A political history of Balancía - Revision history

Oracle9 at 19:12, 23 August 2024

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	The hospitalisation of the Queen did not help the King's image. The loss of Sardinia was costly to the Balancín Crown, which had lost a significant form of revenue. TBC		The hospitalisation of the Queen did not help the King's image. The loss of Sardinia was costly to the Balancín Crown, which had lost a significant form of revenue. TBC
			[[Category:Politics]]

Tarkin at 17:54, 8 March 2024

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Tarkin: /* Marriage */

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Marriage

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	Maximilian hesitantly agreed, marrying Elisa Pius in 2813 when she reached the age of 15. Maximilian, in contrast, was 58. She entered her second marriage, once again becoming Queen Consort.		Maximilian hesitantly agreed, marrying Elisa Pius in 2813 when she reached the age of 15. Maximilian, in contrast, was 58. She entered her second marriage, once again becoming Queen Consort.

			=== The calm before the storm ===
			The period of King Maximilian's reign which followed his marriage and the birth of his three daughters, Anne, Catherine, and Matilda, is known by historians as "the calm before the storm", a reference to the relative stability and prosperity that characterised the period. No significant major crises of note occurred and the economy seemed to prosper. The industrialisation was continuing sharply and the government began to regulate for workers rights. Lord Beesbery was a proponent of fixed wages and a ban on shifts lasting more than 10 hours.

			While many socialist historians discredit Beesbery's reforms as not going far enough, they were effective in supporting a large labour base that was continually expanding via positive migration from Europe and the Doggerlands. Balancín power was dwindling from its height at the turn of the 29th century. However, the calm before the storm began to make some wonder if Balancía was soon to return to its height.

			Despite being characterised by a happy royal family in the Iberian Palace, a strong monarch on the throne, a growing economy, and increasing Balancín influence, the calm before the storm, inevitably, came to an end.

			=== Annus Horribilis ===
			The Annus Horribilis is the name given to the year 2821. The year was a disaster for the royal family and, broadly, a disaster for Balancín influence around Europe. The year consisted of crisis after crisis, beginning with the Sardinian Pirate Party.

			==== Sardinian Pirate Party ====
			In January 2821, a group of ten privateers and their crews arrived at the Sassari docks in Sardinia. Immediately taking over the port, the privateers wrote a list of demands to King Maximilian and the Madrilene Emperor, Olavo Andorra. In their demands, they listed a large ransom of 5 million triads, as well as resources enough to refit their ships.

			Upon receiving the news, Emperor Olavo demanded an explanation from Maximilian. After the Pirate Party, it was revealed that the privateers were sponsored by the Balancín-Sardinian government for operational work across the Mediterranean Sea. While Maximilian himself hadn't commissioned them, he was immediately tagged as responsible as the King and Elector of Sardinia.

			When King Maximilian paid the privateers, they maintained their promises and departed Sardinia. The whole incident enraged Olavo, who saw the hiring of privateers a direct attempt to undermine the Imperium in Madrid following the failed Balancín plot to install a Martell on the Imperial Throne. Emperor Olavo proclaimed a mass reorganisation of the Empire, in which he granted the island of Sardinia to the Electorate of Lazio. Thus, King Maximilian was stripped of his title of Elector of Sardinia and thus his formal political influence in the Madrilene Empire.

			The incident permanently damaged Balancín ability to influence Imperial policy and downgraded Balancía from the strongest regional power to one failing to compete.

			==== Queen's hospitalisation ====
			The previous year, Queen Elisa had given birth to a fourth child, Prince John. The birth was arduous and left Queen Elisa unable to walk for many months. During the spring of 2821, many of the physical scars that her physicians thought had healed, tore again. She was quickly rushed to a medical clinic in the Crownlands, where she spent two months.

			The hospitalisation of the Queen did not help the King's image. The loss of Sardinia was costly to the Balancín Crown, which had lost a significant form of revenue. TBC

Tarkin: /* Reign of Queen Elisa I (2695 - 2703) */

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Reign of Queen Elisa I (2695 - 2703)

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Tarkin: /* Reign of King Oberon (2793 - 2801) */

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Reign of King Oberon (2793 - 2801)

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	== Reign of King Oberon (2793 - 2801) ==		== Reign of King Oberon (2793 - 2801) ==

			=== The Pontifical Convoy ===
			During the Christmas of 2793, King Philip II's health was in decline. His son and heir, Prince Oberon, was in Ecclesia for the Christmas mass. The King died on 21 December and Oberon was proclaimed King by the Accession Council. There was fears that Oberon's brother, Prince Anthony, might make a play to be crowned King in Oberon's absence. However, with Oberon's support from the Church, such a move would have been religiously divisive. Prince Anthony wasn't a strong Christian but was well aware of the growing influence that the Church had over the country.

