Arthur, Duke of Oxonia

Arthur
Duke of Oxonia
Tenure	30 April 2012 – 22 September 2012
Born	17 June 1985 Fernkad National Hospital, Fernkad, Gelonia
Died	22 September 2012(2012-09-22) (aged 27) Oxonia, Gelonia
Burial	7 October 2012 Sant Brieu Basilica, Oxonia, Gelonia
Full name Arthur Brennus Alan Constantino Roberto
House	Rouanti
Father	Arthur XI of Gelonia
Mother	Loeiza Taneta
Religion	Church of Gelonia
Military career
Allegiance	Gelonia
Service/branch	Gelonian Royal Army
Years of service	2003–2012

Arthur, Duke of Oxonia (Arthur Brennus Alan Constantino Roberto; 17 June 1985 – 22 September 2012) was the eldest child and son of then King Arthur XI of Gelonia and his first wife, Loeiza Taneta. At the time of his birth, he was second-in-line to the Gelonian throne; and at the time of his death, in 2012, he was briefly heir apparent and Duke of Oxonia. From 2009 until his death, he held the honorific of Knight Paramount.

Arthur was known as Arty or Art among close friends and family. As a child he was noted as shy, but as he grew into adulthood was known for his charisma, charity, and friendliness. In 2010, Arthur was engaged to his third cousin Adelaide, Princess Imperial of Ghant. The couple never wed, as Arthur was killed in an automobile accident, in 2012. His death received widespread media attention throughout the world, and public mourning was extensive throughout Gelonia. His funeral was televised and received more views than that of his grandfather’s, King Robert IV, just five months before his own.

Family and early life

Arzhur Hawise Alan Konstantine Raibeart was born on 17 June 1985 at Fernkad National Hospital, in Fernkad. He was the first, and only, child of then Arthur, Duke of Oxonia and his first wife Loeiza Taneta. Arthur had six younger half-sisters from his father’s second marriage to Princess Maira of Gaemar, and a younger brother and younger sister from his mother’s second marriage to Michael Aufra. Though born into the Gelonian royal family and a member of the House of Rouanti, Arthur’s birth was wrought with some controversy among the upper echelons of Gelonian society, due to his mother’s status the daughter of a low ranking nobleman and commoner mother. However, it was for this reason that Arthur’s birth saw widespread support and celebration from lower nobility and non-nobility. Then Prime Minister William Wylisc heralded Arthur’s birth as the “People’s Prince”.

On 18 October 1985, Arthur was baptized into the Church of Gelonia, at Saint-Brieuc Basilica, in Oxonia. His godparents were Princess Beatriz of Gelonia (his father’s sister); and Emperor Michael I of Ghant (his father’s great-uncle; Dowager Queen Teresa stood in for Emperor Michael); Armelle Taneta (his mother’s sister); Michael Aufra (a friend of his mother’s).

His parents marriage quickly deteriorated, due to a growing disagreement between Loeiza and the Royal Family, particularly King Robert IV. By 1986, rumors that each of his parents were engaged in affairs began to circulate through the royal court and the country. It was reported by biographers, and briefly in the media, that Loeiza was having an affair with her brother’s friend, Army Captain Michael Aufra. The rumors were promptly denied when addressed, however Arthur reportedly confronted Aufra and punched him in the face.

That same year, there were reports that King Robert was attempting to secure a divorce for her son, and that Arthur’s father was actively courting other prospective brides, including an ongoing relationship with Princess Isabella of Latium. By early 1987, Arthur’s parents divorced – becoming the first divorce for a member of the royal family.

In 1988, his mother married Captain Michael Aufra against the wishes of the Royal family. Aufra died in 1997, and his mother, again, remarried in 2000. By 1990, his father married Ghantish noblewoman Caroline Zuria.

Education

Though his father attended formal schooling, Arthur became the first member of the Gelonian royal family to attend a state school. In 1991, he began his primary education at Durnovaria Community Academy. Along with his state schooling, Arthur received additional instruction from a series of private tutors from Gelonia and Ghant. He was instructed on the constitution, politics, and language from an early age. His teachers described Arthur as a ”bright pupil” and often spoke of his interest in traditional Gelonian culture. Additionally, he received religious instruction from the Archbishop of Oxonia.

