Chapter 208: The Coronation Ceremony and Shipbuilding Plan
While the shipbuilding experts were busy exploring the strategic cruiser concept that Arthur had proposed, Arthur himself was occupied with preparing for his coronation ceremony.
When Arthur became the Duke of Australia, no coronation ceremony had been held due to his distance from the British Empire and the fact that he had just recently survived an assassination attempt. Instead, there was only a banquet with royal family members and Queen Victoria, followed by an announcement to the public.
Now that he was the King of Australasia, and the first king at that, it was only fitting to hold a grand coronation ceremony, involving both the Australian and New Zealand people.
A piece of good news was that after more than three years of construction, the Sydney Palace was now officially ready for use. Arthur set the coronation ceremony for October, specifically to hold it at the newly completed Sydney Palace.
After over six years of development, Australasia needed to gain more prestige and influence in the international community. Therefore, Arthur's coronation ceremony was an event that the Australian government invited almost all independent nations in the world to, including all monarchies in Europe.
Naturally, the great powers had no hesitation in attending. Even the distant United States received an invitation from Australasia.
After Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and the United Kingdom, among other great powers, agreed to attend, monarchies across Europe also quickly responded, expressing their intention to send royal representatives.
This marked the official global recognition of the Kingdom of Australasia, and Arthur's throne was also validated by European nobility.
On October 11, 1906, Arthur's coronation ceremony officially began.
The actual coronation took place privately, with most of the spectators being nobles from around the world and high-ranking Australian officials.
To highlight the legitimacy of the monarchy, Arthur specifically invited the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England, to place the crown on his head.
Unconsciously, Arthur had accumulated many titles—besides his coronation as the King of Australasia, he also held the ducal titles of Australia and New Zealand.
After receiving the blessings of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Arthur successfully wore the crown and officially became the first King of Australasia.
As Arthur placed the crown on his head, ten cannons fired simultaneously in celebration. The number ten symbolized the ten administrative districts of Australasia, including the Capital Territory and New Guinea Colony.
Following this, everyone present moved outside to the square, where Arthur would read his coronation declaration. Then, the Prime Minister, along with Australasia's government officials and members of parliament, would swear their loyalty to Arthur.
Because this part of the ceremony took place outside, the reaction of the crowd became crucial.
If the crowd responded well, even swearing allegiance alongside the officials, it would be a moment of historical significance.
However, if the crowd remained silent, it would make for an awkward coronation.
Luckily, Arthur was confident in his popularity among the people, and the second scenario was absolutely impossible in Australasia.
"Members of Parliament, ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to stand before all of you and be crowned as the ruler of this great nation," Arthur said, smiling as he walked to the microphone, wearing the crown designed by a personal jeweler.
"Australasia is a great kingdom formed by Australia and New Zealand, and it carries the great mission and goal of our joint rise. I am deeply aware of the responsibilities and duties that come with this goal, and I will do everything in my power, with the support of all the parliamentarians, government officials, and citizens of this kingdom, to fulfill this responsibility and goal, bringing Australasia to harmony and prosperity."
"I, Arthur, King of Australasia, Duke of Australia, Duke of New Zealand, and Protector of New Guinea, promise to my people that I will safeguard the interests of all the kingdom and territories, and cherish all the citizens of our lands. Alongside my parliamentarians, officials, and loyal soldiers, I will defend this country until the last moment, protecting every citizen until the last moment. Long live Australasia! Long live the House of Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha!"
It was proven that the Australian people were very easy to please. After Arthur's pledge to protect the country and its citizens, the air was filled with cheers and shouts from all Australians and New Zealanders.
"May God bear witness that as the King of Australasia, I will protect the interests of every citizen of Australasia, even at great cost. May God bless me as I faithfully fulfill my promise. Long live Australasia!"
Arthur's coronation declaration was not long—his actual speech lasted only about ten minutes.
But what Arthur said was exactly what the people of Australasia wanted to hear. Who wouldn't want a monarch who cares deeply about the welfare of the people?
Moreover, Arthur had already demonstrated through his actions that what he said was not empty words, but genuine promises backed by deeds.
Regardless of what other countries' nobility and officials thought, the people of Australasia were extremely satisfied. They were more than willing to be loyal to this young king and fight for the dream of Australasia's rise, even at the cost of their lives.
After the declaration was read, the next part of the ceremony was the loyalty oath from Australasia's parliamentarians and officials.
The crowd swearing allegiance included all the members of the Royal Assembly and the House of Commons, as well as state assembly members from the various states.
Of course, the state assembly members didn't have the right to come to the front to swear an oath, but they stood at the back and swore allegiance along with the officials.
This showed the power of the monarchy in Australasia. Whether they were parliamentarians or officials, their first allegiance was to Arthur.
As the loyalty oath ceremony began, foreign guests finally saw the level of support Arthur had in Australia.
The crowd gathered around the square numbered at least 80,000 people, and possibly over 100,000 if we included those standing outside the square.
Looking out at the crowd, the vast majority were swearing allegiance, expressing their loyalty and recognition to the young king.
This kind of scene was rarely seen even in many European countries, and even in autocratic nations like the Russian Empire, it would be difficult to see such a spectacle, even if it were artificially staged.
Though Australasia's population was still small, the potential it displayed had already far exceeded what its population size would suggest, making many European countries take Australasia seriously as a new power.
Throughout the loyalty oath ceremony, Arthur sat solemnly on the throne on stage. The people swearing allegiance to him evolved from Australasia's officials and parliamentarians into all the people of Australasia present.
"This will be a terrifying country!" a noble from a small European monarchy muttered, staring in disbelief for a moment, before speaking out loud.
His statement was met with agreement from many others. With a population of only around six million, Australasia had already demonstrated immense potential.
What if Australasia's population reached tens of millions? Could it become a nation like Japan, challenging the great powers for dominance?
After the loyalty oath ceremony, the coronation was mostly complete.
According to European tradition, the remaining events were a grand banquet with foreign guests in the evening.
This kind of large banquet is advantageous for a new monarch to expand diplomatic relations and establish better ties with other countries' nobles and rulers.
Arthur naturally had this in mind and planned to host a grand celebration banquet at Sydney Palace.
But before that, Arthur felt it was necessary to elevate the atmosphere of the coronation to its peak.
"People of Australasia, in this great moment, I would like to announce an important decision for our nation," Arthur said, stepping back onto the stage after the loyalty oath ceremony, his face filled with mystery.
Arthur's words quickly caught the attention of all the Australians and foreign guests. Everyone was eager to hear what he would say next and what impact it would have.
"People, Australasia is a vast nation spanning all of Oceania. We have the continental-like Australian region, the multiple islands of New Zealand, and many overseas territories. To safeguard the interests of all our territories and maintain the stability and peace of Australasia, after careful study by the government of Australasia, it has been decided that Australasia will launch a massive shipbuilding program over the next ten years. To ensure that we have a fleet to protect our overseas interests, Australasia will launch at least two battleships, ten medium-sized cruisers, and three other major warships within the next ten years, forming a fleet of five large capital ships, ten medium protective ships, and dozens of small patrol warships. This massive shipbuilding program will be completed within ten years, with the government of Australasia allocating at least 50 million Australian dollars, carried out in phases. The oceans of Australasia must be guarded by Australasia's own strength, and this is a crucial step before our rise. No one can harm the interests of the people of Australasia unless they can cross over the bodies of our soldiers and fleets!"
(End of Chapter)
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