Wonderful Weekends (Official Portraits of Queen Gloria and the Glass Throne)

Wonderful Weekends is an oasis of posting in our currently dry land of blogging. The Principality of Swann has been experiencing terrible signal strength and by extension internet connectivity problems from its national service provider since the Arcwhite Crisis which has affected Europa in many ways. Arcwhite, a major technological force in Europa with services extending from satelight, cellphones and other media, is currently stabilising and areas affected may take a while to return to normal.

So we return only now a week later after our previous post. The Normandian University for Art and Design has afforded their first year students the very unique opportunity of designing a "throne" with their Queen Gloria in mind. The project was to focus public attention on the burgeoning design talent in Normandia and to help publicize the University. Queen Gloria herself got involved by deciding to pose with the finished throne in her official portrait shoot for 2014 thus boosting media coverage to the max. The "throne", of very abstractly creative design, will never serve as an actual symbol of state but does serve the design community by creating awareness of Normandian talent. The University has auctioned the throne off to raise funds for bursaries.

Her Majesty Queen Gloria of Normandia has graciously supported the University for Art and Design by immortalising their project in this State Portrait. 

Queen Gloria chose the national colours of light blue for obvious reasons but also to compliment the throne that also included various shades of blue. 

Wonderful Weekends (Official Portraits of the Earl and Countess Basquith)

We are glad to slowly but surely begin to post more regularly after the Arcwhite crisis got all the media coverage of late. Today we post our first Wonderful weekends for what seemed to be a very long while.The Earl and Countess Basquith have decided to join their peers in releasing an official portrait set. It has as we have seen become a bit of a fashion amongst our Nobles from the former Empire of Scot-Britania of late to release these portraits to continue fanning the flame of monarchic popular sentiment. It also seems to be working well as these photos score thousands of hits as they go viral each time. 

His Lordship and Her Ladyship, the Earl and Countess Basquith. 

The Earl, looking very stern as usual, opted for holding his coronet of rank in his hand which, by the way, is considered one of the official ways of doing it in a portrait of this caliber. His Lordship used to avoid the media glare but has of late, along with his even more reclusive wife attended public Royal events and now also granted this photo opportunity.

The camera shy Countess made for a successful Noblewoman pose in this, her close-up. She wore the Basquith Tiara and a glitzy green mini dress.

What's Up Wednesday (The Arcwhite Crisis and Final Outcome)

After the last few weeks of stress, we can finally report on the outcome of the Arcwhite crisis. Lady Arcwhite has returned to her native land triumphantly as the hero who broke the yoke of the insidiously evil Order of the Veil. The Order has been underhandedly responsible for many of Europa's most tragic disasters and even had manipulated event leading up to the Great War. Lady Arcwhite, as head of the order was set up and also manipulated as a puppet leader through threats and manipulation for years. In an attempt to save herself, her country and indeed the entire Europa, she finally took the bold risk to break with the order and expose them for who they are. It has become clear through Lady Arcwhite's testimony that the Order of the Veil was working hard and fast towards another Europan War, with the intent on toppling all monarchies and making a bid for executive power within the Council of Europan Government. A lengthy inquiry is now underway to complete exonerate her from and responsibility for any actions the Order of the Veil were involved in. 

The Duke of Swann went with Lady Arcwhite to assist in the restoration of her government and has promised the help of his own country in settling the state of emergency that has reigned in Arcwhite for the last month. The Mithrandir also sanctioned the Lady Arcwhite and the stance she took by joining her and the Duke of Swann officially in Arcwhite. His Holiness' presence lends a strong sense of stability and peace to what may have been a precarious homecoming for Lady Arcwhite. His Holiness also hopes to negotiate the return of the Church of Arcwhite back into the fold of the Europan Fraternity of Christ's Church. Drealle Mormaer, the Lady Arcwhite's niece was also a happy sight as she was held prisoner and tortured for the duration of the Arcwhite Crisis.