By the age of 11 in 1996, Arthur began his secondary education at Beduan Secondary School, in Durnovaria. In secondary school, he participated in football, hockey, and polo. Despite his constant involvement in athletics, he often jokingly described himself as a ”below average athlete”. When Arthur turned 15, he was enrolled at Breniceifrano, a boarding school located in Ranneg, near the border with Latium. He earned his bac from Breniceifrano, in 2002.

Arthur took a gap year, and then in 2003, joined the Gelonian Army. Though originally he enlisted in the army, he was sent to the Ghantish Military Academy, where he studied and received officer’s training. While at GMA, he also received instruction in hand combat, and proficiency with swordsmanship. As a cadet, he resided at the Imperial Palace, in Ghish.

Military career

Upon completion of his education at the Ghantish Military Academy, Arthur was commissioned as an officer in the Gelonian Army, with the rank of Second lieutenant. He applied for the Army’s special forces training program; however, his application was withdrawn upon request of King Robert IV after originally reported as being denied.

Though an officer in the army, Arthur spent time within each branch of the Royal Defense Force. He spoke of his brief tenure in the navy as the highlight of the experience, describing a love for the open seas. Upon his 26th birthday, Arthur was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant colonel, which he held until his death.

Arthur was invested as heir apparent and Duke of Oxonia during his time in the military, on 30 April 2012.

Courtship

At first, Arthur’s courtships differed from previous members of the royal family, as he was known to date classmates and women of differing social ranks. However, as Arthur neared adulthood and his twenties, he began considering courtship with women of noble and royal rank at the request of his grandparents.

The first such of these courtships came in 2007 when he acknowledged rumors that he was courting Princess Daena of Gaemar. The two first met as children, as Arthur often accompanied his sisters to Gaemar to visit their maternal family. Arthur often visited Daena in Gaemar during their courtship and she was his guest to the wedding of his uncle Prince David and Princess Anna of Keld.

In 2008, Arthur had numerous brief courtships with figures such as Antonia Antistia and Grace Domnonea. However, these lacked any longevity.

Adelaide of Ghant

In January 2010, Arthur began courting Princess Adelaide of Ghant. Previously, there were rumors that Arthur and Adelaide were in a relationship as early as 2006, however, Arthur fervently denied those rumors. Like many of his other courtships, Arthur regularly visited Adelaide in Ghant and took every opportunity to see her. A report from the Gelonian Army released after Arthur’s death demonstrated that Arthur used a two-year amount of leave time to visit Adelaide in 2010 alone.

They were often seen at social functions throughout Belisaria and Ghant. They shared many of the same interests, and were often in each other’s company. It was originally alleged that their courtship was delayed due to the courtship of each’s siblings in 2009, that of Adelade’s brother Nathan IV of Ghant and Arthur’s sister Lena, Princess Royal. Arthur denied these claims, but they were later confirmed by Lena during a 2017 interview with G+. Lena explained that It was wrong to disrupt true love in the way that it happened.

A betrothal agreement was reached and announced on 18 August 2011. Arthur proposed to Adelaide on 6 March 2012, though the engagement was not announced until a week later. They promptly began planning their wedding, and according to reports planned for the end of 2012. However, this was later pushed back due to the death of King Robert IV, and the need for her funeral and the coronation of his father King Arthur XI. By this time, Adelaide had already taken up residence in Oxonia, though maintained a separate apartment than Arthur. At the time of his death, their wedding was planned for February 2013.

Death and funeral

On 22 September 2012, Arthur died in a car crash in the Redones district of Oxonia. Police were called to the scene of a car crash at 2:00 am, after repeated calls of a drunk driver in the area. An investigation into Arthur’s death revealed that he was in the passenger seat of a car that was being driven by his uncle Prince David, when it was struck by a drunk driver. Arthur was pronounced dead upon arrival to the hospital, though David suffered non-life threatening injuries, including a broken leg and collar bone.