			King Oberon wrote a letter to Parliament following his accession, informing them that he intended to remain in Ecclesia through the Christmas day mass, before returning to Balancía alongside Pontifex Konstantin III for his coronation in January. The announcement shocked many Rooks and Whigs alike, and marked a signal that Oberon, as an Archbishop of the Pontifical Church, would be more interested in Church affairs than government affairs.

			On 28 December 2793, King Oberon departed Ecclesia alongside Pontifex Konstantin III in a Pontifical Convoy. The journey involved a ship journey across the Doggerland's Northern Sea, and then carriage riding south to Balancía. The Pontifical Convoy stopped in a number of places, including Almere and Zaandam, before arriving at the Iberian Palace on 2 January 2794. The following day, on 3 January, Pontifex Konstantin III performed the coronation service. He was crowned '''By the Grace of God, Oberon Martell, King of the Rock and the Newton, Elector of Sardinia, Shepard of the Faithful and Defender of the Faith'''. The addition of the title "Shepard of the Faithful" served as a further sign of the religious bent of the new King's administration.

			=== The Rook confrontation ===
			Upon returning to Balancía, King Oberon held court at the Iberian Palace. He invited the King's and General Courts, as well as his ministers and military advisors. It was the largest gathering of courtiers since the formation of Parliament in 2739. There, in front of everybody, King Oberon dismissed Sir Roman Luis, the leader of the Rooks, as Lord Keeper of the King's Seal. The announcement shocked everybody, with the Rook majority in Parliament seeing it as a major affront to parliament's rights.

			King Oberon was in his sixties but was generally in good health. Many Rooks were concerned that a long reign could unsettle the political consensus that had existed for the past century. Sir Roman departed court infuriated and resigned his seat in Parliament. In a speech, King Oberon said how grateful he was that Sir Roman voluntarily relinquished power, "as opposed to the general corruption of morality that has persisted". The new King was bad at making friends.

			In the place of Sir Roman Luis, King Oberon named his deputy as Archbishop of St. Alfonso's, Bishop Bernardo Swuil. Swuil was not a Balancín subject and so his appointment caused further anguish among the Rook parliamentarians. Most historians agree that, had it not been for the rise of Pontificalism among the commoners, a rebellion against King Oberon would have been likely. Instead, most lords stayed quiet in the hope of a shorter reign.

			=== Oberon's will and death ===
			Signed by himself and Lord Seal Swuil as witness, King Oberon's will was devised with the hope of continuing his religion-oriented government. King Oberon was concerned that his younger brother, Prince Anthony, and his nephews, were not devout enough Christians. He feared the risk of a return to secularism and wished to prevent it at all costs. In his will, King Oberon made four major declarations, all of which upset the balance in Balancín politics.

			# Upon his death, the throne would pass to his younger brother, Prince Augustus. Augustus was King Philip II's youngest son but was the only one who professed any interest in the Pontifical Church. Prince Augustus joined King Oberon on his travels to Ecclesia.
			# The Crown Estates would be gifted to the Ecclesian Church, with the exception of the Iberian Palace which would be kept under the Crown. The aim of this declaration was likely to force future monarchs to be subservient to the Pontifical Church.
			# The Accession Council be eliminated all together, with the role of proclaiming a new monarch given exclusively to the Pontifex.
			# Parliament be reduced in size to 100 members in its entirety.

			Most historical and legal scholars agree that King Oberon's will was very extreme and was never something that was going to be accepted in the event of his death. Prior to his death, as his health seemed to decline and he was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 72, King Oberon attempted to make mechanisms to ensure his will would be enforced. He met often with parliamentarians to discuss these plans, hoping that they would support his diktats.

			By the time of his death, the contents of his will were well known. However, there was not significant pushback publicly. In fact, many seemed apathetic to the ideas included in it. This gave the dying King confidence that his wishes would be carried out. The truth was, however, that most courtiers simply conspired to wait until after his death to declare the will illegitimate.

