The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 850: Chapter 636: Relocation of the Capital, Rise

As everyone knows, there are a total of 16 Cabinet positions in Australasia, and when there are disagreements within the Cabinet, it is these 16 individuals who decide by vote.

The vote on whether to relocate the capital now also proceeded quickly, and the result was not a surprise to Arthur. The faction led by Prime Minister Roger, in favor of relocation, comprised more than ten people, signifying that the immediate move to Saint Arthur Castle had become a reality.

Looking at the Cabinet Officials, Arthur said with a smile, “Then, according to the vote, starting from today, we will initiate the plan to relocate the capital. I hope that we can successfully complete the capital relocation before Christmas begins.”

The preparations for the relocation had already been made, and the only thing left to do was to transfer the functions of the various government departments to the new capital, along with the corresponding data and documents, etc.

Although it does not seem complicated, it is after all a relocation of the entire nation’s government agencies, and even the accumulated data and documents of the government must be handled with care.

If these documents and data were leaked, it would pose a threat to national security and also harm the Cabinet Government and the act of relocation itself.

With about ten months’ time to complete the government’s move, this was already entirely sufficient for the currently well-developed transportation in Australasia.

Of course, this meant that Arthur had to say goodbye to Sydney where he had lived for over twenty years and relocate with his family to Saint Arthur Castle, where he would begin his new reign.

On January 27, 1926, after the preparations were completed, the Australasian Government formally issued a notice to the outside world. Starting from February 15th, Sydney would no longer be the capital of Australasia, and Saint Arthur Castle would take over Sydney’s status.

At the same time, the vast majority of government departments would complete the relocation in the shortest possible time, meaning that the most central powers of the Kingdom, the Royal Palace, and Administrative Court institutions would all relocate to Saint Arthur Castle.

This notice had a not insignificant impact on the people within Australasia. Although previous announcements had made it clear that Sydney’s days as the capital would not last long, no one expected it to happen so quickly.

However, by now the people had already accepted the fact that Sydney was no longer the capital, and many enterprises had established branches in Saint Arthur Castle or even moved their headquarters there directly, showing their emphasis on the new capital.

To express his support and recognition for the capital relocation, Arthur, along with his family, embarked on a grand move on February 1st, traveling directly from Sydney to Saint Arthur Castle by special train and residing in the new Royal Palace there.

This new Royal Palace was named the Palace of Nations, after all, it was a super-large Palace rich in cultural features from various regions and countries, and the name Palace of Nations was in no way an exaggeration.

Sydney Palace was retained as Arthur’s property, to be used for stays during future visits to Sydney.

There are countless Palaces and Manor Houses among European nobility, and monarchs like Arthur with only two official Palaces are quite rare, but both of these Palaces are more luxurious than the other.

The construction costs for the Palace of Nations alone were probably beyond what most European nobility could afford. Only those with deep roots, or those who still wielded real power, could bear such vast construction expenses.

At Sydney Palace, only a stationed guard and a few servants remained, responsible for the Palace’s security and general upkeep.

After all, Arthur might return to live there at any time, and it was necessary to keep the Palace clean.

Although the Australasian royal family does not indulge in extravagance, throughout the development of this long-established household, hundreds of servants have been employed.

The new Palace was even more excessive, with over 30 chefs alone, allowing one to enjoy exquisite food from Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia.

After Arthur moved into the Palace of Nations, the number of guards also soared, directly exceeding 3,600 people.

Moreover, the First Guard Division also moved near the new Royal Palace to ensure the safety of Arthur and the entire Palace.

The Second Guard Division remained in Sydney, as a protective force of over ten thousand people was already sufficient, and no country could attack the capital of Australasia openly and legitimately.

As Arthur’s eldest son and daughter, Prince William and Princess Anna Miller had both reached the age of 16, inheriting their regal looks, one tall and commanding, the other graceful and dignified.

Arthur took education for the royal family members very seriously, going so far as to already be selecting a Military Force for William to serve in.

Yes, essentially, every Australasian Prince was expected to serve in the Military.

Allowing one’s son to serve in the Military had many benefits, such as motivating the people to enlist enthusiastically.

In short, if the King’s son was enlisting, what reason did the general populace have to refuse military service?

Moreover, the salary and benefits of the Australasia Army were indeed good, and though there were not many drafts, each one was always filled to capacity.

If Australasia really wanted to expand its army without limits, a conservative estimate could easily inflate the Military numbers to over 2 million.

If some more extreme strategies were adopted, the Military numbers could even approach 3 million, barely reaching the scale of the main forces of belligerent countries in World War I.