The four main officials at the relaxed welcoming dinner hosted in Arcwhite.

Pictured here with the Mithrandir is the recently restored Lady Arcwhite looking radiant albeit slightly subdued after the the tensions seized with the destruction of the Order of the Veil.


We can all breathe a sigh of relief as a genuine threat of war was avoided and share in the new hope for a bright and prosperous Arcwhite. 

Official Royal Statement (Arcwhite Crisis Hyathus)

His Royal Highness the Duke of Swann is currently assisting in the restoration of order in the Islands of Arcwhite. As such his entire staff are also very occupied with their duties in the aftermath of the last few weeks' chaos. Blogging will resume, with a final report on Arcwhite in next week's What's Up Wednesday Post. 

On behalf of the Duke of Swann

Sir Charles Jennings

Lord High Stewart of Swann

Breaking News (Arcwhite Shocking Resolution)

The Arcwhite crisis has finally come to its end albeit it a very tragic one. In the pre-dawn hours of today, satellite tracking revealed a small private jet taking off from a small airstrip in Arcwhite. The entire island falls under an international embargo blocking all travel until the fugitive Ladies of the Veil are captured and brought to justice. After failing to respond to international hails the order was given from Scotney to shoot the plane down that was by then airborne.

The Britanian Chancellor was first to release a press statement and did so on behalf of the United Europan Council of Governments. He stated that the Democratic Government of Scotney was authorized to use all necessary force to bring the airplane down.

Two Empress Class Striker Jets were scrambled from the nearest Scotney base and engaged the private jet in under 28 minutes. After several hails went ignored the jets shot the plane down over international waters. Rescue boats from Arcwhite and Scotney were already dispatched at the time the jets took off. 

Satellite tracking made the discovery of the location of the downed plane easy. There were no survivors and no real way of accounting for bodies as a flight manifesto was not filed. Eight female bodies were recovered and one male who was easily identified as the pilot due to his uniform.

It may seem like poetic justice however that the crisis came to its particular end. Proof now has been established of the Order of the Veil's direct involvement in the missile strike on Roswind Castle in 1996 where two jets were also insidiously used to spark the Bloody Revolution.

Lady Arcwhite in a press statement made immediately after the report were confirmed, declared a state of marshal law in Arcwhite submitted to the Europan Union authorities. She announced Sable Blackwood as confirmed dead and that Drealle Mormaer was discovered bound and tortured in the Spire Office Complex in the Arcwhite capital later.  Lady Arcwhite now prepares to regain her government with the help of Swanobian and Scotney officials. She will arrive in Arcwhite by tonight.

Breaking News (Baroness D'Rothchild Visits Her Husband)

Baroness D'Rothchild arrived at the Police Jail today in Franconia to visit her husband who is still detained their pending final judgement on his case for being an innocent victim of the schemes of the Order of the Veil. His testimony however has place sever pressure on the currently declared "criminal government" of Arcwhite. The world still awaits a response from Arcwhite as an air and sea embargo surrounds the island nation.  The Baron's case looks very good and a plea bargain is sure to be reached. 

The Baroness looked very relieved to finally be able to see her husband and find some closure after the stresses of this week. 

Breaking News (Baron D'Rothchild Surrenders to the Law)

  Early today the Baron D'Rothchild arrived of his own free will and handed himself over to authorities in Franconia in submission to the warrant for his arrest. His Lordship was wanted for questioning and possible prosecution for his involvement in the Arcwhite/Order of the Veil political crime case. Baron D'Rothchild was away for business in the Far East but as soon as he saw the news concerning Lady Arcwhite immediately jumped at the chance to confess. He flew by private jet to his native country of Franconia and was dropped by his limousine directly at the door of his local police station to hand himself over.