			King Oberon died on 19 February 2801. He was unable to travel to Ecclesia for Christmas mass, as he had done every year, and died a painful death. He was alone, having alienated much of his family. He was buried at St. Alfonso's Basilica but was not granted a state funeral by his brother and eventual successor. After his death, he was canonised by the Pontifical Church and is now known by historians as St. Oberon.

			== Reign of King Anthony Edmund I (2801 - 2804) ==

Tarkin: /* Reign of Charles III (2738 - 2748) */

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Reign of Charles III (2738 - 2748)

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	Eventually, though, the King died in good spirits at the Iberian Palace on 8 August 2738. He was succeeded by his eldest son, also called Charles, who became King Charles III. He was coronated by Pontifex St. Konstantin, making him the first ever Balancín monarch to be coronated in a Christian service.		Eventually, though, the King died in good spirits at the Iberian Palace on 8 August 2738. He was succeeded by his eldest son, also called Charles, who became King Charles III. He was coronated by Pontifex St. Konstantin, making him the first ever Balancín monarch to be coronated in a Christian service.

	== Reign of Charles III (2738 - 2748) ==		== Reign of King Charles III (2738 - 2748) ==

	=== Accession ===		=== Accession ===

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Philip's children

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	His eldest and heir, the Duke of Talaga, was Prince Oberon. Oberon was sent to Pembroke University, a decision that was sponsored by King Philip who thoroughly enjoyed his time at the University. Oberon elected to study at the Divinity School, eventually becoming a devout Christian. In 2764, when pressed about his marriage, Prince Oberon declared his intention to study at Ecclesia to become a Pontifical priest, thus making him celibate.		His eldest and heir, the Duke of Talaga, was Prince Oberon. Oberon was sent to Pembroke University, a decision that was sponsored by King Philip who thoroughly enjoyed his time at the University. Oberon elected to study at the Divinity School, eventually becoming a devout Christian. In 2764, when pressed about his marriage, Prince Oberon declared his intention to study at Ecclesia to become a Pontifical priest, thus making him celibate.

	King Philip		King Philip tried to forbid his son from making the decision. Worried about the implications on the future of the Crown, the Whig minority began to consider calling for Prince Oberon to abdicate his claim to the throne and instead pass the throne to Prince William, the King's second son. The calls for this never went any further than simple discussion, before King Philip proclaimed his unwillingness to allow such a situation. Prince Oberon left the Iberian Palace to begin his studies as a clergyman. When he returned, he was named Archbishop of St. Alfonso's Basilica, having taken the vow of chastity. Oberon's vow created a period of instability for the Crown. While King Philip continued to insist that Oberon should succeed him as King, especially given the support that the Pontifical Church had for Oberon, many were beginning to look past Oberon for who would come next.

			King Philip's second son was next in line. Prince William was the Duke of Murcia but he was struggling to marry. His father had arranged a number of royal balls in the hope of arranging a suitable match for William, but none of them came to fruition. After Oberon's vow of chastity, however, he became a significantly more desirable choice for a match. Yet, William continued to struggle in finding a suitable wife. When he died in 2770 at the age of 40, he was unmarried.

			Next was Philip's third son, Anthony. Prince Anthony was never destined for the crown and was given a military career early in his life. He was the Lord Commander of the Royal Navy from 2751 for over 40 years, until his father's death. Anthony did have lots of children. However, his marriage was a morganatic one. He had married Ms. Catherine Peters, a commoner who lived near Rock's End where Prince Anthony was located. Many within the Rook Parliament were deeply concerned with the idea of a commoner Queen, and didn't believe that Prince Anthony's children were legitimate as a result.

			After Prince William's death and Prince Oberon's vow of chastity, King Philip proclaimed, without the consent of Parliament, that Anthony's marriage was legitimate and that all of his children were in line to the throne. The proclamation helped shore up the line of succession, securing the Martellian dynasty for another generation.

			=== Later reign and death ===
			King Philip took after his grandfather and great-great grandfather in living well into old age. When he turned 80 in 2789, he was in good health and good spirits. With the succession clearer, his age was less of a concern for the remainder of his reign. He took on a paternal grandfatherly role in the royal family, which seemed more united than ever, even in spite of Prince Oberon's vow of chastity.

