Celeste Lille

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Celeste Lille
Birth
9 January 1970
Death
N/A
Titles
Ambassador to Amestria
Marital Status
Married to Paul Lille

Celeste Lille (née Verdé) is the current Pantocratorian ambassador to Amestria, having been appointed in 2005 upon the recommendation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Demetrios Raoul.

Appointment Controversy

The appointment of Lille as the Ambassador to Amestria was one of several controversial ambassadorial appointments by the Drapeur Government in the first twelve months of its term in office. Lille's appointment was criticised as political nepotism, awarded to her primarily because of her political connections. Her husband, Paul, is a former General Secretary of the Council of Pantocratorian Trade Unions and prominent powerbroker in the Pantocratorian Socialist Alliance. Celeste Lille herself was a Socialist candidate for the seat of Saint Apollinie in the second 2004 elections for the Pantocratorian Imperial Parliament, a contest she lost to the incumbent Loyal Christian Front MP, Jean-Louis Beaufoy. She studied at Louis University (from which she holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics) at the same time as Socialist Treasurer Isabelle Folquet, although she is two years Folquet's junior, and used to attend Dr Michél Folquet's protests and political meetings. During her time at Louis University she was elected National President of the Pantocratorian Young Socialists. Lille was also criticised by some conservative commentators for refusing to resign her membership of the Pantocratorian Socialist Alliance before accepting the Emperor's letters of recommendation and appointment, although Lille replied by arguing that while it was generally expected that ambassadors would resign their memberships of political parties, there were plenty of precedents from the conservative side of politics for not doing so (she cited Sir Pierre Phocas and Monsignor Hugh de la Morée specifically).

Her appointment was also controversial due to allegations about her personal life. During her time as National President of the Pantocratorian Young Socialists, Celeste Lille (then Verdé) was romantically linked with then Secretary of the New Rome Council of Unions, Philippe Maison (now General Secretary of the Pantocratorian Socialist Alliance). During semester breaks and on weekends, she lived with Maison in his home in New Rome. It was alleged in his newspaper column by Sir Jacques Antoniou that after her relationship with Maison ended, Lille (then Verdé) conducted an affair with Demetrios Raoul, who ensured her election as President of the Demetriopolis Trades and Labour Council in 1994. Both Lille and Raoul deny this allegation. She married Paul Lille, then General Secretary of the Council of Pantocratorian Trade Unions in 1997, after living with him for two years. Cohabitation by unmarried couples is generally frowned upon in Pantocratoria, and is actively considered scandalous by many. Lille was also criticised by conservative columnists for using contraception, which is also considered immoral by many Pantocratorians (Lille's use of contraception was inferred by the columnists on the basis that she and her husband have no children).

Lille is also the first Pantocratorian ambassador in modern times to have a criminal record, albeit as a result of the tightening of political freedoms experienced in Pantocratoria under the United Christian Front Government of 1992 to 2004. She was arrested no less than 24 times by the Ministry of Cultural Development for various sub-categories of "Dresscode Violation". She was prosecuted three times, once successfully, for "Traffic of culturally destructive material", and served a suspended sentence. While such classifications still existed, her police file classified her as "Category Orange: Non-Violent Subversive" because of her participation in unauthorised protests and political meetings. There was little criticism of Lille for her criminal record, however, as the legislation under which she was charged was roundly unpopular and was considered one of the major reasons the Socialists won the second 2004 election.