Revision as of 01:33, 19 January 2006

The Danaan monarch is the chief of state of the Resurgent Dream.The current Danaan monarchy can trace itself back to the earliest reaches of the nations history through High Queen Maile ni Cunedda, an Aboriginal Danaan princess who wed the first king among early European settlers in the land, Rhygyfarch ap Cunedda. However, it is High King Rhygyfarch who normally begins any modern list of the Danaan monarchs.

While the modern institution of the monarchy is clearly descended from the High Kingship traced back to Rhygyfarch and while the current monarch is directly on Rhygyfarch's line, this lineage has not had an uninterrupted rule. It is only in 2005 that the last and longest lasting interruption of Rhygyfarch's dynasty (a period of rule by House Gwydion) ended in the disaster of the Shattering.

The Danaan monarchy is constitutional and non-partisan but not merely ceremonial. The monarch is charged with the non-partisan enforcement of the law and defense of the realm and is expected to actually participate in commanding military and law enforcement operations, aided, of course, by expert advice. However, the monarch is not supposed to alter the laws or carry out his duties in a biased way. In fact, the Danaan monarch is supposed to strictly keep private which, if any, of the major Danaan political parties they most sympathize with.

The monarch reserves ultimate sovereignty over the nation. It is believed that keeping the exercise of ultimate sovereignty in the hands of a non-partisan power whose dignity is above factional struggles is the best way to make sure that the will of the current majority never leads to abuses against the minority or to corruptions in the nation's system of balanced government. It is held to be a guarantee of the rule of law, especially the fundamental laws known as the Agwenian Edicts. Critics often allege that such a role relies entirely upon the good will of the monarch and worry about what would happen for a Danaan monarch to ever seek to become a tyrant. This worry is especially strong because, while the Danaan monarchy was never widely perceived as tyrannical, its strict constitutional role only became clear under the recent reign of High Queen Agwene ni Gwydion. Nonetheless, no serious monarchical encroachment upon the nation's democratic institutions has yet occurred and it remains the common opinion among the Danaan people that their monarchy serves as the keystone which allows their liberal democratic institutions to function properly.

The current Danaan monarch is His Most Esteemed High Majesty Owain ap Cunedda. Although it is considered improper to style her the heir apparent because of the high likelihood that the high king will have children in the future, Her Most Esteemed Grand Duchess Gwendolyn, His Majesty's younger sister, is next in line for the throne. Other members of His Majesty's family include his youngest sister, Grand Duchess Morgan; his mother, the Duchess Ygraine; and his wife, Marissa.

History

Aboriginal monarchy

Since time immemorial, what is now the Resurgent Dream has had many kings. Ruling over an island or a tribe, an ancient ruler of this sort genuinely left no written record and the only evidence most such kings left of their individual reigns are scattered archaeological finds.

All of Dana was not united under one king until sometime in the late ninth century, when High King 'Alohilani waged a series of wars bringing all the tribes under his rule. Despite his origin as a military conqueror, 'Alohilani's reign was prosperous for the Danaan people and saw the introduction of the first real laws, most notably protections for the common people against arbitrary violence.

Kamameha, the last aboriginal High King, was a direct descendant of 'Alohilani, reigning during the time when Europeans first began to arrive. After some initial conflict, Kamameha reached an understanding with the settler's King Rhygyfarch, whereby Rhygyfarch would take Kamameha's daughter Maile to wed and their heirs be considered legitimate monarchs of the island by both peoples.

Shieldcrest monarchy

The king of Shieldcrest was also the High King of the Resurgent Dream from the arrival of Rhygyfarch in 947 to the abdication of High King John in 1381. This period was marked by the gradual expansion of the monarch's actual authority.

During the lifetime of Rhygyfarch, his actual area of influence was limited largely to the city of Narich itself. The Welsh colonists had not expanded beyond a single city and, while he had gained theoretical rule over the whole island from his marriage to Maile, the native people largely kept their own counsel.

Over the next few decades, European settlement spread out over all of what is now Shieldcrest. While Welsh settlement never expanded beyond this area, other European peoples were settling in other areas of the island. At first, most non-Welsh colonists claimed their settlements for their home countries or considered themselves independent countries.

By the reign of Merlin VII, however, the entire island acknowledged allegiance to the High King at Narich. However, this meant very little in the lives of most people. Almost all decisions were made by local kings and lords. It was this feudal system which allowed a group of English settlers under Thomas Waller to defy the decadent High King John and eventually bring down the rule of the kings of Shieldcrest for another century.

The king of Shieldcrest was again High King for a brief period between 1478-1511. Dafydd ap Cunedda, a king of Shieldcrest, managed to win back the high throne from Thomas VIII only to lose it again forty years later during the Homecoming War.

Wintermore monarchy

The throne of Wintermore was founded by the Waller dynasty. Thomas Waller, a distant relation of King Richard II of England, was the leader of a band of lost English explorers who landed in what is now Wintermore. He organized the lost explorers into a settlement and, based upon his royal connections, declared himself a king. Having little respect for the Cunedda dynasty and the high king who ruled from Shieldcrest, King Thomas soon initiated a sucessful coup, claiming the title for himself.

