Shelley family

Shelley family
The emblem of the Shelley family
Current region	Gylias
Place of origin	Allamunnika
Founded	1890
Founder	Errett Shelley
Estate(s)	Château Shelley

The Shelley family (Gylic transcription: Şeli) is a Gylian family of Allamunnae–Shalumite descent, that has been active in politics, business, and the arts. Famed for their wealth and sophistication, they have been described as "patricians" and "aristocrats" of post-war Gylias.

The family first rose to prominence in Alscia, and became one of the most wealthy and influential Gylian families during the Golden Revolution, which they supported and helped bankroll. They were lauded for their elegance, philanthropy, and patronage of the arts. The family includes Susan Shelley, one of Gylias' most celebrated and commercially successful musicians; Irene Shelley, renowned Gauchic illustrator; Judy Harper Shelley, one of Gylias' most renowned directors; and prominent members in the artistic, judicial, financial, business, and political professions.

Raşa Edau, author of the biography Gylias' First Family, described the Shelleys as "nouveaux riche who successfully transformed themselves into vieux riche", and "a remarkable Gylian success story of the 'fake it 'til you make it kind'", noting that they "bluffed their way into the Alscian establishment and then transformed themselves into the epitome of high society, capturing the Gylian public's respect and intertwining themselves around the Gylian state."

History

The Shelley family originated in Allamunnika during the 1850s. Its ancestor married a Shalumite, thus giving it a mixed descent.

The founder of the family, Errett Shelley, migrated to Xevden in 1890. He married a local woman, who assimilated into her husband's culture and anglicised her name. The couple initially had one child, named Henry.

Alscia

During the Cacerta-Xevden War, Errett defected with his wife and child to the Cacertian Empire, and settled in what became Alscia. Errett became a construction worker, and the family had a modest but comfortable existence. The family had two more children, Diana and Georgina.

Henry Shelley proved more ambitious, and began the family's ascent to the upper echelons of Alscian society. He married Beatrice Shelley. The two did a variety of jobs that brought them in proximity to Alscia's upper class. They both became managers of the Royal Concert Hall in Etra. Henry also joined the National Unity Party and was elected to the Legislative Council in 1920. He would win re-election until Alscia's dissolution. Both Henry and Beatrice were granted the title of Baron and Baroness by the UOC, and the Order of Arts and Letters in recognition of their work.

Henry and Beatrice had two daughters: Irene, later a renowned Gauchic illustrator, and Susan, later famed as Gylias' greatest record producer, arranger, and composer of art music.

Liberation War

After Alscia voted to join the Free Territories, the family briefly underwent a geographic separation. Henry and Beatrice, together with their daughters, initially moved to Molise to escape the Liberation War, and subsequently to the Northern States. They remained there for most of the war.

Another branch of the family, represented by Diana and Georgina Shelley, remained in the Free Territories. They became successful businesswomen and active in the Free Territories' civic life, ingratiating themselves with leading wartime political figures. Most significantly, Diana and Georgina built international contacts and smuggling operations that brought luxuries and supplies from nearby Molise and more distant Auroa and Vartaxia. Over the course of the war, this gave the family name a reputation for philanthropy and popularity with the public.

In the meantime, the Northern States branch of the family had achieved a similarly comfortable, well-off situation. Susan and Irene had married. Diana and Georgina kept their relatives informed of the situation in the Free Territories, while Irene had established her own contacts and was contributing illustrations to Free Territories publications by international mail. Although the tide of war had turned in favour of the Free Territories, Henry and Beatrice felt it was still too risky to return.

Having extensively cultivated ties with both established and ascendant political figures like the ferroses and Donatella Rossetti, Diana and Georgina played a crucial supporting role in the Lucian Purge. One month later, in May 1956, they concluded the "Pact of Peisir", which eased their rise to prominence. The "pact" committed the Shelley family to supporting the anticipated post-war government both tactically and materially, and in exchange the government would shield their assets and tolerate their economic and political activities.

While the "pact" was little different from the existing practices of the honoured citizens list, it gave carte blanche to the family to build up power after the war as long as they supported the new post-war order.

Gylias

The Shelley family was reunited after the Liberation War. Susan and her husband Alan moved to the Free Territories shortly before the war ended, and Irene, Henry and Beatrice followed afterwards. Susan entered and experienced a rapid rise in the Gylian music industry, while Irene rapidly established itself as Gylias' leading illustrator. Diana and Georgina entered local politics, capitalising on the local power base they'd built during the war, while Henry resumed his career with the NUP, being elected to the Gylian Senate in 1962.