Funeral

Sant Brieu Basilica, where Arthur was laid to rest on 7 October 2012

Arthur’s death received global media attention, and his funeral was the first funeral televised for a crown prince in Gelonian history. Television viewership of his funeral in Gelonia is estimated to have peaked at 3.8 million, and nearly 500,000 people were present throughout Oxonia for his funeral procession.

Leading up to the funeral, people left offerings of flowers, candles, cards and personal notes outside of Castel Rou, and the scene of Arthur’s death. His funeral service was attended by all members of the Royal family, and Arthur’s maternal family, along with many members of the international community and foreign leaders. His public funeral was preceded by a private family service at the private chapel at Lugudunon Cartrefu.

Arthur’s burial was public, and immediately followed his state funeral, at Sant Brieu Basilica. Pallbearers included his sister, Lena, and members of his regiment in the Gelonian Army. Originally, it was planned to bury Arthur at St Bran Cemetery in Oxonia, as burial at Sant Brieu Basilica was traditionally reserved for the monarch and his spouse. However, following a meeting with the Archbishop of Oxonia, his father issued a decree allowing for Arthur’s burial at Sant Brieu Basilica. Arthur remains the only non-King buried at Sant Brieu.

Activities and reputation

Arthur was an outdoorsman and avid athlete. He was a regular hunter and fisherman, and throughout his childhood and as he became an adult, often invited his classmates and friends regardless of their social standing. Arthur participated in youth athletics from a young age. He began playing organized football at the age of four, and began taking ice skating lessons the same year; he joined a local Oxonia youth hockey league at the age of six and continued to play ice hockey throughout his life. Arthur’s participation in athletics resulted in friendships with eventual LMH players, such as Brennus Foirbis. Arthur also had a love of horses, and was often seen riding his horse throughout Oxonia and nearby cities. He was often accompanied by his younger half-sister, Lena, with whom he was especially close. Lena has since named her first-born son Arthur in her brother’s memory.

Arthur maintained a strong relationship with his half-sisters, and even his step-mother. His sister Lena once described Arthur as ”the person who has influenced [her] life the most”. He was often seen spending time with his family, whether it be his siblings from his father or mother, or relatives from either side of his family. Due to frequent visits to Ghant since his childhood, he also maintained a friendship with Emperor Nathan IV of Ghant and Martin, Crown Prince of Dakmoor.

He has been described as cheerful, charismatic, and very friendly. He sponsored numerous charities once he turned 17, and often spoke at primary and secondary schools on his personal experiences. The most notably charity he founded was focused on aiding children whose parents divorced, a topic he often spoke on.

Arthur heavily promoted Gelonian traditions, and the advancement of the Gelonian language above Latigen. He was fluent in Gelonian, Alaun, Latin, and Ghantish.

Titles, styles and honors

Styles

• 17 June 1985 – 30 April 2012: His Royal Highness Prince Arthur of Oxonia
• 30 April 2012 – 22 September 2012: His Royal Highness The Prince Arthur
  • 30 April 2012 – 22 September 2012: His Royal Highness The Duke of Oxonia

Honors

• Gelonia: Royal Knight of the Most Noble and Distinguished Order of the Clover
• Gelonia: Royal Knight of the Illustrious Order of the Red Hand

Ancestry

Ancestors of Arthur, Duke of Oxonia

16. Alan V of Gelonia 8. Brennus III of Gelonia 17. Sara Courcouia 4. Robert IV of Gelonia 18. John VII, Elector of Nyrundy 9. Eleanor of Nyrundy 19. Irene I of Mysia 2. Arthur XI of Gelonia 20. Robert, Crown Prince of Ghant 10. Prince Alexnader of Ghant 21. Princess Lucia of Alba 5. Princess Alara of Ghant 22. Arthur III, Prince of Montgisard 11. Princess Sophie of Montgisard 23. Luciana of Canosa 1. Arthur, Duke of Oxonia 6. Charles Taneta 3. Loeiza Taneta 7. Alana Cunovafili

See also

• Duke of Oxonia

Arthur, Duke of Oxonia House of Rouanti Born: 17 June 1985 Died: 22 September 2012
Gelonian royalty
Preceded by The Prince Arthur later became King Arthur XI	Duke of Oxonia 2012	Vacant Title next held by The Prince Arthur