Memory Monday (Prince Dillon of Swann's 2011-2012 Military Service)

In 2011 Prince Dillon of Swann, cousin and heir to the Duke of Swann, entered compulsory military service. It is also tradition in the Royal Family of Swann aside from conscription, that male members of the Royal Family serve at least a one year term in the armed forces. This is considered a duty of service to their country and a sacrifice aside from their life long commitment to serve as a Royal. His Royal Highness joined the Swann Royal Infantry and was treated like any other rookie serviceman during his training. 

After graduating from basic training, Corporal Swann, saw service and action in the Perlistan mountains where several separatist groups threaten the current Perlistan Government who have a mutual protection treaty with the Principality of Swann. In the above photo we see the Prince as part of the Swanobian Military Presence in Perlistan. He is pictured with some other members from his motorized platoon camping around an abandoned building in Karachi, a largely bombed mountain town near the conflict zone. 

Prince Dillon enjoys the life of a normal soldier and is quoted as appreciating being free from the less positive aspects of being Royal. Apart from our agreed upon feature, the Prince did not have to face off a single camera lens. In this photo we see the young Corporal with his tent mate and friend, Gunnery Sergeant Ruwan Els. 

This poignant photo alludes strongly to a State Portrait and with good reason, as even war cannot diminish the Prince's Royal bearing. 

His Royal Highness Prince Dillon completed his tour of service having also acquired his flight wings at the end of 2012. The Prince has admitted that he feels very close to the armed forces and will continue an intimate bond with them.

Wonderful Weekends (Retirement Portrait of Princess Beatrice, Dowager Grand Duchess of Hanoveria)

Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice the Dowager Grand Duchess of Hanoveria, Princess of Scotney has officially announced her retirement from public duty. The decision followed the shocking tragedy of her sister, Empress Crystobel's assassination last year. The aging Dowager and mother of the current ruler of Hanoveria has had to lose two close family members to the assassins bullet. She also lost her husband early in their married life. Princess Beatrice has served her adopted nation and her son the Grand Duke well in her life but has said that she would like to enjoy the peace of the countryside for the last part of it. Her retirement is officially sanctioned by her son who feels his mother deserves it.

An official portrait of Princess Beatrice was released to celebrate her life and to serve as announcement of her retirement. It was taken in the courtyard of her country estate Schmetterling Castle. 

Retirement for a Royal does not mean that we will never see them again at public functions. it just means that protocol does not demand that they attend meetings as representatives of their country and monarch. Their official duties are therefore disbanded along with the finances that cover those duties. Princess Beatrice will retire to her country estate and horse stud outside the Hanoverian capital where she will be visited by family and friends. We truly wish the Princess all the best and a peaceful retirement.

Fascinating Fridays (Thrones)

Thrones are as linked to the concept and mystique of monarchy as crowns. One cannot imagine a king without a throne as much as he cannot be without his kingdom. In today's post we will discuss in an introductory fashion some of the thrones of the Monarchies of Europa. For an explanation of the meaning of the word throne follow this link: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/throne. Many thrones have existed and have been lost or destroyed through history and the 96 Revolution was no different costing posterity some historic treasures. However thrones were fortunately not so aggressively targeted as were other symbols of Royalty.

Many Kingdoms my have more than one throne placed for different occasions in various venues. Sometimes even makeshift thrones are used and a mere fancy chair may be placed strategically to serve a monarch. There is the a preeminent throne usually referred to as the Coronation or Investiture Chair upon which a monarch is officially acclaimed. These thrones are usually, the most historic, symbolic and often embellished with gold and precious stones. 

This photo taken recently during the Duke of Swann's visit to Reichenthal, shows a small throne in the background. The so called "Small Throne Room" in the Palace of Reichenthal serves as a kind of  "welcoming room" and in days gone by the King of Reichenthal would receive his guests in full state here. This is not the main throne of the nation of Reichenthal.

In a hasty meeting in 2012 Lady Arcwhite officially received a Syldavian delegation headed by the Grand Duke of Serbieski. A simple black chair was drafted to serve as throne for this meeting. 

In contrast to the previously mentioned chair the very imposing Mirror Throne of Arcwhite is the official one of the realm and serves as Arcwhite's Coronation Chair. The Mirror throne is said to be made from the shattered glass taken from the mirrors broken by Ladies of the Veil in their induction ceremony. The are required to askew all personal vanity in favour of total devotion to the Lady Arcwhite and as such show their loyalty in swearing allegiance by breaking a hand mirror at her feet in these ceremonies. The shattered glass is then added to the throne. The throne is further embellished gold, silver, rock crystal and fiaence glass. 

