BREAKING: King Matteo IV dead at 54
By: Aristo Scelfo
Torden, Aquidneck - The royal standard was lowered from the flagpole above Sandor Palace as news broke of King Matteo's passing during the night of May 14th, 2017. The Palace press release reports that the cause of death was a ruptured brain aneurysm. Word spread fast as key members of the royal family, the government, and the Accession Council were seen being brought into the Palace throughout the night.
In a speech to the Senate this morning Prime Minister Ruperto Petrillo stated that the nation would be in official mourning for two weeks and expressed his sadness. "Though I have only been Prime Minister for a week, I had the honor of knowing King Matteo and serving him as a Leader of the Opposition. He was a great man who put his country first. He saw us through good times and bad, I am sure I speak for the entire country when I say that we will miss him and his family is in our thoughts and prayers in the difficult time. All of us in this chamber stand by the Accession Council and the Duke of Fossatillo as they plan for the future."
Lord Chancellor Alvise Cerri, Duke of Rosina has put out the call for the Accession Council to gather in Sandor Palace to ensure the smooth transition from King Matteo to his son Crown Prince Almiro. The Crown Prince, also known as the Duke of Fossatillo, is only 27 years old and will become the youngest person to ever be crowned King of Aquidneck. It is unknown what name the Prince will take upon his coronation as the 35th King of Aquidneck. Upon is accession to King, his brother Prince Roberto, Duke of Kalim will be named the heir apparent, as the Crown Prince has not children currently. The Crown Prince reportedly has a girlfriend but has managed to keep her identity hidden to the press.
Around the country the news of King Matteo's death has been meet with shock and disbelief. The King was seen as fairly young and healthy and he and the royal family enjoyed immense popularity in Aquidneck. All the parties in the Senate expressed their sadness at the news, including the Republican Party who said that while they were mourning his death, they hoped it would pave the way to Aquidneck becoming a republic.
A funeral is being planned and it is expected that dignitaries from around Aeia will attend. The funeral will be presided over by the Archbishop of Torden and Primate of Aquidneck, Savino De Meo.
Alvise sighed as he finished reading the newspaper article. The Lord Chancellor was not expecting to be overseeing the funeral of another King, he had thought for sure the Queen Mother, now Queen Anne of Vada, would be the next one to kick the bucket. The Lord Chancellor was waiting in the rest of the Accession Council to assemble in the meeting room. The Duke of Warwick was the last person to enter the meeting room, as he sat down he addressed the Lord Chancellor, "My Lord, you'll have to forgive the Duke of Fossatillo, he will not be attending today. I have been asked to speak on behalf of the royal family." Alvise nodded solemnly, "I understand. I thank you for attending yourself, I know it must be difficult to do this. I wish to express our condolences to you and your family for the untimely death of your brother. It is a sad day for all of us." The other members of the Acession Council nodded along at the Lord Chancellor's words.
"This caught us off guard, to say the least. So we have agreed to use the plans that had been agreed to for Queen Anne's funeral." The Lord Chancellor paused for a second and looked around before beginning again. "The honor guard is being assembled and His Eminence the Archbishop of Pale is on his way to Torden. The Cathedral of St. Maria, Sandor Palace, and the road in between have all been prepared for the processions and ceremonies. Formal invitations have been extended to all the royalty across Asura and the wider world. Heads of State and Government are also being invited." The Lord Chancellor motioned to the cards in front of every member of the Council. "Dignitaries will arrive at Torden International Airport, either the day before or the day of; from there they will be taken to the Vista Nobile Hotel, which is located near the cathedral. The Royalty from Arzoa, Midrasia, and Newrey will be invited to stay in Sandor Palace, if they choose to do so transportation will be provided for them."
The Lord Chancellor nodded to Lord Conti to begin his part of the speech. "King Franz van Klint of Roshst and King Hafsburg Fyrd Massel-Cau-Trophin of Newrey are the foreigners given precedence in the procession and funeral as they are both members of the Most Noble Order of the Pine. Other Royalty will be on a first come basis. After them the Heads of State and then the Heads of Government. Dignitaries will be free to mingle before the funeral in the hotel and afterwards in Sandor Palace. Everything is in place for their arrival. All we do now is wait."
With that the Accession Council was adjourned and the members left to go about their business. Senior members of the Aquidish Government and Prince Roberto the Duke of Kalim would be at the Vista Nobile to greet dignitaries, while those who went to Sandor Palace would be greeted by the other members of the Royal Family.
((OOC: Feel free to RP meeting the various members of the Aquidish Government who can be found here. Members of the Royal Family can bere found here. If you have any questions for me send me a telegram.))