			The Rooks continued to dominate politics for the remainder of Philip's life. Lord Cantabria was replaced by Lord Pedro de Vigo, the Earl of Basque (the brother of FitzBasque), and then later by Sir Roman Luis. The succession of Rook Lord Seals oversaw the continued rise of Balancía in the Doggerlands, all the way to the point of the Kingdom becoming the strongest power in the region.

			The King's health took a turn for the worse during the Christmas of 2793. Prince Oberon was visiting Ecclesia at the time and, throughout his trip, he was in constant conversation with the Iberian Palace with regards to his father's health. On 21 December, Philip II died of natural causes. His legacy as the Sun-King, as well as the longest reigning monarch in Balancín history, is one that made King Philip among the most famous monarchs in history. While he never quite hit the points of popularity of his early reign, he died relatively popular and happily content with a secured succession.

			== Reign of King Oberon (2793 - 2801) ==

Tarkin: /* Reign of King Philip II (2748 - 2793) */

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Reign of King Philip II (2748 - 2793)

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	The coronation was a muted affair. There were concerns that the new Pontifex, St. Vasiliev I, would be unable or unwilling to attend the coronation. It had only been a short while since the Papal Conclave that elected him as St. Konstantin's successor, and with the short notice many didn't think he would make the trip. To the relief of King Philip, who was worried about signs of illegitimacy in the light of recent rebellions, Vasiliev arrived in Balancía and performed the coronation ceremony on 18 January 2749.		The coronation was a muted affair. There were concerns that the new Pontifex, St. Vasiliev I, would be unable or unwilling to attend the coronation. It had only been a short while since the Papal Conclave that elected him as St. Konstantin's successor, and with the short notice many didn't think he would make the trip. To the relief of King Philip, who was worried about signs of illegitimacy in the light of recent rebellions, Vasiliev arrived in Balancía and performed the coronation ceremony on 18 January 2749.

			==== Changes to the royal family ====
			The Queen's Rebellion and the Prince's Rebellion changed the way that the country saw the royal family. Prior to these events, the royal family held significant respect and admiration. Even among the peasantry, the royals has clout and public support. Ever since the establishment of Christianity in Balancía, the divine right of kings became common faith among the citizenry. However, with the rebellions, the perception that the royals were simply power hungry politicians began to spread, especially among the commoners who suffered at their hands.

			Upon ascending to the throne, King Philip inherited a large royal family. Three generations of royals were members in House Martell, some of whom were increasingly distant cousins of the main line royals. King Philip was extremely cautious of this. His lived experience indicated to him that ambitious royals were the single biggest threat to the stability of the realm, as well as his own reign. Thus, his plan to reduce the size of the royal family was implemented.

			The first change that the King made was to ask Parliament to pass legislation concerning royal titles. The Royal Titles Act of 2749 introduced the following rules:

			* The title of Prince or Princess was only entitled to the mainline children and grandchildren of the reigning monarch;
			* Royal Dukedoms (titles associated with no land holdings granted to royals) were to be granted and revoked by the King and not, as was convention, by Parliament;
			* All changes applied retrospectively.

			The effect of this change was to revoke the title of Prince or Princess to 10 cousins of the crown. The slimming down of the royal family was a significant step and helped restore the aura of intrigue that the commoners had about the institution. King Philip's management of his families set the precedent for how future monarchs would regulate the workings of the royal family. After this point, the royal family as an institution was well and truly born.

			King Philip and his wife, Queen Annette, went onto have eleven children, and thus the rules were seen as important in keeping the size of the royal family down for future generations.

			==== The Sun-King ====
			King Philip's early reign brought him incredibly popularity. He had made the significant decision to reappoint the Lord Seal during his father's later reign, Sir Eduardo de la Serna. De la Serna, as a Whig, spent a significant portion of his time boosting the Whig cause. As a result, in the general election of 2749 (triggered by the death of the Crown), the Whigs won control of Parliament for the first time in history. De la Serna was confidently reappointed, as well as gaining the title of Lord President of the King's Court (a title elected by Parliament).

			De la Serna's popularity, as well as Philip's, helped create the impression that Balancía was on the rise. The economy was prosperous and war seemed an increasingly distant memory. King Philip stayed out of much of the day-to-day politics of his early reign, primarily due to his implicit support for the controlling Whig faction. He would often open the doors of the Iberian Palace, inviting commoners and noblemen alike for great banquets in the Great Hall. For the first time, many commoners felt a connection to the monarchy. That, coupled with Philip's reforms for a more slimmed down and efficient royal family, helped skyrocket his popularity. He quickly gained the nickname "the Sun-King", a reference to his golden orange coronation gowns. Replicas of Philip's coronation portrait spread across the country quickly, creating the tradition that portraits of the monarch would hang on public facing walls.