The Shelley family became Gylias' leading business family after the war. During the National Obligation period, they were the main importers of luxury and consumer goods, and their high public profile strengthened their popularity. The family publicly supported and privately helped finance the Golden Revolution, donating money off the books while the National Bank of Gylias stabilised the money supply. In return, they were overlooked by the Inspectorate of Competition, which allowed them to expand their economic clout by setting up companies, buying shares in companies, and making themselves partners to federal and local governments in carrying out reconstruction and development. They thus grew wealthy by helping bankroll and advance the Golden Revolution.

The success of Susan and Irene in particular drove the family to new heights of prestige. They cultivated a sharp-dressed, elegant image and a spotless reputation. To the public, they represented success to aspire to — Susan's name even entered Gylian slang to represent success accompanied by respect —, sophistication, and socialised luxury. They were metaphorically described as Gylian "patricians" or "aristocrats", alluding to their "old Alscian" brand of elegance, and "artistic royalty" due to their extensive involvement and influence in the arts.

Their high profile made them major participants in the pact of the dinner party, promoting an ideal of appealing moderation to the public. Their ranks included prominent members of Freemasonry, and they played a major role in devising and executing strategies to "sophisticate the revolution", particularly by placing likeminded moderates in the Committees for the Advance of the Revolution and swaying them to promote the current of moderation and self-restraint. Raşa Edau writes that "they used any and every opportunity to serve Gylias and further their good name". The family's belief in attaining glory through social responsibility is reflected in Beatrice's unofficial mottos: "The people decide, and the Shelleys implement", and "What is good for Gylias is good for the Shelleys".

Today, the Shelley family remains associated with elegance, philanthropy, affluence, patronage of the arts, and an ideal of sophistication and happy home lives best embodied by Susan and Irene's marriages. They are collectively the richest family in Gylias, and are major participants in the Social Partnership Program.

During her life, Susan was the richest Gylian, with an estimated net worth of Ŧ100 billion as late as 2006, and Irene the second richest with an estimated net worth of Ŧ50 billion, even as they both paid the 100% marginal tax for their earnings above the maximum wage, as well as the wealth tax. The public saw Susan and Irene's wealth as a reflection of how greatly their work was treasured by society, and their enormous contributions to Gylian popular culture.

Characteristics

A high value is placed on family unity, which has been maintained since the family's rise to prominence.

The Shelley family has always sought to embody an ideal of high standards of excellence, duty, restraint, and elegance. This produces a unique internal culture.

Shelleys are expected to be cultivated, urbane, and dignified; to uphold suitable standards of dress and appearance; to be patrons of the arts, support philanthropic endeavours, and be pillars of the community. Modesty is strongly emphasised, and members avoid drawing attention to their wealth, most of which is tied up in philanthropy and charitable trusts as part of Gylias' conscription of wealth system.

The distinctive traits of Henry and Beatrice's marriage were followed and adapted by their children, resulting in a reputation for happy marriages and successful parenting. Shelley family parenting takes inspiration from Valeria Valente, and is characterised by modeling good behaviour and rewards, emphasising orderliness and an attitude of responsibility. Rasa Ḑeşéy's description of Susan Shelley and her family captures the ideal:

"They were the perfect family, in a pleasantly old-fashioned sort of way. They were always dressed to the nines, they were always polite, and they were surrounded by this air of love and comfort. They seemed to have stepped out of a fabulous fairytale."

Englishness is a key component of the Shelley identity. Those who enter the Shelley family by adoption or marriage take the family name and adopt English given names.

A level of voluntary formality is observed, with the specifics depending on the person: Beatrice always spoke very formal English and never used contractions; Susan wore her outfit exclusively both at home and in public, except for sleeping; Judy always wears her tuxedo in public and in private, but speaks very slang-based English.

Strong extended family ties are maintained through membership of fraternal organisations, fraternal orders, trade unions, and civic organisations. Many family members are Freemasons, and their ranks have included some of Gylias' most influential Freemasons.

Symbol

The Shelley family emblem would be described in heraldic terms as sable a horn argent.

