The Madrilene Empire, also known as the Spanish Roman Empire, or colloquially as the Madrilene Hope, is an empire and constitutional monarchy in southern Europe along the Mediterranean Sea. Born from the Age of Ashes, the Madrilene Empire claims to be a continuation of the Roman Empire. The Empire's official and legal name is the Imperium Romanum, though it has become known as the Madrilene Empire as it is centred around Madrid. The Madrilene Empire has dominated post-Meteor Europe, but has been in a period of decline since the Cataclysm.
Terrans began resettlement of the surface from Europe's largest underground refuge at the base of the Guadarrama Mountain Range just north of Madrid, reclaiming the ruined and abandoned city in approximately 2562. Connecting with other minor refuges and settlements, the Empire was restored when Julian Aragon was proclaimed the first post-meteor Emperor in 2571. The House of Aragon rebuilt Spain over the course of the next two-hundred years, promoting expansion into the more habitable Doggerlands (founding Balancía, Bonitaña, and later Zaandam), and assisting in the wider resettlement of Europe. The later House of Andorra assumed the Emperorship and ruled through the Madrilene Civil War (2803 - 2819) and the War of the Bulgarian Succession (2901-2916). The discontent of the later 30th century, ignited by the nuclear destruction of Great Britain, prompted a significant reform: the creation of a Triumverate, established in 2981, to rule the Empire and avoid a collapse similar to that of the original Roman Empire. The Triumverate rules the Empire to this day, with the position of Emperor being rotated between the three high kings.
Economically, the Madrilene Empire has dominated trade outside of the Doggerlands for centuries. The Empire used this position to cultivate new wealth to spend on European reconstruction. However, with the return of the United Federation of Planets and migration of space-faring civilisations in the latter half of the 30th century and 31st century, this source of wealth has been greatly diminished. Today, the Empire is considered a relic, with its ability to dictate European trade a shadow of its former self.
The Triumverate
The Triumverate is the three-part collective head of state of the Madrilene Empire, used to govern the "hands-off" era of governance since the destruction of the British Monarchical Clique. Each member of the Triumverate is permanent, with their seat passed on to the successor of the titles of:
- King of Spain
- King of Sicily
- Grand Duke of Piedmont
The title of emperor is rotated between the three members of the Triumverate, with the current emperor being of the House of Piedmont. The members of the Triumverate have been:
| Date | Sicilian seat | Piedmontese seat | Spanish seat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 January 2982 until 4 September 2997 | Neo | Umberto III | Jorge V |
| 4 September 2997 until 1 May 3002 | Tancredi | Umberto III | Jorge V |
| 1 May 3002 until 15 June 3003 | Tancredi | Umberto III | Jorge VI |
| 15 June 3003 until 1 June 3014 | Tancredi | Gregoru | Jorge VI |
| 1 June 3014 until 17 April 3025 | Tancredi | Gregoru | Felipe VIII |
| 17 April 3025 until present | Neo II | Gregoru | Felipe VIII |
List of emperors (2571-present)
The title of emperor was continued directly from the lineage of Roman Emperors, and thus naming conventions were continued here as well. As points, the numerical contexts were derived from different lineages. These are outlined in those instances.
House of Aragon
The House of Aragon was the first house to rule the Madrilene Empire during the early days after resettlement. Founded by Julian Aragon when he was crowned Julian II, the House of Aragon continued to rule the Madrilene Empire until the House of Andorra was elected to lead the Empire.
| Portrait | Emperor | Reign | Succession | Life details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian II[1] | Summer 2571 until 1 January 2583[2] | Considered the first emperor. Chosen by Senate to lead major expedition to Madrid. Crowned emperor with Senate consent. | Unknown details of birth. Born c. 2530.
Not considered nobility at the time, though developed nobility around himself. Died probably of natural causes on 1 January 2583. | |
| Julian III | 18 January 2583 until 3 November 2588[3] | Son of Julian II. Elected emperor by the Senate in the days after his father's death. | Eldest son of Julian II. Born 19 November 2555.
Ruled for five years and was unpopular. Deposed by Senate in 2588. Died shortly later in 2590. | |
| Juan IX[4] | 3 November 2588[3] until 5 January 2589 | Son of Julian II. Elected emperor by Senate when Julian III was deposed. | Second son of Julian II. Born 28 October 2558.
Ruled briefly in the winter of 2588, which killed one-third of the Madrilene surface population. Died alongside surface settlers on 5 January 2589. | |
| Jorge I | 17 March 2589 until 5 May 2613 | Son of Julian II. Elected emperor in the contested imperial election of 2589, defeating his older brother, Felipe. | Fourth son of Julian II. Born 17 November 2565.
