Constantine XVI

His Imperial Highness Constantine XVI ascended the Rhomanoi throne on the 7th January 1996, in the immediate aftermath of the Blacharnae bombing that had claimed the life of his predecessor and father Theodore IV. He ruled for 7 years, 5 months and 26 days, before dying on the 2nd June 2003, and was succeeded by his younger brother Andronicus VII.

Governmental role

As Imperial Person, Constantine XVI had sole executive power - that is the power to appoint new Senators, dissolve the Senate, make peace or war, sign treaties, give or take territory, present legislation to the Senate, dissolve the Senate, appoint Supreme Court Judges, ministers and approve the election of state officials. He was also the supreme commander-in-chief of the Roman Armies.

He also had considerable powers over the Imperial Orthodox Church, with the ability to summon Ecunemical Councils, approve and dismiss Patriarchs and block the appointment of Bishops, Metropolitans and Archbishops for up to 12 months.

Constantine XVI was an autocratic ruler, who severely limited the power of the Senate and other bodies in the empire in order to further his own power. He tried to dominate the Imperial Orthodox Church through appointing his cronies as bishops, but the new bishops proved unpopular and corrupt, and so where removed by a combination of rioting mobs and the handful of judges who were not afraid of disobeying the Diadem.

Personal life

Constantine Gregory Michael Phocas Justinian Palaeologus was born on the 8th September 1963 to Her Imperial Highness Empress Lucy Crawford and His Imperial Highness Theodore IV at the Great Palace in Konstantinopoli. He was the first born child, and the eldest son, of the Imperial couple, and as such was proclaimed Despot of Mistra immediately upon being born.

Unlike his younger brother Andronicus, Constantine was always expected to ascend to the throne, and so was treated with regal privileges from a very early age. This seems to have negatively influenced the young Despot, who even went as far as 'dismissing' his own tutor for daring to order him to complete his homework. What he did seem to also acquire was a regal taste in fine wine, women, good food and - unfortunately - hard drugs.

On January 7th 1996, terrorists blew up a portion of the Blacharnae Palace in Konstantinopoli, killing Theodore IV, his wife, Theodores' elder sister Martina and her husband and four children as well as one of the daughters of Theodores' eldest sister Eudocia. The "Blacharnae Bombing" left Constantine as the Basileus, and he proclaimed as such by the surviving Varangian guardsmen outside the Church of the Holy Apostles. With the Patriarch also dead (he was shot dead at the same time as the bomb went off), he was crowned by the Bishop of Konstantinopoli - the first controversy of his reign.

Constantine XVI was a notorious womaniser and drunkard. He would host wild parties with his cronies, where they would cavort with women, drink vast quantities and dapple in drugs. The result was a severe drop in the public support for the Imperial Person. He sidelined the more moderating influences of his family, like his stern aunt the Grand Duchess Olga, and brought in cronies to run the government. The economy suffered accordingly.

He died on the 2nd June 2003, after a massive overdose of an as-yet unidentified illegal substance and the affects of syphilis, which he probably caught from one of his many mistresses. He was succeeded by his younger brother Andronicus VII.