Land of Townside | Politics | Heads of State

The Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights - the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn. And a king of great sense and sagacity would want no others.

Townside is a Commonwealth Realm. The head of state is the Queen who is jointly represented by the Governor of Townside and the Lieutenant Governor of Townside. The governor and lieutenant governor are appointed by the Queen.

Monarchy

List of monarchs

Royal tours

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in Townside, 1953

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The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in Townside, 2009

Queen Elizabeth II was the first, and to date the only reigning monarch to set foot in Townside. She conducted a royal tour of the country on the following occasions:

• 24-25 November 1953

• 10 May 1954

• 20 January 1961

• 19-25 February 1966

• 16-18 February 1975

• 1 March 1975 (refueling)

• 26 October 1977

• 13-17 February 1983

• 23 October 1993

• 18 February - 10 March 1994

• 24-26 November 2009
  

Oath of allegiance

The Oath of Allegiance, also known as the Affirmation of Allegiance, is a promise to be loyal to the Townsider monarch, and his or her heirs and successors, sworn by certain public servants in Townside, and also by newly naturalised subjects in citizenship ceremonies. Oaths of Allegiance are usually made on a Bible, but the person may opt to make an affirmation in lieu of an oath.

Standard Oath of Allegiance

The standard Oath of Allegiance reads as follows:

I, [name], do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her heirs and successors according to law. So help me God!

The standard Affirmation of Allegiance reads as follows:

I, [name] do solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her heirs and successors according to law.

The reference to "Queen Elizabeth the Second" is to be substituted with the name of the current monarch of Townside.

Governor's Oath of Office

Upon taking office, a Governor designate is required to take the Oath of Office, in the presence of the Lieutenant Governor (being ex officio the Chief Justice) or another Justice of the Supreme Court.

The Governor's Oath of Office reads as follows:

I, [name], do swear that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her heirs and successors according to law, in the office of Governor of the Land of Townside, and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of the Land of Townside, without fear or favour, affection or ill will. So help me God!

The Governor, who is ex officio the Chief of the Defence Staff and Brigadier-ranked military officer, need not make a separate Oath of Allegiance before taking the Oath of Office as Governor, as he would already have taken an Oath of Allegiance upon becoming a military officer.

Members of Parliament

Members of Parliament are required to swear the standard Oath of Allegiance upon becoming a member of parliament.

Swearing the Oath of Allegiance is a requirement for a person to become a Member of Parliament, and failing to swear the Oath of Allegiance can cause the person to be disqualified from sitting as a Member of Parliament.

Government Minister's Oath of Office

In addition to the standard Oath of Allegiance, the Premier and government Ministers also recite an Oath of Office in the presence of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor, who officially appoint them in the name of the monarch. The current Oath of Office is:

I, [name], do swear that I will well and truly serve the people of Townside in the office of [position] and that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Townside. So help me God!

Judicial Oath

I, [name], do swear by Almighty God that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth the Second in the office of [insert judicial office], and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm, without fear or favour, affection or illwill. So help me God!

Clerical Oath of Supremacy

The Oath of Supremacy requires any person taking church office in Townside to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of Townside.

The Oath of Supremacy is:

I, [name], do utterly testify and declare in my conscience that the Queen's Majesty is the only supreme governor of this realm, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes, as temporal, and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority ecclesiastical or spiritual within this realm; and therefore I do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true allegiance to the Queen's Majesty, Her heirs and lawful successors, and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions, pre-eminences, privileges and authorities granted or belonging to the Queen's Majesty, Her heirs or successors, or united or annexed to the crown of this realm. So help me God, and by the contents of this Book.

Defence Force Oath of Allegiance

Swearing an Oath of Allegiance is a requirement for joining the Royal Townside Defence Force. The oath taken by a member of the defence force is:

I, [name], swear that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors according to law, as a member of the Royal Townside Defence Force, and that I will resist her enemies and faithfully discharge my duty according to law. So help me God!