Ruled for 24 years during a period of growth and surface expansion. Last emperor to reside permanently in the Guadarrama bunker, moving to Madrid in final years of life. Died at the age of 48 of lung cancer[5]. | |
| Carlos VI[6] | 13 May 2613 until 31 July 2618 | Son of Felipe and the only living grandson of Julian II. Elected emperor and designated heir by his uncle, Emperor Jorge I. | Only living grandchild of Julian I. Born 2 August 2583.
Ruled for 5 years before his assassination at the hands of the Juanites[7]. | |
| Juan X | 2 August 2618 until 15 March 2638 | Adopted son of Felipe, son of Julian II. Elected emperor immediately upon the assassination of Carlos VI. | Born as the bastard son of Felipe's wife before their marriage. 28 November 2579. Adopted by Felipe in 2582.
Ruled for a decade during which Juan X promoted expansion in the Doggerlands. Oversaw the founding of Balancía and Bonitaña. Died in 2638 of natural causes. | |
| Carlos VII | 15 March 2638 until 2 January 2650 | Son of Juan X. Elected emperor[8] prior to his father's death, and so automatically ascended to the throne. | Son of Juan X. Born 9 May 2601.
Rule oversaw the War of the Balancín Secession and a downsizing of imperial settling outside of Spain. Died in 2650 of lung cancer[5]. | |
| Carlos VIII | 19 January 2650 until 19 March 2650[9] | Son of Juan X. Elected emperor in the contested election of March 2650. Assassinated two months later by Juanites[7]. | Son of Juan X. Born 6 September 2602.
Ruled for less than 2 months during the Year of the Four Emperors. Assassinated for continuing his brother's policies, rather than returning to Juanite expansionism. | |
| Carlos IX | 19 March 2650 until 1 September 2650 | Son of Carlos VIII. Elected emperor after arranging his father's assassination. | Son of Carlos VIII. Born 18 December 2625.
Ruled for a few months during the Year of the Four Emperors. Planned a reconquest of the Doggerlands, before his own untimely death in the same year. | |
| Carlos X | 10 September 2650 until 20 April 2658 | Grandson of Juan X. Elected emperor unanimously after his cousin, Carlos IX's death | Grandson of Juan X. Born 3 May 2623.
Ruled for eight years after the instability of the Year of the Four Emperors. Scrapped plans to reconquer the Doggerlands. Died in a landslide during a Madrid excavation effort in 2658. | |
| Adrian II[10] | 20 April 2658[11] until 10 October 2681 | Son of Carlos X. Elected emperor[12] prior to his father's death, and so automatically ascended to the throne. | Son of Carlos X. Born 19 November 2641.
Ruled for 23 years of peace and attempted to rebuild relations with the Doggerlands. Died of natural causes in 2681. | |
| Jorge II | 13 October 2681 until 1 February 2703 | Son of Carlos X. Elected emperor unanimously after his older brother's death. | Son of Carlos X. Born 7 March 2643
Ruled for 22 years of peace. First interactions with the Austro-Suisse Confederations, with the 2695 skirmish[13]. Died of lung cancer in 2703[5]. | |
| Julian IV | 1 February 2703 until 19 November 2738 | Son of Jorge II. Elected emperor[14] prior to his father's death, and so automatically ascended to the throne. | Son of Jorge II. Born 22 September 2666.
Ruled for 35 years of Madrilene prosperity, including through the first war with the Austro-Suisse Confederation, which expanded the Empire to Venice. Died of natural causes in 2738. | |
| Adrian III | 19 December 2738 until 9 September 2801 | Youngest son of Julian IV. Elected emperor[15] prior to his father's death, and so automatically ascended to the throne. His older brother, Julian, had been elected as successor, but he died in 2733. | Youngest son of Julian IV. Born 8 May 2700.
Ruled for an impressive 63 years, making him the longest serving post-meteor Emperor. He oversaw two wars with the Austro-Suisse Confederation, and conquered Greece. His death in 2801 was considered the end of a period of Madrilene supremacy over Europe. | |
| Jorge III | 9 September 2801 until 16 February 2802 | Son of Adrian II. Elected emperor[16] prior to his father's death, and so automatically ascended to the throne. | Son of Adrian II. Born 5 June 2736.
Among the oldest emperors to assume the throne (aged 65), thanks to the long life of his father. Died shortly after ascending to the throne of lung cancer[5]. His sudden death sparked a major succession crisis within the Madrilene Empire. |
Imperial election of 2802
The death of Jorge III was a surprise to many. He had been elected emperor in 2765, but when his father lived farther into old age than any other emperor before (reaching the age of 101), the start of Jorge's reign was delayed until he was 65. As soon as he did, many found him to have a lack of energy or passion, with few ideas about what his reign would look like. His sudden death in February 2802 brought the imperial court in Madrid to a standstill.
