His Majesty King Adam I, with the agreement of his ministers, has changed the composition of his Cabinet in preparation for upcoming government programs to be announced.
The King has accepted the resignation of Kara, Duchess of Bellevue, as Minister for Culture and appointed Queen Laurel to the post. The Queen is expected to lead cultural development projects, including efforts to increase citizen participation in national holidays and to document and share knowledge of Überstadti cultural practices. The King expects that she will also promote the formation of cultural and religious associations among citizens.
The Duchess of Bellevue is now Minister for the Economy, a role customarily filled by the King. She brings her practical knowledge of Überstadt’s economy to her new office, especially as a worker in the Tellus Horticultural and Erganê Artisanal Cooperatives, as well as extensive experience in local Tellus administration and household economics. She automatically joins the Commission for the Common Economy, the body that governs the economic union of Überstadt and Sandus. She will contribute to further economic development across the Common Economy and oversee improvements to horticulture in Rosewood.
By law, these appointments are effective immediately but must be approved at Parliament’s next meeting to be made permanent.
NEW MERCY – King Adam has signed a decree annexing into Überstadt the apartment he shares with Queen Laurel, naming it New Mercy and designating it as the Kingdom’s capital.
King Adam sits in New Mercy in naval uniform and signs the decree.
New Mercy, surrounded by Boston, USA, is Überstadt’s first territory outside the Seattle metropolitan area and its first territory annexed since 2014. The last change in national capital occurred in 2013, when Rosewood joined Überstadt and assumed the status.
The new capital is the first exercise of a theory being developed by the King and other Überstadti leaders that allows for sovereign claims over portions of buildings without necessarily claiming the underlying land, a departure from traditional Westphalian sovereignty that sometimes occurs de facto in urban small nations. Anticipating the Kingdom’s further urbanization, Parliament allowed this type of claim in an act passed earlier this year.
New Mercy is named for Mercy House of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Seattle, where Queen Laurel lived during a service year and where Their Majesties conducted much of their courtship.
The King’s decree makes New Mercy, formally a barony, part of the newly-formed Sophia County and Duchy of Massachusetts. The county is named for the classical personification of wisdom in a nod to the royal couple’s academic pursuits, while the duchy is named for the surrounding U.S. state of Massachusetts and the region’s indigenous Massachusett people.
BOSTON – On Saturday, 6 August, King Adam married Laurel, Countess McAleer and now Queen of Überstadt, at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle, USA, in the presence of their families and close friends. After a three-day honeymoon in the San Juan Islands, Their Majesties moved to their new home in Boston, USA.
Elegant beauty and themes of loving service at church ceremony
The wedding service began at 10:30 in the morning as the bride and groom processed into the cathedral’s neo-Gothic Thomsen Chapel attended by their siblings as the congregation sang “Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones.” The King wore a dark gray suit with a green floral print vest made by the Duchess of Bellevue and a pale green necktie. Lady McAleer wore a vintage calf-length ivory-colored lace dress her mother bought in anticipation of her birth, as well as a vintage veil and her mother’s wedding pearls. The wedding party’s bouquets and boutonnieres included assorted purple and white flowers with extensive greenery.
The couple enters the chapel.
Departing from the traditional giving of the bride, the couple’s parents stood and presented them to be married and promised to support them in their new life together. After the presentation, the people joined in singing Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Their Majesties receive their blessing.
Much of the ceremony emphasized the importance of service to others. Friends of the couple read Bible passages about companionship and godly love from Ecclesiastes and 1 Corinthians, the latter read in both Greek and a new English translation by the Sôgmô of Sandus. The Rev. Canon Jennifer King Daugherty, who officiated the marriage, read the Gospel of John’s account of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet and commanding them to love one another. Next, she gave a homily on the ways marriage equips a couple to serve those around them, recalling the intention the bride and groom expressed in counseling with her to use their marriage as the basis of their shared rule of life.
The bride and groom made the vows from the Book of Common Prayer and exchanged modern rings. The King received a sterling silver ring carved in a wave pattern. The Queen received a gold ring set with a hexagonal salt-and-pepper diamond, a piece by Seattle-based designer Valerie Madison. Canon King Daugherty pronounced the couple married and, following prayers for the marriage, pronounced the church’s blessing on the union. The congregation then exchanged the sign of peace as the newlyweds embraced and kissed for the first time as spouses.
Ministers prepared the altar as the people sang “Thou Who at Thy First Eucharist Didst Pray.” Canon King Daugherty celebrated the Eucharist. The King and Queen received communion first, followed by the other attendees. After the postcommunion prayer, all joined in singing “Be Thou My Vision.” Their Majesties led the procession out of the chapel as the organist played a setting of “O for a Thousand Tongues.”
The wedding party on the cathedral close: Queen Laurel’s sisters and parents, the Queen and King, the Duchess of Bellevue and Duke of San Juan, and Crown Prince Aaron.
