Kalistan

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Introducing The Lady Companion Victoria Jensen
Empress and Jensen have made relationship official at Gala
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 20, 5660


Empress and New Lady Companion Victoria Jensen at Imperial Opera House

As Her Imperial Majesty Empress Mary I Ananto celebrates her Golden Jubilee in Kaliburg, the Public has had the opportunity to be introduces to the new Lady Companion, Lady Victoria Jensen. Lady Jensen was officially titled Lady Companion last week in Kaliburg, and since then, the public has been clamouring for information about the woman who has informally been linked to Her Imperial Majesty for more than two years. Jensen was named Lady Companion to acknowledge the relationship which exists outside of the bounds of an official state marriage, which the Empress and Jensen have officially opted to not enter into.

"Lady Jensen is a full professor of Sociology at Kaliburg Imperial University," said crown watcher Jorge Hernandez of Kaliburg. "She is well liked by both her students and her colleagues. Her research focuses on social movements, and it is said that she also studies how social movements work within institutional law to change environmental policy." Jensen is three months older than Her Imperial Majesty and a devout Brethrenist, and was introduced to Her Imperial Majesty by Lady Jennifer Alvarez-Miller when the Empress began attending the Kaliburg Meeting.

"It is believed that Jensen and the Empress began their relationship a year before her Imperial Majesty was officially divorced but was separated from the Prince Consort," said Hernandez. "During that time, Lady Jensen was often seen in public with the Empress at various social functions, and was known to spend time with the Empress in an unofficial capacity, but due to the desire to maintain the Empress' privacy, discussion of her growing relationship with Jensen was kept out of the press until the Royal divorce was completed."

On the title of Lady Companion, this title reflects Jensen's formal induction into the Ancient Order of the Gray Smoke. "The Empress has been privately emphatic that she has no desire to marry again," said Hernandez. "Nor does she want to dishonor her previous marriage, though it has officially ended. However, the House Law prevents commoners from having any physical contact with the Empress, or speaking informally to her. Entitling Jensen and making her formally a Stranger Lady Companion permits the two to sidestep that regulation and bring the relationship back under the formal sanction of Imperial Protocol."

The event where the relationship was officially announced was Her Imperial Majesty's 50th Birthday Celebration held at the Imperial Opera House in Kaliburg. The celebration was an invite only event where most of the Peerage in Kalistan, along with Her Imperial Majesty's Government and dozens of invited guests attended. The reception featured a dinner and desert followed by a performance of the famous Istalian opera La Donna Sophia, the story of the country Baroness' plot to avenge the death of her son at the hand of a local crime lord. The performance was put on by a touring company from Istalia and was treated as a command performance for Her Imperial Majesty.

The event was also attended by Her Highness Princess Margaret Ananto-DeLaurentis and her Husband Sir Matthew Westmoreland and their children, Her Highness Princess Monica Ananto-DeLaurentis, the Minor Grand Prince, His Highness Prince Fredrick David Ananto-Collins and the Minor Princess Nicolette Elizabeth Ananto-Collins, and several members of both the Eveari Monthly Brethrenist Meeting and the Kaliburg Annual Brethrenist Meeting. All welcomed Lady Jensen along with the Empress, and the reception was overseen by Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Jennifer Alvarez-Miller.

@LaModa