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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.
Diplomatic Residence inaugurated for Emperor and Empress
A property in Portsmouth was yesterday designated the Diplomatic Residence to serve as a home for the imperial couple.
Emperor Jonathan I and Empress Hannah moved into the property in November last year, shortly after their wedding.
The full title of the property is the Diplomatic Residence of the Envoy to Portsmouth, referring to a position officially given to the Empress on Tuesday 31st January.
Tuesday also saw the property blessed by an Orthodox priest who conducted a short house blessing service, sprinkling the rooms with holy water.
The Imperial Residence in Wrythe legally remains the official residence of the Monarch. However, Jonathan I and Empress Hannah have since their wedding lived in what is now the Diplomatic Residence.
The imperial couple travelled back to Wrythe following Christmas, spending just over a week with their families. The Emperor will continue to return to the capital for important occasions and state events.
The Diplomatic Residence, as well as serving as the imperial couple’s home, formally serves as a diplomatic base for the work of the Envoy to Portsmouth, an office tasked with providing diplomatic representation for Austenasia within the city in question.
Emperor pays tribute to Elizabeth II
His Imperial Majesty has released the following statement after learning yesterday of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II:
It was with great sadness and shock that Our Imperial Majesty yesterday learnt of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Having achieved a great age of 96, it was not a surprise; but it was a shock. The end of a reign which lasted for over seventy years could be nothing else. Her passing is a moment of historical significance equalled by little any of us have experienced. It is truly the end of an era.
A person who has been an ever-constant presence in the background of our lives has now gone. A symbol par excellence of continuity, dignity, stability, identity, constancy, diplomacy, and duty; gone.
Austenasia has always promoted an identity for its people that has complemented rather than conflicted with their existing nationalities. It is due to this that the Imperial Family mourns not just the Queen, but our Queen. We mourn not just as Austenasians, but as Britons. As well as British Austenasians, there are also Austenasians who are Canadian and Australian. Elizabeth II was Queen of just over a quarter of the Austenasian population, and so her death is a blow to our nation as well. The Austenasian Star is flying from the Imperial Residence today vertically, in its customary position of mourning, and as Emperor of Austenasia, our Imperial Majesty pays respectful tribute to the life, reign, and memory of Elizabeth II.
Her Majesty was last pictured at the start of this week as she exercised her constitutional duty in the appointment of a new British Prime Minister. Although frail, she was standing and smiling, and few us of who saw those photographs would have imagined she would be dead in two days. Even in the very last days of her life, she carried on working until the very end, performing her duty to her country and her people, informed and inspired by her strong Christian faith. She was, a paragon of duty and service, who dedicated her life to her people until its very end, and a true example to us all.
ICJA
Wrythe, 9 September 2022
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 )
Carshalton Day marked with visit from Attorney General
Anthony R. Clark, Attorney General and Governing Commissioner of Amerdansk, visited Carshalton today by invitation of Emperor Jonathan I.
June 24th is Carshalton Day, an annual celebration both of the heritage and unity of the “Carshalton Nations” as well as the anniversary of the Liberation of Orly. The occasion was taken by the Emperor to give Mr Clark a guided tour of Orly, before they headed to Wrythe for a working visit to the Imperial Residence.
At the Imperial Residence, the Attorney General met the Emperor’s parents and the imperial pet cat Baby, and was able to view various objects of significance including the Imperial Regalia, King Alex’s Bottle, and Diplomabear, in addition to the Micronational Collection in the Imperial Numismatic Museum.
The Emperor and Attorney General were then able to have a productive meeting in regards to various issues facing the Empire, before Jonathan I walked Mr Clark to Morden station to depart.
As Attorney General since December last year, Mr Clark oversees the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for providing legal advice to the government.
His visit to Wrythe marks the first time a Cabinet Minister has visited the capital while in office – with the exception of the Emperor – since Countess Eritoshi the then Chief Ambassador visited Wrythe in early 2016.
It was around the same time, March 2016, that Mr Clark founded Amerdansk. He was initially known as Lord Anthony Clark, as Baron of Amerdansk, before it transitioned into a Crown Dependency. He stood in the February 2019 general election, managing to gain 5% of the vote even after dropping out, and was recently elected 33rd Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational.
Emperor’s great-uncle Lord Geoffrey passes away aged 94
Lord Geoffrey Trory, Duke of Belfast yesterday passed away aged 94.
A great uncle of Jonathan I on his mother’s side, Lord Geoffrey was first made properly aware of Austenasia during a visit to Wrythe in September 2009. He expressed great interest in and enthusiasm for the then relatively new country, and was named Duke of Belfast by the Emperor in September 2014, a title for which he expressed great thanks.
