View source for Imperial Wedding

An '''Imperial Wedding''' is a marriage ceremony which involves members of the [[Imperial Family]]. In particular, the marriage of the [[Emperor]] is an important occasion and public [[holiday]] in the [[Empire]].<ref name=":2">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/55b1fb9c9657ba0e3ae7daa3 GalNet: Dignitaries Start Arriving on Capitol]</ref> Imperial Weddings feature many ceremonial events and attracts significant attention throughout the Empire and human space. It is customary to wait 30 days after announcing an engagement before holding the ceremony.<ref name=":0">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/55a90ed59657ba7549f67b12 GalNet: The Emperor Speaks out for Unity]</ref> Imperial Weddings fall under the jurisdiction of the Office for Marriage and its Marriage Council, which maintains the power to hear objections to a proposed marriage and rule on its legality.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/e793609c8f188465e179be05fd16ca0ec1beeee8 GalNet: Aisling Duval Objects to Grandfather's Marriage]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/d1805a65898cc86ab4304d7eb606a3cc69f9f5c8 GalNet: Aisling Duval Reaffirms her Objection to Emperor’s Marriage]</ref>

==Recent Imperial Weddings==
Thus far in the 34th century, three Imperial Weddings have been arranged. The first, between [[Emperor]] [[Hengist Duval]] and Imperial noblewoman [[Florence Lavigny]], was interrupted by the assassination of Hengist. The second, between Princess [[Aisling Duval]] and [[Federation|Federal]] Ambassador [[Jordan Rochester]], was cancelled after it came to light that the princess had been having an affair with anti-slavery activist [[Jarl Toredo]] and only sought to marry Rochester for the sake of her political agenda. The third, between Imperator [[Hadrian Augustus Duval]] and [[Commander]] [[Astrid Minerva-Duval|Astrid Minerva]], was completed successfully, but under heightened security measures to mitigate the possibility of an assassination attempt by the [[Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army]].

=== Hengist Duval and Florence Lavigny ===
[[Emperor]] [[Hengist Duval]] decreed that his only legitimate son, [[Harold Duval]], was not of sound mind and ineligible to succeed to the Imperial Throne on December 19, 3300,<ref>[[GalNet/3300/December#Heir to the Throne Officially Mad|GalNet: Heir to the Throne Officially Mad]]</ref> and three days later he announced his intent to marry [[Florence Lavigny]] to legitimize his daughter [[Arissa Lavigny-Duval]] in preparation for her to become his successor.<ref>[[GalNet/3300/December#Emperor To Marry Sweetheart|GalNet: Emperor To Marry Sweetheart]]</ref> The original wedding was planned for January 22, 3301.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/06baf17e383effb6d2d884fb777a221667e01aef GalNet: Preparations for the Emperor’s Wedding Gain Pace]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/c5b91f3e187e8a4e1580a65e0bf465b8aac60b9f GalNet: Pomp and Circumstance of the Royal Wedding]</ref> Hengist's illness then took a turn for the worse,<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/6aa7943dbabc98debcf68c99558f33865ad1d46f GalNet: Emperor Seriously Unwell]</ref> and he entered a months-long coma, causing the wedding to be postponed<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/27b34f18704d470bd0e0f8a09721a81f488b7ee4 GalNet: Emperor in Coma]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/97caba6fd0e6c48795ca43859a18fe2d0b654496 GalNet: Rumours of Imperial Wedding Delay Confirmed]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/d0978fd0b68771a6bc35c7194b752bab6f9eaa8d GalNet: Imperial Marriage Postponed]</ref> much to the dismay of the public.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/4913151fae0330491e141465898f9256288a08a2 GalNet: Outcry Over Imperial Marriage Delay]</ref> Upon Hengist's miraculous emergence from his coma on July 14,<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55a4dc5d9657ba6d253de737 GalNet: Long Live the Emperor!]</ref> the wedding was scheduled for August 5, 3301.<ref name=":0" /><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55b74af29657baf95a2ff022 GalNet: Is Arissa Lavigny-Duval Next in Line?]</ref>

