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Prince Antony, Duke of Sinacras (Antony John Caliban; 6 December 2941 - 27 July 3023) was a Balancín nobleman and member of the Royal Family. He was the youngest child of King Philip III and Queen Lydia and the last member of the House of Caliban. During the reign of Queen Mary, Antony was appointed Prince Regent by the Wiltshire National Assembly, and thus held the powers and duties of the Iberian Throne. Antony's time as Prince Regent saw the division of the Pontifical Church and the formation of the Rockfield Sect, as well as its unification. In addition, Antony signed the Instrument of Abdication on behalf of Queen Mary.
Following the abdication of Mary Maekar, many called for Antony, who was then the Duke of Markle, to inherit the throne. However, given Antony's status as an adopted son of Philip III, he was deemed ineligible for the crown and the Succession Act of 3022 was passed which prohibited Antony from inheriting the crown.
Following his ascension to the throne, Maximilian II created Prince Antony as Duke of Sinacras - a symbolic move which granted Antony the title that the King had held prior to his ascension. In addition, Maximilian named Mary "Princess of the Rock" before she moved to Lancastria to live with the Lancastrian royal family. He held the title Lord Privy Seal throughout the reign of Maximilian II prior to his death.
Prince Antony died in mid-3023 of a stroke, just days before the outbreak of the Doggerlands Crusade and Balancín Independence.
Early life
Antony was born in Newton in 2941 and was immediately orphaned by the death of his parents, the Earl of Basque and Lady Georgina. The Earl of Basque was a close friend and chief minister to the newly crowned King Philip III. Basque and Philip held such a close relationship, with Philip being Antony's godfather. Upon the death of the Earl of Basque and Lady Georgina, Philip insisted that Antony join his family in the Iberian Palace. The young Prince Charles was said to be "elated" to have another younger brother following a breakdown in his relationship with his own brother, Prince Alfonso.
Upon arriving at the Iberian Palace, Antony's place was immediately contested by his maternal grandmother, Maria Santos, who attempted to gain custody of him through appeal to the courts. The case dragged on several months, with King Philip and Queen Lydia growing concerned that they might lose custody of the young boy who they grew increasingly fond of. However, in January 2943, King Philip and Queen Lydia declared their intent to formally adopt Antony as their legal child, creating him Prince Antony of Iberia. The court, initially hesitant, was overturned by the Cortes Generales which amended family law to grant precedence to religious godparents over grandparents. The rule continues to exist to this day.
For the remainder of his childhood, Prince Antony was close with his brother, who went on to become the Duke of Talaga and, eventually, King Charles VI.
The first reign of Charles VI
The death of King Philip III was a devastating event for Prince Antony, who wrote at the time that he "had lost his father for the second time". He was, however, immensely present in the reign of his adoptive brother, Charles VI. Upon his ascension, King Charles granted Antony the title "Duke of Markle and Bury" and appointed him to the Privy Council as a senior advisor. An active presence in the court of King Charles, Antony was a liberalising force in the government of the Rock during his father's reign. Anthony openly supported Prince Alfonso's decision to divorce and remarry in 2978.
Prince Antony often stood in for the King on numerous occasions, given his only child, Princess Matilda's young age. In his will, which was published in 2977, King Charles named Antony as "Prince Regent" in the event of his death prior to Princess Matilda's 18th birthday.
During the abdication crisis of 2986, Prince Antony was a close advisor to King Charles and, eventually, urged the King to abdicate in favour of the republican United Federation of Planets.