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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.
Milomir I of Ongal dies aged 58
News has broken that His Highness Grand Prince Milomir I, founder and sovereign of Ongal, died on Thursday 25th August.
The news was announced on Facebook by the official Ongal group and by the Prince’s godson.
On 25 November 2014, Milomir I became the founding monarch of the Danube Ecological Principality of Ongal, claiming ten uninhabited pockets of land on the western bank of the Danube which, due to an ongoing dispute between Croatia and Serbia over their precise border, were technically no longer claimed by either country.
The Principality claimed the land as a nature reserve, with the Grand Prince as its absolute monarch.
Before founding Ongal, Prince Milomir had a career as a decorated Bulgarian architect and was a well-known local dignitary. His existing connections helped Ongal to flourish, and at time of writing it claims a population of roughly 1,400 who have applied to become citizens.
Milomir charged the people of Ongal with keeping “a high honor, aristocratic spirit and patriotism and to be [a] model of nobility and dignity”. He was often pictured attending various ceremonies of a civic or religious nature, and was well-known for his promotion of Bulgarian culture and history.
Prince Milomir was an Orthodox Christian, and Ongal is an officially Orthodox state. Milomir I and Emperor Jonathan I made contact in June 2016, bonding over their shared faith, and a treaty of mutual recognition was signed between Austenasia and Ongal on 1 July 2016.
Soon after mutual recognition was established between Austenasia and Ongal, the two monarchs gave each other noble titles: Prince Milomir was made Baron of Arenberg by Jonathan I, and the Prince gave the Emperor the title Baron of Ongal. Furthermore, Milomir I was knighted into the Glorious Order of St. John by His Imperial Majesty in the 2016 Independence Day honours list, and Emperor Jonathan I was given an honorary degree from an academy set up for citizens of Ongal.
However, primarily due to the inability of either monarch to speak the other’s language without the aid of translation, communication between Austenasia and Ongal was never as frequent as it may otherwise would have been.
What the future holds for Ongal after this sad loss remains to be seen. Although its founding father has been lost, a nation of such great size will undoubtedly continue in some form.
Holy Roman Empire adopts new Charter
Wednesday 4th May saw the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire vote to supersede the confederation’s 2017 charter with a new version.
This comes as the latest in a series of initiatives meant to revitalize the Empire. The Holy Roman Empire (HRE), a continuation of the same-named polity which existed between the 9th and 19th centuries in central Europe, was recognised by Austenasia in 2016.
In July 2021, Brooklyn Hewitt, who had formerly been Prime Minister in Austenasia, relinquished her claim as heir to the Holy Roman throne and withdrew the membership of the Commonwealth of Havnesgade-Amager and the Confederation of the Emmanuelian States.
Following this, Archduke Bradley van Dullahan of Saxony, who serves as Princeps Senatus in Austenasia, called a vote to elect a new King of the Romans – the title used for the Imperial Heir – and Imperial Chancellor, which is a position analogous to a Prime Minister. On 4 March 2022, after a stagnant period of deliberation, Archduke Bradley and Lord William Wilson – who serves as the current Prime Minister in Austenasia – were elected to the respective positions.
As part of his Chancellorship, Wilson drafted and proposed a new Charter on 25 April. This charter reformed the government bodies of the Empire, most notably separating the College of Electors and Imperial Diet, as well as the formal codification of the Imperial Court as a judicial body.
Holy Roman Emperor Quentin I – whose authority is currently wielded by the van Dullahan Regency – has not yet called a new Diet, but discussion is being held on a date to make the announcement.
The new Charter can be read here, and the entry code to the official HRE Discord server is “xaaV9j7”.
Fears grow for Austenasians in Ukraine
Two Austenasian residents have been drafted by the Ukrainian military to defend the country against the ongoing Russian invasion.
Chersoneses, a large Austenasian crown dependency comprised mostly of farmland, was annexed from Ukraine in June 2020. Chersoneses is home to its governing commissioner Taras Oliynyk and his father.
