What's Up Wednesday (Empress Crystobel Memorial)

With the Imperial Coronation literally only a few weeks away yet another glorious tip of the hat to the past was gestured with the unveiling of the Imperial Victory Memorial in Londinium this week.

The memorial was built over the last few months in remembrance of the upcoming anniversary of Empress Crystobel's death that tragically took place on the  8th July 2012. This falls in conjunction with the popularity the entire concept of Royalty and the restoration of the Scotney and Britanian monarchies. The new site is erected in the square at the Palace of Parliament on the exact spot where the Empress was shot in front of the previous memorial in honour of the Imperial Couple. The old memorial was entirely torn down and plans to honour the Empress's life and death was immediately put in place. Work was finally completed last week Friday and the unveiling took place yesterday afternoon.

The design of the memorial is of a columned half circle surrounding a central pedestal surmounted by a brass effigy of an angel holding a flaming torch. The angel is intended to be a symbol of victory through spiritual perseverance while following the inner call of true conviction. 

The truly imposing memorial does much to evoke hope from forgiveness into a far more positive future as these are the very traits Empress Crystobel is now remembered for. 

For the unveiling the new Emperor Christian-Victor and Empress Odeliah was joined by their closest family who at the same time represented some of Europa's most famous Royal Dynasties. The Duke of Swann flew in especially, immediately after his now famous abdication speech in order to support his cousin the Emperor. All the VIP's can be seen in the photo above starting from left: Princess Augusta, the Duke of Swann, Empress Odeliah, Emperor Christian-Victor, the Chancellor of Britania, the Grand Duke of Hanoveria and Grand Duchess Alice.

The Chancellor took this auspicious occasion as the perfect time to officially announce his personal joy at the tide of Royal popularity and the positive effect it has had on the Britanian economy. 

Emperor Christian-Victor shared some of his personal memories of his mother, Empress Crystobel's life and expressed his joy at finally giving her the honour she may have lacked in her life of exile and her tragic death. 

It was truly an emotional moment when the crowd responded with a standing ovation to the Emperor's speech.

The brass statue is a spectacular work of art and was sculpted by the Most Worshipful Society of Britanian Metalworkers.

Empress Odeliah looked colourful in her spring inspired dress and hat.

A very stylish Duke of Swann looked far less serious than normal in his yellow tie.

After the day's proceedings a surprise dinner was held for the V.I.P's at the Aldarian Palace as a cherry on the cake. In memory of the lifelong efforts of Empress Crystobel, four special Royals were earmarked to receive a once-off recognition award for their efforts in promoting the cause of Royalty on the International Stage. They were invited to this intimate gala dinner to receive their "Crystobel Award".

After the main course and with the dinner guests watching, the Emperor and Empress took to the stage and invited the honoured four to receive their awards.

Their Majesties, the Emperor and Empress of the United Empire, King and Queen of the Scots and Britanians.

The four selected members of the Europan Royal community were, from left: Queen Gloria of Normandia, the Duke of Swann, Lady Arcwhite and Queen Maria of Hispania.

The awards for Efforts to Promote the Cause of Royalty from left are: Best Royal Image, Most Noteworthy Male Royal, Most Noteworthy Female Royal and Friendliest Royal.

Best Royal Image might seem frivolous but Royal style does much for pushing the "brand" and showing the face of Royalty. Empress Crystobel was faultless in her appearance and always conveyed the perfect balance between regality and approachability. Lady Arcwhite was awarded this honour.

Friendliest Royal is awarded for being most in touch with the public and thus bridging the gap between the common man and the reigning dynasties. It also reflects popular opinion polls of the particular Royal in their home countries and quantifies the amount of charity work done in favour of the common man. Empress Crystobel was relentless in the field of charity and in the end reached levels of popularity that has solidified her iconic status. Queen Gloria received this honour.

Most Noteworthy Female Royal is awarded to the Royal who in light of and in spite of their position of privilege, power and responsibility has made the most quantifiable success of forwarding all the positive aspects of the concept of Royalty in their home country and on the international stage. Empress Crystobel is the quintessential " when life gives you lemons..." Royal and has done more through the worst era Royalty has ever faced, to end up " on top" even in death. Queen Maria reluctantly received this humbling award.

