Terry I abdication crisis
| Terry I Abdication Crisis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Date: February 15–16, 2010 | |
| Events | |
| Terry I's Abdication Refusal of Crown Prince to accept Throne Accession of Esmond III | |
| People | |
| Terry I Crown Prince Jonathan Esmond III | |
The abdication crisis of Terry I was an event in the Empire of Austenasia which lasted from Monday 15th to Tuesday 16 February 2010. The crisis started after the decision of Terry I to abdicate from the Throne and the refusal of the then Prime Minister and Heir to the Throne, Crown Prince Jonathan, to succeed Emperor Terry.
Abdication
At the Imperial Residence on 15 February 2010, HIM Emperor Terry I announced to the Imperial Family that he would no longer be head of state, and wished to abdicate. The underlying causes of this were the attention and publicity he had begun to get as knowledge of Austenasia spread locally, but his decision was triggered by a small row; however, despite having been made in the heat of the moment, under Austenasian law an abdication is irreversible. While Terry I remained Emperor until a new Monarch accepted the Throne, the search was immediately on for the new Monarch.
Succession
The first in line to the Throne was Terry's son, the then Crown Prince Jonathan. As he was also Prime Minister, he refused the Throne so that he could remain head of government - under the Austenasian Constitution of 2008 (and the current Austenasian Constitution of 2011) the Monarch and Prime Minister could not be the same person.
The second in line to the Throne was Dark Lord Esmond, 2nd Duke of Highland, SCH, a friend of the Crown Prince, who met with him on 16 February 2010 to confirm his ascension to the Throne. Esmond III had been made second in line to the Throne by Act 105 (Supreme Companion of the Heir) in October 2009 as a ceremonial honour - it was not expected that Terry I would abdicate any time soon, it being assumed that Esmond would eventually lose contact with the Crown Prince enabling the honour to be revoked long before the reign of Terry I came to an end. At roughly 14:40, in Sutton town centre, the new Monarch signed into law Act 113 (Abdication of Terry I), making him Emperor and bringing into effect Terry I's abdication.
Aftermath
The most immediate effect of the abdication was the ascension of Emperor Esmond III to the Throne of Austenasia. The most notable and immediate effect of this was the Austenasian Civil War, caused by the failure of the Vestry Conference, a meeting convened when the then Princess Caroline disputed the ascension of Esmond III to the Throne.
