Danaan Monarchy

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.