Kingdoms Associated Press - London, England


Recent events have sparked discussions across England regarding regional authority, public safety, the limits of royal power, and the formation of armed groups outside established structures. As part of a two-part KAP series, I sat down with the Monarch, Niketas

to discuss the state of the realm, the Crown's response to recent events, and the lessons England should take moving forward.


Governance and Stability


✍️ KAP What do you see as the biggest threat to the security and stability of the Kingdom today?
Niketas
"The complex geopolitical situation around England, with many of our neighbors engaged in conflicts at the moment or in the recent past. England is committed to peace, and prepares to safeguard it. Every other threat is secondary to that, and is no news to England. At the end of the day, we know how to reconcile our different outlooks and act cohesively when it is necessary, as demonstrated very recently."

KAP Note: The Monarch consistently emphasized external threats and England's preparedness, framing internal disputes as challenges the Kingdom has historically managed to overcome.

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✍️ KAP How do you plan to maintain order and public confidence during this period of uncertainty?
Niketas
"It is very helpful that the local leadership is very stable in our counties, with many councils and councilors having served for a long time. The people of England know and trust them, they have confidence in them. They have done well so far in maintaining order, within the realms of what's possible of course.

From my side, I ensure I am visible and responsive in my audience chamber, via letters, in taverns, in the London Commons, and I communicate clearly about the current state of events, especially via the monthly report I produce that outlines this reign's work per month. I'll post the May report within the week."

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✍️ KAP A question from a reader - What are your thoughts about women serving in positions of authority within the Kingdom?
Niketas
"Throughout the years, many women have served in positions of the highest authority, and evidently they have performed excellently, given England's prosperity. Our Kingdom does not think in terms of 'women or men' when it comes to governance, and that's a good thing."

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Devon, Sussex and Early Warnings

✍️ KAP How do you view the recent concerns raised about Devon and Sussex regarding their handling of armies, justice, and local governance?
Niketas
"I remain fully updated at all times regarding the activities and decisions of the Counties, so as to be able to detect those concerns and evaluate them as fairly as I can. I don't think these concerns come out of the blue, and ultimately it's a matter of perspective, both sides (counties and those concerned) having certain arguments to support their actions and opinions. It's very important that people are free to express these concerns without prosecution and to take any action they deem necessary to correct the situation, provided it's done in a legal manner."

KAP Note: While acknowledging that concerns were legitimate topics for discussion, the Monarch stopped short of endorsing either side of the dispute.

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✍️ KAP How do you respond to the warnings that certain regional actions may not align with the spirit of England's laws?
Niketas
"I hear them, and I encourage everyone who is concerned and highly engaged with our Kingdom's life to act as they see fit within the confines of law. At the same time, the House of Parliament has been both unable and unwilling to impose its views of national laws on counties. Whether this is a deliberate choice of our system of national government, or a feature of our world, is unclear. The Crown does not have the power, either under the law or physically, to dictate a solution."

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✍️ KAP Recently, Lady Vivienne raised concerns about Devon's direction, with you in the tower. How did her warning influence your thinking at the time?
Niketas
Lady Vivienne is a very experienced individual in matters of state and law among other things, and when she talks, people should listen carefully.

I was aware of the situation she presented to me, and it is something I am monitoring closely, ensuring no red lines are crossed by any side. At the same time, I am very mindful of the right way of doing things and what each of us is empowered and allowed to do. It should be underlined that power is in the hands of our people. We know from history that if people's ways of life are threatened, they rally and defend their homes. They will also rally when given a reason to engage, whether it be friendly competition in London Commons in a tournament, or when leaders find common cause such as recently happened when Mercia asked for Westmorland aid against an invasion threat."
KAP Note - The Monarch praised Lady Vivienne's experience while emphasizing that any response must remain within the bounds of existing authority and law.