The throne of Romagna has been preserved along with many other historic Royal relics in the main palace of the former Romagnan Royal Family. The current pretender, Duchess Di Giorgio was invited by the Democratic Government of Romagna to take a set of photos commemorating the country's history and to officially be welcomed back from exile. She accepted and this portrait in front of the throne was the result. The throne is made using indigenous Romagnan marble slabs, some gold and silver and meticulous hand painted art. 

All that remains of what was the Imperial Throne of the United Empire of Scot-Britania is this rough concept sketch. It went missing during the 96 Revolution and is thought destroyed. The simple design incorporated no precious materials but did display symbols of the Imperial Monarchy. 

The positively spectacular Throne of Swann is not very large but overwhelming in its use of gold which is also equaled in the detailed craftsmanship. It was commisioned for the first independent sovereign Duke of Swann from the famous Reichenthalian Carpenters Guild. World famous for their exceptional skills in furniture making, goldsmithing and other crafts, this throne stands as a testament of the level achievable by the Reichenthalian artisans. The throne, rich in symbolism is still in use by the Dukes of Swann and serves as Coronation Chair and for State Portraits. 

Many but not all of the thrones in Europa were born in Reichenthal's workshops so one would not expect the ruler of the small region to have one of the most awe inspiring thrones. The Throne of Reichenthal is of simple design and of unimposing stature but it does employ a high level of artistic execution and its claim to fame is that it is made almost entirely of gold. In the State Portrait above we can see the the elegant design and gleaming grandeur of this Reichenthalian masterpiece. 

More thrones exist and will be encountered on this blog as time passes but for today's post that will be it for now.

Wonderful Weekends (2014 State Portrait of Queen Maria of Hispania)

In keeping with the Hispanian tradition of releasing a State Portrait of their monarch in January every year we are happy to join in and publish the official photo of Her Majesty,Queen Maria here on our blog as well. 

The Queen posed for the photo in the gardens of Castillo Trono De Seguro wearing a traditional Flamenco dress. Her Majesty also wore the necklace, earrings and mantilla comb from the Crown Ruby Parure. 

The full length photo looks absolutely spectacular and does the nation of Hispania proud. 

Memory Monday (Surviving Pre Revolution Portraits of Emperor Christian of Scot-Britania)

Since most of the photographic records of Imperial Scot-Britania were destroyed during the 96 Revolution obviously very few photographs of Emperor Christian exist today. However some did escape the destruction and have been published on this blog. We also have the odd never-before-seen photo pop up from under the cracks every once in a while. Today we will list the photos we have published along with a miracle find of another over looked archive portrait that was never even released to the public in the days of the short lived Empire.

This is one of many photos that still exist today due to the fact that copies were kept by the Swanobian Royal family. They depict the wedding of Empress Crystobel and Emperor Christian of Scot-Britania a few years before the establishment of the United Empire.

This photo is the only known to exist depicting the bride and groom (or anybody else for that matter) at the reception of the aforementioned wedding. 

This photo of the Emperor and Empress of the United Empire was a casual one taken by a friend of Empress Crystobel using a pocket camera. It is the only record of the fateful night in 1996 when the Bloody Revolution began with a missile strike on Roswind Castle.

This, never before published photo of Emperor Christian, was recently found in the Britanian Governmental Archives. It seemingly fell behind stacks of other files and remained there till now. Due to the ban on Royalty being lifted, the law does not require its destruction and it has found its way onto the internet as a historic find of great value. The photo depicts the young Emperor in what obviously was a pre-coronation official photo. He stands next to the Imperial Canon that was re-Christened as such to serve as the ceremonial canon for the new Empire. The original Royal Britanian Ceremonial Gun was ordered for King George V of Britania's Coronation in the early 1900's in Reichenthal. It recently served as the Gun Carriage carrying the coffin of Empress Crystobel. 

"To be or not to be" Thursday (Interview with the Grand Duke of Reichenthal)

As the New Year is fresh and it is our first Thursday of 2014 we decided to do a profile that gave us a bit of history whilst exposing us to the "new". The year 2013 saw many Royal Families return to the limelight but none drew as much attention as Reichenthal. Due to some internal politics the Royal Family of Reichenthal had been quite secluded and existed in an obscure and separated state from the rest of Europa. Now they are flung onto the world stage and on our blog and we hope to see many happy returns. 

A secluded country ... The Reichentalian Code

There are many reasons why Reichenthal was almost seen as the "stepchild" of Europa:

The country is landlocked and surrounded by mountains making it very difficult to access.
No mineral resources existed and Reichenthal was only famous for its wine, highly skilled artisans and its very isolationist political outlook.  The Europan Continent did not pay much attention to a small obscure and politically insignificant "kingdom" that also posed no threat to anybody else except perhaps to complain about somebody's lack in "styling wallpaper".  