Concerns were raised for the Oliynyks after Russian forces crossed the border into Ukraine and fighting broke out. They were drafted into the Ukrainian military on 22 February, and as such are in great danger.
The Ukrainian land bordering Chersoneses itself is not thought to yet be occupied by Russian forces, but missiles have hit the nearby city of Mykolaiv.
Another figure who has been put in danger is Austenasia’s unaccredited Ambassador to Ukraine, H.E. Nitan Kumar. In communications with the Foreign Office, Mr Kumar confirmed his safety. However, he lives near to the city of Kharkiv, which is currently under attack from the Russian military. Mr Kumar has pledged to provide the government with any updates regarding his situation.
Soon after Russian forces initially crossed the border into the separatist republics in the east of the country, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor publicly asked for prayers to be said for peace in Ukraine.
In the past few hours, the Austenasian government has released a statement on the unfolding situation, authored by the Prime Minister, Lord William Wilson, and given the backing of the House of Representatives in a unanimous vote of support earlier today:
“In light of the disgraceful events which have transpired in the past 48 hours, the Austenasian government makes its position clear and condemns the actions of the Russian Federation and its military. The unlawful invasion of the Ukrainian Republic, as well as the dangerous and inflammatory rhetoric used against former Soviet republics is not conducive to amicable relations. Our territories enclaved within the Ukraine and the Baltic state of Estonia and the residents thereof have become endangered by these actions. Peace, particularly in the continent of Europe, is paramount and any action which infringes it cannot be tolerated. We hope, that in the following days a ceasefire may be negotiated and hostilities completely terminated thereafter. We urge the greater international theater to impose whatever peaceable restrictions available to best incentivize a return to peace.”
New Virginia balkanises after failed coup – Adammic Emperor becomes Acting President of rump Commonwealth
An article from the Adammic Express on recent events in New Virginia.
Adam I, Editor
TURING, Lagentia – A week of constitutional chaos has resulted in one of Adammia’s close allies, the Commonwealth of New Virginia, splintering into four states. After initially supporting a left-wing revolutionary movement, President Brooke Kennedy subsequently resigned, making Adammic Emperor Adam I, the President of the New Virginian Senate, the Acting President of the Commonwealth. However, with numerous key territories announcing their secession, he inherits a crippled nation, with the previously deposed parliament and government having been slowly restored over the past couple of days. After declaring independence from the Empire of Austenasia last year due to differences on social issues, New Virginia grew rapidly to become one of the most successful nations in the MicroWiki community. Emperor Adam I, a long-time ally of President Kennedy within the GUM, was invited to serve as President of the Senate, which was supposed to be a low-intensity role confined…
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PM White: New Virginian government “not legally dissolved”
New Virginia’s elected Prime Minister, Sir Simon White, together with other leading New Virginians, have come out in explicit opposition to Thursday’s “29th of July Movement” revolution supported by President Brooklyn Kennedy.
Prime Minister White released a statement yesterday afternoon New Virginia time, countersigned by Deputy Prime Minister James Frisch, Speaker of the House and First Ambassador James Stewart, Adam I in his capacity as President of the Senate, and local governor Lord William Wilson (who is titled as a ceremonial co-founder of the nation).
In their announcement, they argued “that the Revolution is an unlawful insurrection, that the President has abused her emergency powers, and that Parliament and the government were not legally dissolved. We stand for the Constitution of the Commonwealth of New Virginia; we stand against the great peril the 29th of July Movement places the Commonwealth in. We will be releasing a comprehensive argument against the Revolution, ideally in a week or two; thereafter, an alternative path forward will be presented […] Long live the Commonwealth!”
A “24th of July Movement” has therefore been formed, composed of the elected Prime Minister and other supporters of the constitution in opposition to the revolutionary “29th of July Movement” calling for its overthrow.
President Kennedy responded by calling them “reactionaries”, a label which White rejected, and asked whether they planned to put down the revolution by force.
