Alexandre I
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| HM King Alexandre of Rildanor and HRH Regent of Kanjor | |
|---|---|
| His Majesty Roi des Rildanoriens His Royal Highness Régent de Kanjor | |
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| Biography | |
| Born | 9 August 2641, Rildanor |
| Died | 8 July 2709 (aged 68), Kanjor |
| Reign | 29 November 2674 - 9 March 2682 (as King of Rildanor) 1 November 2683 - 23 October 2696 (as Regent of Kanjor) |
| Predecessor | HM Queen Joséphine II (Rildanor), HRH King Léopold (Kanjor) |
| Successor | HM Queen Thérèse (Rildanor), HRH Queen Louise-Elisabeth (Kanjor) |
| Consort | HM Queen Wanda Madeleine Caroline Stuart, Princess of Venetium |
| Issue | HM King of Rildanor, HRH Regent of Kanjor |
| Imperial Dynasty | House of Orléans-Vasser |
HM King Alexandre of Rildanor and Regent of Kanjor (also known as Alexandre the Reformer) (b. 2641 - d. 2709) was King of Rildanor and later Regent of Kanjor, upon the assassination of his cousin, Léopold of Kanjor. An astute and political King, Alexandre was known to take his position as Roi des Rildanoriens very seriously, and was noted for his commitment to reform within Rildanor. However, his aloof personality and reputation as a manipulator isolated him from those around him, and distanced himself from the Rildanorien people. In 2682, an angry coalition of republicans and communists ousted Alexandre from power. After a year of living in Kanjor in exile, Alexandre accepted the position of Regent of Kanjor until his distant cousin, Louise-Elisabeth, came of age. Increasingly isolated from political life in Rildanor, and reportedly increasingly paranoid, Alexandre's reign as Regent was erratic, and his reputation was tarnished by the Succession Scandal. After stepping down as Regent, Alexandre remained in Kanjor, acting as an advisor to the young Queen Louise-Elisabeth.
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[edit] Early Life
Alexandre was born the only son of the strong-willed Queen Joséphine II on 9 August 2641 in their Summer Palace. From a young age Alexandre appeared to possess admirable qualities expected of any heir: a keen desire for self-improvement, a mature sense of moral direction and understanding of the Orthodox Catholic teachings, a love of sports and education, and good leadership skills.
Privately tutored during his younger years by the Aldurian scholar Xavier Paschelbel, Alexandre proved an excellent student, with a particular interest in politics and history. A gifted essayist, Alexandre would anonymously enter essay competitions, writing pricipally on the modern role of the monarchy in Rildanor.
At the age of 16, Alexandre won a place at the prestigious L'Académie Royale de Labonne, two years before most students embark on a university education. Alexandre studied Economics, and graduated 'summa cum laude'. While at university, Alexandre was a member of the Club social-démocrate (Social Democratic Club), where he professed his admiration of the social democratic ideal. Alexandre's love affair with social democracy continued throughout his life, however, he was later quoted as saying, "Communism is a more likely prospect than social democracy. With every kind of moderation comes timidity - this is social democracy's failing."
[edit] Marriage
After toying with a career in the military, Alexandre continued his studies, and during this time was introduced to HMEM Princess Wanda Madeleine Caroline Stuart, of Venetium. Taken with the accomplished woman, their courtship was almost instantaneous, and in 2667, Alexandre proposed. Close friends were reportedly surprised by the intensity of Alexandre's affections for Princess Wanda, as he had previously never shown any interest in women or romance.
They were married in a winter ceremony (due to Alexandre's preference for winter) the following year, on 14 July 2668. After their marriage, the couple began a world tour, promoting their ideas about social justice and poverty relief abroad. During this time, Alexandre was nicknamed by the press "The Red King", due to his outspoken views against big business.
In 2672, Alexandre took up a teaching post at his old alma mater, L'Académie Royale de Labonne, where he taught Economics until ascending to the throne.
[edit] King of Rildanor
On 24 November 2674, Alexandre's mother, Joséphine II announced that she would be stepping down from the throne due to ill health, and 6 days later, Alexandre was crowned King of the Rildanoriennes. His coronation was reportedly one of the most-watched on television around the world, due to his high-profile abroad. The new King was criticised for his severity, in comparison to the warmth of his mother, which had plagued him since his youth; he was not perceived to be very in touch with the ordinary people, instead appearing distant and cold.
Four years after his coronation, Alexandre and Queen Wanda gave birth to their first child, HM Princess Thérèse, named in honour of her grandmother.
[edit] Reform
As King, Alexandre was very involved, and took great pride in his role as King. He spoke in favour of closing the gap between rich and poor, and maximising civil liberties. He was ardently in favour of greater privacy laws, particularly after being dogged by unsubstantiated rumours that he smoked marijuana during university. Despite publically protesting the rumours, and friends and witnesses at the time asserting the contrary, he never shook off the damaging rumour.
