Breaking News (Referendum; for or against a Monarchy in Scot-Britania)

Scotney and Britania have experienced a wave of Royalist sentiment to such a degree over the last five years that now, with the resurfacing of the St.Christian's Crown, that the governments of the two countries cannot relegate it to mere superficial ceremony. It has been decided to break entirely with revolutionary precedent of never restoring the monarchy in any form and to put the matter to the vote. After all, in this millennial age, we will let each individual make his choice known and make it count.

Chancellor Rex Johnston, now in his final term as Chancellor of Britania, announced officially at 8;00 AM today that there will be a countrywide referendum held in Scotney and Britania next week Wednesday to gauge the public opinion on the matter of a restoration of the monarchy. It will be the world's first ever entirely digital referendum. Citizens will be able to vote from their cell phones or desk top computer using their Identity Number for authentication. If the vote is in favour then the two governments will set down the parameters for a working model that takes all sides of the matter into consideration. Mr. Johnston expressed his and his Scotney counterpart's governmental position that the two nations will regardless of monarchic sentiment, never be amalgamated into one state as was the case with the United Empire of Scot-Britania but will retain their individual sovereign autonomy.

The Crown Prince Imperial has expressed that he would serve his peoples from the historical context as heir to that heritage as best he could and would accept the decision of Scotney and Britania. The Prince grew up in exile and was at first welcomed from exile in 2013 and later allowed to return to the two country's as a citizen in the official capacity as custodian of the Royal and Imperial legacy and historical interests. He then finally moved back from the Switzer Confederacy to take up official residence in the Historical Palaces of Scotney and Britania in 2014. His return has been a huge success and morale boost for Scotney and Britania. His Imperial Highness will now, like all of us, wait with abated breath for the results of the referendum.

Very exciting days seem to lay ahead for Europa as we see this situation unfold before us.

Memory Mondays (Style Icons 6 The Crown Prince Imperial)

Today's Style Icons post features, for the first time, one of our male characters. There is a saying that; "one is to the manner born". In the case of His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince Imperial, this saying may be more true than others. Christian-Victor was exactly that, born to the Emperor and Empress of the United Empire of Scot-Britania. However, history would see him entirely bereft of his birthright and raised in secret in the rural town of Muren as an adopted orphan. The Crown Prince Imperial was so young when the Bloody Revolution killed his father and forced his mother to leave him in the care of the Seeress of Muren that he had no memories of his Imperial heritage. This afforded him a down to earth upbringing among farmers and humble towns folk who knew him only as Chris. The state secret did come out, like all truth inevitably does and he acceded to his title and privileged heritage at the age of 21. All of a sudden, the strapping and handsome "farmhand", made sense of a regal bearing and innate nobility that could never hide itself even amid the hay bales and cowherds he was used to. The town of Muren and the world was introduced to the Crown Prince Imperial who since then has played his unique part on the world stage and has also become a force to be reckoned with in the field of fashion and style. Let us take a look at his overall public appearance and how it serves his image and particular role in the world.

The first impression we got of the Prince was perfectly scripted in 2009 to thrust him onto the world stage as the claimant to the most prestigious title. It was an obvious success and indelibly set His Imperial Highness' young and naive yet official image embellished with regalia into popular culture forever.

One of the most recent photos of His Imperial Highness sees him posing yet again in an official capacity next to the historically significant Crown of St. Christian. The crown being the focal point, the Prince, meekly confident, has no qualms in taking a back seat. He chooses to tone himself down with a plain black formal tuxedo and only the protocol required Chivalric Order of the Diamond Star. 

A slightly more casual look with open collar looks just as good on the Prince as he took the world on a photo tour of the restoration work done on Britania and Scotney's Royal heritage. 

Even completely casual in a t-shirt and chinos  still does not adversely affect the Prince's regal bearing. Seen here with his wife and cousin, the Duke of Swann, the Prince humbly and stylishly welcomes family in the gardens of Sorgenfrei Castle.

Even in jeans and a pink t-shirt no less, Prince Christian Victor is still the quintessential Europan man of the 21st century.