			==== The Newton Farmers ====
			Many of the farming communities of the region around the Newton river had felt neglected by Balancía for many years. While certainly under the domain of the Balancín monarch, the region was not formally incorporated into the Kingdom. Despite this political separation, they were still subjected to the Corn Laws. This resulted in some minor riots against the Rook governments that installed the laws.

			However, when the Whigs won control of Parliament in 2749 and they repealed the Corn Laws entirely, there was significant jubilation among the Newton farmers. The support for King Philip and the Whig government was so strong that local leaders began calling for formal incorporation into Balancía. With the consent of Parliament, and Sir Eduardo's support, King Philip formally incorporated the Newton into the Balancín realm. He added it to his formal title, making him '''By the Grace of God, Philip Martell, the second of his name, King of the Rock and of the Newton, Elector of Sardinia and Defender of the Faith'''.

			=== Political divisions ===
			The early reign of King Philip II came to an end when, on 26 August 2756, Sir Eduardo de la Serna died. De la Serna was granted a state funeral by King Philip, a sign of respect and the significant popularity for which he had garnered among both Whigs and Rooks. By the time of de la Serna's death, it had been 7 years since the last general election and the Whig-controlled Parliament was beginning to lose political capital. When they passed a new law surrounding different types of carriageways through rural lands, the Rook nobles began to make their protests known to King Philip.

			Confident of the popularity of the Whigs, Philip dissolved Parliament and called for a general election. In the meantime, he appointed Sir Enrique FitzBasque, the bastard son of the Earl of Basque, to the position of Lord Seal. Despite being illegitimate, FitzBasque held significant support among the Whig reformers, who were in favour of loosening laws against bastards. The general election of 2756 delivered a shock result, however. While King Philip seemed convinced of the ability of the Whigs to win another strong mandate, the landowning electorate delivered a different verdict.

			There resulted in a Hung Parliament, in which neither the Rooks or the Whigs could command a majority. The Rooks would have secured a majority in the lands of Balancía before the inclusion of the Newton, which voted overwhelmingly for the Whigs. The election created the political landscape that would allow for Rook dominance for the rest of the century, all the way until the Pius Revolution of 2821. When Parliament returned, they elected the Duke of Cantabria to the position of Lord President of the King's Council. As a Rook, Cantabria wished to see changes to the liberalising policies of the previous Whig administration.

			Upon his election, Cantabria held an audience with King Philip, in which he demanded that the King dismiss Sir Enrique FitzBaque as Lord Seal. Cantabria wished to see a Rook appointed to the position, with most believing that he offered himself as a candidate. Despite the Rook's status as having eliminated the Whig majority, King Philip refused. While this was well within his rights as King, the move was seen as Philip's first major intervention into politics. Prior to this, most of Philip's major actions were done with the permission (both implicit and explicit) of Parliament. Now, a division grew between Parliament and the Iberian Palace.

			FitzBasque's administration as Lord Seal was stunted. The Rooks in Parliament simply refused to consider legislation that he had proposed, with the parliamentary procedure of filibustering becoming prominent during this time. Without a majority, the Whigs simply couldn't pass legislation, nor govern effectively. When FitzBasque introduced the Legitimacy Bill, in an attempt to reduce the stigma of bastards by allowing them to adopt their father's house name with the father's permission, it became abundantly clear that FitzBasque held no political capital whatsoever. Even the one successful policy that he introduced, known as the Urban Tax (a tax on the growing urbanisation of Belemadena and coastal Balancía, likely introduced to further appease the Newton farmers), failed to be enforced when Parliament refused to spend any of the money raised by the tax.

			King Philip found Parliament's insubordination to be angering. He banished the King's Court from the Iberian Palace, which is when they took their place at Belemadena Palace (where they sit to this day). However, this only served to further divide the monarch from Parliament. When Sir Enrique FitzBasque resigned as Lord Seal because of the gridlock in early 2762, King Philip's anger with the Rooks in Parliament was seen as a strong reason as to why he refused to appoint a Rook.