Police Officers Oath of Allegiance

The Oath of Allegiance for police officers in Townside is:

I, [name], do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will well and truly serve the Queen in the office of constable, with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, upholding fundamental human rights and according equal respect to all people; and that I will, to the best of my power, cause the Queen's Peace to be kept and preserved and prevent all offences against people and property; and that while I continue to hold the said office I will, to the best of my skill and knowledge, discharge all the duties thereof faithfully according to law.

Citizenship ceremonies

New citizens are required to do two things at a citizenship ceremony: (1) swear the oath of allegiance, and (2) make the citizenship pledge.

The Oath of Allegiance is:

I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Townside, Her heirs and successors according to law, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Townside and fulfil my duties as a Townsider citizen.

The Citizenship Pledge is:

From this time forward, under God,
I pledge my loyalty to Townside and its people,
whose democratic beleifs I share,
whose rights and liberties I respect, and
whose laws I will uphold and obey.

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Officially, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Townside serve as the joint-representaties of the Queen, thus making Townside a de facto diarchy or duumvirate. Despite the title, the Lieutenant Governor is not subordinate to the Governor.

The Governor of Townside is an office that is ex officio always held by the Admiral of Townside, the most senior military officer on the island. The Governor's military position reflects the importance to Townside of external military defence.

Meanwhile, the Lieutenant Governor of Townside is an office that is ex officio always held by the Chief Justice of Townside. The Lieutenant Governor's judicial position reflects the importance to Townside of maintaining domestic peace, order, and good government.

Because military appointments usually do not last long before an individual military officer is either promoted in rank or appointed to another military position, the tenures of Governors of Townside have not been very long, the average being between 2-3 years, and the longest not exceeding 7 years. By contrast, Lieutenants Governor, who enjoy security of tenure as Chief Justices, have served much longer, the average being between 10-15 years.

The Lieutenant Governor's longer periods of service provides a source of stability for Townsiders, and balances out the Governor's inherently higher profile as a military officer. Due to this disparity in tenure, the Lieutenant Governor often administers the oath of allegiance and the oath of office to the Governor-designate when the latter takes up their appointment.

Salaries

The positions of Governor and Lieutenant Governor are unsalaried, although the incumbents will continue to draw salaries from their primary positions. The Governor, as an Admiral-ranked miliary officer in the Royal Townside Defence Force, would be paid an annual salary of £109,368, whereas the Lieutenant Governor, as Chief Justice, would be paid an annual salary of £267,509.

Administrator of the government

When the office of Governor is vacant, due to death or resignation, or the Governor is not able to discharge his duties or is absent from Townside, the Lieutenant Governor holds a "dormant commission" from the Queen that would automatically see Lieutenant Governor appointed as "Administrator of the Government" in the aforementioned event, effectively making the Lieutenant Governor the acting Governor.

Aides-de-camp

The Governor and a Lieutenant Governor each has an aide-de-camp to act as their personal assistance or secretary.

Much like the position of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, which was ex officio positions, the aide-de-camp positions are also ex officio.

The Governor, being the most senior military officer on the island and Chief of the Defence Force, would have a batman (less commonly known as an orderly), being an other ranked soldier or airman assigned to the Governor as a commissioned military officer to act as a personal servant. The batman is thus ex officio aide-de-camp to the Governor of Townside.

Similarly, the Lieutenant Governor, being the Chief Justice, would have a "Judge's Associate" (also known as a "Tipstaff") who performs various duties to assist the Chief Justice, such as legal research, proofreading draft judgments, providing substantive comments to the judge, and administrative duties. The Associate is thus ex officio aide-de-camp to the Lieutenant Governor of Townside.

Constitutional vs. ceremonial duties

Constitutional duties

• dissolving Parliament and issuing writs for a general election

• commissioning the Premier, appointing Ministers, and swearing-in other statutory positions

• appointing the government after an election

• appointing key public officials

• giving Royal Assent to legislation

• presiding over the Executive Council

• facilitating the work of the Parliament and Government

• holding and possibly exercising the Reserve Powers.

Ceremonial duties

• holding investiture ceremonies

• conferring honours

Commander-in-Chief duties

• appointing the Service Chiefs

• commissioning officers in the Navy, Army, and Air Force

• presenting Colours, Banners, and other Honours to military units and personnel

• visiting military units to acknowledge the service of service personnel

• leading Townside's response, celebration, and acknowledgement at commemorative events.