The red carpet however is the preferred battlefield of style for international A-listers and here the Prince just takes it in his stride. He affords, like most gentlemen should, his wife to take all the glamour attention but in doing so only exudes masculine confidence.

For formal events during the day, a morning suit and tie is an efficient and elegant success worn by His Imperial Highness. This look keeps him constantly as the real authority while his wife exudes the sparkles and smiles.

Cocktail dress formality is also handled with ease by the down-to-earth Royal.

Large and extremely formal events, that require regalia and suits have become a hallmark and show the Prince for who he is without detracting from his friendly personality. The Prince seems to adhere to dress code out of duty and puts no unasked for effort into making an impression. This unwittingly works in his favour as "effortless style" is considered by connoisseurs to be the only true style.

"To the manner born" became more and more evident as time went by. This man who had an unpretentious and some may say even tragic youth seems to exude the dignity to which he is called and bears it with true conviction. His clothes often being uniforms leaves no room for individual personality and we the fans can in those cases only give him point for how he wears it. He seems to be wearing it extremely well.

Court dress can at times be awkward and really separates the men from the boys in Royal circles. Here is where you show true confidence as often the outfits seem to date from the 13th century but have top be worn with a straight face to Internationally recognized events. Above we see the Prince Christian-Victor (in grey tights) next to the Duke of Swann, both in court dress. Only real Royalty can pull it off given the context of the historically relevant events they are worn to like coronations. Thus far the Crown Prince Imperial has not set a foot wrong in his public appearances and all we can say is; "bring it on".

Wonderful Weekends (Range of Official Portraits)

Sometimes we overlook some of the many photos we have taken of Royals. Today we will feature some of those official portraits we neglected to post  over the last year.

Infanta Isabella, the Duchess of Toledo is the sister of the Queen of Hispania and does not often see the limelight. She did however release and official portrait late in 2014. Being a very informal Royal she did not even opt for a Royal crest to be included in the portrait and sported minimal jewellery albeit the historic tiara inherited from her mother. 

Princess Victoria Von Thurn und Taxis, Electress of Syldavia has never released official portraits until this week actually. We thought to include them in this feature. 

The Margravine of Montrose is an elusive yet high ranking Noble from the Kingdom of Normandia. She avoids the media but did release this official portrait in 2014. It features her wearing family jewels and displaying the Montrose Coronet on the pedestal next to her. 

The Princess of Wallachia released this photo for a feature on the historic jewels of the Draculesti Family. It was never used but we thought to at least feature it here today.

What's Up Wednesday (Reichenthal Official Visit to Perlistan)

The D'Jour Shahbahnou of Perlistan welcomed her first official visiting foreign Royals to her native country since her own return from exile to Perlistan. The landmark event took place this past weekend in the Perlistani capital but was also a bit of a private family affair. The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Reichenthal were ent on a diplomatic fact finding mission to Perlistan to explore the possibility of trade. They were warmly welcomed by the government and treated to an official welcome by the Shahbahnou who acts as the "face" of Perlistan in a diplomatic manner. The Shahbahnou also happens to be the elder sister of the Grand Duchess affording this particular trip a very intimate atmosphere.

The Shahbahnou welcomed the Grand Ducal couple in the Peacock Throne Room affording the press photos of the historic room for the first time in almost twenty years. Her Imperial Highness Shanaz Farah, The Shahbahnou looked spectacular in a desert shade dress with historic rubies.

Grand Duchess Azantha is seen here curtsying next to her husband upon them entering the throne room. It was an emotional moment for the Grand Duchess who has not visited her home country in many years.

An official photo opp was allowed the press directly in front of the historic Peacock Throne. Grand Duke Lothair was happy to step back slightly out of the limelight on this trip allowing his wife to catch most of the shine along with her illustrious sister.

The Shahbahnou, who does not have any political power but was welcomed back from exile in the capacity of holding a historical and ceremonial significance was very happy to host her first official event on Perlistani soil and to have that include her sister. The entire visit, albeit strictly not a State Visit was extremely successful in its purpose of strengthening trade and renewing awareness of the largely unknown Perlistan who traditionally keeps out of the Western media.