Dozens entertained at thrifty brunch reception
Following the ceremony, attendees and additional invited guests assembled in the cathedral’s social hall for a reception. The room was decorated with vases of lavender and wild greenery and attractive books from Their Majesties’ personal collections. The King and Queen entered and performed their first dance before brunch was served.
The meal was a buffet breakfast taco bar prepared by the couple’s families and friends, featuring a much-celebrated pork barbacoa cooked by the Queen’s mother. The wedding cake, made by the Duchess of Bellevue, was flavored with Earl Grey tea and layered with blueberry compote and lemon frosting dyed lavender to match the wedding’s theme colors. Dessert also included ricotta tarts topped with berries, including some grown in Rosewood.
The reception concluded with toasts from the couple’s parents and siblings, and then their toasts to one another. About 40 people attended. Later in the evening, a smaller group of family and friends enjoyed a private party at a house elsewhere in Seattle.
Reception scenes: Cutting the wedding cake; table decorations; the brunch buffet.
Brief honeymoon and prompt move to Boston
The King and Queen take a selfie on Mt. Constitution, Orcas Island.
The day after the wedding, the King and Queen boarded a ferry to Orcas Island in the picturesque San Juan Islands of northwestern Washington state. They camped for one night in Moran State Park, where they enjoyed hiking and canoeing, and stayed their second night at the historic Orcas Hotel. Their Majesties enjoyed exploring the island’s wooded rural roads, visiting small farms, shopping for art and handicrafts, and eating fresh seafood. On the morning of the third and final day of the trip, they received the sad news that the King’s paternal grandmother had died overnight. They attended her funeral on Tuesday, August 16.
On the evening of Wednesday, August 17, the couple boarded a flight from Seattle to Boston with their cat, Luna, and landed the next morning. Later in the day, the Queen’s mother and a family friend arrived and stayed for three days helping the couple acquire furniture and unpack their belongings. Their Majesties have since organized their apartment, which is expected to soon be annexed to the Kingdom.
THE ROYAL RESIDENCY, ROSEWOOD KINGDOM OF ÜBERSTADT
His Majesty King Adam I and his fiancée Laurel, Countess McAleer, are pleased to announce that in August 2022, they are to be married and take up residence in Boston, USA to pursue postgraduate studies.
The Royal Wedding is planned for Saturday, 6 August at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle, USA. The couple will invite family and close friends to attend, including senior Überstadti officials and the Sôgmô and Sanôba of Sandus. Crown Prince Aaron will be his brother’s supporter. Lady McAleer, whose sisters will attend her, will become Queen of Überstadt.
The royal couple plans to move to Boston in the weeks following the wedding. The King will begin a master’s degree in United States history at Boston College, while Lady McAleer will enter seminary at Boston University School of Theology as a Sacred Worth Fellow.
After relocating, the King intends to ask Parliament for an act annexing the new Boston seat of the Royal Household. His Majesty will consult with citizens to decide whether to move the Kingdom’s official capital from Rosewood.
The King and Lady McAleer with the Seattle skylineThe King and Lady McAleer in wooded parkland, SeattleThe King and Lady McAleer along the Duwamish Waterway, Seattle
Above: Official engagement photos of King Adam I and Laurel, Countess McAleer
ROSEWOOD – On Monday night, 21 June, King Adam I announced his cabinet’s new composition in Parliament’s online venue. The appointees will serve on an interim basis until the next meeting of Parliament votes on whether to confirm them.
The King’s appointments are as follows:
Himself continuing his present roles as Secretary of the Treasury and Minister for the Economy;
Crown Prince Aaron assuming the role of Minister for the Environment;
The Duchess of Bellevue continuing as Minister for Culture.
The King acknowledged the current cabinet’s domination by the Royal Family and expressed an intent to diversify its membership in the coming year. He invited citizens to suggest any offices that they feel should be created and noted his interest in finding another person to serve as economy minister.
The economy minister role holds heightened significance during Überstadt’s ongoing negotiations with Sandus on the governance of the Common Economy they share. By treaty, the minister has a seat on the Commission for the Common Economy, which governs the association.
SEATTLE – King Adam has proclaimed a Year of Independence to celebrate Überstadt’s decennial this Friday, 6 March. He has also joined Sandus in declaring the start of March to be Sandum-Überstadti Friendship Week.
The royal proclamation makes March 2020 through February 2021 a time for “celebrations, special events, and projects of national significance.”
The friendship week was first declared by Sôgmô Gaius Soergel Publicola in anticipation of an official Sandum presence at the Überstadti celebration.
The Royal Family will host an Independence Day celebration in Rosewood this Friday, which will include an official dinner with Sandum council facilitator and foreign minister Artemis Berry. The King is also planning a speech and live discussion with citizens around the world that night, as well as visits to important sites in Überstadti history.
Berry will also join in tours of Seattle and of Western Washington University, where she will begin undergraduate studies this fall.
