The Principality of Aigues-mortes (French: Principauté d’Aigues-Mortes) is a Micronation originally created to promote and support local initiatives of the eponymous city, located in Southern France, 23km east of Montpellier.

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The Princely Couple (His Serene Highness Sovereign-Prince Jean-Pierre IV of Aigues-Mortes and Her Serene Highness Princess Olivia-Eugénie of Aigues-Mortes) are working hard together with the citizens and the Cabinet of the Prince (the Government), to create and organize several events that are both fun and windows of local talents and creativity.

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History :

From a micronational legend to a real story

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21 June 2011

 

It was during an evening washed down with rosé that a group of friends came to discuss the princely weddings that were making the news. From this altogether banal conversation, the guests came to imagine what Aigues-Mortes could be, if it were a Principality like Monaco. From there, creativity and humor mingle with the conversation to end in a solemn declaration for the creation of the Principality of Aigues-Mortes. Based on what ? Undoubtedly the most ancestral of all right since it was proclaimed by the grace of our good rosé. This famous rosé sands wine of which our city is the undisputed capital.

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Sure it first was a joke between friends, but Olivier Martinez and Jean-Pierre Pichon kept it in mind, in search of associative and solidarity activity in a city where they had recently settled. They were thus developing the young project, to make it a tool that would be as playful and offbeat as it would be useful and supportive for the city. The Principality as a country where life is seen in pink was gaining ground. But who would be the Prince and the Princess of Aigues-Mortes?

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8 August 2011

 

The answer to this question came quite naturally during a second evening, on August 8, 2011, when Olivier was celebrating his 40th birthday. The happy guests had all dressed up for the occasion as stars of the 80s. Olivier had dressed up as Alexis Colby from the TV serie "Dynasty". The rosé flows freely and the guests end up deciding to take a tour of the city to show off. The merry band begins its procession despite the pain in the feet that high-heeled shoes can cause on centuries-old cobblestones. It was then that during their visit to the Grand Rue, a little girl on a balcony exclaimed: "Vive la Princesse!" as she saw this yet ungraceful Alexis Colby on her heels passing by. General laughter, and here came the proclamation instantly acknowledged by everyone. The Principality had just found its Princess, for the Prince, we then designated his friend Jean-Pierre who was crowned on the spot: Prince Jean-Pierre IV...Why IV and not 1st? Because the guests thought it wiser to give the French bar license number to the new Prince of the Land of Rosé rather than doing as elsewhere. Indeed, To have the right to sell and serve alcohol only in France, pubs, bars and cafés must hold a Licence IV for that.

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Olivier then began a long work of presenting the Principality of Aigues-Mortes to the merchants of the city. He imagined it as a fun way to promote the city and the initiatives that are developing there, using its offbeat context. Traders quickly adhered to this concept. The new principality's people started imagining princely events to promote "Made in Aigues-Mortes". The Principality ended this first year with 94 citizens.

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2012

 

May 7, 2012 was the test day for the new princely couple (who although having received great support from traders)  had yet to be accepted by the inhabitants of the city. The inauguration of the princely cuvée was the first official outing and looked like of a poker coup or even an enthronement. The Prince and Princess were transported to Saint-Louis Square, the heart of the city, in a horse-drawn carriage and under good escort. There, a crowded square awaits them. Neither Jean-Pierre IV nor his unexpected spouse expected this. Word of mouth had attracted a large number of people, amused to see what could be likened to a remake of Le Luron's marriage with Coluche. The crowd chants "Long live the Prince and long live the Princess", a Princess who will end up with her head in the hood of the carriage when getting out (For the record, the incident was caused by an unexpected movement of the horse). A general burst of laughter then resounded on the square, immediately making this "Madame", their improbable sovereign. An impromptu party in the square followed the thunderous arrival of the princely couple and the first speech of a Prince who was really not very comfortable speaking in public.

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Creation of the Princely Guard who appeared at the First Grand Princely ball organized in September of that year. The Ball was a huge success and it became since a traditional gala event during wich it is put back the Price of Constance. It is a honorific price dedicated to someone who executed a significant action for the welfare of Aigues-Mortes inhabitants. That Price is managed by the Princess Olivia-Eugénie's Foundation for social and cultural support.

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2013 - 2014

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Creation of the Grand Prince's Council. Executive power is now shared in a college made up of 12 Grand Councillors, including the Princely Couple. The Principality has started issuing passports for its 160 citizens.

 

The Principality is beginning to forge ties with other micronations, but this introduction is not without problems. The reason for this is mainly the Princess whose peculiarity displeases some Puritan micronations in the United States and Orthodox faith in Russia and Eastern Europe. A cyber harassment engages a real war between several progressive micronations and others within a conservative movement. This conflict will go as far as an exhibition of the Princess on the Russian social network Veka with comments inciting homophobic hatred. The Principality of Aigues-Mortes will choose the total rupture of relations with these hostile micronations. However, hateful exchanges of their citizens continued until 2015. The episode will deeply mark the micronational sphere in the world by the violence of the words exchanged, bringing to light different visions of culture and tolerance. These conflicts will be at the origin of the creation of Microfrancophonie, the international organization of French-speaking micronations.