This extremely regal photo was taken to commemorate the trip and also shows the amazing Peacock Throne in all its glory. 

Tiaras and Trinkets Tuesdays (Jewellery available to the "Punk Princess")

Princess Oktavia Von Hohen und Silberstein as always has had a talent for attention grabbing. This has found great impetus in her having access to one of Europa's more impressive historic jewellery collections. Let us take a look at some of those jewels and also the Princess'unique way of wearing them in combination with very modern and sometimes controversial fashion. 

One of the iconic appearances of the Punk Princess as Oktavia has become colloquially become known can be seen in this photo. She is wearing the Von Hohen und Silberstein Princely Ruby Parure in tandem with a feathered glam rock ensemble by Madame Frumsetta. 

The rubies date from the early 19th century and consist of a tiara, bracelet, "De Resile" necklace and opera length "Sautoire" necklace. The set is lavishly set with extremely large and high quality square cut rubies embellished with diamonds and a king's ransom in pearls. It is rumoured that the tiara so impressed the Queen of Scotney that she immediately ordered a copy of her own after a visit to the Princely palace. 

Princess Oktavia has a very bold personality and does not shy away from period pieces that may seem impractical to wear in the new millennium. In this photo we see her wear a gigantic diamond choker made in the early 20th century when chokers were fashionable and seemingly all pain was endured for it. She does gain a lot of press for being so bold and we get to see jewels that otherwise would languish in dark vaults. We commend her for this "sacrifice". In the photo above she pairs the titanic choker with a contrasting small and delicate tiara as if to say on purpose; "look at the necklace". 

Deliberate in all she does, for a formal photo with her new husband, the Princess chose a far more elegant and regal dress coupled with cool sapphires. The edginess of the dress still alluded to her "street cred" but did foreshadow the calmer vibes of future family life. In this photo she pairs the Von Hohen und Silberstein Sapphires with earrings from her husband's D'Bacqueme Family Jewels. 

The Sapphire and Diamond Tiara and Necklace is of a more modern design and was made at the height of the Germanic Empire just before the Great War. The Von Hohen und Silbesteins are one of very few Noble Families to have survived the war and its aftermath due to their extensive business interests and industrial clout. 

Another set available to the Princess is this loose mix of Yellow Diamond and Topaz jewellery. All pieces were made separately at various times but with obvious intent on being worn in combination with each other or even jewels from entirely other sets. 

There are apparently more jewels in the Von Hohen und Silberstein Vaults and we cannot wait to see them on the red carpet along with all the D'Bacquemme jewellery availble to our Punk Princess. 

Memory Monday (The Throne of the United Empire of Scot-Britania)

The discovery in 2014 of the walled up secret vault in Reichenthal was a pleasant surprise of international value. Amongst the many historic and intrinsic treasures was the Imperial Throne of the United Empire of Scot-Britania that was thought destroyed during the 1996 Revolution. However a twist of fate lead to it being saved and secretly stored in Reichenthal. Today we will feature the history of this cultural artifact which has already been featured in several official portraits and events since its return to the Cathedral of the Lionheart.

Here we see the throne as it was found inside the hidden vault. Historians suppose that the throne was in Riechenthal at the time of the revolution for general maintenance. As the revolution gained momentum it must have been hidden to try and save it from destruction due to its political symbolism. Thus it and many other historic treasures were spared the ravages of the revolution and ensuing civil war in Syldavia.

Ironically the very region that saved the throne, Reichenthal, was also responsible for its creation. It was commissioned in 1992 in advance of the establishment of what was to be the United Empire of Scot-Britania. Reichenthal artisans and craftsman are world renowned and for centuries have supplied the courts of Europa with carriages, furniture, art and wine. For the Imperial coronation that officially established the new Empire a new throne was needed. It was to symbolize the unification of the two separate Kingdoms of Scotney and Britania into one Empire. 

The original design sketch for the throne survived in the Reichenthal archives to this day. Here we clearly see the cathedral like concept design that is to imbue a spiritual air to what was to be a symbol of unity and aspiration. The style was deliberately chosen to look medieval whilst being a modern throne to also link the past to the present.

