Fifteen years of independence celebrated
The Empire of Austenasia yesterday celebrated Independence Day, marking fifteen years since the Declaration of Independence was sent in September 2008. Independence Day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday in September. An special commemorative Act of Parliament passed yesterday – the two hundredth of the current reign – extended the public holiday to Wednesday 20th, the actual anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. To mark the occasion, a broadcast has been published by Lord William Wilson, the Prime Minister, reflecting on ideas of identity and legacy, praising the Empire’s governmental system, and encouraging Austenasians to play a role in the civic and cultural life of the nation. Lord Wilson used the broadcast to reveal that he will not be running in next year’s general election. In the capital city, Wrythe, Emperor Jonathan I hosted the Reylan emperor Taeglan I and King Calum I of the Grove for a semi-formal diplomatic reception. Both monarchs hold the rank of Caesar. Wrythe Public Park also saw a time capsule buried to commemorate the occasion. This replaced an earlier capsule buried in 2012, which was unearthed and opened, with its contents to be studied by the Imperial Geographical Society. Celebrations will continue until Wednesday 20th, when an honours list will be released by the Throne.
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.”
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 )
Emperor interviewed for French newspaper
A journalist and photographer were welcomed to Wrythe this afternoon by Emperor Jonathan I to interview him for an article to be published in French newspaper Libération. Jonathan I and his fiancée Princess Hannah welcomed journalist Sonia and photographer Manuel to the Imperial Residence earlier this afternoon. The interview mainly revolved around Austenasia’s history and the role of the Emperor in the life of the nation. After the interview, photographs were taken in the Imperial Residence and Wrythe Public Park of His Imperial Majesty for the article. The article will be published at some point over July or August. Libération was founded in 1973, and is one of the most popular daily newspapers in France.
Wrythe Pet Cemetery officially designated as national monument
In a charter finalised yesterday, Wrythe Pet Cemetery has become the first official national monument of the Empire of Austenasia. The status of national monument, created by the Monuments and Heritage Act 2017, is for sites or structures within Austenasia which are of cultural or historical significance to the nation. Wrythe Pet Cemetery is the first site to be officially designated as a national monument, but the January 2018 Ministerial Report of the Ministry for Culture declared an intention to ascertain before July which other sites or structures could be eligible for the status. Founded in late 2008 soon after the Austenasian Declaration of Independence, Wrythe Pet Cemetery is the final resting place for many of the Imperial Family’s pets, and is located within Wrythe Public Park. Its status as a national monument now enshrines within law the commitment of the Representative of Wrythe to make provision for the maintenance of the cemetery, and increases the penalty for damaging the site.
Edd’s ashes buried in Wrythe
An urn containing the ashes of Edd has been buried in Wrythe Pet Cemetery after a short ceremony. Edd, Mascot of the Order of the Bullmastiff and pet of the immediate Imperial Family, passed away earlier this month from a stroke. This evening, a ceremony was held in Wrythe Public Park during which the urn containing Edd’s ashes was buried in the pet cemetery. The ceremony was attended by Emperor Jonathan I, Princess Consort Hannah, Emperor Father Terry and Emperor Mother Margaret. Jonathan I and the Emperor Father buried the urn while the Emperor Mother recited a poem. The Princess Consort then passed the Emperor the gravemarker, which was placed on top. The gravemarker is made from an old chew-bone of Edd’s, which will be used to mark the place of burial until a permanent plaque is obtained. The ashes were buried next to where those of Rose, Edd’s predecessor as Mascot, were buried in 2014.
Lady Evren Filgert and Sir James von Puchow visit Carshalton
His Imperial Majesty the Emperor yesterday gave Lady Evren Filgert and Sir James von Puchow a guided tour of the Carshalton Nations. Emperor Jonathan I met Filgert – currently Acting Representative of the newly annexed Town of Porthbokon – at Mile End in London, where they were then joined by von Puchow of Landashir, who became a non-residential subject of Austenasia last month. The three travelled by train to Carshalton station, and walked the short distance to Orly, where they were given a tour by the Emperor of its constituent states Copan and the Grove and their respective capitals of Memphis and the Secluded Place. The Emperor spoke at length about the history of Orly, mentioning the recent floods, its liberation from foreign rule, and the strange discovery of a turkey carcass in the Grove one and a half years ago. After the tour of Orly, the three of them went to Carshalton High Street and had lunch at a café there. The tour then continued, with Filgert and von Puchow being shown the former site of Rushymia and the Midget Empire from the vantage point of the neighbouring recreation ground. The final point of the tour was the capital itself, Wrythe. The two guests briefly met Crown Princess Caroline and pet bullmastiff Edd, and were then shown Wrythe Pet Cemetery and the ruins of the Orange Pyramid in Wrythe Public Park. The tour of the Carshalton Nations over, the three went back into London. After von Puchow left for Landashir, the Emperor explored Mile End with Lady Evren until it was time for them to depart.
