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Recent Times
In Recent Times, New England has undergone some extraordinary changes. New England's economy spluttered in the early 2040s as the cleaning up of heavy industry reduced the need for carbon recycling. Locally, the profound change wrought by forty years of independence has been brought to the fore. New England is no longer a nation of sheep farmers and welfare cheats, but is instead a nation of innovation and honesty, where a variety of people are able to live in peace in a society that is open, tolerant and solid.
With the threat of war fading into memory, Australia and New England are closer now than at any other time since 2012. Relations between all the major powers have settled into a familiar routine, and movement between the two is at last starting to occur. New England goes into the 2050s with the potential for a lasting peace with Australia that will guarantee the security of both nations. All people of this tenacious little kingdom look to the future with great hope.
Death of the King
The sudden incapacitation of King James in 2043 marked a watershed in the history of New England. The government was able to continue without any delay, with a system of regency government up and working within hours. The King's brother, Edgar, became Prince Regent, with the support of a council led by the Royal Chancellor, John Tudor. In practice, the operations of the regency government differed little to that of an ordinary government, and so the change and impact on New England was almost non existent. What did impact however, was the shock of such a relatively young man being stricken down in such a way.
Despite the incapacitation of the King, the business of government went on for the next two years. To prove it, the election held in March 2044 could have been a case of people supporting the incumbent in times of stress. In the end, it was a rout for the SDLP, and after just four years at Smith House, they were driven from office in a landslide. Jim Gordon's National Party came back into power, where it would remain for the next eight years.
On the 8 December 2045, James died, and the following day his brother Edgar became King James II. The funeral was the largest public event in New England since the end of the Five Day War in 2032. The religious service was held in the National Cathedral, before the King was taken to the Great Hall of Parliament for a national memorial service and symbolic transfer of the crown to the new King. It wasn't until after James had died that cause of his illness was revealed. While many were shocked, in their own stoic way, the people of New England took the news with a sigh and nod. For over fifteen years the people had supported a strict drugs policy, and many had seen first hand that it was in place for good reason. Constant news of drug problems in Australia reinforced this view, and the death of their own King was proof enough that drug addiction does not pay.
Despite the sorry tale of his life, the late Kings life has been celebrated as a bright and cheerful figure in a nation struggling to find its feet. Statues of the King now adorn many of the town parks of New England, and every year, the Royal Society of King James I celebrate his life with a banquet and ball to raise money for charity. There were even calls (outlandish as were) for James to be made a saint for work in reforming other addicts. Instead of focussing on the King's foibles and mistakes, supporters celebrate his reform as a person and the great lengths he went to ensure that New England was ruled in manner the people expected of their King.
Australian Relations
The late 2040s also marked a softening in relations between Australia and New England. Following in the wake of successful sporting and diplomatic encounters, the border was reopened for the first time in twenty-eight years on the 1st January 2044. This was capped off with the resumption of rail services between Sydney and Armidale, which resumed on the 1st February of the same year. The reopening of the railway was a great diplomatic manoeuvre and the leaders from both nations turned out to reopen the Woolbrook Bridge to rail traffic in front of six thousand people. With matters now improving steadily, the Prime Minister of Australia, Owen Nelson, spoke to the crowd at Woolbrook with an air of confidence as the border was reopened:
"Mr Speaker, the peoples of Australia and New England must now look to future. The past is past, and we cannot allow ourselves to let the wounds of yesterday fester into generations of conflict between our two nations. The two of us, Australian and New Englander must share this unique and beautiful continent together. We must never allow the blood of our sons and daughters to stain the land again."
This speech was supported by First Minister, Bill Howlett, who added:
“The confrontations between New England and Australia have benefited no one and only sought to alienate two peoples who should naturally be very close, given out shared history and land. We should now look ahead, confident that the worst is behind us and with hard work and good intentions, a friendship can come where once animosity reigned"
Despite the rhetoric, the border is still not an easy place to cross, with many bureaucratic barriers discouraging travel between the two nations. A strong military presence can be found on both sides, with a small United Nations force keeping the disputed territory of the Macdonald Line under control. Neither side has been able to resolve the issue with the border, which remains a point of contention. The United Nations force has administered the disputed territory since 2034, and remains there today. The territory, known as the Macdonald Line is sparely populated and carries little economic significance. For the land starved New Englanders, any gain in land would be a plus, and they have pursued the issue persistently over the last few years.
Hope of a resolution is still some years away, but it is likely that a lasting peace can be achieved within the decade. Such a boost would go a long way to restoring relations on both sides, and would remove the need for thousands of foreign troops to be stationed on both sides of the border. There are currently 100,000 troops on both sides who are deployed by Europe and the United States as a deterrent. If they were to leave, the flashpoint situation would rapidly diminish.
Coming Out
In 2046, the Daily Telegraph in Sydney published allegations by Leon Harris, a former college tutor of the Duke of Duval when he was an undergraduate at the University of Auckland. The tutor claimed that the Duke had maintained a relationship with at least two men while he was at college between 2044 and 2047. The latter of these two was revealed to be Simon Chamberlain, an information technology student from the Waikato town of Cambridge who had become friends with the Duke in his first year at university. The identity of the first man was not revealed, and subsequent attempts by the Telegraph to secure an interview have not been successful.
In a statement released by Saumarez House the following day, the Crown Prince confirmed to the nation that he was gay. Furthermore, the statement added that the Duke had been involved in a relationship with Mr Chamberlain since 2044 and had met the King and other members of the family on several occasions. The statement went on to say that the two men had formed a close friendship and were continuing to build their relationship while they were studying. The Crown Prince released pictures to the media of Mr Chamberlain and the flat they were sharing together in suburban Auckland.
While it is certain that the Telegraph was attempting to portray New England as a decadent haven for liberals among the conservative readership, it can also be argued that the paper was trying to destabilise the monarchy, and with it, New England as a whole. The result was that the King and his family rallied around their son, and most unexpectedly, received widespread support from the rest of the nation. Everybody, from the First Minister, down to common folk on the street, were probed and queried about their thoughts on the matter, and almost all responded favourably. Some conservative groups responded negatively, but the days of ranting at the altar are dead in New England, and instead the condemnation came as a muted resignation of the inevitable.
This change in social attitudes was a surprise to many, not at least the editor of the Daily Telegraph. This was confirmed in 2049 when the Crown Prince and Mr Chamberlain announced their intention to marry. The people threw their support behind the Crown Prince and his fiancé in the lead up to the wedding, which was held on the 3rd September, 2050. Many eyes turned to New England in the lead up the wedding. The union of a gay prince to another man has been almost unprecedented in history. Alexander will almost certainly not be the first reigning monarch to be gay, but he will be first to not have to hide his love behind sham marriages and secret liaisons with the man he loves.
| Timeline of New England History | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Engagement to Europe |
Recent Times Since 2043 |
Succeeded by: None |
| History of New England | ||
| Timeline: Pre-History · Colonial Times · Proudly Australian · Winds of Change · Shadows of Dissent · Civil War Transitional Government · New Found Nation · Toil and Trouble · Five Day War · Engagement To Europe · Recent Times |
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| Topics: Military · New State Movement | ||