On July 24, [[Chancellor]] [[Anders Blaine]] declared the wedding day a public holiday so that all Imperial citizens could take part in the festivities.<ref name=":2" /> Dignitaries began arriving on [[Achenar/Capitol|Capitol]] from every major population center in the Empire on August 4, as well as foreign dignitaries, such as [[Shadow President]] [[Felicia Winters]] of the [[Federation]].<ref name=":1">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/55c07f039657ba8822237d69 GalNet: The Eve of the Wedding]</ref>

On the day of the wedding, however, Hengist was assassinated by [[Emperor's Dawn]] radical [[Brendan Paul Darius]] before the ceremony could be completed.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55c1d0099657bafd440d630d GalNet: Emperor Hengist Duval Attacked During Wedding]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55c1d0809657bafa440d630e GalNet: Emperor Hengist Duval Dead]</ref> Although Arissa was not legitimized, in the end she was still elected by the [[Imperial Senate]] to succeed her father as Emperor.

=== Aisling Duval and Jordan Rochester ===
On June 22, 3304, Princess [[Aisling Duval]] announced that she and [[Federation|Federal]] Ambassador [[Jordan Rochester]] were engaged to marry.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b2a5313ac998e5aec013c6b GalNet: Aisling Duval Announces Marriage to Federal Ambassador]</ref> Reactions from the galactic community ranged from joy to cordial congratulations to outrage, as could be expected given the controversy of a member of the [[Imperial Family]] marrying a Federal official.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b335f4b308c8b18a33feb05 GalNet: Galaxy Reacts to Federal-Imperial Betrothal]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b3e1a9b21ffd9180154007b GalNet: A Profile of Jordan Rochester]</ref> The wedding was official scheduled for August 25, 3304, and would take place at the Imperial Palace on [[Cemiess/Emerald|Emerald]] in the [[Cemiess]] system.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b471276792e4d47a539b587 GalNet: Details of Aisling Duval's Wedding Announced]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b4f136bf939407b2f1757a4 GalNet: An Interview with Aisling Duval]</ref>

On August 17, only days before the wedding, plans were thrown into disarray when anti-slaver activist [[Jarl Toredo]] revealed to entertainment journalist [[Solomon Helios]] that he and Aisling had a secret relationship, and Aisling had told him that she only intended to marry Jordan to advance her political plans.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b742ce2563afa25f241db2f GalNet: Aisling Duval's Secret Relationship Revealed]</ref> Jordan's mother [[Isolde Rochester]] announced that the wedding had been cancelled on August 22, seemingly lending credence to Jarl Toredo's scandalous claims.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b7d48ec3cc7f7442d0414e4 GalNet: Aisling Duval Wedding Cancelled]</ref> The wedding date passed without comment from either Princess Aisling or Ambassador Rochester.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b8682175efed61e3b7ab082 GalNet: The Silence of Aisling Duval]</ref>

=== Hadrian Duval and Astrid Minerva-Duval ===
Imperator [[Hadrian Augustus Duval]] of [[Nova Imperium]] married his consort, [[Commander]] [[Astrid Minerva-Duval|Astrid Minerva]], on April 5, 3307. Due to the ongoing threat posed by the [[Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army]], the ceremony was conducted privately, at an undisclosed location, and with no prior notice given to the public. Princess [[Aisling Duval]] attended the event. The newly-titled Lady Astrid Minerva-Duval had become the Imperator's consort after assisting Nova Imperium forces during the Battle of [[Paresa]] in early 3305.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/6065e5909c0eb406aa4fa8b6 GalNet: The Wedding of Hadrian Duval]</ref>

== References ==
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[[Category:Lore]]
[[Category:Empire]]
[[Category:Events]]