Istalia

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Prince Nicola stripped of all titles: the Emperor delivers a solemn warning to the Nation

The Imperial Household acts "to preserve the dignity and sacredness of the Imperial Institution" and the Emperor firmly recalls the moral duties of the Crown and all the servants of the State

March 5683

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ROMULA - The decision was made official with a statement issued by Quattroregni Palace yesterday afternoon: His Imperial Highness the Imperial Grand Prince Nicola, younger brother of the Emperor, was stripped of all noble and dynastic titles, removed from the line of succession and banned from any position, honorary or operational, linked to the Imperial House or the State.

The statement also confirmed that the now ex-Prince has been excluded from the High Council of the Imperial Crown and is permanently banned from taking on roles of an institutional, political or diplomatic nature, even as an informal representative of the Crown or the State.
Insistent rumors indicate that the Emperor himself "strongly invited" his brother not to accept positions in private bodies or foundations, nor positions of visibility in companies or organizations connected to the national economic network.

To Nicola Appiano-Solari, so he must now be called, would have been offered a minor position in a foreign company in the private portfolio of the Imperial House, a position that appears more symbolic than substantial, but useful to establish a definitive separation from the Istalian public life.

The measure comes at the end of months of speculation linked to the Satta Scandal, that had overwhelmed Prince Nicola due to the contacts and relationships he had with Barbara Satta, the "Lady of the night" at the center of the affair. The investigations, however, did not lead to any formal charges against the Prince: the investigators ascertained that Satta acted as a mere intermediary between the Prince and some women, mostly professionals in the sector, who ruled out any coercion.

However, the financial judiciary is now apparently evaluating possible tax violations relating to untraceable payments, a non-criminal crime but still severely sanctioned by Istalian regulations, which have rigidly regulated the legal sex market for years, guaranteeing protection and transparency to operators.

In the official statement, the Imperial House justified the decision as "necessary to preserve the dignity of the sacredness of the Imperial Institution and the honor of the Istalian people".
The Emperor personally signed the decree of dismissal, attaching a declaration wrote of his own hand which reflects the moral and symbolic weight of the choice.

His Most Excellent Imperial Majesty Tommaso V, Emperor of the Istalians and Sovereign of the Imperial State of Istalia

"The Imperial House is not just a family, but a sacred living symbol of our unity, our history, our national identity and the virtue of our Nation. It does not belong to itself, but to the Istalian people, who claim, with well-founded reason, to recognize in it the image of their values, their principles and their virtues.

This is why each member is bound by a sacred duty: that of serving Istalia with honor, loyalty and candid rigor. The privilege of blood and name in this House, in this Institution, is a solemn and perpetual commitment to the Nation.

Among the tasks that this House has always set to itself is that of raising and educating its members in these principles and this solemn duty, and it is deeply regrettable when our trust is thus betrayed. When one of us fails in this duty, it is not only the person who falls, it is not only our House that falters, but the trust that the people place in the Crown.

As Emperor and as guardian of National Virtue, I cannot allow the shadow of unworthy behavior to darken the moral light that must emanate from the Imperial House and illuminate the Nation as its North Star. It is therefore my grave but mandatory duty to act with clarity, firmness and justice, so that the highest meaning of service to the Homeland remains intact.

Greatness does not come from power, but from discipline. Freedom does not exist without responsibility. And dignity cannot live without truth.

The Istalian people, whose trust is the foundation of our Throne, deserve that every gesture, every word and every action of the Imperial House reflects integrity, sobriety and respect for the laws. May this day be a warning and a reminder for all of us. Our actions do not belong only to ourselves, but to the history and destiny of the country. The Imperial House, today as always, must be an example of rectitude, service and devotion towards the Nation.

So I have decided and I order and command, in the name of honor and justice, and in compliance with the oath that perpetually binds the Crown to its People."

The event marks one of the most difficult moments in the recent history of the Appiano-Solari dynasty, but also one of the most emblematic of Emperor Tommaso V's desire to reaffirm the ethical value of the Imperial Institution as the foundation of national cohesion and popular trust, a message that is not only addressed to the Crown, but clearly also to the rest of the Institutions and to all servants of the State.