While politically active, Alexandre worked behind the scenes, and his public appearances became rarer and rarer. Some cited his natural shyness as a factor for this, but many believed it was because he felt ill at ease amongst the ordinary people of Rildanor. This contributed to growing dissatisfaction with the Monarchy, despite his popularity at his coronation.
In his rare public appearances, Alexandre spoke out against communism, at home and abroad, and praised the work of social democrats in upholding democracy and freedom. His most (in)famous speech, often referred to as the "Crown of Thorns Speech", Alexandre compared the Crown of Thorns placed on Jesus's head at the crucifixtion as the same bittersweet treatment communists gave to democracy and freedom.
Alexandre was also rumoured to have a manipulating personality, playing rival advisors off against each other in order to gain his trust. The young King was reportedly uneasy in his position, despite his promise during his early years, due to his shyness, and found it difficult to trust anyone after his coronation.
His wife, Queen Wanda, described her husband's insomnia upon becoming King, writing, "After his coronation, Alexandre changed - it was as if all the life had been drained out of him, and instead given to the country. While Alexandre drained away, the country prospered...it could not continue."
[edit] Dethronement
After several high-profile demonstrations, mostly led by the growing communist and republican movements, in 2682 a short revolution forcibly dethroned Alexandre. Alexandre's detachment from the people, preferring to occupy to time with backroom reforms for which he took no credit, were cited as a key reason for the people's dissatisfaction with his reign.
Alexandre and his family were forced to flee Rildanor, to the neighbouring Kanjor, where Alexandre's cousin, Léopold had been crowned King. Living in exile, Alexandre spent much of his time writing articles condemning communism. His health reportedly deteriorated during this time, as his insomnia intensified.
He acted as a close advisor to his cousin, King Léopold, and was alleged to be responsible for many of the reforms Léopold sponsored.
[edit] Regent of Kanjor
In 2683, Léopold was assassinated, and his only daughter, Louise-Elisabeth was too young to claim the throne. The government of Kanjor asked Alexandre, as a former Monarch, and Léopold's closest relation to act as Regent of Kanjor until Louise-Elisabeth's maturity.
Alexandre's behaviour was believed to be even more erratic upon accepting the appointment, rarely making public appearances during his 13 years as Regent. He was believed to be obsessed with assassination attempts, and his health was reported to be poor.
He remained an avid writer throughout his entire tenure as Regent, regularly writing opinion pieces for L'Héraut, the monarchist newspaper. Alexandre eschewed public appearances in favour of articles, and would regularly address the Kanjorien people via an opinion piece or announcement in a newspaper. He was consequently nicknamed "The Royal Editor".
Cut off from Rildanor, Alexandre became a distant figure, with Queen Wanda recalling in her memoirs he would disappear into his study for days.
[edit] Succession Scandal
In August 2696, two months before Louise-Elisabeth would come of age and succeed Alexandre, he made an unexpected appearance before the États-Généraux. In an apparently 'ill state', Alexandre claimed that the young Queen was still unsuitable for the throne at the age of 18, and demanded the États-Généraux pass a bill extending the length of the Regency until Louise-Elisabeth was 28.
The press attacked the move as unconstitutional, and an attempt by a foreign exile to keep the Monarchy in his own hands. Amid mass protest on the streets of Atyr, the Kanjorien capital, the États-Généraux rejected Alexandre's demands outright.
His reputation was tarnished, and he did not protest Louise-Elisabeth's ascension to the throne in the November. He was, however, not present at the cornonation, citing ill health, but his wife, Queen Wanda, attended in his place.
[edit] Later Years
The forgiving Louise-Elisabeth did not reject her distant cousin and welcomed his experience as a close advisor as her father had done. He later became one of her most trusted supporters, and made a public apology in 2698 on television over his actions during the Succession Scandal, claiming he had become heavily depressed and was not himself. His reputation was redeemed to some extent when he once again publically championed the cause of social justice, and following Louise-Elisabeth's dethronement in 2699, Alexandre was regularly seen amongst her entourage.
In 2709, a year after Louise-Elisabeth returned to the throne, Alexandre died in Kanjor, aged 68. He was survived by his two children, Princesses Thérèse and Eloise.
[edit] Legacy
A gifted political theorist, Alexandre's natural shyness held him back from ever achieving the great success his mental capabilities would suggest. His compassion and paternalism were not rightly expressed due to his studious and severe nature, and his increasing isolation from the ordinary people of both Rildanor and Kanjor left him obscured from public affection. His paranoia, and subsequent distrust, of the people he cared for made his behaviour erratic. His role in the Succession Scandal damaged his reputation, and led to mass public protest; many attribute the overall dissatisfaction with the Monarchy, and Louise-Elisabeth's initial dethronement three years into her reign, as a direct result of the distrust Alexandre's erratic behavior and actions during the scandal.
| Preceded by HRH King Léopold | Regent of Kanjor 1 November 2683 - 23 October 2696 | Succeeded by HRH Queen Louise-Elisabeth |