The Three Headed Eagle of the Imperial House of Aldarian shown here on the Imperial flag was included on the back rest of the throne as symbol of the supreme authority of the Aldarian Imperial Family. 

The individual ancient thrones of the Kingdom of Britania (left) and Scotney (right) were symbolically dismantled to show the dissolution of the two separate Kindoms. The wood was then combined with new Oak in the manufacture of the new throne in order to join the two thrones and nations symbolically into one. 

The restored throne as it is today after its rediscovery in Reichenthal finds itself in its old home, the Chapel of the King in the Cathedral of the Lion Heart. It was intended originally that the throne would be permanently housed and displayed there for the public only to be taken out  for coronations of which the combined coronation of Emperor Christian and Empress Crystobel was the first and only. The cathedral is open to the public at set times and as such the throne can again be seen there on display.

The world is truly glad that this icon of Europan history survived the 1996 Revolution and can again be appreciated by the public and serve as a testament of our collective past and the lessons learnt. 

Breaking News (Crown Jewel Exhibit altered to include the Crown of St. Christian)

Since many things have had to change in the last few months of flux another unnoticed project was underway alongside that of the restoration of the St. Christian's Crown. The Crown Jewel Exhibition Hall at the Aldarian Palace had a slight alteration to allow for the addition of the restored Relic Crown. 

Not much has been changed except for a few strategic moves of the display. The most difficult hurdle to overcome was obviously the technical considerations of the security systems set in place to protect the historic treasures. That being done all components found their new homes. In the photo above we can see the Crown of St. Christian placed at the right of the Imperial State Crown. Protocol demands that the symbol of Imperial authority take center stage but the St. Christian Crown shares the central elevation along with the Imperial Consort Crown at left. 

Here we see the St. Christian Crown underneath its own laser monitored re-enforced glass dome. 

Its position in relation to the Imperial Crown from a closer view. 

The entire central feature can be seen here from a security camera mounted on the ceiling.

This short promotional video has been released to the press to clearly show the newly refurbished Crown Jewel Display. Our blog has been granted first release privilege and from now the video is freely available for download on the internet. The new exhibition hall will be open to the public from today. 

Wonderful Weekends (State Portrait of the Crown Prince Imperial and the St Christian Crown)

In celebration of the return and restoration of the Crown of St.Christian, arguably the most valuable historic moment in Scot-Britanian history, a set of State Portraits was taken of the Crown Prince Imperial, d'jour King of Scotney and rightful wearer of the crown. These portraits may be seen as the first properly officiated State Portraits of the Crown Prince Imperial. All previous photos were done at is own expense and merely had sentimental and historic value rather than being sanctioned by the government. The historic value of the Crown of St.Christian coupled with the Prince's claim to it and the his rightful position as King of Scotney made this a truly historic moment.

His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince Imperial of  the United Empire of Scot-Britania, Crown Prince of Scotney, Duke of Stirling etc. etc. pictured with the Holy Crown of St.Christian.

This close-up archive photo shows the crown in detail under an extremely stark light that leaves nothing to speculation

Calls for a referendum has come up through the political ranks. The people of Scotney and Britania want to make their feelings known as regarding the possibility of a restoration of the monarchies in the two countries. 

Fascinating Fridays (Thrones Rooms of the World)

If there is one venue that plays the central role in the world of Royalty then it is the Throne Room. The room itself may in may ways seem to exceed in importance than the actual chair and in some cases the two are mutually inseparable in their function and mystical value.

Throne rooms are where the monarch manifests his authority, displays his glory on a very intimate level and in most cases is the place where he receives his crown for the first time. Throne rooms may be permanent fixtures in palaces or great halls of state or may even be mobile to some degree. In some traditions all a monarch has to do is sit down and the very chair mystically becomes the throne and the room an official audience chamber in which to receive officials of state. In one instance, a bed ridden Queen turned her bedchamber into the official throne room of her reign until her death.

