MicroWorld Newsbites – April 2017

CAMPINIA

• On 4 April, the Principality of Campinia was officially dissolved by Prince Elias after discovering that the head of government, Shady Morsi, had been planning to depose him. Morsi, appointed head of government in August last year, had swiftly placed most state institutions under his own control. Morsi has not contested the dissolution of the nation, and Elias has joined the Grand Duchy of Flandrensis to work in heraldry.

FLORENIA

• On 23 April, Florenia celebrated six years since its official date of foundation in 2011.

KUMANO JIRITSU NATION

• On 13 April, Prime Minister Hatsu Ryuho conducted a Japanese-style ceremony marking the start of the Kumanoese agricultural season.

MOLOSSIA

• On 10 April, the First Family’s pet Boston Terrier, Annie, passed away from heart failure at the age of eleven. She was buried with honours in the Molossia Cemetary, and Emperor Jonathan I sent his condolences to President Baugh.

SABIA AND VERONA

• On 20 April, King Tarik of Sabia and Verona announced that he would soon promulgate a new constitution for the country, comprised of 104 articles concerning state institutions and the like, including relations between the kingdom’s human population and its famous plush toy “citizens”.

SANDUS

• On 28 April, Sôgmô Gaius Soergel decreed the creation of a ceremonial Sandum nobility based loosely on that of the Russian Empire.

USKOR

• On 11 April a referendum took place resulting in Chairwoman Charlotte Lindstrom extending her term of office for a year and announcing that the legislative People’s Assembly would no longer meet. No details were released of the referendum’s turnout or vote results.

Edd’s ashes buried in Wrythe

Edd’s grave in Wrythe Pet Cemetery.

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.

Order of St Constantine completes charity project

Example of items donated to charity shops by Project Melania

The Order of Saint Constantine has completed its first major philanthropic project, over the course of which it has donated over two hundred items to charity shops.

The Order was founded by Emperor Jonathan I in May last year as a Christian philanthropic order of chivalry.

On 8 June the following month, the Order of Saint Constantine launched Project Melania, with the aim of supplying charity shops with good quality but unwanted items given away for free at the end of large car boot sales.

Every Wednesday, members of the Order would go to a car boot sale in Wimbledon and collect unsold items given away for free at the end. These items would then be given to various charity shops throughout the London Boroughs of Sutton and of Merton.

The long-running weekly car boot sales from which these items were sourced came to an end on Wednesday 12th, and the last of the collected items were donated earlier this morning, bringing Project Melania to a close.

In total, Project Melania donated ninety three books, seventy CDs, forty four DVDs, and nineteen items of bric-a-brac (ornaments, crockery, etc) to charity shops supporting four different charities: Oxfam, Hospices of Hope, St Raphael’s Hospice, and Marie Curie.

The Order of Saint Constantine is now looking for new ideas of ways to support charitable causes.

Easter celebrated by the Imperial Family

Easter was yesterday celebrated by the Imperial Family, and across the Empire.

At the Easter midnight service at the Church of Ss. Constantine and Helen, the Rev. Father George blesses the congregation.

Austenasia recognises both Western Easter and Orthodox Easter as public holidays, which this year fell on the same date.

Emperor Jonathan I attended a midnight service on Saturday evening at his church, the Greek Orthodox Church of Ss. Constantine and Helen, whereas the rest of the Imperial Family joined the population of Zephyria at a morning service at Carshalton Methodist Church.

On Sunday afternoon, Jonathan I and Princess Consort Hannah were hosted with the rest of the Imperial Family at the residence of the Boxalls, the maternal relatives of the Emperor. An evening buffet was enjoyed, and board games played.

Western Easter is calculated by the Gregorian calendar and observed by Protestants and Roman Catholics, whereas Orthodox Easter is calculated by the Julian calendar and observed by the Orthodox Church.

The two Easters are therefore usually observed separately, but sometimes – as on this year – fall on the same date. This last happened in 2014, and will not occur again until 2025.

 

New Wildflowerian claim in south London

Forestedge, the newest land claim of Wildflower Meadows.

The Principality of Wildflower Meadows expanded again yesterday with the claim of a grassy area of parkland near Princess Hannah’s residence in the United Kingdom.

The new territory, claimed as the Barony of Forestedge, is uninhabited and measures roughly 53,200 square feet.

Princess Hannah was accompanied yesterday by Emperor Jonathan I and Wildflowerian noble Lady Laura when the land was claimed.

Forestedge joins the Marquessate of Wandleside as one of the only two areas of Wildflower Meadows enclosed by south London, the majority of the Principality’s land being an enclave of Cheshire.

Consulate opened in New Delhi

Dr Kalra (right) with Swari Tiwari (left) flanked by the Austenasian and Indian flags in the New Delhi consulate.

The Austenasian Consulate in New Delhi was officially opened yesterday with traditional Indian prayers and offerings.

Dr Kalra, the Empire’s Consul-General at New Delhi, was joined by Swami ji Acharya Sailesh Tiwari, who officiated at the ceremony.

Dr Kalra was appointed Austenasian Consul-General at New Delhi by Emperor Jonathan I on 9 March earlier this year.

As the Empire has no diplomatic relations with India, the primary functions of unaccredited diplomats such as Dr Kalra is to raise awareness of and support for Austenasia abroad, working more in the field of public relations than diplomacy proper.

As the office is a consulate and not an embassy, the Empire has not claimed extraterritoriality for it. However, the consulate will be used as a base for Dr Kalra’s work in spreading awareness of the Empire.

Edd dies aged 8

Edd, beloved pet bullmastiff of the Imperial Family, has died aged 8 years old.

Edd passed away yesterday in the Imperial Residence after having a stroke.

Born in December 2008 and bought as a pet by the then Emperor Terry I in March 2009, Edd lived in the Imperial Residence with his distant relative Rose, whom he succeeded as Mascot of the Order of the Bullmastiff – practically the ceremonial embodiment of Austenasia’s national animal – upon her death in April 2014.

With a superb showing pedigree, Edd was shown at ten dog shows between 2009 and 2012, and qualified to be shown at Crufts in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Edd has been succeeded as Mascot of the Order of the Bullmastiff by Lily, Rose’s daughter who lives with a family in Surrey.

Edd will be cremated, and his ashes buried in Wrythe Pet Cemetery in the coming weeks.