The kings of Wintermore held the high throne from 1391-1478. This period was also marked by the subordination of the interests of other Danaans to the interests of the people in Wintermore. The army of the High King, during this period, was recruited largely from Wintermore and His High Majesty's outpost were, in practice, often quite like the fortifications of an occupying army outside of Wintermore. They were deeply unpopular and High King Dafydd enjoyed overwhelming popular support when he finally overthrew them.

Fairy monarchy

After the Homecoming War, the Sidhe High Queen Corrina ni Gwydion was established on the throne. While she tried to be equitable to all of her subjects, her reign was very much organized according to Fae norms. She entitled her husband High King instead of Prince Consort and kept to Sidhe traditions on any number of other specific matters of protocol. Nonetheless, Corrina was responsible for the gradual evolution of the Parliamentary system, the establishment of a basic measure of individual freedom, and the formal banning of the slave trade (which was admittedly unknown before her time, not embraced by previous rulers).

Corrina was succeeded by her daughter, Agwene, whose brief reign was nonetheless very eventful. Agwene's reforms, the Agwenian Edicts, brought true liberal parliamentary democracy to the Resurgent Dream. It was also under Agwene that all claims of the principalities to be sovereign kingdoms were finally abolished.

The modern Crown

After the Shattering, the Crown returned to the line of Rhygyfarch in the person of Owain, Duke of Tasat. Since his coronation, Owain has largely abandoned the Sidhe traditions of his predecessors. In many areas, he has returned to the traditions of the monarchs before the Homecoming War. In many others, where such traditions would be overly anachronistic, he has modelled himself on other modern human constitutional monarchies. Owain recently married to High Queen Marissa. However, as the royal couple do not yet have a child, the heir presumptive of the Resurgent Dream remains Owain's sister, Grand Duchess Gwendolyn.

Succession

Succession to the Danaan Crown is by lineal primogeniture, under which elder children inherit in preference to younger without regard for gender. The eldest child of a reigning monarch is titled the Crown Prince of Crown Princess of the Resurgent Dream and is the heir apparent. If the reigning monarch has no child, the person next in line is not the heir apparent but the heir presumptive. The heir presumptive receives no additional titles or honors because of his or her position as heir presumptive. The current heir presumptive of the Resurgent Dream is Grand Duchess Gwendolyn, the High King's sister.

There is only one means by which a person entitled by birth to a place in the Danaan line of succession might be deprived of that right. Any Danaan royal who becomes the spouse of a foreign sovereign loses the right to inherit the Danaan Crown, as do all of his or her descendants. This is not considered a punishment, but simply a measure to prevent a personal union between the sovereignty of the Resurgent Dream and that of any other power, as such unions often lead eventually to national unions.

The instant a Danaan monarch dies, their heir inherits the Crown. However, it is usual for a new monarch to mourn his or her predecessor for a period of forty days before having a coronation, taking up the duties of the Crown, and moving in to the Royal Palace.

Regency

Under law, the powers of a Danaan Sovereign who is under the age of seventeen or who is incapacitated either physically or mentally must be exercised by a regent. Physical or mental incapacity must be certified by at least three of the following people: the Sovereign's spouse, the Sovereign's person physician, the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor, and the Chief Justice of the Uasal Court. The declaration of three of these people is needed once more to end a regency and restore the powers of the Crown to the Sovereign.

When a regency is necessary, the Sovereign's spouse is automatically made regent unless he or she is similarly disabled. If the Sovereign's spouse is unable to perform the duties of the regency or if the Sovereign is unwed, the Lord Chancellor becomes regent. If that officer is also unable to fulfill the duties of the regency, they fall to the next person in the line of succession who is of age and capable of performing the duties of the regency.

When the Sovereign is simply away from court, those ceremonial duties normally performed by the Sovereign may be delegated to whatever person the Sovereign might see fit to entrust with them. This is almost always the Lord Chancellor.

Political role

After every Parliamentary election, the High King is bound by duty to issue his madate to form a government to the leader of the largest party in whichever coalition has a majority. However, that leader does not become Prime Minister until they have formed a government which has received the approval of a majority of the Parliament. If they fail to do so, the High King will normally dissolve Parliament and call new elections.

As Grand Marshall of the Royal Armies, the High King is the Commander-in-Chief of the Danaan Armed Forces. He attends weekly military briefings and makes military decisions based upon the advice of the Minister for Defence and the Military Command Council. The Sovereign very seldom gets involved directly in professional military matters.

As Lord Constable of the Resurgent Dream, the High King is the head of the National Police. In this capacity, he acts with the advice of the Minister for Justice.

The purpose of the Sovereign's direct control of the military and the police is to make sure that these organizations remain above partisan politics and continue to defend the nation and enforce the law without being subject to politically motivated interference. It is considered a safeguard of democracy and a check on Parliamentary power by most Danaans.