Most Noteworthy Male Royal like its female counterpart singles out the male equivalent. The Emperor, visibly moved, awarded this honour to: " my cousin and friend, hero of Europa" , the Duke of Swann. It is believed that this ceremony will be a once-off event, especially organised by the Emperor in his private capacity to personally honour those who have supported His Majesty and the cause of Royalty over the last decade. The event focuses even more media attention on the build up to the Imperial Coronation to take place on the 4th of July 2015.

Memory Monday (Last Official Portrait Photo Shoots of Empress Crystobel)

We are fast approaching the coronation to be held on the 3rd of July but what we must not forget is that two years ago close to the end of June 2013 Empress Crystobel was assassinated on a friendly diplomatic visit to Britania. Being the previous co-ruler of Scot-Britania and the mother of the now restored monarch of Britania and Scotney it seems appropriate after yesterday's Mother's Day Celebration, that we make mention to the Empress in some posts leading up to the coronation.

The Empress Crystobel has never ceased to been mentioned in the media and rightly so with the cosmic rise in popularity of the former Royal and then Imperial Family of Scotney and Britania. Now with the restoration of those monarchies and the advent of King Christian-Victor's election to the title of Emperor is is even more relevant to make regular mention of his illustrious mother. Providence had it that some archive photos have come to light from the Aldarian Palace as renovations took place over the last few months. A set of entirely forgotten portraits of Empress Crystobel was  found still undeveloped in an old secretarial file cabinet in what was formerly the administrative office of the household staff. These photos have been developed and digitized especially for our post today. 

The photos depict the Empress in 1994 shortly after the creation of the Empire, posing officially in a resplendent silver dress and family jewellery within the Cathedral of the Lion Heart for what must have been a range of photos intended to be State Portraits. The style of the photos however are extremely relaxed and not as formal as one expects from State Portraits. These exude a softness that lend them an esoteric feel inviting the onlooker into what seems to be a more intimate glimpse into the Empress life albeit set in the historic and austere setting of the cathedral.

Empress Crystobel, in this haunting photo is clearly an Empress but appears almost ethereal as it seems like she is hovering toward the onlooker.

A gentle yet pensive smile can be seen as Empress Crystobel avoids eye contact in this close up. The avoidance of eye contact ironically just seems to draw the onlooker deeper into the photo.

Here Her Imperial Majesty, appropriately and serenely pose at the Imperial throne upon which her and her husband was crowned. At the moment of crowning she publicly accepted the heavy burden of  responsibility to be the face and figurehead of an entire two nations.

The contrasts are clear as the beauty and regality of the photo also implies the gravitas and austerity of being Royal and being that before a people and God.

The highly artistic set of photos were taken by an unknown photographer as all records of the shoot have bee lost and nobody who may have memory of them are still alive after the 1996 revolution.

One sometimes forget that Empress Crystobel was also the Queen of Scotney in her own right and bore that title with pride before she became Empress. Being Queen was her first duty and also a separate commitment. She had a set of "new"State portraits taken in the capacity of Queen of Scotney almost a year after being crowned Empress. These photos were also thought lost but were found in the same file as the aforementioned set taken in the cathedral. Above we see one of the spectacular 1994 Scotney State Portraits. The negatives were in slightly better condition so allowed for better resolution upon development.

The last official time the Crown of St.Christian was used was for this 1994 set of State Portraits. It can clearly be seen in detail in this close up photo.  Parts of the famous ruby parure was also worn for this photo along with the Order of the Diamond Star and the red Royal Mantel of Scotney. 

We miss the Empress and truly enjoyed these long lost photos albeit with a bit of bittersweet reminiscence. However with the new day dawning we can but look forward to what it may bring.

Memory Mondays (Style Icons 5 Empress Crystobel)

We haven't had a "Style Icons" post in six months and we have never discussed this topic in depth as far as our late Empress Crystobel is concerned. We hope to pay homage in this post to that truly regal and illustrious lady and her most phenomenal style. 

This very intimate photo taken by the Duke of Swann of his aunt in 2012 captures her character and personality quite poignantly. The photo also almost gives a snapshot of her look and style, on the one hand, a straight forward simple woman, on the other hand a radiant Empress. 

Let us begin our anaylsis of Empress Crystobel's style with the last official portrait taken of her. It was never published due to her untimely death but we will post it here today for the first time.

This photo again shows the Empress in what may be seen as a signature look. Elegant, majestic yet friendly and beautiful. Not much needs to actually be said as it does seem to speak for itself.