The Baron is quoted as saying he was very relieved to unburden himself of carrying these secrets for years. He also confessed to being very tired of keeping up appearances for the sake of protecting his family from the threats of the order of the Veil who reputedly was going to kill his wife if he ever confessed. The current developments has obviously freed him up to do just that. His wife never knew of his under the table dealings with the Order of the Veil and her interrogation that took place in Serbieski yesterday has exempted her from any responsibility. The Baroness is very distraught however as to her husband's well being and it will be arranged for her to see him as soon as possible.

 Baron D'Rothchild's willingness to cooperate stands him in good stead as far as his plea of innocence is concerned. His claim of supposedly being under threat of harm and death if he did not continue in cooperating with the yoke of extortion the Order of the Veil held over his family for generations has been confirmed. Apparently his uncle, Prince Louis D'Pont Du Lac's lifelong illness was a genetically engineered ailment to prove the extent of the Order of the Veil's power to hurt the Baron's wife and mother. This insidious deed has been added to the list of their now proven crimes.

The press was granted this photo of the baron waiting in the interrogation room to be interviewed as far as his involvement

Stock prices in the D'Rothchild International Banking firm did drop when his involvement in the Arcwhite crisis was first revealed to the media bur have gained again today as the reports of his confession became clearer. His Lordship will remain in protective custody until his innocence is proven and also for his protection. The Baroness will be allowed to visit him at her soonest convenience.

These shocking developments is evidence of a crumbling of the Order of the Veil's integrity and hope for reprieve. More and more evidence proves their clandestine place in history and the guilt of its current members in gross crimes against humanity in furthering their own selfish agendas. This is placing growing pressure on Ladies of the Veil to surrender themselves to international law for trial and punishment. We still await their official response while the Duke of Swann is preparing to go to Arcwhite to negotiate or force their surrender if so required.

Concern for the well being of Drealle Mormaer, Lady of the Silver Cuffs, and niece of Lady Arcwhite increases as her now conspicuous absence become evident. She has not been seen at any of the Order of the Veil's press conferences nor has she made any statements. Lady Arcwhite herself has defended her innocence and is now worried that her life might be in danger as yet another victim of the Order of the Veil. 

Breaking News (Arcwhite Breaking Point)

Relevant government heads met yesterday in the Switzer Federation for an emergency meeting surrounding the Arcwhite crisis. The purpose of the meeting was to hear and assess all the evidence gathered from Lady Arcwhite, combined with that received from the executed assassin of Empress Crystobel and the apprehended bombers of the Serbieski power plant. It has been rumoured for years that an underground terrorist group has been working in Europa since the days of the 96 Revolution. Evidence of their existence had been obvious from their very overt actions but who they were and their specific agenda has been unclear. In recent months evidence that links the power plant bombing and the theft of the Duke of Swann's emeralds were proven but since the confession of Empress Crystobel's assassin far more has come to light linking even the 96 Revolution to all these tragedies. Investigations continued as more proof was needed before decisive action could be taken. The council now brings Lady Arcwhite's surprising confession into the mix with the intent on rendering final judgment and to set in motion a plan to eradicate the terrorism that has plagued Europa.

Lady Arcwhite's written statement begins with her motivation for fleeing Arcwhite as being an attempt at averting another war. She made the radical decision to desert her government and disclose all her knowledge of the Order of the Veil's secret and classified activities that she was privy to. These allegations many, verifiable and some still not entirely proven, reach as far back as the Franconian Revolution  centuries ago and have answered many of the mysteries surrounding what sparked the 96 Revolution in the former Empire of Scot-Britania. As far as facts go, the Order of the Veil may as well be one and the same as the underground terrorist group.

The Europan Emergency Council gathers in the Switzer Federation as a department of the Europan Government Union. Not all members were physically present but were in communication by phone and ready to vote on the matters in hand. Member nations physically present were from clockwise top left; Syldavia, Wallachia, Swann, Hispania, the Foreign Coalition, Ruskiana, Britania, Scotney and Romagna. All members were represented by their actual heads of government or heads of state or both, lending a sense of seriousness to the meeting. The foreign coalition is an observing body representing nations from outside Europa but is afforded a voice in Europan concerns. It was represented by Queen Ukulunghile from Ophiri.