Community leadership and engagement role

• supporting Vice-regal patronages, ie serving as Patron to national organisations that contribute to society

• attending significant community events

• visiting Lafonia

• travelling widely to encourage and acknowledge individuals and groups making a substantial contribution to the community

• making Government House available for the benefit of all Townsiders

• responding quickly and compassionately on behalf of all Townsiders to natural disasters and events of national significance

• sending congratulatory messages to Townsiders celebrating significant milestones and messages of support.

International

• Hosting visiting heads of state and other prominent visitors to Townside.

• receiving the credentials of newly appointed Ambassadors.

• representing Townside at important international ceremonies

• undertaking state visits

Constitutional role

Joint powers and responsibilities of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Ultimate executive authority in Townside is vested in the Queen and is exercised on her behalf by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, acting jointly, usually on the advice of the Cabinet. However, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor can exercise complete legislative and executive authority if they wish through blanket powers reserved to them, by convention, in Townside's uncodified constitution. Townside's uncodified constitution also empowers the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to withhold royal assent for a Bill that has passed the Parliament in cases where the legislation appears to them to affect the rights and privileges of the Parliament or the Royal Prerogative.

Defence, foreign affairs, and internal security are the sole responsibility of the governor and lieutenant governor, and they also retain responsibility to ensure general good government.

Royal prerogative, jura regalia, and reserve power

The Royal Prerogative are the powers of the Queen that, when exercised by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor jointly in the Queen's name, might be known as "Reserve Powers". The Royal Prerogative is a subset of the lesser known "Regalian Rights", being the royal rights of the Queen, and includes both the royal prerogative powers, which is essential to the sovereign's royal authority (majoria regalia or jura essentialia) and certain incidental rights (minoria regalia or jura accidentalia).

The regalian rights, and the royal prerogative powers, are as follows:

• Majoria regalia or Jura essentialia

  • Power of judicature (as fount of justice) and Parliament

    • To refuse to dissolve Parliament when requested by the Premier.

    • To appoint a Premier.

    • To dismiss a Premier and his or her government.

    • To summon, prorogue, and dissolve Parliament.

    • To dismiss and appoint ministers

    • To delay a bill's assent

    • To refuse the royal assent of a parliamentary bill

    • To refuse the Queen's Consent, where direct monarchical assent is required for a bill affecting, directly or by implication, the prerogative, hereditary revenues - including ultimus haeres, treasure trove, and bona vacantia - or the personal property or interests of the Crown to be heard in Parliament.

    • To appoint Queen's Counsel
      

  • Power of life and death

    • To grant the prerogative of mercy
      

  • Power of war and peace

    • To issue and withdraw passports

    • To declare war and peace

    • To ratify and make treaties

    • To command the armed forces

    • To commission officers in the armed forces.

    • To deploy the armed forces overseas

    • To recognise states
      

  • Other powers

    • To grant honours

    • To create corporations via royal charter

    • To appoint bishops and the archbishop of the Church of Townside
      

• Minoria regalia or Jura accedentalia

  • Right to ownerless goods (bona vacantia);

  • Assessments

  • Wrecks

  • Whales and swans

  • Minting of money

  • Various hunting, fishing, and mining rights
    

Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy

The Governor and Lieutenant Governor has the power to grant a pardon to any person concerned in, or convicted of, an offence, but the Governor and Lieutenant Governor can only, by convention, use this power after consultation with the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.

The Committee consists of the following five individuals:

• two elected members of the House of Assembly (appointed by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, on the advice of the House of Assembly),

• the Premier,

• the Attorney General, and

• the Chief Medical Officer.
  

Letters patent

Royal commission

Royal charter

Royal veto of the appointment of Catholic bishops

Uniquely to Townside, the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor, as representatives of the monarch, are able to exercise a royal veto of the appointment of bishops of the Catholic Church whose loyalty was suspect.

The power was granted by Parliament in 1805, which provided that "no Catholic bishops be appointed without the enitre approbation of His Majesty."

In practice, however, this power has never been exercised.