Politically Reichenthal also liked to play both sides of the fiddle - never really "siding" with any major political Europan powers and almost always abiding by a policy of peace.  Nobody bothered with Reichenthal as it seemed to be an "unimportant little valley" and in turn the Reichentalian nation never really bothered to become part of the Europan civilization.  On their part they existed separately from Europa and reinforced their seclusion by making every 12 year old Reichentalian lay down what is called a "Reichentalian Code" or "Oath".  This Oath legally bound every Reichantalian citizen to a loyalty to their country and its Crown above all else.  

It's interesting to note that this Reichentalian Code was played as a trump card:  It ensured that the major powers of Europa would not be threatened by Reichentalian Citizens as they would remain loyal to their King and his ideals.  The King acted as a sort of Representative for the Reichentalian nation and as such he made deals with the Royal Houses and Governments of the rest of Europa, bartering Reichentalian craftsmanship and wine for peace and prosperity within the country.  Reichenthal was not bogged down or affected by External politics and even abolished its military after it became clear that the country could exist in harmony with Europa through its policy of diplomacy.

The role of the Reichentalian King and Reichental's place in Europa

The Reichentalian King is an embodiment of the nation's ideals, its moral compass and its pride as a people.  

Today Reichenthal is technically speaking, not an independent country although its existence has not been affected by its mediatized inclussion in Greater Syldavia.  By a swipe of the King's pen, Reichenthal was made a province of Syldavia (after the 1996 Revolution) in order to protect Reichenthal from the brewing  democratic forces that might invade and to abide by the stipulations as laid down by the then Governor of Syldavia. After the Restoration of the Kingdom of Syldavia (in 2012), The King of Reichenthal was mediatized to a Grand Duke to represent Reichenthal to the rest of Europa but remained in a personal capacity the "King of his people".  


The current ruler of Reichenthhal, Grand Duke Lothair Richard, King of the Reichentalians standing in front of the famous pure gold Reichentalian throne. The throne is an example of Reichentalian craftsmanship and was made from gold received from other Europan countries in exchange for Reichentalian Art and Wine.  

A little bit more insight ...

In 2013 the famous reporter, Kitty Spice was granted the first international interview with a Reichentalian Monarch.  Some of the main topics that were covered follows here:

Kitty Spice:  What role do you see Reichenthal playing in a modern world?

Lothair: Reichenthal has a lot to offer. Our wine is among the best in the world. Our museums of history are some of the most untapped intellectual resources of knowledge in all of Europa. Our artisans do not only offer furniture by distinction of antique value but we are leaders in modern furniture making and art as well.  Since Reichenthal has become famous after the Syldavian Restoration we are growing as a tourist destination of distinction, offering a perspective on Europa unlike any other, as our country has been so untouched by war and the '96' revolution.   

Kitty Spice:  Tell us a bit about your wife.

Lothair: Grand Duchess Azantha is my undying support. She puts up with me. She made a huge sacrifice giving up her religion to become my wife.  She listens to my complaints and supports me in whatever I do.  The Grand Duchess is extremely popular in Reichenthal. Quite frankly, I think if I died tomorrow the greater part of Reichenthal would not see it as a great loss, but if Grand Duchess Azantha has to pass on the nation will feel that they've lost a close friend.

Grand Duchess Azantha, Grand Duke Lothair and Kitty Spice conduct the interview around a cup of imported tea.

Kitty Spice: Was it easy for you and your people to be included into the Greater Syldavia?

Lothair: For some of the older generation Reichentalians it was a traumatic adaptation. They saw it as a threat to Reichenthal's prolonged existence as a secluded and "safe" haven.  The younger generations were much more pro-inclusion. Nevertheless all Reichentalians now see the benefits of the country being a part of the continent - it has brought even greater wealth and opportunity to the region. The day-to-day goings-on for Reichentalians in general have remained unaffected. The only real change has come as far as my role as ruler. What it boils down to is that I have more work to do (The Grand Duke giggles while he says this) and everybody else carries on as if nothing happened.

Kitty Spice: How do you see you and your family's role in relation to other royal families within Europa?

Lothair: We have always maintained great relations with the Principality of Swann. Wallachia is also an ally.  Due to our inclusion into the Syldavian electorate we have fostered friendships and ties with others that in the past, we were even considered enemies of (Like Serbieski).  The figurehead and example of Empress Crystobel cannot do anything but inspire anybody who has ever sat on a throne. Our moral support of His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince Imperial, will never waver. Our loyalty to the King of Syldavia goes without saying and we support the greater good of the kingdom of Syldavia. Another notable is Lady Arcwhite who visited us incognito for a hunting expedition in our forests.  