His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince Imperial was elected acting Chairman of this Emergency Council due to his intimate involvement in the matters but political neutrality.

The council convenes, opened by its Chairman.

The Duke of Swann presents the case and testimonial evidence of Lady Arcwhite to the council and media. The list of alleged atrocities committed by the Order of the Veil as an organization and its members is as follows:
1. Financing the Franconian Revolutionary Interim Government before their legitimacy was established.
2. Using extortionary tactics to manipulate the D'Rothchild Baronial Family and its Banking network for the purposes of destabilizing economies and governments which in particular had huge impact on the events leading to the Great War.
3. Having agents in Ruskiana that were directly involved in the death of the Imperial Family of Ruskiana in the onset of the Great War.
4. The theft and secret concealing of the Serbieski Crown Jewels with political intent.
5. The assassination of  King Rishard Joshia of Reichenthal.
6. Having agents within the Scot-Britanian Government with the intent on causing distension, affecting the economy and spreading tactical misinformation.
7. Having agents in the Scot-Britanian Airforce that fired the missiles into Roswind Castle sparking the 1996 Revolution.
8. Financing and strategically directing the Europan Mafia with the intent on extorting major Europan Government officials.
9. Establishing a Serbieski underground under false "patriotic" sentiments to destabilize the Syldavian Governement and smear the reputation of the Serbieski people to further these separatist intents.
10. Using the fabricated persona of "Sable Blackwood" as an agent to establish money laundering businesses in the Principality of Swann and to gain intimate relational access to the Duke of Swann.
11. Stealing and destroying the historic emerald collection of the Duke of Swann to divert attention from themselves and to focus it on a possible Serbieski underground terrorist group.
12. Bombing their own power plant in Serbieski to further develop the case for a supposed Serbieski underground with separatist patriotism as aim.
13. Hiring a Serbieski hit man to successfully assassinate the Empress Crystobel to halt Royal popularity and to further establish Serbieski as a problem region.
14. Conspiring with current the Baron D'Rothchild in finally using his influence to break the Serbieski regional economy, followed by a staged Sykdavian assassination of the Grand Duke with the result of  casting the entire Europa into another war.

The Chancellor of Britania, one of the vetoing members of the council and representative of the most powerful military nation in the Europan Governement Union, rendered the final judgement directly to the world media. He stated that the Mother of the White Veil and the entire Order of the Veil was not recognized as the legal government of Arcwhite. The Mother of the Veil, for her usurpation and the allegations made by Lady Arcwhite, was an international criminal and just so, all those that sided with her. He issued the immediate arrest of the Baron D'Rothchild for conspiracy, treachery and money laundering. The Baron's confession would also lead to finalizing any as yet unproven facts in the allegations of Lady Arcwhite. However, Lady Arcwhite's case provided enough proof for the council in representation of the entire Europa to declare war on the Order of the Veil. This left the nation of Arcwhite with 2 options; to side with their current criminal government, preparing to defend their country or to deliver up this false government alive or dead to stand account for their actions.

The Duke of Swann was commissioned to gather a team and join with the Mithrandir in order to respond to the Arcwhite's final decision.

The Baroness D'Rothchild, wife of the now fugative Baron, is reported to have fled to her brother the Grand Duke of Serbieski. She is being interrogated in the investigation of her husband's whereabouts.

We await the official response from Arcwhite and for news on the Baron D'Rothchild.

