Monarchy of Ebenthal

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King of Ebenthal
Incumbent
Arthur II
since 29 December 2019
Details
StyleHis Majesty
Heir apparentHeitor, Prince Royal
First monarchArthur I
Formation11 August 2014
ResidenceBubbington Palace, Brauncastel
AppointerHereditary

The monarchy of Ebenthal is the political institution at the core of Ebenthal's unitary mixed structure. It is a hereditary semi-constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary system, whereas the monarch is both Head of State and co-Head of Government. The Sovereign is the embodiment of the Ebenthaler State and is King of Ebenthal as a matter of constitutional law. The third and current Ebenthaler monarch is King Arthur II, who has been reigning since 29 December 2019. Arthur's second nephew, Heitor, Prince Royal, is heir apparent.

The monarch and his or her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic and representational duties. As the monarchy is semi-constitutional, the monarch retains extensive executive political functions such appointing the Minister-President, sanctioning or vetoing over laws, dismissing the parliament, appointing members of the upper chamber and bestowing honors and titles. The monarch is commander-in-chief of the Royal Cybernautics. The ultimate formal executive authority over the government of the Ebenthal is still by and through the monarch's royal prerogative. The Government of Ebenthal is known as His Majesty's Government.

The Ebenthaler monarchy traces its origins from the Kingdom of Roschfallen, an unrecognized microstate (micronation) created in January 2014. The first rulers of modern-day Ebenthal were hereditary dukes and high commissioners of the historical Roschfallenian department of Gros Morne. By August 2014, amidst a political crisis centered around the King of Roschfallen, Arthur Beato, 1st Duke of Gallar and High Commissioner of the Roschfallenian Deparment of Gros Morne declared its independence and merged it with the lands of other separatist nobles, founding the Kingdom of Ebenthal and establishing the Ebenthali monarchy of which he was the first monarch.

History

Formation

On 28 January 2014, Arthur van der Bruyn established the Kingdom of Roschfallen, declaring the private property of his family in the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro, Magé and Saquarema as a sovereign country independent from the Federative Republic of Brazil. On the course of the following months, Arthur created a network of friends and allies to form a government. In a few cases, those who joined the government as landed nobles granted sovereignity over their properties to the Roschfallenian state, and in turn they were given full feudal administration over their own properties in the form of Departments under the King of Roschfallen's suzerainity. On the course of the months, as Roschfallen organized its bureaucratic machine, some nobles, led particularly by Arthur Beato, Duke of Gallar, High Commissioner of the Department of Gros Morne, clashed with the monarch over his attitudes and decisions that ignored the council of parliament, the Council of Fools and theoretically undermined the rights of feudal lords, ushering the country in a deep political crisis. Displeased and attacked by the Roschfallenian monarch, the Duke of Gallar reasserted sovereign control over his lands and proclaimed the northern part of Gros Morne independent of Roschfallen, in which he was followed by other nobles who declared their lands independent only to unite them and form the Kingdom of Ebenthal on 11 August 2014. On the same day, the Duke of Gallar was popularly hailed High King of Ebenthal.

Reform

Arthur I reigned for almost 5 years until he abruptly abdicated on 24 June 2019 to continue his studies in another country. He was succeeded by his brother Mateus I, who reigned briefly until his deposition on 27 September of that year over the profound political crisis. A regency was established, under Raphael Sousa, 1st Duke of Sternachten, who offered the Crown of Ebenthal to the King of Roschfallen as long as it did not mean a re-union with that realm. The Roschfallenian monarch accepted the offer, abdicated the throne of Roschfallen, and in 29 December 2019 became High King of Ebenthal as Arthur II. In 13 May 2020, Arthur II proposed a constitutional ammendment to change his title from High King to King, arguing that "a High King is necessarily a ruler amongs Kings". The ammendment was approved by seven votes to five, four abstensions. In 15 August 2020 the King issued a decree changing his styles from Illustrious Majesty to Most Gracious Majesty and those of his consort and heir from Illustrious Highness to Gracious Highness. Later the styles of all royal titles were standardized to Royal Highness, except for the monarch who adopted the simpler style of Majesty. On 11 April 2021 the monarch created the title of Prince of Bruges in a particular category and bestowed it on his nephew and heir Heitor van der Bruyn. On 5 February 2022, finally, Arthur II created, by decree, the title of Prince Royal to the Ebenthali crown, as an exclusive title to the heir apparent to the throne of Ebenthal. One of the monarch's most controversial acts was the adoption of the Semi-Salic Primogeniture to replace the Absolute Primogeniture, justifying the greater adherence of the Princes of Ebenthal to political activities. and micronational representatives than Princesses.

