Kalistan

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In deep Mourning, Princess Nicolette Ananto-Collins accepts Regency
Minor Princess Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor becomes Empress in Waiting
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 31, 5686


Her Highness, Princess Regent Nicolette Ananto-Collins formally accepts role of Princess Regent

As soon as the private family memorial for Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto, Empress Jennifer I Ananto, the minor Prince William-David Martin Ananto-Connor, age 15, who was to be the Emperor's heir, and Minor Prince Mark-Henry Joseph Ananto-Connor, age 9 was concluded last week, the Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Ericka Donahue called a meeting in the National Assembly between the Dukes of Kalistan, the Viceroy of Gaduridos, Her Highness Princess Nicolette Ananto-Collins, Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis, and herself. As the highest ranking members of the peerage, the Princess of the Empire, the Dukes of Kalistan and the Viceroy, with one voice, pleaded with the Princess Nicolette Ananto-Collins to accept the Mantle of State and serve the Empire as the Princess Regent until a new monarch may be crowned. After more than 10 hours over two days, the Chancellor announced that the Princess had reluctantly accepted the role of Regent.

"The Princess Regent has agreed to serve her people and her Empire as Regent until we may crown a new Sovereign," said the Chancellor in an announcement to a joint session of the National Assembly. "She will work with the Dukes, the National Assembly, and the Peers to play the role of Caretaker and Guardian and Protector of the heir apparent, the Minor Princess Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor, until such time as she reaches her majority and completes her National Service. She will see that the Minor Princess is educated and will receive training by both her grandmother, Her Highness, Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto, and through the National Assembly, where it will be our task to teach her public administration, civics, and institutional order. We will name an official tutor in that case."

The Chancellor then asked for acclamation of the National Assembly, both the House of Deputies and the House of Peers to grant the Minor Princess the official title of Empress in Waiting. The request was granted by acclamation. The Chancellor said it was the will of the Dukes and the Regent that the Minor Princess shall be able to claim her throne at any point after she reaches her Majority on her own volition, rather than relying on the regent to surrender power or the National Assembly to strip the regent of authority.

Henceforth, until such time as she reaches her majority and claims her birthright, the Minor Princess shall be known as Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Collins. She shall not possess other titles until she becomes formally Empress Carolina II Ananto: the Regent shall hold all titles in trust, and may neither aggrandize nor destroy them. The Chancellor noted that the title Empress in Waiting also causes the Protocol to apply to the Minor Princess as if she were fully within her sovereignty. This includes prohibition on first person singular pronouns, as well as rules around audiences with one small change. The Formal Audience must include both the Chancellor of the Empire, as it does normally, as well as the Regent, who will represent the Empress in Waiting. All informal audiences will be held with the Regent, rather than the Empress in Waiting.

The Imperial Protocol will not be extended to Her Highness the Princess Regent. Rather she shall retain her rights and Privileges under the House Law as Princess. When she leaves office, she will be entitled to use the title Princess of the Empire, as Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis does today. The Princess Regent will retain entitlement to use first person singular pronouns.

When Emperor Fredrick III Ananto died in office, also of a plane crash, his sister, Princess Michelle served as regent for about seven years. The Empress in waiting being much younger, the regency is expected to be far longer. The Princess Regent spoke briefly following her acclamation to the office:

"I never wanted to be in this role, and I would rather have my brother back than have to bear this burden alone. It is with great sorrow that I take up this role. I intend to hand it off as soon as my niece, the rightful Empress of Ananto and Kalistan, is prepared to take it up. I will need a lot of help and a lot of patience. But I want to continue my brother and sister in law's legacy. I don't want to make any major changes at all. I do not have a legislative agenda of my own. I... I am a surfer--I teach kids how to surf, and how to play music. My husband, as Director of ODEN-K is what a lot of people in this world would call a drug dealer. We're not really cut out to rule, and I am certainly not trained to rule. So as I take up this very important job, I will make a lot of mistakes. I will try my hardest, you know, but I am also going to rely on you all too. My Chancellor and I have, I think an understanding. She's going to help me. We're gonna work to keep this train on the tracks long enough for my Niece to complete her National Service, and we're going to do all we can to help her get ready. But... you know, she's just a little kid, and she's grieving the loss of her parents, the Emperor and the Empress, and her wonderful brothers... I'm so sorry. Madame Chancellor. If you would please."

The Princess Regent stepped from the podium in tears.

The Chancellor helped the Princess Regent to her seat next to her mother the Princess of the Empire and Former Empress, who embraced the regent to comfort her. Meanwhile the Chancellor of the Empire ordered all to stand, and then to take a knee as she read the Oath of Fealty, naming Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Collins as "Empress", and leading all members and peers to swear or affirm loyalty to the Empress in Waiting.

The entire affair lasted only a few minutes, and then the Assembly was put into recess for the remainder of the week. The whole nation has been on pause this entire month. The Chancellor has wisely kept the KalSiE closed for trading until Her Imperial Majesty the Empress in Waiting could be officially named to the position and until the Regency was accepted. It is lkely therefore that the KalSiE will open again Monday of next week. Futures appear to be steady on the news of the Regency, and investors are bullish on growth in the midterm.

Meanwhile The Royal Family will continue grieving for their lost family members for as long as they think they will need, and Princess Mary and Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress in Waiting will return to Luxon. It is unsure whether the Regent will remain in Luxon going forward or will relocate to Kaliburg. But Her Imperial Majesty has been withdrawn from school for the time being while the family figures out the living situation. As the Princess Regent has no children of her own, these are things she has never had to consider before.

@TheRepublic