Monarchy of Eniarku
| Grand Duke of Eniarku | |
|---|---|
 Greater (royal) coat of arms | |
| Style | His Royal Highness |
| Residence | Baldwin House |
| Inaugural holder | Alexander |
| Formation | 29 May 2024 |
The monarchy of the Grand Duchy of Eniarku, commonly referred to as the Eniarkian monarchy or simply the Crown in many modern legal contexts, is the semi-constitutional monarchy of the Grand Duchy of Eniarku and its territories. The monarch's title is Grand Duke (if male) or Grand Duchess (if female). The current monarch, Grand Duke Alexander, is a member of the House of Abbott and returned to the throne upon ratification of the ratification of the 2024 constitution on 29 May 2024.
The monarch and immediate royal family undertake various official, ceremonial, and representative duties. Under the constitution, the sovereign is vested with near-total governing power and while being simultaneously limited by various institutional obligations, and carries the majority of these responsibilities out in conjunction with the Council of State (in lieu of separate legislative or judicial institutions), which is appointed by the sovereign and functions primarily as a privy council with few functions independent of the grand duke.
Succession
Succession to the throne is jointly governed by Chapter IV of the 2024 constitution and the semi-Salic rules set forth in the Law of the Grand Ducal House, of which large portions are drawn from the Abbott Family Pact adopted on 1 September 2015 (originally named the Slava Family Pact). The house has maintained the right to rule over Eniarku and its territories since 5 December 2016, when it absorbed the rights and titles formerly belonging to the House of Slava, which was itself a successor of the long-defunct House of Augustus-Alexei that ruled over the Empire of Eniarku for a short period. The house law can only be amended by a decree of the current grand duke and its contents are not published by the royal household, similar to the Constitution of the Princely House of Liechtenstein.
Upon the abdication or death of the sovereign, his or her heir immediately and automatically succeeds. It is possible for individuals in the line of succession to renounce his or her right of succession, however, in which case the next individual ascends to the throne. Unlike the kingdom-era tradition of crowning the new monarch in a formal and meticulously rehearsed coronation ceremony, the current practice is that the incoming sovereign take a sworn oath to uphold the constitution in the presence of members of the government and royal household.
After an individual ascends the throne, he or she rules until their own death or abdication, the latter of which requires a formal declaration by the abdicating monarch. An heir apparent or heir presumptive is typically granted the title Prince of August (or Princess of August, in the event of a female heir).
Styles and titles
The monarch of Eniarku is officially titled the Grand Duke of Eniarku (or in the event of a female sovereign or consort, the Grand Duchess of Eniarku). In addition to this main title, the sovereign typically employs a variety of additional titles and styles that are controlled by various public laws (typically letters patent) and the Law of the Grand Ducal House, which permits the use of honours historically associated with the Crown or state. The generalized styles below are sometimes supplemented with the sovereign's regnal name and number.
(1) Shortened versions:
- Informal (spoken): His Royal Highness or Your Royal Highness
- Informal (written abbreviation): HRH The Grand Duke
- Informal (written): His Royal Highness The Grand Duke
- Formal: His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Eniarku
(2) Mid-length versions, sometimes used in a diplomatic context:
- His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Eniarku and of His Realms and Territories
- His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Eniarku, Prince of Abbott, Duke of Shaw and Vicis, Stadtholder of Maide, et cetera.
- Designed for passports: His Royal Eniarkian Highness, Grand Duke of Eniarku and His Realms and Territories
(3) Long version, used only in formal settings:
- His Royal Highness [Regnal Name] the [Regnal Number], by the Grace and Will of the People Grand Duke of Eniarku, Prince of Abbott, Duke of Shaw and Vicis, Stadtholder of Maide, Count of Dolonburg, Lancadire, Gelf-Brine and Melchin, Baron of Ibitea, Eryia, Norton and Postulo, Lord of Numa, Defender of the Constitution, Grand Master of the Most Noble Order of the Crown, Sovereign of the Order of Eniarku, Head of the Most Royal House of Abbott
Other titles
The grand duke also holds several other titles specific to former semi-sovereign realms that are still recognized by the current house law.
- in Shaw: 25 December 2015 -: His Serene Highness The Duke of Shaw
- in Vicis: 25 December 2015 -: His Serene Highness The Duke of Vicis
- in Maide: 25 December 2015 -: His Grace The Stadtholder of Maide
- in Numa: 25 December 2015 -: His Excellency The Lord of Numa
Arms and symbols
The sovereign is the armiger of the coat of arms, and the use of the greater national coat of arms is reserved exclusively for the current monarch by the National Symbols Act of 2024. This royal coat of arms is described by the act as follows: "(i) Barry of seven Azure and Argent, Or a lion rampant armed and langued Gules; topped with the Grand Ducal Crown, cradled by a collar Argent bordered Azure bearing the medal of the Most Noble Order of the Crown; (ii) Supported by two lions rampant guardant Or armed and langued Gules atop a platform Or; (iii) Placed on a mantle Gules lined Ermine, topped with the Grand Ducal Crown."[a] The seven stripes of the escutcheon represent the seven original realms united under the Eniarkian crown throughout its history, a design originally chosen at the establishment of the kingdom in 2015 to reinforce the unity of the state.
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The coat of arms of Alexander, Grand Duke of Eniarku.
The monarch's official flag is the Standard of the Grand Duke, more commonly referred to as the Royal Standard, and features the heraldic arms of Eniarku expanded lengthwise to create a 3:5 proportioned flag of seven horizontal bands alternating between azure and white with the traditional "Eniarkian lion" superimposed in the center. It is flown only from buildings, vessels and vehicles in which the sovereign is present. The Royal Standard, unlike the national flag, is never flown at half-mast because there is always a sovereign; when one dies or abdicates, his or her successor instantly becomes monarch. When the monarch is not in residence, either the national or state flag is flown at Baldwin House and other residences.
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Standard of the Grand Duke
Notes
- ↑ A.S. 2405 §201(a)(i)-(iii).