Royal Palace, Astevane

From NSwiki, the NationStates encyclopedia.
Jump to: navigation, search

The Royal Palace in Astevane is the official residence of the Aerionian Monarch, and family seat of the Aerionian Royal Family. It functions as both the official residence, and the ceremonial seat of government. In addition to being the Royal Residence it is home to the Royal Court of the King. It also contains the individual offices of every Great Officer of State, Royal Advisors, and of course Great Officers of the Royal Household. It is located in the walled Royal District in the megacity Royal Capital Astevane.

The Royal Palace has been known by varying names over the years and through varying governments. Part of it is built around the original Curia, which housed the Senate during the Republic of Aerion. It has been known as the State House, Defence Headquarters, Imperial Palace, and Central Palace. It served as the seat of government of the varying governments more often than official residence.

King Wasterin I established the Royal Palace as the official residence of the Aerionian Monarch, and seat of the Royal Family. When the Monarchy was revived with King Wasterin X, he restored the tradition. It is the property of the Crown.

The Royal Palace is one of the largest, if not the largest palace in the Grand Kingdom. It is built in a Greeko-Roman style with Arabesque and Baroque elements, a synthesis of designs. It has numerous domes topping it in the form of saucer domes and low domes, including three massives domes centering each of the wings. It has over 1000 rooms. Over 1000 domestic servants employed by the Royal Household work in the Royal Palace. That does not include the government staff in the Government Wing.


Major Wings

The Royal Residence

The Royal Residence contains the Presence Chamber, the Royal Audience Room, the State Apartments, the Royal Apartments, the Royal Baths, Royal Dining Parlour, the Privy Cabinet (office), King's Gentlemen Rooms, King's Library, Private Gallery, Royal Guards Room, the Private Chapel, apartments of the Royal Family along with their own sitting rooms, bathrooms, and adjacent servant's quarters as well as other rooms. The lower level is the servant's floor, and contains many rooms for servants. Many of these areas are a series of room. The Royal Apartments, private suites of the Monarch and immediate family have 10 rooms, 4 in the Privy Suite, 3 in the Queen's Suite, and others. Royal Bodyguards flank every doorway and door.

Presence Chamber

The Presence Chamber is where on a daily basis those of high status will gather, and mingle with the Royal Family and where the King regularly holds court daily. This is as close as many will enter into the Royal Residence, and it is an honour to enter within. Here there is an elegant throne of gold with silk purple cushion upon a dais, canopied with a purple velvet canopy emblazened with stars though not as grand as grand as the the Royal Throne in the Grand Throne Room of the Grand Wing. Adjacent to the Presence Chamber is the Royal Audience Room, another room with an elaborate chair on a dais with places to sit before the throne chair though lower. This is where the King will hold more private audiences if necessary.

State Apartments

The State Apartments contain drawing rooms, salons, gaming room, the Royal Bedchamber (state bedroom) where the Royal Royal Levée takes place. The State Apartments are used to receive important guests such as heads of state and hold smaller though still formal events that do not require use of the Grand Wing. They are also used for formal diplomatic talks. Some of the rooms of the State Apartments are named after the Ancient Aerionian Tribal Gods. Some of the rooms are Baroque, some reveal more pure white marble. The Queen also holds her court in a salon of the State Apartments.

Major rooms in the State Apartments include:

The Salon of Abesharath - An large white marble room with cathedral ceilings, frescoed walls showing Abesharath the Father God, and King Wasterin X in the Roman Emperor's purple robe. An dome of gilded gold shines brightly. Frescoed on another wall is the Royal Coronation Ceremony. The furniture in this room is gilded in golden leafing, exquisitely designed. Elegant golden burgundy brocaded chairs are arranged near an large fireplace on one wall. In this room the King will often hold official talks with foreign heads of state.

The Salon of Abeshala - This white marble room is very large. An beautiful small marble white throne sits upon a dais on one end of the room. It is domed like the Salon of Abesharath, but the dome is a gorgeous remarkable dome of stars formed from hundreds of exquisite diamonds against a blue backdrop panted to appear as the night sky, with a crescent moon seeming to almost glow. The walls features frescoes of the goddess Abeshala, Goddess of the Moon adopted to classical Greek style as if she were a Greek deity. Silver chairs with deep blue brocade emblazened with stars In this room the Queen Consort holds her court, known as the "Court of the Silver Moon" when formally held. During events this large chamber is often used as the music salon where dancing takes place.

The Salon of Mesharel - This white marble room features light blue stone with white marble. Here frescoes are shown along the walls of the sea, and of Mesharel in the form of a mermaid with a tiara upon her head and flowing black hair that seems to merge into the water, and an elegant gilded white gold aquarium filled with exotic fish lines one wall. Silver chairs with light blue velvet cushioning are arranged along one wall along with a sofa of the same material. This room is often used for formal entertaining, such as drinking of wine. During events, it is the banquet room.