Spectacular family and Crown jewels have been Crystobel's birthright and she has had access to the most amazing collections of both in her life. This has served to augment her natural yet never arrogant "to-the-manner-born" demeanor.

From a young age Crystobel has accepted and worn privilege well. Aside from her coronation, the public's other most memorable moment of the Empress'early life was her wedding as Queen of Scotney to the then Crown Prince of Britania. Protocol and tradition forced many symbols and national regalia upon her but she did not waver to add her own personal style touches to the requirements. The effect was more than memorable, and it has remained so through her life, nothing other than a tour de force.

More photos from the pre revolution reveal the Empress' classic yet also varied style. She could jump from crown, to tiara, to black tight fitting to jeans with equal success.

The only remaining photo of the event at Roswind Castle held on the night the missile strike on the Royal residence sparked the revolution show the Empress, radiant even under extreme stress. At this stage political tension was already boiling over the brim but she managed a tiara and a smile amidst it all.

The State Portrait of Empress Crystobel taken in 1995 was one of the last before the revolution. "Resolute" is the word that comes to mind.

Years went by and eventually the bitter revolution was relegated to a distant memory. A new era demanded a new Empress albeit in exile. She never shrunk back and this can be seen at the 2011 Christmas Ball where her chosen look was dramatically regal, emphasizing rank.

Posing for State or official portraits seemed to have been a forte of the Empress. Sleek with regal looking faux fur was wrought with equal success as any other.

Taking a back seat was not beneath the Empress when the situation asked for it. At events where her son was the focal point she would very easily dress "down" as in the photo above. One might not consider this "down" but given the context it was.

A collection of some of the Empress' looks belie one fact, her love of rubies.

Even in a more plainer look, Her Majesty still commanded respect. This was more due to her nature than the amount of diamonds or lofty titles.

The sleek and chic corporate look also suited Her Majesty well. Seen often in Americania, the Empress fit right in with executives and wealthy heiresses.

Even in mourning her Majesty's elegance was undeniable.

Bright and sunny in a spring cocktail dress does anybody well and Empress Crytobel shone often in polka dots or bright colours without seeming frivolous or banal.

Literally hours before her death, the Empress left her mark on our memories in humble yet undoubtedly Royal style sporting a hat as regally as any crown.

The quintessential State Portrait was the Empress' most effective arena and she always ruled there even if she had been without a throne for so long. The throne of our hearts however will never forget this truly Royal Lady who remained in dignity even when life sought to steal it from her.

Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesday (The Empress Crystobel Sisters Gift Necklaces)

In 1995 Empress Crystobel celebrated the birthdays of her sisters by giving each an identical necklace. Personal and intimate family gifts are often shared between Royals lending a very personal touch to what the rest of the world only sees as expensive jewels. Much of what is perceived as vast and valuable Royal collections are strewn with these personal heirlooms. Let as take a close look at the Crystobel Gift Necklaces today.

This archive photo was taken to record the two necklaces together. At left we see the one given to Princess Beatrice who became Grand Duchess of Hanoveria and at right the one that was given to Princess Elizabeth who became Duchess of Swann. The necklaces are made from pearls, diamonds and onyx. The gems are set in such a way to form a stylized equilateral cross.

This photo, taken at the birthday of Princess Beatrice, shows Empress Crystobel hanging the necklace on the neck of her youngest sister.

At the 1995 birthday party of Princess Beatrice her elder sister the Duchess of Swann also wore her copy of the necklace that she received a few months earlier for her birthday. The idea was that Empress Crystobel wanted to give each of her younger sisters something personal bur also exactly alike to symbolize her love for them. Also the hope is that these gifts will pass down the inherited lines of both the Hanoverian and Swanobian Royal dynasties forever being a symbol of their connection to each other and to the Imperial House of Scot-Britania. 

The last great event that saw one of the necklace worn was the Castle Sorgenfrei roof wetting party held in April 2013. Princess Beatrice, in green pictured above, wore hers to this intimate family affair. It stands to reason that the Swann version of the necklace has not been seen since before the 1996 Revolution wherein Princess Elizabeth lost her life. Both necklaces will pass to the next generation and may soon be seen worn by upcoming ladies in both Royal lines as they receive them as inheritance. 

Breaking News (Empress Crystobel's Assassin to be Excecuted)

Breaking news reports that the assassin of Empress Crystobel is to be executed on the 1st of October. Frantisek Voorheests was arrested shortly after his murder of the former Empress of Scot-Britania in August last year.  He reportedly wanted to be captured as he originally said that his actions were his indelible contribution to society. 

