XCVI Jon. I 2018 (Succession to the Throne)

The purpose of this Act is to ensure that future members of the Line of Succession will be born to couples approved by the Monarch as having an interest in the well-being of the Empire, to ensure that those who marry into the extended Imperial Family will not lose their titles upon the death of their spouse, and to approve the Imperial Decree of HIM Emperor Jonathan I numbered XXXVII.

In accordance with Article IV, Section C, Paragraph F of the Austenasian Constitution of 2011, Parliament has ultimate control over the Line of Succession to the Throne, and this same Act is passed in accordance with said legal principle.

No person currently in the Line of Succession to the Throne will be deprived of or disadvantaged in regards to their place in the Line of Succession as a result of this same Act, the provisions of which will not be considered to be retroactive.

From henceforth, children born to persons in the Line of Succession will not enter into the Line of Succession themselves unless born to an approved or non-morganatic marriage.

For the purposes of Paragraph 4 of this same Act, a non-morganatic marriage is where the member of the Line of Succession in question has married (and a morganatic marriage is where they have not married):

1. The Monarch, a member of the Imperial Family, or another member of the Line of Succession, as well as all who hold the style of Imperial Highness, Highness, Serene Highness, or a Lord/Lady Imperial through relation or marriage to such (not including those who would gain said style only upon the marriage in question)

2. A Noble (id est, a Caesar, Augusta, Landed Noble or Peer) or Senator

3. Any persons who fall under the criteria set out by LII Jon. I 2015 (Succession to the Throne), Paragraph 10, Subsection A

4. Any foreign monarch, royal, or noble

For the purposes of Paragraph 4 of this same Act, an approved marriage is where it is morganatic but the Monarch has given their written approval for any issue resulting to be included within the Line of Succession; marriages may be approved for the purposes of this same Act during the period of engagement or betrothal, or after the marriage has taken place. Should a morganatic marriage be approved after children have already been born from it, then all children from said marriage – both those already born and, when born, any future siblings – will be included in the Line of Succession, except where legislated otherwise by Parliament.

Should there be any dispute over the status of a certain person – e.g., whether a royal title claimed by a member of a deposed dynasty should be recognised, or whether a person should be considered noble or not – for the purposes of Paragraph 5, Subsection D of this same Act, the decision of the Monarch shall be final.

The children of a morganatic marriage of a member of the Line of Succession which has not been approved by the Monarch shall hold the rank below that of the parent who is in Line to the Throne; id est, the child of a Prince/Princess holding the style Imperial Highness would be a Prince/Princess holding the style Highness, beneath which is a Prince/Princess holding the style Serene Highness, beneath which is a Lord/Lady Imperial, beneath which is a Sir/Dame titled as the spouse of a Lord/Lady Imperial, beneath which is no specific style or title. Any children of said children of such a marriage would hold the rank below them, and so on for each generation until any descendants hold no specific style or title as a result of their descent from a member of the Line of Succession.

In regards to Article IV, Section B, Paragraphs E and G of the Austenasian Constitution of 2011, from henceforth all those who gain the style Imperial Highness and the title Prince or Princess from their relation to the Monarch and/or Heir to the Throne shall keep said style and title for life, unless they should themselves gain a higher ranking style and/or title.

In regards to Article IV, Section B, Paragraphs H-K, those who gain a title and style from being the spouse or illegitimate child of a Prince, Princess, or Lord/Lady Imperial shall – unless they should themselves gain a higher ranking style and/or title – keep said title and style for life, except in the case of a divorce (whereby the spouse would lose the title and style).

As an addendum, in accordance with Article IV, Section D, Paragraph C of the Austenasian Constitution of 2011, the House of Representatives hereby grants its approval and consent to the Imperial Decree of HIM Emperor Jonathan I numbered XXXVII (decreed on 14 July 2018), thereby making it permanent law; in accordance with the provisions of said Imperial Decree, Daniel Dankovsky is hereby divested of all Austenasian subjectship and nationality.