The function of the throne room is in essence very practical. It is a place for officials to congregate, meet with the monarch and other officials and also to receive instructions and official commissions. These very practical function then also get embellished with tradition and ceremony to express and underscore values, prestige and privileged responsibility to monarch and the people.

Throne rooms are official state chambers where a monarch is seated in the context of a gathering of his administrators for the purpose of manifesting a principle of government. This could be an investiture, an official speech or even judgement. In the photo above we see the throne room of the Principality of Swann as it was ready to receive the current Duke of Swann on his coronation day.

Throne rooms are more often used than one would expect in this modern era. They also take wear and even damage over the years and for that purpose may need maintenance, repairs or even extensive restoration work. In rare cases entirely an entirely new room may be required to be built from scratch. In the photo above we the the newly restored throne room of Syldavia which acts as an annual council of government chamber among other things.

Sometimes, in days gone by, a monarch might have had several throne rooms in varying degrees of size and grandeur serving different purposes. This was almost like one might get varying sizes of board rooms in a corporate setting. Above we can see the small throne room in the Reichenthal Castle which served as a secondary throne room where visiting guests could meet their monarch in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Throne rooms are often depicted in State Portraits as the formal setting and obvious official symbolism of the room allows for the perfect setting for them.

The traditions surrounding the throne rooms may vary from culture to culture. The Islands of Arcwhite kept their throne room completely unpublished in main stream media. It was only a few years ago that the current Lady Arcwhite broke the tradition of keeping it secret and unphotographed by posing for her first State Portraits on the Throne of Arcwhite.

Thrones may be moved according to the different requirements which may include varying ceremonial purposes and even the mundane aspect of storage. The Throne of Scot-Britania is permanently kept/stored in its own chapel, apart from the main hall of the cathedral where it is moved to for ceremonial use. Above we can see it in the aforementioned chapel.

In this photo we see the Throne of Scot-Britania when staged on the raised dias in the Cathedral of the Lionheart for significant events like Coronations, Imperial Declarations or Thanksgiving Services. When the throne is in place it in effect renders the cathedral a holy throne room for lack of a better expression. This throne room is the place from where the Emperor rules as representative of Divine Authority on Earth. It hasn't been set up like this since the last Coronation.

Ancient throne rooms where assembly places for ancient tribes and often took place as pseudo spiritual gatherings in nature. One such ancient throne/throne room remains and is often seen as the oldest Europan throne on earth. It is the stone seat of the Mithrandir in the forest bordering Andorra and Swann. It is under a gigantic Cypress tree and is said to be the most holy spot in Europa.

The throne is symbolic of the seat of the mind where plans and decisions are made and executed from. So each one of us knows full well how important these symbols of authority and power are from our own experience. We hope that the historic place of thrones and their mystique in our fairy tale concep of Royalty remain as cosntant symbol of our personal responsibility in ruling our own lives with dignity. 

Breaking News (Crown of St. Christian Restored)

After more than a month of painstaking work by a team of no less than 8 of the world's top jewellers, the fragments of the Crown of St. Christian have been completely reconstructed into a wholly restored work of historic importance. Ironically, in perfect resonance with the Imperial Motto of  "Thesaurus Perditum Invenit Thesaurum", the crown thought lost to history has been recovered. 

Princess Augusta who headed up the team was quoted to say that this particular endeavour was for her, personally, a culmination in her efforts of supporting her nephew and the Imperial cause. She added that in her mind the Imperial cause was the custodianship of the history and culture of the Scot-Britanian Isles and their people and nothing unified that collective more poignantly than the Crown of St. Christian.

The crown was discovered more than a month ago, mysteriously or rather "miraculously" left on the altar of the Catherdal of the Lionheart. No security camera record or witnesses to the event could account for their appearance. Solid gold fragments in perfect condition except for being fragmented was accompanied by a small case filled with precious stones, none of modern cut but all genuine. The stones were compared along with the fragments, to records and photos of the Crown of St Christian and its identity officially recognized by experts and members of the Imperial Family.