Geoffrey was born in Essex in 1926, and moved to London in 1940. An accomplished church organist, he was a Graduate of the Royal College of Music and held a professional diploma from the Royal College of Organists. He moved to Belfast in 1953, where he spent the rest of his life.
Lord Geoffrey is survived by his wife Lady Mabel, whom he married in 1963, their three sons (the eldest of whom, Lord Graham, has inherited his peerage) six grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.
Emperor Jonathan I has called for a state of mourning to be observed through the Empire until his late great-uncle’s funeral.
UPDATE 13 APRIL 17:10 – Lord Geoffrey’s funeral will take place on the morning of Thursday 15th.
Imperial Guard established
His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I has established the Imperial Guard by recruiting its first two members on Saturday 25th July.
The Armed Forces Act 2020, passed last month, enacted radical reform to the Austenasian military, dissolving the standing armed forces and establishing a system primarily based on reserve militias.
One exception to this was an Imperial Guard, which the Monarch was authorised to personally recruit as a standing military unit on active service.
The Imperial Guard is to serve as an elite bodyguard unit for the Monarch.
Out of the two guards recruited on July 25th, one will be stationed in Wrythe and the other in Chester, thereby providing protection for Emperor Jonathan I in whichever of the two cities he most regularly frequents he happens to be in.
The guard stationed in Wrythe is none other than HIH Emperor Father Terry, who has been appointed Captain of the new unit. The Emperor Father served as a tribune and as a legate in the Austenasian Army from 2011 and 2017 respectively up until last month’s reforms.
Coronavirus measures implemented as pandemic continues
On 16 March, three cases of suspected coronavirus infection were reported by the Austenasian Times. All three individuals have by now either tested negative for the coronavirus or stopped displaying symptoms.
Despite this good news, the ongoing pandemic and the reactions of governments around the world continue to affect life for all Austenasians, both residential and non-residential.
Palasia and Bregusland restricted travel last month, a fact reported by Lonely Planet in a recent article about the reactions of various “micronations” to the pandemic.
However, these are not the only towns of Austenasia to have implemented a response to the disease.
The Austenasian capital Wrythe, the towns of Theodosiopolis and Dragovina, and the Harlemum March are all under lockdown.
Theodosiopolis and Harlemum, which are both represented by Dionisiy I, have furthermore stocked up on protective masks and anti-viral medicine.
Kingeston, which consists of uninhabited parkland bordered by Canada, has declared a state of emergency, and is encouraging visitors to observe social distancing and wash their hands. Peach Ponds meanwhile, which likewise consists of parkland (albeit bordered by the USA) has taken a stricter approach, enforcing a stay-at-home and not accepting visitors.
In Mouzilo, the sole resident – Manolis Afentoulis, Duke of Thessalia – has implemented strict social distancing and remained within the borders of the crown dependency for over three weeks, working on various cultural projects.
With lockdowns and social distancing being enforced in the United Kingdom, United States, and other countries around the world, many activities which Austenasians would usually join outside the borders of Austenasia itself have also been cancelled.
Last weekend saw Western Easter unable to be celebrated by the Imperial Family by attending church with other Austenasians, as is customary. Likewise, Emperor Jonathan I and the other Orthodox Christians of Austenasia will be unable to observe Orthodox Easter this upcoming Sunday 19th with church attendance. The Emperor will instead be listening to a livestreamed service from the safety of the Imperial Residence.
Likewise, the Imperial Geographical Society conducts an expedition on the first Monday of May, but will not be doing so this year.
As long as the pandemic continues, similar measures and precautions will unfortunately have to be taken in order to ensure public health.
Imperial visit to Green Gate
His Imperial Majesty the Emperor visited Green Gate earlier today in the first ever imperial visit to an Austenasian Territory.
Green Gate was annexed last month, and is comprised of a wooded area bordering a golf course.
This marks the first time that Jonathan I has visited an Austenasian claim other than his home city of Wrythe and the nearby Crown Dependency of Rushymia since Zephyria and Thanasia were ceded to the United Kingdom in 2017.
The geographical proximity of Green Gate to Wrythe – both being enclaves of south London – facilitated the ease of planning the visit.
While in Green Gate, the Emperor raised the Austenasian Star and surveyed the area.
Jonathan I was unable to be received by Lord Zarel Smith, Governor of Green Gate, due to the latter falling ill, but a meeting between the two is planned for the summer.
Austenasian Times 
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