The imperial male-line had come to an end. Jorge III's daughter, Anastasia, quickly announced her intention to seek the position of empress. She announced to court that her father had intended to make a proclamation to that effect, which would have made the election difficult to contest, but that he died before being able to do so. Few supported this, confounded by the fact that the Grand Duchess was female. Many supported the King of Andorra, Phillippe, whose great-grandson was Jorge II. Phillippe was old, with many worried about another sudden death in the imperium. As a result, few were energised by the prospect of either Anastasia of Phillippe taking the throne.
Reprieve came when King Antony Edmund of Balancía, who was Elector of Sardinia, arrived in Madrid with an unconventional proposal: electing his son, the Duke of Talaga (the future Charles IV), as emperor. Antony Edmund argued that reintegration of the Doggerlands into the Empire would be a significant improvement in future conflicts with the Austro-Suisse Confederation. The Duke of Talaga was also younger than both Phillippe and Anastasia. The plan gained momentum in Madrid. However, when he married the child Elisa of Pius, many were outraged. Eventually, Phillippe won the election when the Duke of Talaga was eliminated from consideration. Phillippe established the House of Andorra, which ruled until the Anglo-Madrilene war in 2981.
House of Andorra
| Portrait | Emperor | Reign | Succession | Life details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phillipee | 30 July 2802 until 1 November 2816 | Head of the House of Andorra. Elected emperor as the first non-Aragon election in Madrilene history. | Born 18 November 2739.
Reigned as the first Andorran emperor for 14 years. Phillippe successfully managed to avoid conflict with the Austro-Suisse Confederation, dying in 2816 of natural causes. | |
| Ovalo | 1 November 2816 until 24 May 2838 | Son of Phillippe. Elected emperor[17] prior to his father's death, and so automatically ascended to the throne. | Son of Ovalo. Born 31 October 2765.
Reigned as emperor during the Milan War[18]. Died in 2838 of natural causes. | |
| Regelio | 24 May 2838 until 29 December 2899 | Grandson of Ovalo. Elected emperor[19] prior to his grandfather's death, and so automatically ascended to the throne. | Grandson of Ovalo. Born 13 February 2813.
Second longest reigning emperor in Madrilene history, reigning for 61 years. Popular during his reign, but saw a decline in Madrilene power. Refused to oppress Bulgarians during 2855 revolution. | |
| Manuel III[20] | 29 December 2899 until 3 January 2905 | Grandson of Regelio. Elected emperor[21] prior to his grandfather's death. His father had been elected as successor, but died in 2889. | Grandson of Regelio. Born 18 October 2871.
Reigned for only 6 years and was assassinated in 2905[22]. | |
| Leo VII[23] | 28 February 2905 until 19 July 2916 | Grandson of Regelio. Elected emperor[24] in the aftermath of Manuel III's assassination. | Grandson of Regelio. Born 2 November 2873.
Became famous for refusing to conduct retribution against the Balearic Islands. Engaged in the War of the Bulgarian Succession. Reigned for 11 years, dying in 2916 of lung cancer[5]. | |
| Manuel IV | 23 September 2916 until 31 January 2924 | Great-grandson of Regelio. Elected emperor[25] in a contested election over the son of Leo VII. | Great-grandson of Regelio. Born 17 March 2894.
Reigned for under 5 years, ending Madrilene involvement in the War of the Bulgarian Succession. Oversaw a major economic crash. Considered widely inexperienced. Died in 2924. | |
| Jorge IV | 24 February 2924 until 17 October 2938 | Great-grandson of Regelio. Elected emperor after the sudden death of Manuel IV in 2924. | Great-grandson of Regelio. Born 5 April 2894.
Reigned for 14 years during a significant economic downturn. Frustrations began to brew between regional kingdoms and duchies over devolution of power. Abdicated in 2938[26]. | |
| Adrian III | 17 October 2938 until 1 March 2940 | Son of Jorge IV. Elected emperor in the days after the abdication of his father in 2924[26]. | Son of Jorge IV. Born 7 June 2915.
Reigned for only a year and a half and was deposed by the Senate in 2924 for poor leadership as the economic state of the empire continued to crumble. | |
| Michael X[27] | 1 March 2940 until 26 March 2981 | Great-grandson of Regelio. Elected emperor when his nephew was deposed by the Senate. | Great-grandson of Regelio. Born 4 April 2899.
Helped protect the empire from the mid-century economic decline with free trade policies. Famously devolved significant authority to the kingdoms and duchies. Saw the start of the Anglo-Madrilene war. Assassinated by the British Monarchical Clique in 2981. | |
| Alonso | 26 March 2981 until 19 September 2981 | Son of Michael X. Elected emperor[28] prior to his father's death, and so automatically ascended to the throne. | Son of Michael X. Born 1 November 2930.