Members of the public have expressed surprise and even shock at the prospects of the supposedly inhumane method of execution. An ancient law states that a King's assassin has to be beheaded with a golden blade as a irony to the murderer's presumption as now his life is forfeit to the King of metals. The law is still active as it was never amended due to the 1996 Revolution which expelled all Royalty from Britania. Nobody expected regicide to ever take place on Britanian soil ever again and this twist of fate made that very unlikely event possible. The Crown Prince Imperial himself  petitioned the judge for the possibility of lethal injection but was rejected based on the law being in place and to set government procedures in place to change it may take more than a year which then overturns the ruling of the convicted's date of execution causing another legal impossibility. 

Now the international public will undoubtedly be on edge until the eventual beheading on Wednesday raising all kinds of controversy surrounding the death penalty and human rights. Protesters have already begun to gather outside the prison and the court house during the course of today. the Crown Prince Imperial is expected to make a press statement before or on the day of the execution. 

"To be or not to be" Thursday (Three Sisters)

It has been just over a year since my aunt, Empress Crystobel's assassination. I find myself recently missing the "good old days", missing her. By extension I miss my own mother, her sister. Family really is such a foundational part of life.

Our story of Royalty essentially revolves around 3 foundational characters. These three cousins; the Crown Prince Imperial, The Duke of Swann and the Grand Duke of Hanoveria, are the first born sons of three Princesses. These three sisters, who all ended up seated on thrones were very close and due to their efforts and sacrifices, Royalty survived past the 96 Revolution and into the new millennium. Today's post aims to remember these three sisters and their place in our history.

Here we see from left; Princess Beatrice, Dowager Grand Duchess of Hanoveria, the late Empress Crystobel and the late Duchess of Swann. They are portrayed here in a photo taken in the very year the 96 Revolution took place. Serene smiles seek to banish the growing tensions of the period and glamorous historic jewellery combine with glorious gowns in an attempt to persevere through hardship. Empress Crystobel was much liked even up until the outbreak of the Revolution. many mysteries still surround the actual causes of it. Princess Beatrice was happily married in her very peaceful new country of Hanoveria but was to lose her husband to the assassin's bullet of a blackmailing crime cartel. The Duchess of Swann was the only one of the three sisters to have actually passed away in the missile strike on Roswind Castle that sparked the 96 Revolution. The appalling death of many visiting foreign dignitaries that night almost cast the whole of Europa into war. 

The only surviving sister seen above is Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Hanoveria, Princess of Scot-Britania and Princess of Scotney. She, the youngest of the three siblings, battled cancer successfully a few years ago and now lives in secluded retirement after her years of devoted service to her family and adopted country of Hanoveria. 

The three sisters were born Princesses of the Kingdom of Scotney and with their eldest sister Crystobel becoming Queen of Scotney and eventually Empress of a United Empire of Scot-Briitania were all elevated to the rank of Imperial Princess. Princess Elizabeth of Scotney was the middle daughter who went on to marry the Duke of Swann amidst a media extravaganza. The popular couple were lauded in the Principality of Swann that boosted the small country into the media bull's eye where it has stayed since then. The new Duchess of Swann was the most popular Royal in the most popular monarchy in Europa and she excelled in her position doing more for charity, art and fashion than any other Princess before her. Unfortunately she was killed in her prime and the empty space left by her on the consort's throne of Swann has never again been filled. 

Probably no other Royal has received more coverage on this blog than Empress Crystobel. Her life and character has become a veritable archetype and icon of womanhood. The combination of strength and sensitivity, invincible endurance and her indelible grace even in the face of tragic loss and death will live on forever in and thoughts and hearts. She was born a Princess, inherited the title of Queen and became a wife and Empress. Her role as mother and business woman to boot is the icing on the cake. Unwavering style and humility is testified of by all who met her and the dedication shown through her life and work and perhaps even just her portrait has inspired in many. 

A previously unpublished photo sees the three sisters in 1995 celebrating the birthday of Princess Beatrice. The two younger siblings wear matching necklaces given them by Empress Crystobel of which Beatrice received hers that very day.

It truly is amazing the consequences and extenuating results a mere sibling relationship can have on the very world. For good or for bad, how we treat those around us does ripple on into eternity. let us follow good examples and learn to love our neighbour that we may affect the world like true Royalty.