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Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia Celebrates 74th Birthday of HRH Prince Antoine IV

MIL Press Release - 27th March 2016

On the auspicious occasion of HRH Prince Antoine IV’s 74th birthday the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia held its annual celebration in his honour on 19th March 2016 in Paris, France; The Royal House marked the event in combination with a host of other Royal activities which included a Joint meeting of the State and King's Councils followed by the AGM of the Kingdom’s international Mapuche human rights advocacy NGO known as the ‘Auspice Stella’.
HRH Prince Antoine IV of Araucania and Patagonia officially Receives Conde Mariqueo of Lul-lul

The celebration also marks the second year of the reign of HRH Prince Antoine IV; the current head of the Royal House took the opportunity to pay tribute to the 61 year reign of his illustrious and accomplished predecessor, the late Royal Highness Prince Philippe I, and his support of the Mapuche struggle.

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Photo: HRH Prince Antoine IV of Araucania and Patagonia officially receives Conde Mariqueo of Lul-lul Mawidha into the Royal State Council


Amidst an atmosphere of high energy, the much anticipated Royal event was well attended by visiting dignitaries, friends and supporters of the Kingdom, as well as its distinguished officials, of both Mapuche and International origin, in service of his Royal Highness.

The evening soirée was preceded by a meeting with HRH Prince Antoine IV and the kings and State Councils where, in line with Royal protocols, affairs of State were discussed in great depth.

The Kingdom’s evening dinner took place during the annual acknowledgement of  World ‘Earth Hour’ observed around the globe at 8.30pm in honour and remembrance of Mother Earth, Ñuke Mapu, Pacha Mamma, Madre Tierra, Gaia and all forms of life on Earth. 

The symbolic recognition of Earth Hour has great significance for the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia as an indigenous Mapuche monarchy, as the Mapuche (Mapu, meaning land and Che meaning people) means literally people of the land. The Mapuche like all indigenous peoples of the world, maintain a strong intrinsic and symbiotic traditional relationship to the earth as a living entity, known in Mapuzugun (Language of the land) as Ñuke Mapu (Mother Earth) and all life on it is considered by them to be intrinsically interconnected, and all life forms on earth are viewed as mutually reinforcing and interdependent.

Indeed the historic Mapuche struggle to defend their ancestral territory against the economic interests of State supported activities of both national and multi-national companies, in line with their cultural and spiritual values remains central to their consistent plight and is the sole reason for their continual brutal repression and the denial of their most basic human, civil, political and territorial rights as a Nation. A struggle which has been consistently supported by the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia since its inception by its original founders, the Highest Mapuche Lonko’s (Chiefs’) of the period and its founding Monarch King Orellie Antoine I in 1860.

In addition a meeting of the Kingdoms’ official NGO, ‘Auspice Stella’ with United Nations special consultative status was convened, during which HRH expressed his approval and satisfaction for the high level of success of the work undertaken by Auspice Stella and its official representatives, in conjunction with the Mapuche, Juan Paillalef Community of Chile, the Mapuche Permanent Mission to the UN, the Mapuche Human Rights Commission and Mapuche International Link at the United Nations during the past year, highlighting the fact that the body had most recently presented two successful statements regarding the breech of Mapuche Human Rights within the Chilean State before the current UN Human Rights Council 31st Session Feb 29th – 24th March 2016.

During its annual Roll of Honours call, a handful of longstanding loyal Royal supporters received special honours and recognitions, which were ceremoniously bestowed by HRH the Prince, among them were Conde Mariqueo of Lul-lul Mawidha the Kingdom's Charges d’Affaires, who was officially received into the Royal Council of the State after working in dedicated service for many years as an official member of the Kings Council.

Originally the Royal constitution stipulated that both the State, Regency and Kings Council’s be made up of Mapuche members, however as a result of the military invasion and annexation of Wallmapu (Mapuche ancestral territory) in early 1870s, thus disrupting the functionality and effective cohesion of the Mapuche Kingdom with the Kingdom being forced into exile in France during the colonial invasion.

As such indigenous Mapuche Royal officials now hold representation in all chambers of the historic Monarchical Institution, in line with the principles enshrined in the original Constitution created 1860 by the highest Mapuche Lonkos of the era along with the founding Monarch Antoine I.  

 

 

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