Legacy

Gylias Review writes: "The Shelley family name is a byword for wealth, sophistication, and leadership. The Shelley name has become synonymous with philanthropy, elegance, and prestige to a level no other Gylian family has ever matched."

The Shelley family is one of Gylias' most prominent families, and enjoys great prestige and public approval due to their extensive contributions to Gylias. They are considered exceptional for their ability to take the trappings of high society and successfully adapt them to the egalitarian context of Gylias. They are seen as paragons of socialised luxury, and been the main drivers behind the creation of Gylias' social calendar.

The Republic describes the family as "unparalleled in its ability to embody the 'good life'", and much of its success is due to the enduring appeal of its ideal of the "good life" to Gylians, meaning not just wealth but a strong and loving family with happy marriages and affectionate childhoods. Their distinctive manner of dress and elocution have been much imitated and depicted in Gylian popular culture.

Radix noted the political implications of their "amorphous elitism, simultaneously melting into the crowd and standing out as an example". Their success at building up influence and popularity has been possible because of the strong Gylian administrative apparatus, which implicitly provides the "carrot and stick" that shaped the family's dignified and altruistic behaviour. Ironically, Radix writes, "the abolition of the state risks tearing down precisely the safeguards that have kept the Shelley family well-behaved and revered by the public."

Notable members

• Errett Shelley (1860–1930), founder of the family, the first to settle in Alscia.
  • Henry Shelley (1894–1985), manager of the Royal Concert Hall of Alscia, member of the Legislative Council (1920–1936) and Senate (1962–1976) for the National Unity Party. Son of Errett Shelley. Married to Beatrice Shelley (1895–1985), manager of the Royal Concert Hall of Alscia, businesswoman.
    • Irene Shelley (1924–2017), illustrator. Daughter of Henry and Beatrice. Married to Dennis Shelley (1922–2010).
    • Susan Shelley (1926–2016), record producer, arranger, composer, audio engineer, and musician. Daughter of Henry and Beatrice. Married to Alan Shelley (1926–2019).
      • Alex Shelley (1948–), adopted son of Susan and Alan.
      • Paul Shelley (1949–), adopted son of Susan and Alan.
      • Lucy Shelley (1950–), adopted daughter of Susan and Alan.
      • George Shelley (1952–), adopted son of Susan and Alan.
  • Diana Shelley (1909–1990), businesswoman, activist in the Free Territories. Daughter of Errett Shelley.
  • Georgina Shelley (1912–2000), businesswoman, activist in the Free Territories. Daughter of Errett Shelley.

Family network

Businesses

All the family's businesses are cooperatives and part of the National Cooperative Confederation.

• Arkes Studio (film studio; formerly the Reda Kazan production company)
• Shelley Film Company (film distribution)
• Sound Records (Susan Shelley's record label)
• Palace of Sound (recording studio)
• Shelley Construction (construction)
• Shelley Metals (iron and steel manufacturing)
• Shelley Motors (automobiles)
• Shelley Clothing (clothesmaking)
• Shelley Jewels (jewellery)
• Shelley Manufacturing (manufacturing)
• Shelley Promotions (promotion)
• Shelley Parks amusement parks)
• Shelley Hotels (hotels)
• Shelley Wines (wines)
• Shelley Restaurants (restaurants)

Some of these companies handle brand licensing and collaborate with other Gylian companies to manufacture and distribute their respective products, such as Shelley Clothing, Shelley Jewels, and Shelley Wines.

In addition, the Shelley family owns shares in all companies listed on the Gylian Stock Exchange. The Shelley family is not involved in banking or finance otherwise; family matriarch Beatrice declared: "The Shelleys play with their own money, not with other people's money".

Charities and nonprofit organisations

• Susan Shelley Foundation
• Shelley Institute (scientific research)
• Shelley Events (organises the Gylias Film Festival, Promenade Concerts, labour festivals, Spring Gala, and the Equestrianism Festival, in collaboration with the Gylias Foundation, Arts Council, General Council of Workers' Unions and Associations, and National Cooperative Confederation)

Documentation

Books by or about the Shelley family include:

• Susan Shelley, All You Need Is Ears (1979) (memoir)
• Susan Shelley, With a Little Help from My Friends (1999) (memoir)
• Raşa Edau, Gylias' First Family (2000, second edition 2020) (biography)

Documentaries about the Shelley family include:

• Susan Shelley: A Musical Life (2016) (about Susan Shelley)