Throughout his reign, our father and predecessor Terry I solemnly announced the start of each season – spring, summer, autumn and winter – a custom that was formalised into law by Act 98 of Parliament as passed under the Austenasian Constitution of 2008. Upon the coming into force of the Austenasian Constitution of 2011, Act 98 was repealed, and its provisions regarding the declaration of the start and end of seasons have not been legally re-established, although said declarations have continued to be accepted as numbered among the prerogatives of the Throne. Our Imperial Majesty hereby confirms by decree that the Monarch has the power to announce the beginning of spring, summer, autumn and winter for the Empire of Austenasia. These declarations apply to all Cities, Towns, Marches and Territories, and are the prerogative of Governing Commissioners in Crown Dependencies, where the seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter may take place at a different time of year if at all due to their location farther south than the other areas of the Empire.
Furthermore, in accordance with Paragraph 2 of the Public Holidays Act 2014, we hereby decree that the Gregorian calendar as opposed to the Julian calendar is to be used for all governmental business on a national level, but that the Julian calendar may be used for dates by local authorities on the condition that the corresponding Gregorian dates are also given and that it is specified to which calendar each date belongs. Local authorities – that is, a Town Council or City Council, Margrave/Margravine, or Governor – may authorise the use of the Julian calendar within their respective jurisdictions so long as its use is specified when used.
Furthermore, we hereby decree that just as our Imperial Majesty has used since April 2015 the Anno Mundi date of the “Byzantine” or Constantinopolitan calendar – whereby 1 September 2016 to 31 August 2017 in the Gregorian calendar is the year 7525, and Austenasia was founded on 20 September 7517 – when dating Imperial Decrees and Imperial Edicts, said date may be used throughout the Empire, but shall not be used within Acts of Parliament or Imperial Decrees or Edicts other than to date their coming into force alongside the consular and regnal years.
Furthermore, we hereby abolish the system of era names established in December 2011. From henceforth, no new era names will be adopted, although historians are permitted to use the names given to time periods before our reign in reference to said periods. Accordingly, Parliament shall upon the confirmation of this Imperial Decree repeal the Era Names Act 2011.
Finally, we hereby announce that Clean Monday (the seventh Monday before Orthodox Easter, observing the first day of Great Lent), Ash Wednesday (the forty sixth day before Western Easter, observing the first day of Lent in Western Christianity), and the Ecclesiastical New Year (1 September, celebrated by the Orthodox Church and some Methodist churches as the start of the church year) may be adopted as public holidays in individual Cities, Towns and Territories should the respective Town/City Council or Governor decide to do so.
Decreed at Chester this twenty seventh day of February, Clean Monday and the twenty first birthday of our most beloved fiancée HI&SH Princess Consort Hannah, during the fifth year of our reign, in the year of the consulship of Adam Rex and Victoria Hathawia Comitessa Sidneae, anno mundi 7525.