Katherine II

Katherine II
Empress of Atmora and the Dominions
Reign	12 November 2065 – present
Inauguration	12 November 2065
Predecessor	Herself as High Queen
Successor	Zoë, Princess Regent
Prime Ministers	See list
Queen of Lieseltania
Reign	14 January 2062 - 6 June 2082
Coronation	20 January 2062
Predecessor	George V
Heiress Apparent	Autumn
Born	23 January 2039 (41 yrs.) Alexandria, Atmora
Spouse	Prince Jan, Duke of Sechelt (m. 2059-present)
Issue	Crown Princess Autumn Princess Jacqueline, Duchess of Alba Princess Victoria, Duchess of York Prince Erik, Duke of Harwich
Full name English: Katherine Jaime Alexandra Winter Iravian: Katherina Jacomina Alexandra Winter Era name and dates Katherinian Era: 2058-present
House	Wolf
Father	George V
Mother	Lexi, Duchess of Alexandria
Katherine II's signature

Styles of Empress of Atmora Keizerin van Atmora
File:Great Atmoran Coat of Arms.png
Reference style	Her Imperial Majesty
Spoken style	Your Imperial Majesty
Alternative style	Ma'am

‘’ Through the invention of the slipstream drive allowing FTL travel by Sir Wallace Rosenburg and Sir Toby Kurosawa they have opened our path through the stars, and thus through this path we'll prosper, grow, and ensure the survival of our great Empire through colonisation of far away systems. Securing the future for future generations to come.’’ - Empress Katherine, on the the newly commissioned Vanguard-class starships.

Katherine II or Katherina II (English: Katherine Jaime Alexandra Winter, Iravian: Katherina Jacomina Alexandra Winter; born 23 January 2039) is, and has been since her accession on 2062, High Queen of Atmora and Queen of Lieseltania. On 12 November 2065, Katherine II assumed the title of Empress of Atmora and Queen of Lieseltania; with the title of Empress taking precedence.

Katherine was born in Alexandria to the Duke and Duchess of Alexandria, later High King George V and High Queen Alexandra, and was the elder of their three daughters one of them being her younger twin Queen Icelynn. She was educated in the Alexandria School Board. Her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his mother Darlene of Atmora in 2039. She began to undertake public duties during her junior and senior year at the Imperial Alexandria Secondary School. In 2059, she married Prince Jan, Duke of Sechelt who at the time was a Lieutenant in the United Forces Iravian Navy, with whom she has four children: Autumn, Jacqueline, Victoria and Erik.

In reign as Empress of Atmora, she is currently overseeing a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military change within the Atmoran Confederation, and the great expansion of the Atmoran Empire. Katherine was instrumental in the formation of Systems Alliance, a military alliance between the eastern powers. As the Commander-in-chief of the military she declared a state of war thrice; Timerian War, Second Contact War, and the Wecovian Civil War each conflict ending in a victory for the Atmoran Empire and her allies. The greatest military victory during her reign was the Atmoran-Vrakyan War, doubling the size of her Empire and dramatically increasing the Empire's population, however the Second Contact War ended in a pyrrhic victory for the Allied Powers.

Birth and early life

Katherine was born at 00:45 (PT) on 23 January 2039, and named Katherine after her great great grandmother, High Queen Katherine, who had died 2 years ago.

Katherine has three siblings, Icelynn, Nicolaas, and Alyssa. At an early age her and Icelynn were put into fencing classes along with language classes.

Katherine attended went to school through the Alexandria School Board, graduating with her sister Icelynn and her friends from the Imperial Alexandria Preparatory School. When she went to the Kerrisdale Elementary School her father George V had her learn to speak and write in Iravian and Japanese. While also being in fencing classes with her sister Icelynn. During her primary school days she met many of her friends which to this day are still friends with the Empress.

During middle school and high school, Katherine had to learn German while also keeping up with her grades and staying fluent in three languages. During her sophomore year she became a transfer student to a high school in Kesteren, where she met her future husband the Duke of Sechelt once again after meeting him at a young age when his father was the Iravian Ambassador to Atmora. Where the two promised to attend the Alexandria Imperial University together, the best university within the Empire on Bowen Island.

After graduting from the King William Secondary School, Katherine went to the Alexandria Imperial University and gained a bachelor's degree in history.

Reign

Accession and Coronation

Main article: Coronation of Empress Katherine II

On 12 January 2062, eleven days before Katherine II's 23rd birthday George V announced his intention of abdicating like his mother Darlene did in 2036. On 14 January, George V signed the instrument of abdication at the Palace of Alexandria (Now the Imperial Palace). On 20 January Katherine II was coronated by her father George V as High Queen of Atmora and Queen of Lieseltania in front of the joint assembly of the Parliament and the federalised monarchies of the Atmoran Confederation in a ceremony held at the Alexandria Hall (Alexandriëzaal).

Empress of Atmora

After the colonisation of the Epsilon Eridani Solar System, Epsilon Indi Solar Sytem, and the Proycon Solar System. Sir Mariano Campbell believed that the mere title as High Queen belittled the importance and extent of Her Majesty's Empire and it's influence. Campbell pushed the Imperial Titles Act 2065 through the Parliament and demanded from his counterparts in Mizuho and Westphalia to do the same. While Campbell pushed for the Dominions to approve of the Imperial Titles Act, his Interior Minister persuaded the federal princes, to approve of Katherine II ascending to the title of Empress of Atmora. Some of the federal princes wished for Katherine II to be styled as Empress of the Atmorans or the Atmoran Empress, however when this reached the Prime Minister of Atmora he wouldn't accept nothing less than Empress of Atmora.