However, such a scenario was unlikely to occur in Australasia, at least until the Population reached the levels Arthur anticipated. Even in times of war, the size of the Military would not grow to such an exaggerated extent.

After all, Australasia still has two cooperative partners, the Philippines and the United Kalimantan Emirates, which can also provide millions of cannon fodder, sparing the people of Australasia from the arduous task of facing death.

If World War II were to break out ten years later, Arthur estimated the conscription quota for Australasia would be around one million to one and a half million.

By that time, the population should be able to exceed 35 million people and may even approach 40 million. Conscripting one and a half million from a population of 40 million would be somewhat burdensome, but the country would still be entirely capable of bearing it.

Besides calling on the people to enthusiastically join the military, having the princes experience life in the military could also better train them.

Especially for the future heir to the throne, the chance to grow through military experience provides an opportunity to continuously build connections with the upper echelons of the military, serving as support for their future governance of the country.

In fact, choosing to serve in the military wasn’t difficult for Arthur, whether it was the regular army or the Guards, both could meet Arthur’s requirements.

What truly made Arthur hesitate was actually bestowing titles of nobility on these princes and princesses.

Particularly for princes like William and Peter, it was inevitable that they would receive their own titles of nobility upon reaching adulthood.

But the titles of nobility currently held by Australasia only consist of two Dukedoms, Australia and New Zealand, and surely these couldn’t both be granted to them.

It wasn’t that Arthur was unwilling to do so, but bestowing the Dukedoms of places such as Australia and New Zealand individually would disrupt the unity of Australasia.

Even if bestowing titles were to happen, they could only be granted to the future heir to the throne, with such a Duke’s title being a symbol of the heir to the Australasian throne.

After a brief moment of thought, Arthur decided to create some new titles like the new nobles, and bestow them upon his children.

After all, the Kingdom’s titles of Australasia were created by Arthur himself, and while the nation is strong and recognized by the European royal families, the titles he created are still considered legitimate and would therefore be recognized.

As Arthur’s descendants, princes like William and Peter would definitely receive titles at the level of a Duke.

This is the most basic distinction that bloodlines bestow upon people, high-ranking nobility that some are born with and which ordinary people could not achieve even after a lifetime of effort.

After settling in his mother, Princess Louise, Arthur set out with Queen Mary and several little ones for an on-site inspection of the surrounding area of Saint Arthur Castle.

Though they were called little ones, the youngest George was already six years old and at a very lively and mischievous age. Chattering behind Arthur, he was also the most daring among the princes.

Ten-year-old Peter also wanted to join his younger brother in play, but with a stern look from William at his side, he could only obediently follow William, enviously watching George play freely.

As Arthur’s eldest son, William had matured a lot and quietly followed behind Arthur, ready to respond to any questions Arthur might have.

Walking behind the group, Queen Mary watched the people ahead of her with a beaming face, while a team of servants and royal guards surrounded them, ensuring the royal family’s safety at all times.

“Arthur,” after a while, Queen Mary finally approached with a smiling face and reminded him, “It’s getting late, and the little ones must be hungry.”

Looking at the luxurious watch handcrafted by royal watchmakers on his wrist, Arthur nodded his head and commanded the servants, “Then let’s prepare lunch here, the air is also quite nice, after all.”

Arthur’s command, like a royal decree, spurred the servants and guards into action, preparing a sumptuous lunch for the entire royal family.

The guards went to the outermost perimeter, responsible for surveillance and providing protection.

The Capital Territory is too large, and due to the lack of development previously, wild animals are almost everywhere.

Besides the reduced numbers of built cities and developed areas, the outskirts where Arthur and his party came to were still populated with many wild animals.@@novelbin@@

Seeing a wild rabbit dart past, Arthur suddenly felt the urge to hunt, and said to William and Peter with a smile, “You two little rascals, come with me.”

Upon hearing this, William and Peter quickly stepped forward to follow Arthur.

Hunting is a pastime of leisure for the nobility, and naturally for Arthur’s family, it was no exception.

Although Arthur’s hunting skills were initially amateur at best, after all, he had been the king for over twenty years, and had long developed a rather skilled hunting technique during his lengthy reign, along with a marksmanship that was continuously flattered.

While he couldn’t compare with skilled hunters or elite soldiers, his skills were more than adequate for his own leisure and hunting in the animal-rich Australasia was never an issue.

Because of Arthur’s example and influence, the youngsters all rather enjoyed hunting, even ten-year-old Peter who had already begun practicing his marksmanship.

Riding and shooting were two skills that William and Peter had already mastered. These were part of traditional noble education, and in an environment like Australasia, learning to hunt was necessary.