Not all the stones known to have been in the original crown were present in the case however every part of the original historic circlet crown was accounted for. Some gold was also filed away from the arch section of the crown but none from the original medieval circlet. It seems that whoever took the crown in the chaos of the revolution helped themselves to a share but did not dare to damage what was considered the holy part of the crown, namely the circlet section. The crown was obviously also cut up for the purpose of easy concealment and transport. Investigations continue as far as its return is concerned.

This pre-revolution photo shows the crown as it looked in 1996. Let us now take a look at its restoration and recap the legendary story of its origin. 

The story of the Crown of St. Christian is shrouded in myth. Historical records exist but none of them record its manufacture or anything that one may construe as other than "fairy tale". That however is the mystery and magic surrounding the crown. Its craftsmanship matches its supposed date of origin and other than that we only know the historic account.

It is said that in the year 1456 A.D. the heir to the throne of Scotney, Prince Christian, Duke of Stirling lost his way while exploring the Veiled Forest on horseback. The Prince was in a pseudo exile from court due to his political objections to the King's expansionist war campaigns against Britania and Arcwhite. This left him relegated to his father's hunting lodge which in turn lead to him losing his way on this particular day. After hours of searching for the edge of the forest, the Prince arrived at a clearing with a large rose bush in spectacular full bloom at its center. His eye was immediately caught by a bright flashing scintillation emanating from the bush which drew him closer. He thought his fatigue got the better of his senses as the flash seemed to come from what looked like a golden crown entwined within the branches of the rose bush. He dismounted and approached with astonishment at the gem encrusted crown which was by now was revealed to not be an illusion but real and he reached to free it from its thorny prison. The crown had so captured the Prince's attention that he forgot everything about his own predicament of being lost in the forest and his attempt to free it cost him a severe thorn induced gash on his hand. As he recoiled blood dropped at the base of the bush while the crown remained entangled.

Suddenly a voice greeted the Prince from behind as softly as the breeze lapped at his cloak. He turned nursing his bloodied hand and saw an old hooded man leaning on a gnarled walking staff. "Forgive me sir" the Prince exclaimed. "Am I trespassing?" "The King's son does not trespass in the King's forest. May I help you young lord?" came the slow reply from the old man. The Prince reluctantly allowed the man to inspect his hand. Weirdly the old man breathed on it and the Prince's hand miraculously recovered perfectly. The Prince stumbled back in shock just as he heard a heavy thud fall behind him on the ground beneath the rose bush. He looked and saw the crown roll to his feet. Dazed. the Prince turned back to a now completely vanished man only to hear in the breeze: "...Thesaurus Perditum Invenit Thesaurum...", Latin for ; "A treasure lost is a treasure found."

It followed that after the Prince regained his wits he eventually arrived back at the Royal hunting lodge with the treasure in his saddle bag. He was greeted with acclamation of kingship while receiving the news of his tyrannical father's death. He was now the new King of Scotney. That very night he dreamt of an ancient battle he was taught about by his childhood tutor. The Battle of the Veil was fought near the same forest where he lost his way. It was said that the King of Scotney who lost that battle decades earlier also lost his crown to a demonic force who came to judge his crimes. King Christian now the new king saw the devil in his dream cursing the land with the words; "The crown earned with blood will never take blood." He woke up with shaken with sweat streaming down his face.

King Christian was very disturbed by all the esoteric events and decided to fast for a week, refusing to go to the capital before he found peace. He searched for the hooded man in the forest but was said to have only found his own reflection in a pond. It was then that the King realised that his life was his own responsibility and that curses can be lifted by sacrifice. He would be such a King as to see his country blessed by being a man of self sacrifice. At his coronation he vowed to serve God and his people at the cost of his life and never to put wealth and prestige before his people. He was crowned with the "Rose Bush Crown".