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2015 

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The Principality counts 280 citizens. Sovereign-Prince Jean-Pierre IV began studying the establishment of a real additional local currency called "Flamant" (Flamingo). A first official meeting with the Mayor of Aigues-Mortes is arranged on this purpose. The Prince gets the moral support of the townhall to create this currency that will have a legal ongoing. (It will have a legal tender because its use will observe the legal framework of the French law on complementary currencies.) The Grand Princely Council becomes the Princely Cabinet. The Government is no longer a college and the civil responsability for the principality now stays on the shoulders of the Prince and the Chancelor only.  This new government form is approved by the vote of the General Assembly of citizens, so called our parliament.

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Creation of Microfrancophonie, a French-speaking intermicronational organization. The Principality of Aigues-Mortes is one of the 6 founding Micronations. Princess Olivia-Eugénie is elected First Secretary General of this organization.

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The same year, the Principality of Aigues-Mortes participated in its first intermicronational event in Gubbio, Italy. This was the second Polination conference. This is a first major step in the positioning of the Principality abroad which will lead to the creation of strong links between the Principality of Aigues-Mortes, the Grand Duchy of Flandrensis, the Empire of Angyalistan and the Royal Republic of Ladonia.

 

2016

 

The Principality counts 322 citizens. It organizes and hosts the first summit of the MicroFrancophony organization. A media-press department is now fully operational. RTAM ( Radio Télévision de la Principauté d'Aigues-Mortes) has now a complete and totally independant team to follow the principality's life and to broadcast a national news and documentaries on a regular basis. The national press now counts one newspaper (Aigues-Morning) and one magazine (Aigues-Match), both are supervised and edited by an independant team made of voluntary citizens.

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2017 

 

The Principality counts 370 citizens. In April it took part in the second meeting of Microfrancophonie in Luxembourg. The national newsletter "Aigues-Morning" is now also published in English. After creating the BPAM, the national bank of the Principality, The Prince launches the flamant on 21 May, a complementary local currency. This is the first micronation in the World to put a legal currency in circulation on its territory. The equivalent of € 115,000 is put into circulation. The flamingo is accepted by 65 shops and restaurants in the city. With this currency, the principality inscribes the population to consume cheaper local products and services. The ecological impact is also positive since the currency organizes consumption in short and closed circuit. In June, the Principality participates in the 2nd Microcon in Atlanta. During the conference, friendly ties were established with North American historical micronations such as the Republic of Molossia, the Grand Duchy of Westarctica and the Kingdoms of Ruritania and Slabovia. In October, the diplomatic journey continues with the first official visit to the Free Republic of Saugeais. The Prince was invited to participate in the celebration of 70 years of existence of this micronation which is one of the oldest in France.

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2018

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The Principality counts 412 citizens and attends the Second summit of Microfrancophony in Vincennes France. The Golden bucket is modified this year to become a Garden party with a dinner. 

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On Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018. The General Assembly has voted the new civic law L-CH2018-01 proposed by the Prince's Cabinet. 

The new law gives access to citizenship to applicants completing the following criterias:

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- 1/ Must be 21 years old

- 2/ Having residence in Aigues-Mortes and/or the European continent for more than 12 months, including Quebec as an exception.

- 3/ Must be French speaker

- 4/ Must complete Citizenship application form and contribute to Crown's treasury.

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Law L-CH2018-01 respond to the urgent needs to stop cyber-citizenship applicants who do not show a clear interest for the Principality other than trying to get a documentation for traveling into Europe, or, just to get a nobility title from our Crown

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2019

 

A charity operation has been launched for the renovation of a 15th century chapel in Aigues-Mortes. A delegation is sent to the Microcon Summit of Hamilton ( Canada ). The Principality is a sponsor for the Microcon gala evening. 

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2020

 

The Principality counts 435 citizens. All traditional events are cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. The circulation of the flamant gets totally interrupted because of several lock downs and other sanitary measures that shut down the city's economy. 

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In June 2020, an independent press-media group Micropotin took over the editorial staff of Aigues-Morning. Its French version changes its name to Le Principotin. The Aigues-Morning format is now dedicated to English-speaking readers. The editions of these newspapers are digital and never in paper format for reasons of environmental choice.

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2021

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A new financial law is proposed and voted by the General Assembly of citizens on February 17, 2021. Citizens are now exempt from paying an annual fee and accept the modification of the statutes of the association LOUPAM which finances the activities of the Principality. The new statutes provide for the use of an online store to generate income. the annual renewal of the registration of citizens in the civil register of the Principality remains an obligation for citizens wishing to have the right to vote at the General Assembly.

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on February 17, 2021, Chancellor Chancellor Geoffrey de Mathes le Cailar receives the vote of approval from the General Assembly for an additional term as head of the Prince's Cabinet (The Government).

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2022

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The principality now counts 469 citizens. RTAM reaches 1000 subscribers.

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