Government of the

Principality of Hutt River
www.principality-hutt-river.org/gov 

Many of you may have noticed, over the last few months, slow changes occurring on this website and on paperwork coming out of the Principality with a subtle change in name to what has been commonly accepted and used since 21^st April 1970.
Since the date of secession back in 1970, Hutt River has been known as and referred to by a few names including  the most commonly used "Hutt River Province" and also as the "Hutt River Province Principality" etc.

This month, September 2006, HRH Prince Leonard announced an official change to the name of Hutt River.
At the start of September, Prince Leonard and the Cabinet instructed that from this time on Hutt should be correctly named and referred to as the "Principality of Hutt River".
This announcement was first made on the website by HRH in his monthly statement published September 2006 as "Royal Rhetoric" and as time passes you will all see the changes take effect as offices and representatives of the Principality around the world begin the changeover.

It was thought that on such a special event it would be good to hear from Prince Leonard as to the reasons and any effect that the change may be expected to have on the people or the land of Hutt River.

A few days ago I asked HRH these questions and this was his reply:-
 

...."I said at the end of 2005 that 2006 would see me announcing a number of changes concerning the Principality, changes that concern the growth of our small nation. I have already announced a number of things this year and this month took the opportunity to publicly note another of these changes, a change in the name of the Principality to an emphasis on the word 'Principality' rather than the word 'Province' in the name of our nation.

Back in the days immediately after our secession from the Commonwealth of Australia, I did offer H.M. Queen Elizabeth II Sovereignty over this new land, a choice that was Hers to either accept or decline.
In failing to respond to this offer, H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is seen in law to have declined the offer and therefore this land officially became a Republic, a Republic named the 'Hutt River Province".

For certain political and other reasons of strength in law, some short while after our secession, it was decided that this land should become a Sovereign Nation rather than a Republic thus a land lead by a Sovereign.
I did not see a change to a Kingdom which is ruled by a King as  acceptable because a King rules by Divine Right and I have no Divine Right to rule, but rather I would rule due to the Will of the people. Therefore, after some debate, I accepted the title of Prince and the Province officially became a Principality.
The rest is history.

Since that time we have tended to leave the name as it originally was, the Hutt River Province, though often with the word 'Principality' tagged on the end or indeed to the beginning simply because that was the original desire relative to that name, the name originally chosen to represent our small country.

In recent years, considerable pressure from many of our citizens has been brought to bear on this naming, with claims being made of confusion with the use of the word 'Province' and especially when the word 'Province' is combined with the word 'Principality' in the name.
In response to these many requests and to comply with international principals, Cabinet has decided that from this point on this land of ours is to be officially known as the 'Principality of Hutt River'.

Everyone must realise and remember that our original name and emblems will never be totally removed as they remain an important part of our past, our heritage and they will still be seen in many, many places, proudly, into the future but from now on this land shall be known as the 'Principality of Hutt River'."

I trust this helps answer any questions you may have on the change in name and what purpose it serves.

Sir Steven G.P. Baikie K.R.O.
26 September 2006