Breaking News (Arcwhite Tensions Grow)

This headline says it all. The Duke of Swann flies to the Switzer Federation today for talks with an emergency council of Europan Governements. The intent is to disclose all information revealed by Lady Arcwhite and to bring it into relation with evidence given by the Serbieski Bombers and Empress Crystobel's assassin. The strong implications are that the Arcwhite Governement might be guilty of various crimes committed against humanity. The council will then decide on appropriate actions. Europa remains in a state of high military alert and air traffic to and from Arcwhite is blocked. The Arcwhite Government's shares in Arc International has surprisingly not been been sold as was threatened although its price has dropped by over 45%. 

Lady Arcwhite remains under high guard and has apparently been moved from Duke's Court Palace to an undisclosed venue for her safety as fear of assassination has become a reality. 

Breaking News (Arcwhite Swann Sanctioned Press Release)

On this Sunday, traditionally a day of peace, the growing tensions growing between Arcwhite and Swann are being addressed directly by an official press release from Duke's Court Palace. The Duke of Swann has granted the Lady Arcwhite full asylum and has also officially sanctioned a press conference from where her statement as to her reasons for "defecting" from her native country was taken. Her position as Head of State however is still fully recognized by the sovereign nation of Swann pending the decision of the people of Arcwhite.

Lady Arcwhite, who has seemed very timid at her last press conference a few months ago at the headquarters of Arc International, was decidedly more confident and relaxed when meeting with the press in Swann early today. It was noted by the press a few months ago, that Lady Arcwhite seemed very stressed and even declined attending this years Birthday Ball. This lead to many rumours about her well being. As the story has now come to light all this seems to make more sense as she was planning this daring "escape" or as some may choose to call it, treachery.

 Lady Arcwhite has also confessed to a list of "crimes" committed by her government that has verified and affected those made by the Serbieski bombers who were apprehended a few weeks ago and those confessed by Frantisek Voorheest, the assassin of Empress Crystobel. All confessions made were done so completely in sound mind and of her own free will but does now place her in a precarious limbo as enemy of her own country and seeming friend to the implied enemies of the same. The full scale and nature of the confessions are still classified but will be released as soon as the relevant parties have processed it and may also bring criminal prosecution against Lady Arcwhite in her private capacity. The entire list of confessions have been categorized into three levels; historic and minimally volatile, economic and secularly criminal and lastly extremely volatile with International repercussions.

The first category has one confession and may be published here today. It refers to a war crime commited before the current Lady Arcwhite was in office. This was kept secret but has now been revealed. The Serbieski Crown Jewels were apparently stolen by Arcwhite agents in the chaos surrounding the Great War and hidden in absolute secret, without the knowledge of the Reichenthal government at the time, in the secret vault. The Arcwhite agents were so thorough that they used the vault, which was a plan of the then King of Reichenthal to save many historic artifacts from destruction, to cover their own clandestine plan. The intent was to recover the Crown Jewels at an opportune time to incite unrest in the region establishing ruling powers of their own design. The discovery of the Crown Jewels earlier this year and their restoration to their native region has on the one hand afforded some proof to this claim and has also disarmed its negative power to a large degree making it possible to reveal it on this post.

This gives the general public a taste of the nature of scope of Lady Arcwhite's intent and value in choosing her risky actions. She also hopes that in playing open cards that she might gain a type of plea bargain in standing account for her involvement in the implied atrocities. 

It is rumoured that the Arcwhite government intends to sell all its shares in Arc International when the stock market opens tomorrow. In effect rendering the company bankrupt. Its ownership will then legally pass to them, leaving Lady Arcwhite penniless. The Mother of the White Veil as Head of Government  has asked that the Duke of Swann would seriously consider meeting  to negotiate terms for Lady Arcwhite's extradition and submission to an Arcwhite court in order to avoid the threat of war. The Duke of Swann has responded by saying he will submit the request to a council of the united governments of Europa. Arcwhite's closest geographical neighbours; Scotney, Britania, Normandia, Swann and Canadium, remain on high military alert for the time being.

A dark cloud is descending over Western Europa following the revelation of the Order of the White Veil's alleged involvement in many of history's most controversial and sometimes mysterious tragedies.