Constitutional role

According to the constitution, the monarch (otherwise referred to as the sovereign or "His/Her Majesty, abbreviated H.M.) is the head of state and co-head of government (along with the Minister-President). The King's image is used to signify Ebenthaler sovereignity and government authority. Oaths of allegiance are made to the King and his lawful successors.

The monarch has broad government powers. He appoints the Minister-President, who in turn appoints the Ministers of State, which the monarch has the power to dismiss. He also appoints all members of the House of Aristocrats, the parliament's upper chamber, the members of the Chambers Judiciary Committee and the Chiefs Executive, who govern the municipalities of the country, and the King's Liasons, who represent the monarch at country's principalities. It is also the exclusive prerogative of the monarch the veto power and royal assent and the right to dissolve the parliament, while the power to call referendums is shared with the Minister-President. Legislative and judicial powers are delegated from the monarch to public bodies, respectively the Konkrëse, the country's bicameral parliament, and the Chambers Judiciary Committee, and exercised by them on the monarch's behalf. The sovereign's role as a constitutional monarch also includes non-partisan functions such as granting honours

According to Ebenthali law, the Monarch has sole prerogative over the following:

  • The power to issue Royal Decrees and Royal Edicts.
  • The power to appoint a Minister-President.
  • The power to call a referendum.
  • The power to veto Acts of Parliament by not giving Royal Assent.
  • The power to enter people into all of the Ebenthaler Orders of Chivalry.
  • The power to grant peerages and titles.
  • The power to appoint the members of the Chambers Judiciary Committee
  • The power to govern eventual Crown Dependencies, either directly or through the appointment of either a ruling body or a governor.
  • The power to appoint and sack the municipal Chiefs Executive.
  • The power to appoint the members of the House of Aristocrats.
  • The right to have a inviolable person. (this right was revoked by Law No. 31/2020)

List of monarchs

No. Name Portrait Arms Reign Era
Reign duration
House Title
I Arthur I
11 August
2014
24 June
2019
First Arthurian era
4 years, 11 months, 13 days
House of Beato King of Ebenthal
First King of Ebenthal; abdicated to study abroad.
II Mateus I
24 June
2019
27 September
2019
Mateusian era
2 months, 2 days
House of Beato King of Ebenthal
Deposed due to the Mateusian Crisis.
III Arthur II
29 December
2019
present Second Arthurian era
4 years, 2 months, 19 days
House of Bruyn King of Ebenthal
First King of Roschfallen, Socialist Soviet Emperor and current Duke of Marienbourg.

Arms and standard

The Coat of arms of Ebenthal are "Ten green and yellow stripes, crossed from top right to bottom left by a black crancelin". No supporters. Surrounding the shield is the Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Ludwig Gaston of Saxe-Coburg and Braganza, the country's proper highest order. The coat is usually represented in a jaguar-inspired golden mantle topped by the royal crown.

The monarch's official flag in the Kingdom of Ebenthal is the Royal Standard, which depicts the Royal Arms in banner form. It is flown only from buildings, vessels and vehicles which belongs to the sovereign. The Royal Standard is never flown at half-mast because there is always a sovereign: when one dies, his or her successor becomes the sovereign instantly. In case succession does not occur automatically, whoever takes regency emulates the powers of the crown, invested on him or her temporarily by the crown, and it is thus the sovereign.

Titles and styles

Royal Titles of Ebenthal
Titles
  King of Ebenthal
  Prince Royal
  Prince of Ebenthal

According to the 2020 Royal Code, all members of the royal family descended from the union of Marius, 4th Baron of Roches and Lindalva Savoy, are titled Princes of Ebenthal and are treated as Royal Highness. Except the presumptive heir to the throne of Ebenthal, who receives the title of Prince Royal and equal treatment with the others, and exceptional cases in which the monarch can assign a title and same or different style of treatment to some collateral family member. The monarch, in turn, has the title of "By Grace of God and the Popular Will, The King of All Ebenthal either side of the Mountain Range and Beyond, Defender of the Independence, Lord of the Northern Hills" and the style of treatment of Majesty.

