Luthori

[Ligbruderkrieg]

The State Funeral of Emperor Richard II: The Solemn Last Farewell of the Nation.
December 7th, 5700 - 6:32 pm, Fort William, Luthori

Emperor Richard II died on November 27th, 5700, ending the 2nd Richardian era with his passing. In his stead, his son and heir, the Prince of Orange, William ascended the throne as Emperor of Luthori, King of Mordusia and Sovereign of the Imperial Confederation. The Orange Palace later released a statement announcing the new Emperor’s regnal name, becoming William XI. 

Emperor William XI announced that his eldest son and heir presumptive, Prince Edward was to become Prince of Orange during his address to the nation and the Imperial Confederation following the announcement of his father’s death. Prince Edward, 22, had joined the Imperial Air Force on September. 

Between the 27th and December 4, date of the funeral ceremony in the St. Richard Cathedral of Fort William, Luthori underwent serious changes. On the night of the 27th and the 28th, a vigil was held by members of the Imperial Family at the Orange Palace, attended by the Emperor, the Empress, the Empress-Mother, the Duke of Alchester, the Princess Royal, and other members of the Luthorian imperial household.  

One day following the Emperor’s passing, the Imperial Ascension Council, composed of numerous peers, state officials, former ministers, former Prime Ministers and current day Ministers of the Crown assembled at the Holy Imperial Palace in downtown Fort William to officially proclaim Prince William Frederick Martin Raul Charles as Emperor of Luthori and Sovereign of the Imperial Confederation as Charles XI. The proclamation was signed by the Emperor, the Empress, the Great Officers of State, such as the Prime Minister, the Lord High Chancellor (ex officio Secretary of State for Justice), the Lord President of the Privy Council  (ex officio the Secretary of State of the Imperial Household) the Archbishop of Oalapo, the Archbishop of Northminster and other state officials, who also recognised Emperor William as their lawful and legitimate monarch. 

Emperor William XI and Empress Victoria Mary attended an extraordinary meeting of both Houses of Parliament, where they received both Houses’ motion of condolences in regard to the death of our sovereign, Emperor Richard II. The Speaker of the Imperial Diet, the Hon’ Faith Beckham addressed the assembled Houses of Parliament in an address in which she said: “We, as is the nation in its entirety, mourn the death of His Majesty Emperor Richard II, during his reign, we, as a nation, struggled through numerous challenges through the long 7 decades in which he ruled the Empire, his steadfast and clear mind, coupled a velvet glove in leadership, shaped the nation, guiding it throughout the 57th century and creating the nation which is today, renowned around the World.” 

The coffin of the late Emperor was transferred to Darlington Palace to be laid-in-state for five days, between the 29th and 4th, five days during which, the Luthorian people could pay their respects to the late Emperor. The Emperor’s children (the Emperor, the Duke of Alchester and the Princess Royal) held a vigil on December 1st between 8:30 pm and 8:50 pm, for approximately 20 minutes, the Emperor’s own grandchildren also stood on vigil on the next day (December 2nd) for 20 minutes. According to Police sources, the queue to access Darlington Palace to witness the Emperor’s coffin was long, with an estimated 8 hours to get there if waiting in line. World leaders were seen paying their respects to the deceased monarch in Darlington Palace. Emperor Leon Alexander of Egelion, King William XVII of Hutori, Empress Elenora of Istalia, Prince Aldrkai, Archduke of Banstill (on behalf of his father, the King of Vanuku), Khan Nurhaci of Bianjie, most crowned heads of Terra were present, with the notable absentee being Empress Carolina of Kalistan, who was instead represented by Kalistan’s foreign minister, Sir Thomas Harney. 

The Orange Palace stated that Empress Carolina “was unable to attend His Majesty Emperor Richard II’s funeral but nonetheless expresses her deep sympathy to the Imperial Family and the Luthorian nation”. Other foreign leaders such as the Dundorfian Chancellor, the Tel Bira Foreign Secretary and Amudim’s Deputy Foreign & Diaspora Secretary, the Egelian Royal Councillor Andrea Mondragon y Astures, Hutorian Prime Minister David Woodbury, Kalistani Ambassador to Luthori Sir Richard Bratton IV, Xsampa’s Premier Metok, Nadiya’s Foreign Commissioner Dorin Epureanu and Ambassador to Luthori, Olesya Afanasiyivna Shevchuk. Lodamun’s Vice President represented the Seleyan nation to this event, for Bianjie, Foreign Minister Eje Cidumu attended the funeral alongside his monarch.  

The State Funeral took place on December 4th, with the noted presence of numerous Mordusian officials such as the Governor-General, Prince Louis Ferdinand, the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition and Speaker of the Federal Parliament, all of them have been received by Emperor-King William XI as part of an audience at the Orange Palace. The ceremony lasted 3:44 hours and was presided by the Archbishop of Oalapo at the St. Richard Cathedral.  

Emperor Richard II was then buried at the Imperial Family’s Crept at Highbury House, 30 km from downtown Fort William. The funeral represented a shift, the end of an era as millions watched the funeral on their TVs from their homes, according to Police sources, around a million assembled outside in Fort William to watch the procession from Darlington Palace to the St. Richard Cathedral, where His Majesty's coffin was brought to the religious monument by Mordusian and Luthorian servicemen and by his children, who were walking behind the coffin in a slow procession.

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