Imperial House Law of New Europe

Chapter I. Succession to the Imperial Throne

Article 1

The Imperial Throne of New Europe shall be succeeded to by male descendants in the male line of Imperial Ancestors.

Article 2

The Imperial Throne shall be passed to the members of the Imperial Family according to the following order:

1. The eldest son of the Sovereign
2. The eldest son of the Sovereign's eldest son
3. The second son of the Sovereign and his descendants
4. The eldest daughter of the Sovereign
5. Brothers of the Sovereign and their descendants
6. Uncles of the Sovereign and their descendants

In case there are no members of the Imperial Family as under the numbers of the preceding paragraph, the Throne shall be passed to the member of the Imperial family next nearest in lineage. In cases of the two preceding paragraphs, precedence shall be given to the senior line, and in the same degree, to the senior member.

Article 3

When the Imperial heir is suffering from an incurable disease of mind or body, or when any other weighty cause exists, the order of succession may be changed by decision of the Sovereign and the Consort and in accordance with the order stipulated in the preceding article.

Article 4

Upon the death of the Sovereign, the Imperial heir shall ascend to the throne.

Chapter II the Imperial Family

Article 5

The Consort, the Consort Dowager, the Crown Prince and his consort, the Princess and her consort, the Hereditary Princes and their consorts, the Hereditary Princess’s and their consorts shall be members of the Imperial Family.

Article 6

The legitimate children of a Sovereign and the legitimate grandchildren of a Sovereign in the male line shall be Hereditary Prince in the case of males and Hereditary Princess in the case of females. The legitimate descendants of a Sovereign in the third and later generations in the male line shall be Prince in the case of males and Princess in the case of females.

Article 7

In case a Prince succeeds to the Throne, his brothers and sisters who are Prince’s and Princess’s shall be specially granted the title of Grand Prince or Grand Princess.

Article 8

The son of the Sovereign who is the Imperial Heir is called Crown Prince and in case there is no Crown Prince the grandson of the Sovereign who is Imperial Heir shall be called Crown Prince.

Article 9

The Sovereign and the members of the Imperial Family may adopt children but they will not be included in the Line of Succession.

Article 10

The institution of the Consort and the marriage of any male member of the Imperial Family shall be passed by the Sovereign.

Article 11

A Hereditary Prince, Hereditary Princess of fifteen years of age or more, shall leave the status of Imperial Family member according to her or his own desire and by decision of the Sovereign or Consort.

Article 12

In case a female of the Imperial Family marries a person other than a Sovereign Prince or a member of a Noble Family, she shall lose the status of Imperial Family member.

Article 13

The consorts of a Hereditary Prince or a Prince who leaves the status of Imperial Family member, and his direct descendants and their consorts, excepting those females who are married to other members of the Imperial Family and their direct descendants, shall lose simultaneously the status of the Imperial Family member. However, as regards his direct descendants and their consorts, it may be so decided by the Sovereign that they do not lose the status of Imperial Family member.

Article 14

A female, not of the Imperial Family, who is married to a Hereditary Prince or Prince, may upon the loss of her husband, leave the status of the Imperial Family member according to her own desire. When a female, mentioned in the preceding paragraph, has lost her husband, she shall, in the case of special and unavoidable circumstances, leave the status of Imperial Family member by decision of the Sovereign or Consort. In case a female, mentioned in the first paragraph, is divorced she shall lose the status of Imperial Family member. The provision of the first paragraph and the preceding paragraph shall apply to females married to other members of the Imperial Family mentioned in the preceding Article.

Article 15

Any person outside the Imperial Family and his or her descendants shall not become a member thereof except in the cases where a female becomes Consort or marries a member of the Imperial Family.

Chapter III Regency

Article 16

In case the Sovereign is a minor, a Regency shall be instituted. In case the Sovereign is affected with a serious disease, mentally or physically, or there is a serious hindrance and unable to perform his acts in matters of state, a Regency shall be instituted by decision of the Consort or oldest living member.

Article 17

The Regency shall be assumed by a member of the Imperial Family of age according to the following order:

1. The Consort Dowager
2. A Hereditary Prince or a Prince
3. A Hereditary Princess or a Princess

In the case of No. 2 in the preceding paragraph the order of succession to the Throne shall apply.

Article 18

In case the Regent, or a person falling in the order of assumption of Regency, is affected with a serious disease, mentally or physically, or there is a serious hindrance, the Empress may decide to change the Regent or the order of assumption of Regency, according to the order stipulated in the preceding Article.

Article 19

When, on account of the minority of the nearest member of the Imperial Family, or for some other cause, another member has to assume the Regency, the latter shall not, upon the arrival at the majority of the above-mentioned nearest related member, or upon the disappearance of the aforesaid cause, resign his or her post in favor of any person other than of the Crown Prince or of the Hereditary Princess.

Article 20

In case the obstacles mentioned in Article 16, paragraph 2 have been removed, the regency shall be abolished by decision of the Crown Prince or Hereditary Prince.

Article 21

The Regent, while in office, shall not be subject to legal action. However, the right to take the action is not impaired hereby.

Chapter IV Majority; Honorific Titles; Ceremony of Accession; Imperial Funeral; Record of Imperial Lineage; and Imperial Mausoleums

Article 22

The Emperor, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess shall attain their majority at eighteen full years of age.

Article 23

The style of address for the Emperor, the Empress, and of the Dowager Empress shall be "His," "Her" or "Your Imperial and Royal Majesty." The style of address for other members of the Imperial Family, other than those mentioned in the preceding paragraph, shall be "His," "Her," or "Your Imperial and Royal Highness" or "Highnesses."

Article 24

When the throne is succeeded to, the ceremony of Accession shall be held.

Article 25

When the Emperor dies, the Rites of Imperial Funeral shall be held.

Article 26

The matters relating to the family status of the Emperor and the members of the Imperial Family shall be registered in the Record of Imperial Lineage.

Supplementary Provisions

The present law shall come into force from the day of the enforcement of the Constitution of New Europe.

The present members of the Imperial Family shall be considered as members of the Imperial Family under this law; and with regard to the application of the provisions of Article 6, they shall be considered the legitimate offspring in the legitimate male line.