Ruled for less than a year. Reacted to the assassination of his father by launching a nuclear weapon and destroying the British Monarchical Clique. Deposed in 2981 for the war crime, with a new constitution implemented by the Senate. |
Triarchy Era
During the Triarchy, the new constitution outlined a rotating emperorship, in which the next emperor was elected from a pool of candidates that rotates between the three major kingdoms of the empire: Spain, Sicily, and Piedmont. The first emperor elected in this way was Emperor Neo of the House of Sicily. Upon the death of the current emperor, the next emperor would be from the next kingdom. The emperor was considered first among equals of the other members of the Triumverate, with final authority being with the Triumverate over the emperor themselves. This is the current method of election used in the Madrilene Empire.
| Portrait | Emperor | Reign | House | Life details | Other titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neo | 3 January 2982 until 4 September 2997 | Sicily | Born 28 March 2919.
Spearheaded the deposing of Alonso Andorra. Wrote the new Triarchy constitution[29], putting himself as one of the three permanent members of the Triumverate. Oversaw the Federation/CE war, siding with Chisel Enterprises. Reigned as ceremonial emperor until his death in 2997. |
| |
| Umberto III[30] | 4 September 2997 until 15 June 3003 | Piedmont | Born 6 February 2957.
The second emperor of the Triarchy era. Served on the Triumverate between 2981 until his death in 3003. |
| |
| Jorge VI | 15 June 3003 until 1 June 3014 | Spain | Born 18 October 2959.
The third emperor of the Triarchy era. Served on the Triumverate between 3002 until his death in 3014. |
| |
| Tancredi | 1 June 3014 until 17 April 3025 | Sicily | Son of Neo. Born 9 July 2948.
The fourth emperor of the Triarchy era. Served on the Triumverate between 2997 and his death in 3025. |
| |
| Gregoru | 17 April 3025 until present | Piedmont | Son of Umberto III. Born 21 December 2978.
The fifth emperor of the Triarchy era. Served on the Triumverate between 3003 and the present. |
|
History
Geography
- ↑ Successor of Julian the Apostate.
- ↑ Date considered "official" by Madrilene Archive, disputed by some historians
- ↑ Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 Deposed by Senate on 4 November. Successor simultaneously elected, reign retroactively applied on 3 November
- ↑ Successor of John VIII.
- ↑ Jump up to: 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Historical consensus based on contemporary reports of symptoms. Believed to have been caused by pollutants still in the atmosphere post-meteor.
- ↑ Successor of Charles V.
- ↑ Jump up to: 7.0 7.1 Juanites were a group of politicians who favoured greater expansion and surface resettling, retroactively named after their preferred imperial candidate, Juan X.
- ↑ Imperial election of 2635
- ↑ The year of the four emperors.
- ↑ Successor of Hadrian.
- ↑ Aged 16 upon ascension, and so a regency ruled until his 18th birthday on 19 November 2659
- ↑ Imperial election of 2657
- ↑ A border dispute in northern Italy between the Madrilene Empire and the Austro-Suisse Confederation that helped define the border along the Alps.
- ↑ Imperial election of 2723
- ↑ Imperial election of 2733
- ↑ Imperial election of 2765
- ↑ Imperial election of 2813.
- ↑ Major European conflict between the Madrilene Empire, the Austro-Suisse Confederation, and the Ukranian Tsardom over control of Milan.
- ↑ Imperial election of 2734.
- ↑ Successor of Manuel II.
- ↑ Imperial election of 2889
- ↑ Manuel III was assassinated in 2905 by Balearic separatist terrorist.
- ↑ Successor of Leo VI the Wise.
- ↑ The Imperial election of 2905 was among the most heated in Madrilene history as many considered retribution against the Balearic people.
- ↑ Imperial election of 2916.
- ↑ Jump up to: 26.0 26.1 The abdication of Jorge IV was a significant landmark in Madrilene history as a sign in the breakdown of the relationship between the kings and emperor. Jorge IV had been caught in an affair with the Queen of Sicily, which sparked calls for his abdication.
- ↑ Successor of Michael IX.
- ↑ Imperial election of 2969.
- ↑ The Triarchy constitution was a change in government in the Madrilene Empire which saw the powerful imperium broken up and replaced with a co-equal triumverate. The triumverate was to be made up of three permanent members: the king of Sicily, the Grand Duke of Piedmont, and the king of Spain. The constitution outlawed anybody from the Andorran dynasty becoming emperor, or even serving on the triumverate.
- ↑ Successor of Umberto II.