Pigeon shot by air rifle falls into Wrythe
A pigeon fell out of the air onto the patio at the back of the Imperial Residence this afternoon after having been shot with an air rifle. The shot had been fired from 316 Green Wrythe Lane, a house close to the Imperial Residence. A person living there is thought to have been visited by police officers only a few weeks ago due to him using the air rifle in their garden, having been heard to loudly complain about the incident on a mobile phone. The pigeon landed on the patio and frantically shuffled into Wrythe Public Park, where the Emperor himself contained it under a large basket to prevent it from spreading blood over the park or injuring itself further. After telephoning the RSPCA (a British animal welfare charity) to ask for the bird to be taken to be treated for its injury, the Emperor was asked by them to contact the British police to inform them of the incident, as both injuring a wild bird and shooting something outside of one’s own private property (as the pigeon almost certainly was) are illegal in the United Kingdom. Two police officers soon arrived and were invited into the Imperial Residence by the Emperor, where he informed them of the situation. Despite the near-certainty that the bird had been shot – it had fallen out of the air after a loud “crack”, with the people at the nearby house having been heard mere minutes ago talking about “shoot[ing] it” after having been seen using the air rifle in their garden – the lack of an actual eyewitness meant that the police could take no action against them without the case being brought to court. The Emperor declined to press charges, only expressing concern for the welfare of the pigeon. The police officers waited for several minutes for the RSPCA officers to arrive, but then had to depart, leaving a note with contact details should the RSPCA wish to press charges against the shooters. After some time, an RSPCA officer telephoned the Imperial Residence stating that they were over an hour away and that it would be better for the bird to be taken to a nearby vet. However, there was nobody in the Imperial Residence who was allowed to drive on British roads, with the Emperor Mother and Emperor Father being at work and visiting friends respectively. Lord Michael – uncle of the Emperor and twelfth in line to the Throne – kindly came to Wrythe and drove the Emperor and the pigeon to a nearby veterinary clinic, where the pigeon was given treatment and will soon be transferred to an animal sanctuary. Lord Michael has received official thanks both from the Emperor and from Lord Hengest Crannis, Minister for the Environment, for transporting the pigeon to the vets.
Rose’s ashes buried in Wrythe
An urn containing the ashes of Rose has been buried in Wrythe Pet Cemetery after a short ceremony. Rose, Mascot of the Order of the Bullmastiff and pet of the immediate Imperial Family, died in late April after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. After being cremated, her ashes were brought back to Wrythe on 13 May, where the urn containing them was placed in Bullmastiff Hall for the rest of the month. This afternoon, the immediate Imperial Family held a ceremony in Wrythe Public Park during which the urn containing Rose’s ashes was buried in the pet cemetery. The Emperor Father said a few words and placed the urn in the grave which had been dug, after which he, the Emperor, and the Crown Princess each placed some soil on the urn in the grave. The Emperor Mother was also in attendance together with Edd, the surviving pet bullmastiff of the Imperial Family. After the urn had been buried, a plaque was placed over the grave to mark the place of burial, and a rose was fittingly placed on the grave. The ashes were buried close to the grave of Alpha Primus, a puppy of Rose’s who was still-born during her pregnancy in June 2010. In other news, the Emperor announced today to be the first day of Summer 2014 in the Austenasian calendar.
Orange Pyramid in ruins after storm
The Orange Pyramid has been ruined after a heavy storm. The pyramid, situated in Wrythe Public Park, was noted at the end of last year to have been damaged by a bush growing over it. Strong winds of up to 80 mph during a storm on the evening of 14 February are thought to have pushed the bush against the monument violently enough to severely damage it. Some of the bricks out of which the pyramid is built have fallen off, and most of the others have become dislodged. Wrythe Genocide Memorial, an unrelated monument situated next to the pyramid, is undamaged. The Emperor has so far given no indication as to whether the ruined pyramid will be rebuilt, dismantled, or left as it is.