			In response to FitzBasque's resignation, Philip dissolved Parliament. It was his hope that a general election would provide greater support for the Whigs, given the obstructionism of the Rooks. The result, however, was quite the opposite. The general election of 2762 saw the Rooks elected to the majority, mainly due to the failure of the Whigs to properly enforce a Urban Tax. With a Rook majority, it seemed impossible for the King to maintain his opposition to the Whigs. Eventually, he relented. He appointed Lord Guillermo Montoro, the Duke of Cantabria, to the position of Lord Keeper of the King's Seal. Cantabria's appointment brough an end to the ability of Whigs to win elections among the landowning voter base in the country. The interim Whig Lord Seal, Prince Robert, was the last Whig Lord Seal ever. Rooks would control Balancín politics until the Pius revolution.

			=== Philip's children ===
			Throughout his reign, the biggest personal struggle was the management of his children. The rebellious nature of Philip's children led to a race by the elder sons to produce an heir. King Philip and Queen Annette had eleven children, eight of whom were sons.

			His eldest and heir, the Duke of Talaga, was Prince Oberon. Oberon was sent to Pembroke University, a decision that was sponsored by King Philip who thoroughly enjoyed his time at the University. Oberon elected to study at the Divinity School, eventually becoming a devout Christian. In 2764, when pressed about his marriage, Prince Oberon declared his intention to study at Ecclesia to become a Pontifical priest, thus making him celibate.

			King Philip

Tarkin: /* Reign of King Philip II (2748 - 2793) */

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Reign of King Philip II (2748 - 2793)

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	== Reign of King Philip II (2748 - 2793) ==		== Reign of King Philip II (2748 - 2793) ==

			=== Early reign ===

			==== Accession and coronation ====
			King Philip II ascended to the throne at a time of mourning for the royal family. His father, King Charles III, had died unexpectedly and many historians have argued that Philip was aware of the likelihood that he had killed himself. His proclamation came quickly as the Accession Council had been relegated to a formality, with Pontifex Vasiliev I affirming the succession. He was proclaimed '''By the Grace of God, Philip Martell, the second of his name, King of the Rock and Elector of Sardinia, Defender of the Faith'''. His coronation was held quickly. The decision to hold the coronation so soon after King Charles III's death was made in light of the rebellions that had characterised the last decade of Balancín history.

			The coronation was a muted affair. There were concerns that the new Pontifex, St. Vasiliev I, would be unable or unwilling to attend the coronation. It had only been a short while since the Papal Conclave that elected him as St. Konstantin's successor, and with the short notice many didn't think he would make the trip. To the relief of King Philip, who was worried about signs of illegitimacy in the light of recent rebellions, Vasiliev arrived in Balancía and performed the coronation ceremony on 18 January 2749.

Tarkin: /* Aftermath */

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Aftermath

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	Sir Geoffrey Albares, the Lord Seal, wrote in his diary that he believed the death of Lord Aerion's sons, the King's own brothers and sisters by marriage, was a step too far. House Aerion was stripped of their dominion of the Dreadfort, with the seat being granted to House Rovira. The whole rebellion was a significant drain on the Crown's reserves, and saw two major houses (House Frutos and House Aerion) destroyed forever.		Sir Geoffrey Albares, the Lord Seal, wrote in his diary that he believed the death of Lord Aerion's sons, the King's own brothers and sisters by marriage, was a step too far. House Aerion was stripped of their dominion of the Dreadfort, with the seat being granted to House Rovira. The whole rebellion was a significant drain on the Crown's reserves, and saw two major houses (House Frutos and House Aerion) destroyed forever.

			==== The Stale Pretender (2746) ====
			The rebellion of the Stale Pretender was the shortest and most minor of the three rebellions that were launched against the reign of King Charles III. On 1 January 2746, House Granger, led by Lord Jess Granger, sent letters to every other house in the realm. In it, they declared to be harbouring the true born son of King Alfonso I. Historians have since confirmed that the man they had been harbouring was not, in fact, the son of King Alfonso, but instead a peasant called Perkin Neswitt.

			Regardless of the genetic legitimacy of House Granger's claim, it sparked significant conversation. It had been some years since the Queen's Rebellion and many were discussing the stability of the King's mental health after his reactionary decision to execute all of House Aerion. House Granger was joined by House Bestwood in supporting Neswitt's claim. Although no other houses declared support for Neswitt, there was still significant traction and discussion as a result.