The Purple Velvet Room - Known as the "Purple Room" this Baroque room has floors carpeted in a deep purple, walls of brocaded purple wallpaper, and cathedral ceilings gilded in gold. Pillars of rare Imperial Porphyry line the walls. The curtains are a velvet purple with golden fleur de lys, and the golden gilded furniture is backed by the same purple velvet material with golden fleur de lys emblazened across it. An noted feature of this room is the large crystal and gold chandelier that hangs from the ceiling. This room is often used for diplomatic talks, or as one of the sitting areas during events in the State Apartments.

The Royal Bedchamber - The Royal Bedchamber is the official bedchamber of the Monarch, but normally he or she does not actually sleep here. It is used solely for the Royal Levée, the ceremony of awakening. It is also used for certain ceremonial reasons. This room is large, with frescoes on the walls of the Kings, gilded gold features, and cathedral ceilings with elegant gilded gold moulding design with an beautiful crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The State Bed is set upon an dais, covered by an baldachin, an huge gilded gold overhanging canopy attached to the wall with burgundy cloth draping down elegantly on the sides. The bedspread is of deep burgundy emblazened with fleur de lys cover the bed. Marble railing not unlike that in a cathedral divides the room between the state bed, and the area where courtiers and servants will stand as the ceremony takes place.


The Grand Wing

The Grand Wing contains the larger rooms of the Royal Palace. It contains the Royal Receiving Hall, Grand Royal Throne Room, Grand Ballroom, Royal Banquet Hall, Royal Chapel, Palace Opera House, King's Theatre, Hall of Kings, and many other grand rooms.

Grand Royal Throne Room

The Grand Royal Throne Room is literally massive, one of the largest rooms of the Royal Palace. It is nearly 100 yards long in length. Three white marble domes are lined in the ceiling with massive skylights to the side, and huge crystal chandeliers hanging from the center of each dome. The cathedral ceilings around the dome are white marble lined with gold. The floors are of white and black marble squares. Massive white marble pillars line the aisle to the Royal Throne. The walls are gilded in gold, with designs, and massive mirrors interspersed between the pillars on the walls behind the pillars. An deep purple runner carpet runs from the massive double gilded golden doors to the Royal Throne. Royal Guards wearing full ceremonial uniform overlapped with long burgundy cloaks, and silver helmets with large white crests stand beside every pillar looking almost like modern Roman Legionnaires.

The Royal Throne sits upon a dais in a large recessed alcove, and is canopied by a large purple velvet canopy emblazened with golden fleur de lys held up by golden pillars. The Royal Throne is flanked by Royal Guards at all times even though the Monarch is not present.

The Government Wing

The Government wing contains the Grand Council Chambers, where the Royal Privy Council meets ceremonially, the Royal Cabinet or official office of the Monarch, the Hall of the Stewards of which the offices of the Office of the Lord High Steward are, the Hall of the Great Officers of which all the offices with their own multiple rooms branch off of, the Hall of the Ministers to which the ceremonial offices of the Ministers branch off of. As functional there are also dining rooms, other conference rooms, and numerous rooms that could be found in conventional government offices.

Royal Palace Gardens

The Royal Palace Gardens, to be distinguished from the Royal Park that are much larger and surrounds the entire back of the Royal Palace, are the gardens immediately around the wings of the Royal Palace. Within the Royal Palace gardens there are numerous gardens, the largest and main one used for events being known as the Royal Garden interspersed with walkways between beautifully arranged landscaping. The Royal Palace Gardens contains an formal garden, sculpture garden, a wild garden, an herb garden, fernery, White Garden an oak grove, the Queen's Rose Garden, and some other gardens. Waterfalls, and ponds are scattered throughout the gardens. Two streams run through the gardens, one natural stream that runs through the parks.

The Oriental Gardens of the Royal Palace Gardens contains an Japanese garden,Chinese garden, and an zen garden of stone. Beautiful traditional pavilions are featured in the Chinese and Japanese gardens, along with waterfalls.

Grand Canal

The Grand Canal, modeled from the ones in Italy and at the Château de Versailles runs through the Royal Palace Gardens, grounds, and through the protected areas of the Royal Park for almost two miles. It is guarded by the Royal Palace Guard, and elaborate gilded Venetian gondolas can be seen sometimes moving up and down it. A smaller canal leads off of it.

The Royal Gondola is larger than a normal gondola, and is more as a small passenger barge. It is white, gilded in elaborate gold and gemstones with decorations of figurines along each side. An large canopy sits over the center of the boat where an large divan couch allows the King or Queen to rest comfortably under the canopy attended by servants. For ceremonial occasions an throne may be placed under the canopy instead.

The Queen's Gondola is as large as the Royal Gondola, but is in the shape of a beautiful white swan, and has an flowing white canopy and flowing sheer silk white curtains.

Various other styles of gondolas and rowboats are kept for varying purposes. One of these is used to carry musicians such as violinists and others that will often play for the Royal Family or on festivals.