On 12 November 2065, all 18 federal states of the Atmoran Confederation, along with the Dominions of Mizuho and Westphalia passed the Imperial Titles Act. Immediately after Katherine II was proclaimed Empress of Atmora in the Alexandria Hall and all legitimate descents of High Queen Darlene and former monarchs of Atmora were granted the style of Imperial Highness.

Imperial tour of the extrasolar colonies

After ascending to Empress, Katherine announced her desire to tour the Extrasolar colonies of the Atmoran Empire. She and her husband Jan left the Sol Sytem in early 2066. In her absence her appointed her youngest sister Princess Alyssa as the Counsellor of State to run the affairs of government in her absence.

Second Contact War

In 11 February 2071, Atmora and the self-governing Dominions declared war on the Kingdom of Vrakya and the Phannon Empire after the horrific attack on Actium in which 267,000 Atmorans were killed by the invading Vrakyan Forces. Upon hearing of the slaughtering of Atmorans at Actium, Katherine II immediately ordered the mobilisation of the Atmoran Fifth and the Ninth Fleets to relieve the Draetheus Fleet under the Command of Vice Admiral Praas. After the Battle of Actium, Katherine II visited the people of Actium and stated "the Vrakyans will pay for every drop of Atmoran blood spilled at Actium and then some!"

Throughout the war, the Empress provided morale-boosting visits throughout the Atmoran Empire, visiting colonies attacked by Vrakyans, munitions factories, and troops. During the Battle of Sol the Empress refusing to sit in her palace as her men fought to defend the outer Solar system decided to make an unexpected visit to the Atmoran Headquarters on Ceres. The Empress would also visit military forces abroad in Vrakya in June 2072 and 2073, and Sothea in June 2073. Their high public profile and apparently indefatigable determination secured their place as symbols of national resistance.

In 2073, crowds shouted "We want the Empress!" in front of Imperial Palace of Alexandria during the Victory in Vrakya Day celebrations.

Public perception and character

Main article: Personality and image of Empress Katherine

Katherine is one of the most senior FDC officials, despite being a constitutional monarch she has been a key figure in all FDC meetings and in general attends many political meetings. As a constitutional monarch, she has not regulary expressed her own political opinions in a public forum. She does have a deep sense of civic duty, and takes her coronation oath seriously.

She is patron of over 1500 organisations and charities. Her main leisure interests include fencing and dogs, especially her Shiba Inus. Her lifelong love of shiba inus began in 2041 with Hachi, the first shiba inu owned by her family. Scenes of a relaxed, informal home life have occasionally been witnessed; she and her family, from time to time, prepare a meal together and do the washing up afterwards.

In the 2060s, at the start of her reign, Katherine was depicted as a glamorous "fairytale Empress" or by some as a "Goddess". What she represented was a time of hope and expansionism, a period of progress and achievement heralding a "new Gilded age" or the "Katican Era". Katherine has maintained her image of representing a wind of change, such as the development of new technology, new colonies, and as one of key figures in the new space age.

Katherine has been portrayed in a variety of media by many notable artist.

Titles, styles, honors and arms

Titles and styles

Main article: List of titles and honours of Empress Katherine II

Katherine has held many titles and honorary military positions throughout the Empire, is Sovereign of many orders in her own countries, and has received honours and awards from around the world. In each of her realms she has a distinct title that follows a similar formula: Empress of Mizuho and her other realms and colonies in Mizuho, Empress of Westphalia and the Atmoran Dominions beyond the Seas and Stars Empress in Westphalia, etc. Additional styles include Defender of Liberty. When in conversation with the Empress, the practice is to initially address her as Your Imperial Majesty and thereafter as Ma'am.

• 23 January 2039 – 29 July 2039: Her Royal Highness Princess Katherine of Wolf

• 29 July 2039 – 6 May 2059: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Wolf

• 6 May 2059 – 14 January 2062: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Wolf and Sechelt

• 14 January 2062 – 2065: Her Majesty Katherine the Second, of Atmora and the Atmoran Dominions beyond the Seas High Queen, Queen of Lieseltania

• 12 November 2065 – present:
  In English: Her Imperial Majesty Katherine the Second, of Atmora and the Atmoran Dominions beyond the Seas and Stars Empress, Queen of Lieseltania, Defender of Liberty
  In Iravian: Hare Keizerlijke Majesteit Katherina de Tweede, van Atmora en de Atmoraanse Dominions achter de Zeeën en Sterren Keizerin, Koningin van Lieseltanië, Verdediger van de Vrijheid

Arms

Main article: Coat of Arms of Katherine II

File:Great Atmoran Coat of Arms.png File:Coat of Arms of Hasselt.png File:Imperial Seal of Sakurashoto.png File:Coat of Arms of Westphalia.png

Issue

Name	Birth	Marriage		Issue
		Date	Spouse
Crown Princess Autumn, Duchess of Wolf	15 November 2058	7 March 2077	Theodore van Altena	Princess Eloise of Wolf
Princess Jacqueline, Duchess of Alba	6 September 2061	None
Princess Victoria, Duchess of York	6 September 2061	None
The Prince Erik	23 December 2063	None

Ancestry

16. Albert van Luttert

8. Robbert van Luttert

17. Elise Smith

4. Prince Alexander, Duke of Langford

18. George May

9. May Durling

19. Eloise Anderson

2. George V

20. Nicholas, Count of Lezhë

10. William

21. Katherine I

5. Darlene

22. Russel McKean

11. Alice, Duchess of Burnaby

23. Eloise Bellerose

1. Katherine II

12. Archie Laino

6. George Laino

13. Katheryn Hamilton

3. Lexi, Duchess of Alexandria

14. Thomas Thorebourne

7. Catherine Thorebourne

15. Alison Rayfield