Monovish military joins the Austenasian Army

The national flag of Monovia.

The army of the Principality of Monovia has joined the Austenasian Armed Forces after a new Monovian constitution was adopted earlier today.

Said constitution has entrenched in law the position of Monovia – founded in May 2011 and based near Sheffield – as a protected state of the Empire, a status it has held since October 2012 which means that Austenasia is obliged to defend Monovia if requested.

Monovia’s army of six has been given the name of Centuria III Monoviae, and joined Legio I Britannica. This new century of the Austenasian Army has been given standing orders by an Imperial Edict to protect Monovia and its government.

Monovia has been a close friend of the Empire since a few months after its founding, and is a fellow member of the GUM.

King Alex’s Bottle rediscovered

King Alex’s Bottle, lost in October 2010 and rediscovered earlier today.

King Alex’s Bottle, royal regalia of the Kingdom of Rushymia, has been rediscovered after being lost for nearly two and a half years.

The extraordinary find was made this afternoon on Rushy Meadow Field by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, who decided to have a quick look under the trees at the edge of the Field while passing by on the off chance that the bottle would be there.

Oral tradition states that at the end of his reign, King Alex of Rushymia (reigned c. 1997 – July 2000) placed the bottle, which he had used similarly to a ceremonial mace, at the top of a fence which separated the school playground in which Rushymia – and later the Midget Empire – was located from the Field. The first person to retrieve it would be his successor as King of Rushymia.

The bottle remained at the top of the fence until 17 October 2010, when it was successfully retrieved by the then Emperor Esmond III of Austenasia. The title “King of Rushymia” was merged with the Austenasian Throne four days later, and was automatically assumed by Esmond’s successors as Emperor upon their ascension to the Throne.

However, the bottle itself was lost soon after it was retrieved. Esmond III had placed the bottle in his bag, which he dropped to the ground while climbing back down the fence, but a large dog being walked on the Field ran up to him, took the bag, and ran around the Field with it in its mouth. By the time the bag was recovered by the dog’s owner, the bottle had come out and was lost.

Despite Esmond III and the then Crown Prince Jonathan searching the Field for the bottle, they could not find it. They had assumed it had fallen out of the bag into long grass while the dog was running around the Field with it, but did not search under the trees by the fence where the dog first took it.

With the loss of the bottle, the only proof that it had ever existed outside of eyewitness testimonies was a photograph taken at a fundraising event at the school in December 2006 which shows a pixelated red object at the top of the fence.

The discovery today of King Alex’s Bottle reveals that it had most likely fallen out of Esmond III’s bag the moment the dog took it. The now Emperor Jonathan I has confirmed that the size and colour of the bottle which was discovered is the same as that which was retrieved by Esmond III and lost in the area.

King Alex’s Bottle has been taken back to Wrythe, and will be stored in the Imperial Residence.

Second IGS Expedition to Wimbledon Common

A view of Queensmere lake.

The Imperial Family yesterday returned to Wrythe after setting out on an expedition to Wimbledon Common on behalf of the Imperial Geographical Society.

This is the first time that the IGS has sent an expedition to the same place twice – a first expedition to Wimbledon Common took place on New Year’s Day. While that expedition had twelve members, this one only had four, namely the immediate Imperial Family.

The Emperor led the Imperial Family on a circular route around the common, closely following part of the route of the previous expedition and comparing how things had changed in three months with the onset of spring. Photographs were taken, and a short video can be seen here.

The next IGS Expedition is planned to take place on 6 May, to British countryside near the Surrey village of Headley.