			Sir Geoffrey Albares had died in 2745 and was replaced with Sir Eduardo de la Serna. De la Serna was a military man. That, along with King Charles having learned his mistake from abstaining in the Queen's Rebellion, allowed for a speedy reaction to the claim. The royal army quickly descended on Houses Granger and Bestwood. There was no battle. House Bestwood surrendered immediately and was granted clemancy for their crimes. In contrast, House Granger was stripped of all lands and titles.

			The restraint to which House Granger and Bestwood were treated when compared to House Aerion is often noted by historians. A few explanations have been given: firstly, the crimes of House Granger and Bestwood were significantly smaller than that of House Aerion. As they did not raise any soldiers, they were not in open defiance of the ban on private armies. In addition, they were not responsible for the destruction of another house, as House Aerion was. Secondly, King Charles's overreaction was still noted by many of his courtiers, and thus his leniency may well have been a correction for his actions during the Queen's Rebellion.

			==== The Prince's Rebellion (2748) ====
			In the years after the destruction of her whole family, Queen Matilda became incredibly disillusioned with her husband. They rarely spoke, they rarely were seen in public or private together, and they rarely spoke well of each other. Eventually, in 2746, Queen Matilda left the Iberian Palace to reside at Murcia Castle. While King Charles agreed to her move, he refused to allow Prince Philip, the King's heir, to go with her. Instead, Prince Alfonso, the King's second son, moved to Murcia Castle with her. As a result, Prince Alfonso became an outlet for the Queen's anger with the King.

			In addition to the Queen's rhetoric, Prince Alfonso was close with his grandfather, Lord Aerion. After his death, there were reports that he became depressed. Even after the move to Murcia Castle, he was still a shell of the man he was before. In 2748, on the anniversary of his grandfather's death, King Charles refused Prince Alfonso's request for a proper burial and funeral. The decision sparked a rage in Alfonso, which led him to rebel.

			Prince Alfonso had a number of loyal swords at his disposal. With them, they were able to overcome the relatively lax defences of Murcia Castle. He raised a flag of rebellion, proclaiming his father and brother incapacitated. He was publicly supported by his mother, Queen Matilda, and issued a warrant to Parliament for the King's arrest and confinement to the royal apartments. He requested that Parliament, which was still controlled by Rooks, pass a new Regency Act to allow him to become regent. He planned to then displace his older brother, Philip, and become King thereon after.

			===== Strategy =====
			Prince Alfonso knew that Murcia Castle would be impossible defend in the likely event that the King mobilised the royal army to arrest him. Thus, the decision was easy. Prince Alfonso, Queen Matilda, and his sword swords abandoned Murcia Castle and rode for the coast. His plan was to petition support from the Redfyre, a castle north of the Bonitana plains, and march down the coast to Talaga Castle, gaining support along the way. From the more heavily defendable Talaga Castle, he planned to make a play for the Iberian Palace itself.

			The first part of the Prince's plan went off without a hitch: he was able to win the support of House Moore of the Redfyre and, with a combined force, they rode south to Talaga Castle. In between the Redfyre and Talaga Castle, however, was the castle of Rock's End. The third largest castle in the Kingdom, Rock's End was a major strategic base. Prince Alfonso attempted to petition Lord Nico Fallon, the Lord of Rock's End, however he received no luck. House Fallon declared support for King Charles and stopped Prince Alfonso was marching any further south.

			Rock's End was home to 7,000 royal soldiers under the command of Lord Fallon. When Lord Fallon refused to turn on King Charles, those 7,000 soldiers became an impossible barricade to cross for Prince Alfonso. He was killed in the minor skirmish that occurred, and Queen Matilda was arrested.

			===== Aftermath =====
			Queen Matilda was arrested and handed over to King Charles for sentencing. While Charles considered leniency, he was ultimately convinced that she had done too much damage to be allowed to continue to operate. Lord Seal De la Serna argued that, if she were allowed to go free, Queen Matilda would create a rival court and thus risk further rebellion and even civil war. Eventually, the King relented.

			Queen Matilda was executed on the steps of the Iberian Palace on 19 November 2748. The execution of his wife and the death of his younger son sent the King into a depression from which he would never recover. He spent the Christmas of 2748 in isolation and, on 28 December, was found dead in his apartment. The official record assigned his death to natural causes. However, most historians have retrospectively concluded that his death was most likely a suicide. His son, the Duke of Talaga, succeeded him as King.

			== Reign of King Philip II (2748 - 2793) ==