Principality of Lyonesse

**Lyonesse** (pronunciation:*Le-ah-ness*) is the rediscovery of the ancient Island Kingdom of Lyonesse and the reclaiming, by the nine Royal Tribes of Lyonesse, of their families' Ancient Honors and Causes. That in a phrase is what they are all about, helping families claim, reclaim, and re-establishing their ancient honor within and for themselves and their inheritors. For these reasons they assist all others attempting to do the same with their lives and Families.

## History

.**Lyonesse** is a country in Arthurian legend, particularly in the story of Tristan and Iseult. Said to border Cornwall, it is most notable as the home of the hero Tristan, whose father was king. In later traditions Lyonesse is said to have sunk beneath the waves some time after the Tristan stories take place, making it similar to Ys and other lost lands in medieval Celtic tales, and perhapsconnecting it with the Isles of Scilly.

In medieval Arthurian legend, there are no references to the sinking of Lyonesse, for the simple reason that the name originally referred to a still-existing place. Lyonesse is an English alteration of

French *Léoneis* or *Léonois* (earlier *Loönois*), a development of *Lodonesia*, the Latin name for Lothian in Scotland. Continental writers of Arthurian romances were often puzzled by the internal geography of Great Britain; thus it is that the author French *Prose Tristan* appears to place Léonois contiguous, by land, to Cornwall. In English adaptations of the French tales, Léonois, now "Lyonesse", becomes a kingdom wholly distinct from Lothian, and closely associated with the Cornish region, though its exact geographical location remained unspecified. The name was not attached to Cornish legends of lost coastal lands until the reign of Elizabeth I of England, however. That said, the legendary lost land between Land's End and Scilly has a distinct Cornish name: *Lethowsow*. This derives from the Cornish name for the Seven Stones reef, on the reputed site of the lost land's capital and the site of the notorious wreck of the *Torrey Canyon*. The name translates into English as "the milky ones", from the constant white water surrounding the reef. The legend of a sunken kingdom appears in both Cornish and Breton mythology. In Christian times it came to be viewed as a sort of Cornish Sodom and Gomorrah, an example of divine wrath provoked by unvirtuous living, although the parallels were limited in that Lyonesse remained in Cornish thought very much a mystical and mythical land, comparable to the role of Tir na nÓg in Irish mythology.[*citation needed*] There is a Breton parallel in the tale of the Cité d'Ys, similarly drowned as a result of its debauchery with a single virtuous survivor escaping on a horse, in this case King Gradlon. The Welsh equivalent to Lyonesse and Ker Ys is Cantre'r Gwaelod, a legendary drowned kingdom in Cardigan Bay. Many noble and royal families in Wales, southern Ireland, Cornwall, and in the Lothians of Scotland claim ties to these great lands. I

The Principality of Lyonesse declared independence as a Sovereign Nation on July 1, 2012 at Estelleton House and HRH Lothian I, by the grace of God of Lyonesse, was crowned Prince, Lord of the Lir & Elder Isles, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Realm.

On August 1, 2012, HRH Lothian I, with consent of the Royal Court, laid claim of the Atlantic Ocean Seafloor from the Celtic Shelf and the Isles of Scilly encompassing a region to formerly be the Ancient Lands of the Island Kingdom of Lyonesse also known as *Albion* in English lore, the Elder Isles, *Ys* in French myth, *Tir na Nog* of Irish legend, and even by the Greek writer Plato as *Atlantis*.

On March 15, 2013, Lyonesse created the Families' and Lands Expansion Initiative which was designed to further emcompass the territorial claims of Lyonesse and expand the current Realm by the adding of noble families and their lands within Lyonesse. This has increased the land mass of Lyonesse greatly. (See map below)

On May 15, 2013, acting upon their claims to the Ancient Island Kingdom of Lyonesse, the Principality of Lyonesse has claimed the Scilly Islands, the Azores, and Antilles for themselves and their people. [1]Ancient Island Kingdom of Lyonesse (The Isles of Scilly)

On July 1, 2022, due to health reasons, HRH Lothian I abdicated the Lion Throne and his son, HRH Mark became Prince of Lyonesse.

## Government and Politics

Lyonesse is an absolute monarchy with heriditary title and vast nobility.

The Nine Royal Tribes of Lyonesse are each headed by a Seneschal, titled in dignity and honor by their own right and ennobled by HRH Lothian I, Prince of Lyonesse. These Seneschals make up the Royal Court of Lyonesse and its presiding authority. The Royal Court is the highest authority in the land with two lower courts presiding under it to handle judicial precedings, they are: The Court of Commons, which handles issues of a temporal matter. Then, there is the Court of Seculars which handles matters of spiritual reference and God's Law.  Any decisions made by the lower courts may be appealed to the Royal Court itself.  From time to time, "special appeals" may be heard by the Prince himself but, these are rare and usually handed to the Royal Court for consideration before the Prince hands down his determination.