In 1454, two years before his ascension to the throne Prince Christian had married the eldest daughter of the King of Britania. Now she was Queen of Scotney. This was a powerful political move as their child would be in line to the throne of both Scotney and Britania. King Christian was considered a truly wise King, not just ruling by Divine Right but also with Divine Blessing leading to great prosperity and peace. Scotney reached the full extent of its historical borders without any wars and its diplomatic relations with neighbouring Kingdoms was stronger than ever. King Christian was so revered by all his reigning neighbours that he was offered the position of Holy Emperor of Europa in 1480. The position was an elected one and would put him at the head of a council of all the crowned monarchs of Europa. He accepted and was crowned with an Imperial Crown but did arrive at the Imperial coronation wearing the Rose Bush Crown.

During the restoration of the Crown of St.Christian it was decided to prioritize the original circlet crown. To this end the newly restored crown has been made with the option of having the arches (which were historically added much later to the original circlet) removed. This allows for the crown to appear in its original form as it was when first used in 1456. The photo above shows the crown in its original circlet form for the first time in over 400 years. The arches may also be attached using an easy to use mechanism allowing for the crown to appear as it is known more popularly as the symbol of the Scotney monarchy.

After King Christian's death in 1488 the Crown became known as the Crown of Christian Great. His son, King Daniel, had to almost immediately face an invading army from the Britanian King. His own cousin, King Victor of Britania, disliked his cousin's close claim to his throne and regardless of treaties establishing peace between the two neighbouring kingdoms, advanced to invade Scotney. The Battle of Blood River ended with Britanian forces being vanquished and Victor dying from a rogue arrow striking him in the neck between his armour chest plate and helmet. An unexpected King Daniel became King of Britania as well as Scotney. The Kingdoms remained separate political entities but was now presided over by a single King. Christian decided to have himself crowned as King of Britania with his own Rose Bush Crown as his cousin had the Britanian crown melted down to provide revenue for the war. Thus the Rose Bush Crown became the de facto Crown for both Kingdoms.

The Crown returned to Scotney with King Daniel's son after Britania split from Scotney during his reign. The younger brother of the King successfully rebelled with the military backing of the Island of Arcwhite who felt the Scot-Britanian Isles had become to strong as a unified force. The ethos of King Christian the Great was so deeply instilled in his grandson that he did not fight his brother's usurpation of the throne of Britania saving the two countries from war. Instead he left him to establish what became the separate Royal line that ruled Britania till the establsihment of the 1993 United Empire. After King Christian the Great was canonized in 1966 his Crown was officially renamed the Crown of St.Christian. It remained in the Scotney capital as the official Crown of the Kingdom until the merger of the two nations into the United Empire of Scot-Britania in 1993 when new Imperial Crown Jewels were made.

This photo shows the Crown fully restored with its now detachable arches added. This is how the Crown looked until its disappearance in the 1996 Revolution. The newly restored Crown's arches are slightly lower due to some gold having been filed off by its revolutionary vandals and also to accommodate the new mechanism that allows for the arches to be detached. Originally the arches were added permanently in 1652 when the new fashion of arching crowns became prevalent among the premiere monarchs of Europa vying for prestige. A massive oval purple sapphire used to adorn the front arch of the original Crown but was lost in 1996. Some other stones were also not found in the case that accompanied the fragments returned to the Cathedral of the Lionheart. The Crown Prince Imperial privately funded all the new stones added to the arches and among those new stones is the world's largest black star sapphire which now has prime place on the front arch.

 

It is fascinating to see the Crown from all sides. In this photo we can begin to appreciate it as it is slightly turned. 

The back of the Crown is as beautiful if not as impressive as the front.

The seams where the Crown fragments were attached were deliberately but subtly left visible by the restorers in order to record the history of the crowns violent dismantling by the revolutionaries. It was felt that the Crown's history was enhanced by its survival of the revolution and as such recorded in these " scars".

A historic moment as the Crown of St.Christian is reunited with the direct descendant of the legendary King Christian. 

Princess Augusta shares her own proud moment as another descendant of the St.Christian but also for heading up the team that restored the historic artifact. The Crown Prince Imperial is due to be featured in a set of official State Portraits with the Crown to celebrate its restoration for posterity. Strong overtones of a a restoration of the monarchies in Scotney and Britania can be felt in the streets. It is a happy buzz, alluding to fairy tales with happy endings. The future may be brighter for it.