Dark Days of Lothair's past 

On the 15th May 1997 a turning point in Grand Duke Lothair's life (then the Crown Prince of Reichenthal) came when he had a motorcar accident whilst under the influence of alcohol during his stay in Wallachia for his studies.  

In the above picture we see the young Prince Lothair with two police officers after traffic was brought to a standstill by his smashed car.  Though nobody was injured the complications caused by his diplomatic immunity caused a great embarrassment to his father and the people of his native Reichenthal. This only added fuel to what was going at the time as a civil war was raging in then neighbouring Syldavia. This civil war, sparked by the 1996 revolution toppled the Syldavian Monarchy and brought an end to the monarchic system in several other regions. Reichenthal was not to be spared. 

On the 21st July 1997, two months after Lothair's accident, his father was assassinated amidst the ongoing civil unrest.  Reichenthal itself did not suffer the civil war except for an intruder from Syldavia that saw it as his duty to eradicate the Reichentalian Monarchy.  

King Richard Joshia lies in state after his assassination.

Lothair in effect was now the ruler of Reichenthal and was to be so for a mere seven days. After seven days the new Governor appointed by the annexation of Reichenthal by the new Syldavian Democracy arrived as the authority in Reichenthal with the following stipulations:

Lothair was not allowed to, in any official capacity, identify himself as King.
All members of the Reichentalian Code had to relinquish any ideals to become a threat to Syldavia or assert independence.
Lothair would be the middleman between the ruling governor and the people of Reichenthal.

Though Lothair was no longer officially the King of Reichenhtal as a region, his people continued to call him their King and addressed him as "Your Majesty".  The idea of not having a king was unfathomable for Reichentalians who, after swearing allegiance to their king during the laying down of the Reichentalian Code, could not accept the Governor's stipulations.

Due to the Reichentalian Code Lothair had no option to agree to the Governor's demands as it was the only way to secure him and his people's safety. It was after relinquishing his position as King that Lothair uttered his most famous words:  "If God created the World in 7 days and thereafter was satisfied with what He had done, who am I to complain about being king for 7 days?"

In effect the whole of Reichenthal was made a prisoner of their mountain alcove and faded from the memories of the world until the Syldavian monarchy's restoration in 2012. 

Syldavia restored its kingdom as a traditional monarchy but after a year decided to reconsider the structure.

Part of the new Syldavian Elected Monarchy ...

The 5 aristocratic dynasties that make up the electorate had to ceremoniously take up their place and also gather for their actual first practical meeting.

It was announced from the offices of the newly restored King Nikolas III of Syldavia that hence forth Syldavia would remain a Kingdom with King Nikolas III as "King for life". The monarchy would convert from its then hereditary succession to an elected succession with immediate effect. This meant that consecutive  Monarchs would be elected from the congregation of Noble and Royal Dynasties within the traditional borders of what is now Syldavia. Therefore the Heads of the Houses of Serbieski, Bo'hemia, Von Thurn und Taxis, Von Bismarck and Reichethal would be eligible for election as "Monarch for life" upon the death of the former Monarch. Each House will follow its own house laws on succession. 

The elected monarchical system will allow a fair chance for all the traditional monarchies to feel included in the rulership of Syldavia. Officially the Congregation of Dynastic heads would be known as the Syldavian Electorate and would also serve as the Kings Ruling Council. It stands to reason that this system never allows for an actual Royal Family to exist as only the King and his wife will fall within that category. This places a lot of prestige on the regional royal families as far as interacting with the people groups are concerned.  

Pictured above we see the Reichentalian Royal Family:  Princess Delrese, Grand Duchess Azantha and Grand Duke Lothair.  This is in effect how Reichentalians see their Royal Family:  a strong structure devoted to humble service but at the same time upholding a standard of dignity.  The above photo was an officially released state portrait of the Royal Family to Celebrate the 16th Birthday of Princess Delrese.  

At the 2013 Christmas Ball Grand Duke Lothair and Grand Duchess Azantha made their first  international official appearance and represented both the people of Reichenthal and their status as part of the Electorate of Syldavia.

For more detail on Reichenthal visit: http://royallothair.blogspot.com/

"To be or not to be" Thursday (Princess Marie-Elizabeth of Swann)

On this family Thursday, the day after Christmas I'd like to post on the life of my sister Princess Marie-Elizabeth.

