Eduard IV of Alessandri
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His Majesty King Eduard IV (Eduard Alexander Karl Philipp Eugen), (20 March, 1620 - 4 October 1663) (1629 - 1663 DE) was the oldest child of King Eduard III and Queen Marie of Alessandri. He continued the reforms made by his father, but is most known for the circumstances leading to and following soon after his death, marking the bloodiest case of sibling rivalry in Alessandrian history.
Contents
Birth and Childhood
Prince Eduard of Iksander was born on March 20, 1620 at the Neues Palais in Jetternacht. He was the pride and joy of his parents, especially his father, who was determined not to see his son grow up in the rigorious, secluded enviroment he did. "Eddy" was tutored in German, English, French, Latin, Alessandrian history, literature, arithmetic, religion, diplomacy, and deportment, although classes were spread out over several days, and the little prince had more time with his family. He was joined in 1622 and 1625 by two younger brothers, Peter and Georg Donatus. Eddy was an attentive older brother, and the three princes slept in the nursery, each, in turn, sleeping in the gilt, jewel-encrusted cradle made in 1257 for the future King Leopold IV. The boys graduated to a larger, more comfortable bassinet at six months, then to real beds at age three, albeit with bars to keep them from rolling off. Eddy helped the nursery maids with his brothers' baths and liked to help pick what the boys wore. Their mother wanted her boys to have cordinated outfits, and in public, the princes were seen together dressed in matching lace knickers or naval suits, Eddy, at six, having graduated to short pants, while his smaller brothers were dressed in skirts.
As Boy King
In 1629, an epidemic of typhoid struck Jetternacht through the city's water supply. When his father and younger brothers fell ill, Eddy was sent to live in Baden with his aunt until it was safe to return. Both of his younger brothers, as well as his father, died during the epidemic, and when Eddy learned of this, he became seriously distraught and worked himself into a high fever. The county was in turmoil upon hearing that not only had their king and two younger princes died, now their new young king was desperately ill. Queen Marie was pregnant at the time, and had Eddy died and the child been born a boy, King Eduard IV. He was just nine years old.
As a boy king, although his word was supreme law, Eduard had little real power until he turned sixteen, the age when the Regency is shed; his mother and uncle, the Duke of Baden, served as his Regents. He spent the remainder of his childhood with lessons and, at his mother's request, only occassionally met with ministers. Queen Marie wanted her son to live as normal a life as possible until his formal accension to the throne.
In 1637, when he was just seventeen, Eduard was forced into a marrige with fifteen-year-old Lady Frances of Torbine, the daughter of the Earl of Torbine, then Prime Minister. Both Eduard and his mother were against the match, as Eduard had already proposed to the daughter of the Duke of Modena, but the Parliament insisted on it. Eduard was forced to Their first child was not born until 1643, a premature baby girl, named Elisabeth. Due to the rule of succession, Elisabeth was not heiress presumptive, and was titled simply "Princess" and not Crown Princess. She was followed by a brother, Eduard, who was stillborn, in 1644. That same year, Eduard's younger sister, fourteen-year-old Princess Eugenie, died of double pneumonia at the Neues Palais. The deaths of his sister and son left the king in a state of shock. His wife was no comfort; she had been lured into the marriage with the promise of wealth, clothes and jewelry, which were the only thing that held her attention. She did, however, remain faithful, and continued to provide the king with children: twins, twins Eduard and Anna (who died in 1650) in 1646, Georg in 1648, Johann in 1650, Peter in 1652, Mary in 1653 and Albert in 1657. By the time of Princess Mary's birth, Eduard and Frances' marriage was in tatters. He had been enjoying the company of twenty-one year old Countess Nadezja von Adroit. She bore him two children, Philipp in 1655 and Cecile in 1658, who were passed off as Frances' children, secretly legitamized and given royal titles, despite the circumstances of their birth.
Reign
Eduard's formal acension to the throne came on his eighteenth birthday, March 20, 1638. His coronation, set for the following day, was an extravagant affair, and King Eduard and his sixteen-year-old bride, Queen Frances arrived at the St. Andreas Cathedral in a golden carriage pulled by six white horses. The festitives lasted nearly a week, with representatives from other nations coming to pay homage to the young king.
Death
He was found stabbed to death in his bedroom his killer was never known
Preceded by: Eduard III |
King of Alessandri 1629–1663 |
Followed by: Eduard V |