Sir J. Goldie resigns from military command

Sir Joseph held a leading position in the Esmondian command during the 2010 civil war.

Legate Sir Joseph Goldie KCP, commanding officer of Legio I Britannica, has resigned after more than three years of military service to the Empire.

Sir Joseph was recruited into the Austenasian Army on 8 March 2010, the second day of the Austenasian Civil War. A close friend of the then Emperor Esmond III, who was Monarch at the time, Sir Joseph was immediately appointed General of the 1st Inner Austenasia Division.

Given the informal designation of “High General”, Sir Joseph was a leading Esmondian figure during the civil war, second only to the Emperor and Prime Minister. Instrumental in recruiting new soldiers, he retained much influence in the unofficial imperial court which grew out of the Esmondian military HQ at Esmond III’s school after the civil war ended.

General Sir Joseph became known as Legate Sir Joseph when the 1st Inner Austenasian Division was renamed to Legio I Britannica in January 2011. This was part of extensive military reforms which were widely welcomed by most soldiers, one aspect of which was to remodel the Austenasian Army on Roman rather than British influences.

By an Imperial Decree issued earlier this afternoon, the Emperor has appointed Countess Eritoshi of Memphis the new Legate of Legio I Britannica. He also granted the legion the battle honour of “London 2011” in recognition of the part which it played in protecting Austenasia during the riots in England in August 2011 – although the legion did not see combat, soldiers were mobilised and played a vital role in assuaging the fears of Austenasian residents away on holiday who had left their properties defenceless.

Sir Joseph has been given another knighthood by the Emperor in recognition of his three years of service, being made a Knight Commander in the Austenasian Order. He will from now on be known as Sir Joseph Goldie, KCA, KCP.

Rose’s swelling not a tumour

Rose last month in Wrythe Public Park.

There was relief today in the Imperial Residence as a swelling found on pet bullmastiff Rose was confirmed not to be a tumour.

There had been fears that the swelling, found last week, was a mammary tumour – the equivalent to breast cancer in dogs. However, the swelling has gone down in size after Rose, Mascot of the Order of the Bullmastiff, took antibiotics over the past week. This, along with a formal diagnosis from a local vet, has confirmed that the swelling is only an infection, from which Rose should have recovered within a few weeks.

Jonathan I announces temporary withdrawal from MicroWiki

Earlier today, I recieved the results for the A2 modular exams which I took in January. They weren’t bad, but I could have done better, and I will need to do better in order to achieve grades good enough to be accepted into Roehampton, the university that the Countess of Memphis and I both have offers from and plan to go to in September.

I have come to the decision to partially and temporarily withdraw from the MicroWiki Community so as to be able to better focus my time and effort on revision for my final exams, which take place at the end of May and start of June. I have withdrawn my candidacy in the GUM elections for Supreme Judge, leaving Quentin as the only candidate. In the now probable event that he becomes Supreme Judge, I will send him my work on the compilation of GUM motions and conventions that I have been working on, with explanatory notes on how I was conducting my work and what the best way for him to continue with it would be. I apologise for letting down all those who voted for me.

In regards to the GUM as a whole, I will not allow the Empire to remain a full member until June with no activity seen from it, but I will be missing the occasional Quorum session. An hour or so each fortnight isn’t much to ask, but from now on I shall be making revision my top priority and cannot promise to attend each and every scheduled Quorum session. I reaffirm, however, the central position of the GUM in the Empire’s foreign affairs and Austenasia’s commitment to remaining a full member.

I will still be coming online on Skype pretty much as regularly as I always have done, and I will be available for private conversations, but I will withdraw from all micronational chat rooms other than the GUM rooms and the Yellow Bear Micronational. I will no longer be on the Forums, and will no longer be doing any work on wiki articles, other than perhaps to make some minor updates now and then if necessary. Production of Cool Barbie will continue, but at a much slower rate – expect to see Episode VIII released in the summer, not later this month.

Do not confuse this with an announcement that Austenasia is becoming “inactive”. The Empire shall continue to function, as it always has done, in “real life”. Whether or not its head of state uses a certain website as frequently as before makes no difference to that.

This period of self-imposed withdrawal shall begin immediately, and will end after my exams are over some time in early June. Getting the grades to get into Roehampton University is now my top priority. No fighting while I’m gone!

ICJA

Cheam, 7 March 2013

Health concerns for Rose

Rose in September 2012.

HIH Emperor Father Terry arrived back at the Imperial Residence at 17:55 today with pet bullmastiff Rose, who is suffering from a swelling feared to be a mammary tumour.

Rose – whose pedigree name is Bramarley Paloma of Carothan – had spent the past few hours at a veterinary surgeon’s in Carshalton, where a swelling on one of her mammary glands was inspected. According to the vet, there is an 80% chance that Rose has a tumour, and a 20% chance that the swelling has been caused by an infection.

Medicine has been given to the Emperor Father to give Rose in case the swelling is the result of an infection. Rose will be brought back to the vet’s in a week’s time to be assessed again. If the swelling has not reduced, then it will be clear that it is a tumour. There is, unfortunately, little chance that she would recover from a mammary tumour.

Rose will be seven years old this June – the average age of bullmastiffs is seven or eight years. She is also the last of her litter known to still be alive.

Rose has been Mascot of the Order of the Bullmastiff – effectively the symbolic embodiement of the Empire’s national animal – since January 2009. An Imperial Edict passed last month states that in the case of Rose’s death, her sixth cousin Edd (also a pet of the Imperial Family) will automatically and immediately succeed her as Mascot.

Coronation covered by British newspaper

His Imperial Majesty Jonathan I was featured on the front page of this week’s Sutton Guardian with the caption “Meet the Emperor: Micronation crowns new leader”.

The Sutton Guardian, a widely read local newspaper delivered free throughout the London Borough of Sutton, published an article on page 5 on the recent coronation of Emperor Jonathan I, which was held on Saturday 23rd February and attended by various dignitaries.

This is the third time that Austenasia has had an article in a local newspaper. The first time was in January 2009 when an article was run on the Empire’s foundation, and the second in September 2011 on the occasion of the third anniversary of its founding.

The article, with the headline “All hail Emperor Jonathan”, includes a photograph of the Emperor with four of his guests. The article itself goes into some detail on Austenasia, its recent history, and the coronation.

This most recent article has sparked widespread interest in the Empire, with several Honorary Subjects applying and the Emperor and Crown Princess being asked numerous questions about Austenasia by their classmates.