The Prime Minister stated that the 24th of July Movement “isn’t a movement about stopping the Revolution by force” but “through good reasoning”, and that they “hope a rebuke will help you [i.e., Kennedy] to realize that you have not considered the voices of all New Virginians, only your narrow focus on those with socialist mindsets.”
White further called for a constitutional convention to be called to resolve the crisis and its underlying causes.
Coup underway in New Virginia
Chaos erupted yesterday in the Commonwealth of New Virginia as President Kennedy suspended the constitution in response to a declaration of “revolution” before joining it herself.
Events began when Elizabeth Lewis published a poster in the “Announcements” channel on the official New Virginian Discord server.
Headed by a picture of Karl Marx, this poster called for an overthrow of the constitutional order, the “building of a socialist… state and party” and “the deportation of dangerous right wing figures”, before declaring “Long live the New Virginian revolution”.
A second graphic was then posted calling for the removal of Bradley of Dullahan, the Leader of the Opposition.
President Brooklyn Kennedy responded by assuming emergency powers, using the authority granted to her by the Constitution to suspend it “for the time being”, and announcing that all powers of state would be exercised by the Presidency until New Virginia could “return to a state of normalcy”.
Under ten minutes later, Kennedy made a second announcement, declaring her support for the “29th of July Movement” revolution. Claiming that the New Virginian parliament was “rife with reactionaries, racists, and elitists”, she stated that the “time has come for these men to be purged”.
The President went on to announce that all political parties were immediately dissolved, and power would be held by a Revolutionary Committee comprised of three people appointed and chaired by herself.
Sir Simon White, the New Virginian Prime Minister, refused to support the 29th of July Movement, stating “I cannot in good conscience support this insurrection. To outlaw reactionary partisanship is indeed a noble policy, but the outlawing of conservatism in general is utterly repugnant to this nation.”
It is furthermore being reported that Adam I of Adammia, who also serves as President of the Senate of New Virginia, has called on the Constitution to be immediately restored and for a general election to be called, criticising the committee for its lack of democratic mandate.
Adammia has announced that it has suspended relations with New Virginia, and Wyvern has indicated that it does not recognise the Revolutionary Committee as the legitimate government of the country.
In Austenasia, meanwhile, Cabinet met online to discuss the situation, and the following statement was co-authored by Emperor Jonathan I, Prime Minister Lord Gordon, and Deputy PM Lord Wilson:
“A hand of friendship, as always, is extended to the New Virginian people, but we cannot recognise an illegitimate government. If the situation has not been resolved with respect to the democratic rights and representation of all New Virginians within the next 36 hours, we will consider the New Virginian government to have fallen and therefore be incapable of maintaining diplomatic relations.”
Talks had been in the process of being arranged between Austenasian and New Virginian officials to discuss the way forward following the events of last month.
However, following the news of the ongoing coup in New Virginia, the House of Representatives met and voted on a motion calling for the Empire to withdraw from the alliance it still formally held with New Virginia. Independently, eighteen minutes later, the Revolutionary Committee likewise voted to sever the alliance.
Bradley von Dullahan later announced the unilateral secession of Helinium – the New Virginian claim governed by himself – from the Commonwealth, interpreting the rhetoric used by Kennedy and the other revolutionaries as thinly-veiled threats against his own position.
Lord William Wilson, who also serves as a local governor in New Virginia, said the following: “This coup is of a blatantly authoritarian nature, with a small cabal of politically aligned individuals surrounding the President. They have suspended their constitution and legislature, threatened the exile of political opposition, and used rhetoric of death to ‘capitalists’ and ‘reactionaries’.” He also accused the revolutionaries of seeking to turn New Virginia into an “echo chamber”.
Kennedy and Lewis have objected to this summary of events, stating they were “not just removing people for disagreeing with us”. They pointed out that von Dullahan left of his own accord – although Lewis later commented that he “left before he could be kicked [out]” – and argued that he could not technically be considered a political opponent of theirs as they both hold non-partisan offices.
