Monarch of Kupria

Requirements

The main requirement of becoming a Monarch is to be the first in line of succession. The line of succession is decided by lineage.

Rules of Succession

1. The Crown shall be passed to the oldest child of the Monarch.
2. If the oldest child is dead or otherwise unable to claim the Crown, it shall go to the oldest child of the oldest child.
3. When the direct line of the oldest children ends, the claim goes to the next oldest sibling to the last person in the direct line with siblings.
4. When these lines are exhausted, the oldest sibling to the Monarch is next in line.
5. When all the descendants of the Monarch and the Monarch's siblings are exhausted, the line from the oldest sibling of the previous Monarch will dictate the next in line.
6. If the line is completely exhausted after this, the people should choose an eligible person from one of the other Great Houses of Kupria.

Special Rules

• A heir must be born half a year after marriage if the heir's parent in the line of succession is male, to prevent children not belonging in the line of succession to become heir to the Crown.
• If there is any uncertainty about the order of succession, e.g. when the next in line is one of two twins, the people will vote between the uncertain individuals. The result of this vote is permanent, and decides the rest of the line of succession.

Following these rules, the current line of succession looks like this:

• King Lavin of Kupria (Former Monarch, deceased)
• King Rennan of Kupria (Former Monarch, deceased)
• Queen Talanashta of Kupria (Former Monarch, deceased)
• King Ilmonar of Kupria (current Monarch)
• Prince Ellarian of Kupria (First in line)
• Princess Keishara of Kupria (Second in line)
• Princess Farona of Kupria (Third in line)
• Prince Tagas of Kupria (Fourth in line)
• Lady Renestrae Irevos (Fifth in line)
• Lady Rania Irevos (Sixth in line)

Special Rules

The rule considering how long after a marriage someone can be born to be eligible for the line of succession is old, and many people think it should be removed. The last person being excluded from the line of succession due to this rule is Nouka Irevos, oldest daughter of King Ilmonar.

When Queen Talanashta died of illness it was time to bring out the lw concerning twins in the line of succession. Talanashta had no children or siblings, and the next in line was one of the twins Tagas and Ilmonar, the younger brothers of the late Queen's father. A public vote was held, and Ilmonar was chosen as the next in line.

Appointment

Usually done a short time after the death or abdication of the former Monarch, the new Monarch will be appointed through the Coronation Ceremony. There is no hard rule on this, but it should be done as soon as possible since the kingdom needs a Monarch.

The Coronation is the last official job of the former Monarch's Master of Ceremonies. The new Monarch is expected to choose their own Royal Household after the Coronation, which means the Master of Ceremonies might be replaced. However, it's not unusual that a new Monarch will keep some members of the Royal Household from the former Monarch.

The Coronation Ceremony starts with the official crowning of the new Monarch, where the Master of Ceremonies will lead the Monarch through the Royal Oath, before placing the Crown of Kupria on the Monarch's head. At this point the Monarch is officially crowned as King or Queen of Kupria.

The Coronation Ceremony is followed by a grand feast to celebrate the new head of state.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Monarch is expected to run the Kingdom of Kupria in a way that makes sure the people are happy and the interests of Kupria are upheld. The Monarch is the head of both military and state, can make, change and remove laws, is the final decision maker in all matters of state, and does whatever needed to keep the nation safe from external and internal threats.

Although the Monarch is above the law it's still in their own interest to put the nation's needs first, since the people can decide to overthrow their monarch if they're unhappy enough. Most Monarchs of Kupria through the ages have used their power for the greater good of the nation, however, and there haven't been many coups through the ages.

Benefits

The Monarch of Kupria has complete power over the politics in the kingdom. The title comes with a great amount of respect and prestige from the people, even the nobles from the Great Houses of Kupria. The Monarch will often receive gifts from the people, both monetary and in form of material items like pieces of art or foreign specialties.

The Monarch inherits the estates from the former Monarch when they are crowned. The personal fortune will be split among all the children of the Monarch when the Monarch dies, after a certain percent is handed to the Monarch's spouse if they are still alive. In the rare cases where the Monarch has no children the part of the fortune not given to the spouse will go to the next Monarch.

Accoutrements & Equipment

The most important piece of clothing that belongs to the Monarch is the Crown of Kupria. This Crown is not mandatory to wear all the time, but during the Coronation Ceremony the Monarch should wear it from it is put on the Monarch's head until the ceremonial feast is done. It varies how often the Monarchs wear the crown, as some will wear it every time they're seen in public while others only wear it for special occasions.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

Most Monarch end their reign when they die.

In some rare cases the Monarch may abdicate. This may be by personal choice or by being forced by either the people or the council. There may be many reasons for an abdication, but most can be summed up to the Monarch being unsuited to rule the nation. In some cases if the rest of the line of succession is deemed unsuited to rule it will be ended, and the people will choose a new Monarch from one of the other Great Houses.

Type

Nobility, Hereditary

Alternative Naming

King of Kupria
Queen of Kupria

Equates to

Queen of Enarion
King of Asharia

Length of Term

Until death or abdication

Current Holders

• Ilmonar Irevos

Past Holders

• Lavin Irevos
• Rennan Irevos
• Talanashta Irevos

Related Organizations

• Kupria

Regency

Sometimes, the Monarch is unable to rule the nation for an extended period of time. There might be many reasons for this, like being too young to be a Monarch, or having an education away from Vobranas they'll need to finish first. In these cases the Council of Kupria can appoint a Regent to act as a temporary Monarch, making sure the most important functions of the Monarchy is upheld.

The chosen Regent is usually a close family member to the Monarch, like a parent or one of the parent's siblings, but ultimately it's a decision from the Monarch and/or the Council.