Order in Council

Speech from the Throne

Hosting and undertaking State Visits

Ceremonial role

Viceregal Patronages and Criteria

The Governor and the Lieutenant Governor serve as Patron of certain organisations such as charitable or community-oriented orgaisations.

As Patrons, the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor take an active role by promoting organisations, celebrating staff, supporters, and volunteers, attending events, and hosting groups at Government House.

The Governor and the Lieutenant Governor cannot be involved in an organisation constitutionally, and cannot be associated in any way with public appeals for money or fund-raising. It is not proper for Government House to be seen as being used for the collection of money.

Nevertheless, Viceregal Patronage provides organisations with the name and prestige of the Viceregal office. The granting of Viceregal patronage is determined according to certain criteria.

The Governor and the Lieutenant Governor does not accept invitations for patronage from the followign organisations:

• organisations of a political or sectarian connection,

• newly formed organisations which have not yet proven themselves,

• organisations which are purely commercial ventures,

• professional bodies, and

• non-incorporated entities (such as projects, scholarships, and memorials).

Additionally, because the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor are Her Majesty's representative only within Townside, their Viceregal Patronage does not extend to organisations or functions outside the country.

In whatever capacity the Governor and/or the Lieutenant Governor is associated with a Townsider organisation (eg Patron), their names must head the list of those associated, with the exception of the name of The Queen. Viceregal Patronage cannot be shared with anybody but The Queen or another Viceregal person (ie the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor serving as joint patrons). However, an organisation will not be granted Viceregal Patronage if it already enjoys direct Royal Patronage. If an organisation seeking Viceregal Patronage already has a patron or patrons, other than The Queen, they must be prepared to become Vice Patrons.

Viceregal Patronage is not an office which an organisation can claim itself simply by electing the Governor and/or the Lieutenant Governor. Organisations seeking Viceregal patronage must apply to the Governor and/or the Lieutenant Governor, with the grant of Patronage normally applying and lasting only for the period or duration during which the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor holds office.

Current Viceregal Patronages

Below is a list of existing organisations that enjoy Viceregal Patronage, either solely from the Governor or the Lieutenant Governor, or jointly from both the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor:

Congratulatory messages and cards

Townsiders can receive congratulatory messages from the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor for:

• 50th (Golden) wedding anniversaries, and every fifth year thereafter,

• 60th, 65th, 70th wedding anniversaries (and every year after - upon application)

• 90th birthday, and every fifth year thereafter,

• 100th, 105th birthday (and every year after - upon application)

Applications should be directed to a person's local Member of Parliament, who will then arrange for the request to be submitted to the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor.

Orders, decorations, and medals

Investiture ceremonies

Official residences

Three official residences are made available for the joint use and residence of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor.

Despite having three governmnet houses, it is expected that a Governor and a Lieutenant Governor would reside in the same government house at the same time (albeit in different wings), as a symbol of their joint role as representatives of the monarch. Nevertheless, the multiplicity of government houses is also useful a Governor and a Lieutenant Governor are on poor terms with each other, as has occurred on certain occasions in the past.

Regardless of whether the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor are in residence, the three government houses are guarded by the Royal Townside Defence Force. When the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor are in residence, their flags are flown over the government house. When they are not in residence, the Townsider Blue Ensign is flown instead.

Government House, Townside

Government House, Townside is located in the heart of the Townside Borough and is the official residence of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor in the Borough of Townside. The Governor and the Lieutenant Governor generally stay here between Mondays-Fridays. However, most important state occasions are held at this government house.

"Berksire" Old Government House

Old Government House, Berkshire is located on the western outskirts of Townside Borough, and is the official country residence of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor. The Governor and the Lieutenant Governor generally stay here over the weekend (Saturdays and Sundays). Some important state occasions are held at this government house.

"Norfolk" Old Government House

Old Government House, Norfolk is located on the northern outskirts of Townside Borough, and is the official winter residence of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor. The Governor and the Lieutenant Governor generally stay here over the winter months (December, January, and February). State occasions are minimal during the winter months, so not many state occasions are held at this government house.

List of Governors and Lieutenant Governors