has conveyed his personal condolences to Mr Uzagi, and declared a period of national mourning to last until the end of June. The death of Mrs Pethe is only the second time in the still relatively short history of Austenasia that one of our people have passed away, following the death of Taras Oliynyk last year. Following Hindu tradition, the antyesti funeral and cremation of Tulsabai Pethe took place within 24 hours of her death, late this evening Indian time, and was attended by relatives and neighbours of the Austenasians of Imperia.
Emperor pays tribute to Elizabeth II
His Imperial Majesty has released the following statement after learning yesterday of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II: It was with great sadness and shock that Our Imperial Majesty yesterday learnt of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Having achieved a great age of 96, it was not a surprise; but it was a shock. The end of a reign which lasted for over seventy years could be nothing else. Her passing is a moment of historical significance equalled by little any of us have experienced. It is truly the end of an era. A person who has been an ever-constant presence in the background of our lives has now gone. A symbol par excellence of continuity, dignity, stability, identity, constancy, diplomacy, and duty; gone. Austenasia has always promoted an identity for its people that has complemented rather than conflicted with their existing nationalities. It is due to this that the Imperial Family mourns not just the Queen, but our Queen. We mourn not just as Austenasians, but as Britons. As well as British Austenasians, there are also Austenasians who are Canadian and Australian. Elizabeth II was Queen of just over a quarter of the Austenasian population, and so her death is a blow to our nation as well. The Austenasian Star is flying from the Imperial Residence today vertically, in its customary position of mourning, and as Emperor of Austenasia, our Imperial Majesty pays respectful tribute to the life, reign, and memory of Elizabeth II. Her Majesty was last pictured at the start of this week as she exercised her constitutional duty in the appointment of a new British Prime Minister. Although frail, she was standing and smiling, and few us of who saw those photographs would have imagined she would be dead in two days. Even in the very last days of her life, she carried on working until the very end, performing her duty to her country and her people, informed and inspired by her strong Christian faith. She was, a paragon of duty and service, who dedicated her life to her people until its very end, and a true example to us all. ICJAWrythe, 9 September 2022
Queen Elizabeth II dies aged 96
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died after a reign of 70 years. Emperor Jonathan I has announced an Empire-wide state of mourning to last until the Queen’s funeral. For the first four and a half years of the Empire of Austenasia, its entire population also owed allegiance to Queen Elizabeth as sovereign of the United Kingdom, with which all Austenasians up to that point were dual citizens. Even today, due to the various dual nationalities of all Austenasians, Elizabeth II was the joint sovereign of over a quarter of the Austenasian population (27.6%; 29 out of 105). Elizabeth II is now succeeded as monarch by her son Charles, formerly Prince of Wales, who met Crown Princess Caroline in March earlier this year. Shortly after learning of her death, Emperor Father Terry led a formal toast to the Queen’s memory in Parliament Hall. Furthermore, Lord John Gordon, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has suspended all parliamentary business. Full and official tributes to Queen Elizabeth II will be released by the Austenasian Throne and government in due course. Born on 21 April 1926, Elizabeth II became Queen upon the death of her father King George VI on 6 February 1952. As well as reigning over the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II held the thrones of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, and ten other Commonwealth Realms.
Taras Oliynyk dies in Ukraine
For the first time in the Empire’s history, an Austenasian national has died. Taras Oliynyk was a Ukrainian citizen who served as governing commissioner of the Austenasian crown dependency of Chersoneses, which was claimed from Ukraine in June 2020. He was drafted into the Ukrainian armed forces on February 22nd after the escalation of the ongoing conflict. Taras lived in Chersoneses with his father, who was also drafted. On March 9th, the government was informed that Taras was receiving treatment after having suffered a serious gunshot wound in battle. He died from his injuries yesterday evening. Emperor Jonathan I has released a broadcast in response to this tragedy, in which he announced a nation-wide period of mourning for eleven days, to end with a minute’s silence at 6pm local time on March 24th.
Emperor’s great-uncle Lord Geoffrey passes away aged 94
Lord Geoffrey Trory, Duke of Belfast yesterday passed away aged 94. A great uncle of Jonathan I on his mother’s side, Lord Geoffrey was first made properly aware of Austenasia during a visit to Wrythe in September 2009. He expressed great interest in and enthusiasm for the then relatively new country, and was named Duke of Belfast by the Emperor in September 2014, a title for which he expressed great thanks. Geoffrey was born in Essex in 1926, and moved to London in 1940. An accomplished church organist, he was a Graduate of the Royal College of Music and held a professional diploma from the Royal College of Organists. He moved to Belfast in 1953, where he spent the rest of his life. Lord Geoffrey is survived by his wife Lady Mabel, whom he married in 1963, their three sons (the eldest of whom, Lord Graham, has inherited his peerage) six grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. Emperor Jonathan I has called for a state of mourning to be observed through the Empire until his late great-uncle’s funeral. UPDATE 13 APRIL 17:10 – Lord Geoffrey’s funeral will take place on the morning of Thursday 15th.
Emperor Grandmother Joyce passes away aged 96
Yesterday evening, HIH Emperor Grandmother Joyce passed away aged 96 after a short illness. Grandmother to Jonathan I and mother-in-law to former Emperor Terry I, Joyce was born in Essex in 1922. Her family moved to London in 1940, and from 1943-46 she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. On Boxing Day 2008, soon after Austenasian independence, Joyce was given a knighthood by then Emperor Terry I – only the fifth person to be awarded such – after expressing interest in the new Empire. She was also appointed one of the two annual Consuls in 2016, but otherwise had very little actual involvement in Austenasia and never became an Austenasian subject. Emperor Jonathan I has requested that a state of mourning be observed through the Empire until the Emperor Grandmother’s funeral, and for the privacy of the Imperial Family to be respected during this time.
State of mourning declared in Palasia
Lord John Gordon, the Baron and Representative of Palasia, has declared a state of mourning in the Town after learning of the death of his grandfather early this morning. His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has sent Lord John his condolences.