Bradley of Dullahan provided the following exclusive statement to the Times:
“For a long time Brooke [Kennedy] and Elizabeth [Lewis] have been dissatisfied with the partisan politics that they enabled through the creation of the now abolished political system. It actually worked fine and was stable. A true multiparty system was developing slowly, with in my mind at least another party in the make. However, the government cabinet, as foolish as they were, schemed with the President to declare a fake emergency to amend the constitution. Now it has come to pass, they used some random offensive argument to push through their ideas and abolished the whole lot. Not at all what the Prime Minister had in mind.
They enabled the President by feeding her ideas that this was a good idea, and then when she took it a step further they were shocked and angry. However, my disappointment with New Virginia doesn’t end there. The entire justification of this inside coup (all members were government officials, so no “people’s revolution” at all) was on the basis of my person. They do not mention me by name, but every accusation they give is directly relatable to a warped and sickening view that Elizabeth has of me, which the President of the Commonwealth has adopted and used for the declaration. Its inaccurate, misleading, and highly offensive.
The President of the Commonwealth of New Virginia and all her cronies in the so-called commission for the salvation of New Virginia and everyone who joined in on the revolution are traitors. The rightful head of government is Simon White. They destroyed a nation without giving it time to grow.”
New Virginian Deputy PM James Frisch, who has refused to join the “29th of July Movement”, rejected the allegation that the government had “schemed with the President”, noting that the majority of the Cabinet has either opposed the revolution or kept silent.
Lewis was approached for further comment, together with another member of the Revolutionary Committee, but neither have so far replied.
Further updates will be posted as the situation develops.
Former PM Kennedy: “I am a transgender woman”
The politician formerly known as Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy has announced that she is a transgender woman, and has changed her name to Brooklyn.
Kennedy served as Prime Minister between 2015 and 2020 before leading the amicable secession of New Virginia in February last year. She currently serves as its elected head of state as President.
Dame Brooklyn will no longer use the title of Caesar, which is for men only. Her other Austenasian titles – three titles of nobility, a peerage, and three knighthoods – will henceforth change to their female equivalents.
With respect to her Austenasian titles, she will therefore henceforth be known as Lady Admiral Brooklyn Kennedy, Duchess of New Royton.
Big cat sighting on Chester Meadows
Reports are circulating of a big cat – possibly a puma – loose in the wild in Cheshire and North Wales, with a photograph recently taken of a large creature seen on Chester Meadows.
Chester Meadows is one of the two oldest claims of Wildflower Meadows, and was the site of the Principality’s foundation in May 2016.
On December 13th last year, a delivery driver took a photograph of what he believed to be a puma on Chester Meadows, having seen the large animal from a nearby road.
News of a more recent incident has now emerged after a lady taking her dog for a walk on the Meadows reported hearing a “really deep growl” coming from dense undergrowth on Wednesday 27th January.
These reports from Chester Meadows have taken place in the wake of fatal attacks on farm animals and sightings of a big cat throughout the wider local area over the past two months.
Sightings of big cats have been reported in the region for several years. Many incidents, including these most recent sightings, have been recorded on the website of Puma Watch North Wales.
Aggelos acclaimed joint Emperor of Imvrassia to replace Stamatios
Aggelos I, founder of Imvrassia, has been appointed joint Emperor of Imvrassia by his daughter, Empress Aikaterini, replacing her grandfather Stamatios I.
Stamatios I had reigned as joint Emperor of Imvrassia in a primarily ceremonial capacity since November last year, but on Christmas Eve his granddaughter honorably revoked his position as reigning co-monarch and downgraded him to the title of Symbasileus, a “junior co-emperor” roughly equivalent to the Austenasian position of Caesar.
On Christmas Day, Empress Aikaterini raised her father, Aggelos I, to the throne as joint ruling co-Emperor. He had previously been appointed Symbasileus himself on 21 December.
Aggelos has served as Imvrassian head of state before, most recently from March to November 2016 as king. Prior to being appointed joint Emperor, he had held the rank of Despotes and managed Imvrassian foreign relations, being instrumental in securing recognition of Imvrassian imperium in October this year.
Jonathan I has sent congratulations to his new colleague in the consortium imperii.
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