Friends, allies, colleagues, well-wishers, and citizens abroad:
I end the Kingdom’s media silence to assure you all that Überstadt is still here. In this message, I will discuss why we have been quiet, our ongoing activities, and our plans for the near future.
Why have we been so quiet?
Last year’s census called into question whether certain people were still legally citizens, which is a serious problem in a direct democracy. Parliament’s activity ceased. Meanwhile, developments in my “civilian” career and living circumstances kept me from devoting much time to governing or maintaining our online presence. Fortunately, a recent judicial decision will allow us to revive our democracy, and I am in a position to give our country the leadership it deserves again.
What we have been doing
Anyone who has been a micronationalist for very long understands that the nation keeps moving even when the state does not. Even though our government idled, our people continued to observe our holidays, fly our flag, and live Überstadti lives. I also had the pleasure of representing the Kingdom at MicroCon 2019, reaffirming relationships with the broader micronational community.
Promises to citizens and friends
To citizens of Überstadt who live outside our borders, I promise that my government will do more to engage you in national life and give you opportunities to contribute to the Kingdom in your own ways.
To our friends in other nations, I promise to resume official communication on issues of shared importance. I believe we become better leaders and creators when we share our undertakings with each other, so I will also make sure to share glimpses of Überstadti life more often.
Überstadt turning 10
Whether citizen or foreign friend, I invite you all to help us celebrate Überstadt’s tenth anniversary, which is on 6 March 2020. My government’s efforts in the coming months will focus on making this a grand celebration of Überstadti culture, industry, and friendship. We are organizing celebrations in Rosewood to be attended by many of our citizens and leaders of allied states, and we intend to create ways for interested people and groups to participate remotely.
I eagerly look forward to further developing the Kingdom and celebrating ten years of the Überstadti state with its citizens and friends!
ROSEWOOD – On 16 December, King Adam graduated from Western Washington University magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in History, in a ceremony conferring more than 740 undergraduate and 40 postgraduate degrees. His parents were in attendance.
While at the university, the King earned numerous honors. He became a member of three honor societies, appeared three times of the President’s List for perfect quarterly grade point averages, and by faculty invitation, presented during the university’s Scholars Week honoring undergraduate research. He also delivered a paper at this year’s Northwest regional conference of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society in the United States. His senior thesis, “Joining the ‘Empire of the Whites’: Fort Nisqually’s Families and American Colonization, 1846-1860,” received a grade of A and was praised by the curator of Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, who added the paper to the museum’s research collection. In his final quarter of studies, he completed and received an A in a graduate history and methods course, taken by faculty invitation. He completed an academic minor in political science with a perfect grade point average. By a quirk of grade calculation, his graduation honors were announced at the commencement ceremony as cum laude, but upgraded after final scores for this quarter were tallied.
As a student, the King was involved in various extracurricular activities. He served one academic year as secretary, and another as president, of an environmental education club, and spent two years on the university’s Model United Nations team. In this latter capacity, he attended eight Model United Nations conferences and crisis simulations, winning several awards. He began staffing conferences this past spring. Additionally, he taught an adult Sunday school class for over a year and participated in political campaigns on campus and in the surrounding community.
The King began attending Western Washington as a junior in January 2016, after completing general education requirements at a Washington state community college in June 2014 and working in food service, academic tutoring, and political campaigning until resuming his studies. Measured in credits earned, he completed a quarter of his postsecondary education while in high school, having attended the community college part-time his final two years of compulsory schooling.
ROSEWOOD – On Tuesday night, Crown Prince Aaron resigned command of His Majesty’s Navy and leadership of the Treasury, prior to the Wednesday start of his missionary service.
As previously reported, King Adam is to take custody of the Treasury, and intends to offer naval command to a retired American general. Other high-level shakeups are anticipated in the next month, with the King’s office indicating its intention to open a new session of Parliament.
Crown Prince Aaron will spend about six weeks in the Missionary Training Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before proceeding to his two-year proselytizing assignment in the vicinity of Raleigh, North Carolina.
ROSEWOOD – Crown Prince Aaron of Überstadt has been accepted for two years of missionary service by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church) and assigned to the church’s North Carolina Raleigh Mission in the southeastern United States. He is assigned to preach in the Spanish language, and will commence service on 6 December of this year.
Aaron applied to the LDS missionary program earlier this summer and received a letter from church leadership extending his call last Saturday, though he delayed opening it until today so it could be done in the presence of the entire Royal Family. Several of the prince’s friends were also present at the “opening party,” as the phenomenon is known.
This mission will prevent Aaron from fulfilling the duties of his Überstadti offices, so he will resign his roles as Admiral of HM Navy and Secretary of the Treasury. Sterling MacLeod, a retired Brigadier General in the Massachusetts National Guard, is to be given command of the navy, while King Adam will resume custody of the treasury.
Most Mormon men, as well as many women, serve volunteer proselytizing missions in their early adulthood. These missions are full-time commitments that involve putting most secular affairs on hold, including education and courtship.
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