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The Army in Devon
✍️ KAP How did you view the formation of an unsanctioned army in Salisbury when it first came to your attention?
Niketas
"It was something sudden, yet it follows a pattern, as another unsanctioned army was formed in Salisbury around the same time last year, in April. Perhaps this should be further investigated, why Salisbury seems to be the preferred location for that, also taking into account many of the previous time's members are in such an army today. An unsanctioned army is always a cause for concern and should be dealt with immediately."

✍️ KAP Did you reach out in a personally penned letter to each suspected person, to ask them their side of the story about this army in Devon?
Niketas
"Allow me to correct you that it is not a "supposed" army, but a very real one, verified many times over. I did not reach out to them, since they had been very vocal about their motivations, painting a clear image. I had followed the events they refer to as well when it comes to their clash with Devon leadership, so it wasn't difficult to understand. However, their motivations were not something to be weighed against their criminal and murderous actions and justify them, and as such there was no need to personally reach out to every army member in order to proceed with my actions."

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Outlawry and the Crown's Response

✍️ KAP How did you determine when Article 2 of the National Outlawry Law, should be applied in cases involving raised arms or armed groups?
Niketas
Article 2 states: "The Crown can declare an individual an Outlaw if they have raised arms against, or otherwise physically attacked or attempted to physically attack, any part of, or any person within, the Realm of England, or if they have otherwise harmed or attempted to harm the infrastructure of the Realm of England.". It had been well-reported that the army had killed multiple innocent people by the time the Decree was issued.

✍️ KAP What factors did you consider before deciding whether outlawry was the appropriate response?
Niketas
I consulted the relevant laws and I saw that the army's actions fell under the provisions of the National Outlawry Law. The English Crown does not command a royal army, nor is there a national court to pass judgement so these courses of action were not an option, but the relevant law was available and appropriate for the Crown to utilize, and it was very straightforward, seeing how they had killed travellers. Furthermore, after murders have taken place it's too late for diplomacy and compromise, and the law is set in motion. My timing had been very deliberate. The outlawry was not issued the moment the army was formed, but the moment the killings started.

KAP Note: The Monarch repeatedly returned to a distinction between the army's formation and the later killings, arguing that the latter triggered the Crown's intervention.

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On Royal Authority and Regional Governance

✍️ KAP How do warnings from others, such as concerns raised about regional governance, shape your decisions as Monarch?
Niketas
"The English Monarch's duties, power and decision-making authority are not applicable to most cases of regional governance, and this is deliberate and by design, the Counties wishing to retain a high degree of independency and making the laws accordingly. It should be reminded that the Councils comprise the Parliament that makes laws. As such, the English Monarch cannot directly intervene and decide in matters of regional governance, and the ones who check councils are their voters. I monitor things closely and I take heed of every warning, and I prepare England to act decisively in response to possible negative outcomes that might overreach and extend beyond one single county, and at the same time I maintain contact with counties in order to be a converging influence and maintain a certain amount of common ground. No matter their decisions, policies and philosophies, all current Counts are very professional, know their roles and job and are highly committed to their county's well-being."

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Reflection and Looking Forward

✍️ KAP What lessons have you taken from the recent events in Devon and Sussex?
Niketas
"We must enhance our military readiness and vigilance to be able to more promptly respond to threats. Thankfully this is already something I am committed to, and the current events in Devon only provide an argument in favor of working towards that goal."

✍️ KAP How do you plan to prevent similar crises from arising in the future?
Niketas
"Same as above,(sic) the Crown's part to play is to work with the counties and help them prepare for crises. Local relations between councils and individuals are something that is best handled at a regional level, though the Crown of course can hold audience with every person who wishes to."

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Final Thoughts

Across the interview, the Monarch emphasized three recurring themes: the importance of England's readiness in an uncertain world, the limits of royal authority over regional affairs, and the belief that recent actions by the Crown were driven by law rather than politics.

Whether supporters or critics agree with those conclusions, the Crown's position is now firmly on record.

In Part II, KAP will speak with Maclennan, leader of the force operating in Devon since May 28, to examine the events from the perspective of those who took up arms and to better understand the motivations behind their actions.

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Kallist0
England KAP
Editor-in-Chief
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