Her Royal Highness Princess Marie-Elizabeth of Swann was born in 1984. She is the younger and only sister of the current Duke of Swann. Her early years like most of her contemporary peers was a life of privilege coupled with the disciplined preparation for duty as a Princess. She showed an interest in animals almost immediately and displayed an unusual knack for interacting with them.

The Princess had a far more successful relationship with her father than her elder brother ever did but it was still more volatile than one would classify as normal. She was known even before she reached the age of 7 to be capable of random bouts of tantrums normally triggered by being frustrated from owning every little animal she set her eyes on. She would also sometimes be exasperated by her father. These were remarkably self controlled and manipulative tantrums belying the Princess' intelligence but she never brooded for long and almost manically returned to a happy-go-lucky animal lover.

Here we see Princess Marie-Elizabeth with her elder brother and her cousin, Prince Dillon at the 2012 Christmas Ball. The Princess isn't overtly interested in fashion and style but normally manages more than merely the correct look for every occasion.

Her childhood soon entered the teenager phase but this naturally difficult time in a persons life in her case was completely overshadowed by the 1996 Revolution which struck when she was just 12. Not only did she lose both her parent but for security she was separated from her brother and was raised by an extended family member in Americania till she reached the age of 18 in 2002. She did go through an initial two year phase between 1996 and 1998 that dropped her in deep bouts of depression. Growing up without her parents led her eventually to a suicide attempt where she overdosed on her prescription sleeping tablets. Her brother was flown to her side in hospital and after a lengthy visit, some serious counselling and a relaxing of security protocols, over time her depression was dispelled as the memories of the revolution faded into the past.

Apart from all the stress these events caused the Princess coped relatively well adjusting to her "new" life. She didn't excel at school or sport but that was due to lack of interest more than anything else. Her mind was always on horse riding.

After school she attended a business management course whilst working part time on a horse ranch in Canadium. It was here that her interest in animal assisted depression therapy was sparked. A program was established on the ranch where depression sufferers where allowed to interact with the horses and as time passed were allowed to ride. This process assisted greatly in there treatment, some claiming to be fully cured. 

Here we see the Princess in 2010 at the Royal Stables in Swann where she has several horses and runs a similar program to the one she worked at in Canadium.

Princess Marie-Elizabeth was a stranger to the world of Royalty regardless of the fact that her brother was a ruling Prince. The Duke of Swann never pressured her into Royal duties or to make public appearances. He allowed his sister to initiate her "red carpet" involvement as he felt she was doing more than enough already with her charity work that involved several animal charities, and even a rural education program in Ophiri. The day came however in 2011 when their cousin, The Princess of Wallachia was to make a State Visit to Swann when Princess Marie-Elizabeth asked her brother if she could attend the banquet officially as the "first lady of Swann". This of course was appropriate as her brother, remains to this day unmarried. The Duke of Swann agreed happily and so she made her first red carpet appearance. The Princess followed on her debut by attending the 2011 Christmas Ball.

In 2012 officially represented her deceased mother at the opening of the new Swann Opera House. The project being originally initiated by her mother more than 15 years earlier. For the event, pictured above, she wore her mother's Dowry Parure in honour of her memory. Here we see at the Swann Opera House a bevy of high ranking Royals with whom the Princess by right brushes shoulders with. From left; Princess Augusta of the United Empire, The Dowager Grand Duchess of Hanoveria (aunt to the Duke of Swann), Princess Marie-Elizabeth of Swann (patron of the Swann Opera), The Empress Crystobel I of the United Empire (aunt to theDuke of Swann), The Crown Princess Imperial of the United Empire and Grand Duchess Alice of Hanoveria.

Since then Princess Marie-Elizabeth has been a regular representative of the Swanobian Monarchy and balances her Royal duties very successful with her charity work.

In 2013 the engagement  of Princess Marie-Elizabeth to the Arch Duke of Fulco D'Este was announced. Their 2014 wedding promises to be the most dazzling since the nuptials of the Crown Prince Imperial. This wedding will be an official Swanobian Royal Event with an accompanying public holiday and national celebrations. 

A new Coat of Arms was also officially designed by the Swanobian Heraldic Society as per Royal custom. The Crest combines those of Swann and Fulco D'Este as she is a Royal Princess becoming the Consort of the Head of another Royal Dynasty albeit one in pretense. 

As we look forward to 2014 and the upcoming wedding we reflect on the Princess'most famous quote made during her speech at the opening of her Riding Center in Aid of Victims of Depression in Swann: "Let us think of those in need and not just in the physical monetary sense. Sometimes a person just needs a visit or a hug or a phone call. Simple connection is the most basic need and often the least considered."

We wish Her Royal Highness a bright and blessed future as she endeavors to serve as only a Princess can.