All consorts automatically inherit the titles and styles of their partners as long as they are recognized by the monarch, regardless of their official marital status. The Royal Code includes provisions for in the case of a homosexual monarch, his or her partner will receive the title of Prince Consort or Princess Consort, the treatment of Royal Highness and the same precedence as the Prince Royal. This is because, not being a diarchy, the regnal monarchical title is private and there cannot be two bearers, that is, two kings or two queens. Royal titles of Ebenthal may co-exist with royal and noble titles of other nations that members of the Ebenthali Royal Family may hold, provided it is with the knowledge and approval of the monarch.

Succession

The succession to the Ebenthaler throne is governed by statutes such as the 2020 Royal Code. Succession rules are not subject to parliament and can only be changed by monarchs; parliament, however, has the right to reject them by a motion of maximum approval, that is, if all members of both houses of parliament pass the motion. Thus, it is possible for an individual to renounce his or her right of succession as long as the sovereign acknowledges it. Likewise, the sovereign can abdicate the throne without needing parliamentary approval or recognition.

The succession rules currently applied follow the Semi-Salic Law. It is different from Salic Law in that females inheritance can be traced also through female lines. Still, female lines are ranked after male lines of the same relation. Primogeniture means that the oldest candidate inherits, in this case the oldest son (if any) or next closer relative. All heirs through male lines of the oldest son rank above those of the second oldest son in the line of inheritance, then come heirs of daughters sorted by age.

Upon the death of a sovereign, their heir immediately and automatically succeeds (hence the phrase "The king is dead, long live the king!"), and the accession of the new sovereign is publicly proclaimed by the Lord Speaker of the House of Aristocrats. Upon their accession, a new sovereign is required by law to make and subscribe an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of Ebenthal. A coronation is not necessary for a sovereign to reign.

Regency

The constitution has provisions that allow for regencies in the event of a monarch who is a minor or who is physically or mentally incapacitated. When a regency is necessary, the next qualified individual in the line of succession automatically becomes regent, unless they themselves are a minor or incapacitated. In such a case, the monarch is free to appoint a regent to act on his behalf. In the event that there is no monarch or member of the royal family able to succeed, the House of Aristocrats appoints a regent who must fulfill the monarch's functions and act with the central objective of finding a suitable candidate to assume the throne of the country.

During a temporary physical infirmity or an absence from the kingdom, the sovereign may temporarily delegate some of his or her functions to Counsellors of State, the monarch's spouse and the first four adults in the line of succession.

Line of succession

Line of succession to the Ebenthaler throne (Royal Family only, Royal House not included)

Properties

The sovereign's official residence in Brauncastel is the Bubbington Palace. It is the site of most state banquets, investitures, royal christenings and other ceremonies. The Palace of Rochesburg, also in Brauncastel, formely served as the King's official residence, even though King Arthur II and the Prince Consort actually resided at the Meyer Annex, a modest apartment which is part of the Rochesburg Palace estate. Nowadays Rochesburg is the home of the King's father Armando, 5th Baron of Roches. Another royal residence is the Summer Palace in Amsee, which is mostly used as a beach retire. Other residences include the Ignatius Castle, the Sanktherese Castle and the Oranges Royal Apartment, where other members of the royal family reside, as well as the Fernandine Complex, in [Erzfelsen]], which serves as residence to most of King Arthur II's maternal relatives.

Historically, from 2014 to 2019, perion on which the House of Beato occupied the Ebenthaler throne, the sovereign's official residence was the Valerge Palace, at the former city of Arturia. Other former royal resicendes included the Gros Morne Palace, in modern-day Principality of New Switzerland and the Paysandú Estate in Uruguay.

Finances

The monarch's expenses for official state affairs, including those for staffing, state visits, public engagements, and official entertainment, shall be covered by the Soverein Grant, a payment which is paid to the monarch annually by the government in order to fund the monarch's official duties. Other members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Altenburg, are beneficiaries of the civil list. the value of both is fixed by parliament every year; any money saved was carried forward to the next year. Nevertheless, the main source of income for members of the Royal Family, including the monarch, is of a private nature and is given through the functions they fulfill ex officio, beyond their positions as members of the Royal House.

The sovereign and other members of the Royal House are exempt from taxes with regard to the amounts they receive from the civil list and sovereign grant. All capital gains and personal income of members of the Royal House are, however, subject to tax, and they are, in this capacity equal to private cititens, obliged to pay income tax.

See also

References