Band Room Realms

Band Room Realms
Flag Coat of arms
Location	Mountlake Terrace, Washington, USA
Official languages	English
Demonym(s)	Bandish
Government	Absolute diarchy
• King and Queen	King Ethan Queen Harper
Currency	United States dollar
Time zone	(UTC-8)
Preceded by Kingdom of Überstadt

The Band Room Realms are an extraterritorial quasi-micronational entity in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. The polity was established unofficially in June 2012 when one Franklin was proclaimed king of the Mountlake Terrace High School band room by the students assembled there, and was formally organized in February 2013 when Franklin began to publicly assert his sovereignty over the room. The Realms were formerly part of the United States, and then Überstadt, and it was the latter that ceded the territory to Franklin. This cession brought Überstadt to recognize Franklin as rightful ruler of the band room. The Realms are currently governed as a diarchy by King Ethan and Queen Harper. Since September 2013, the Realms have been generally acknowledged as possessing extraterritorial, rather than sovereign, jurisdiction over the physical band room, and in June 2014 extended their claims to the whole of the school's performing arts hall.

History

In June 2012, Adam I of Überstadt and several other students at the high school collaborated in the construction of a large structure out of chairs and music stands. Franklin sat atop the structure, which resembled a massive throne shaped like a pyramid, and was declared king of the band room by the other students, even receiving a crown of aluminum foil. In February 2013, Franklin learned that his joking acclamation may legally be considered a recognition of sovereignty, and began to assert a claim to kingship. On 21 February, Überstadt, which was already planning to eventually return the campus to the United States, ceded the territory to Franklin through the Treaty of the Band Room, signed by the monarchs in Hawk City.

In May 2013, Franklin expressed that Seth, Second Baron Ballinger and Überstadti military officer, who regularly attended the Band Room court, would likely inherit the throne due to the former's graduation from high school. The king assigned his viceroy Adam I of Überstadt to make a recommendation for a suitable heir when Seth's qualifications began to be questioned. An epistle prepared by a group of Franklin's courtesans, under Adam's leadership, recommended Seth, who was appointed Crown Prince of the Band Room. Seth was crowned in a ceremony beginning with Franklin's abdication on 4 June 2013.

King Seth's rule was characterized by a substantial decrease in activity associated with the Realms, and he frequently referred to them as a joke, contrary to the attitude of both his predecessor and the Überstadti government. A low point in his reign came when he ordered the Überstadti ambassador forcibly removed from the band room during a tax dispute. On 11 June 2014, Seth abruptly announced that he was to abdicate that afternoon. In his final speech atop the throne, he claimed sovereignty over the whole of the band hall and appointed one of his courtesans, Jacob, his successor. Jacob then ascended the throne and was acclaimed as King Jacob, the first Bandish monarch to accede without crowning himself and the first to be acclaimed as ruler of all the performing arts rooms by their attending representatives. Bandish identity declined further under him because of his occupation with other duties. His successor, Aaron, is expected to revive the culture.

Government and politics

The Band Room Realms are governed as an absolute diarchy currently led by King Ethan and Queen Harper, expanded from the historical monarchy by Queen Kaylee. The rulers are the fount of all law and justice. King Franklin's court possessed an entourage a dozen strong, which assembled most days. The court declined under Seth and Jacob, but is expected to be revived by Aaron. Political activity deals primarily with disputes among the king's supporters. Although all who regularly congregate in the band hall are considered Aaron's subjects, only those who acknowledge his reign submit to his authority. In the past, this has led to conflict regarding the Bandish king's legal rights within the Realms. It is generally understood that each new ruler is appointed by the previous one, as per the precedent set by Franklin.

Foreign relations

The only state to recognize the Band Room Realms is Überstadt, from which they obtained their territory (sovereignty over which is no longer recognized). The original Treaty of the Band Room created a demilitarized zone and enforced the free passage of civilians across the border. The suspicious relationship that existed at the time of the treaty dissipated, with King Adam even being made a viceroy to govern the Realms in the king's absence. Relations became strained when Seth refused to pay his Überstadti taxes and violated an ambassador's personal immunity, but have since improved substantially. Today, Überstadt recognizes the Realms as a cultural group without sovereign territory.

List of sovereigns of the Band Room

No.	Portrait	Name(s)	Reign start	Reign end	Succession right
*		Adam I As King of Überstadt	18 November 2011	21 February 2013	Acclamation as King of Überstadt
1		Franklin	Disputed	4 June 2013	Acclamation
2		Seth	4 June 2013	11 June 2014	Appointment by Franklin
3		Jacob	11 June 2014	16 June 2015	Appointment by Seth
4		Aaron	16 June 2015	21 June 2016	Appointment by Jacob
5		Kaylee	21 June 2016	15 June 2017	Appointment by Aaron
6		King Ethan Queen Harper	15 June 2017	Incumbents	Appointment by Kaylee

Adam I of Überstadt is sometimes considered the first king of the Band Room, having reigned over it as part of Überstadt since his accession, and all rulers titled Kings of the Band Room Realms his successors. The date of Franklin's accession is disputed. He considered himself to have become king the day of his coronation, but Adam maintains that he only became a sovereign upon the signature of the Treaty of the Band Room. The incumbent monarch, Kaylee, is the first Queen of the Band Room.

Since the initial discussion of the appointment of Franklin's heir, a common topic of political discussion in the Realms has been future succession. Customarily, each new king has been crowned in the June immediately preceding their final year of attendance at the school, appointed by their predecessor.