Katherine I of Atmora

Katherina I
Head of the Commonwealth
Formal portrait c. 1939–1945
High Queen of Atmora and Mizuho; Queen of Lieseltania
Reign	7 January 1938 – 23 May 1980
Coronation	23 November 1939
Predecessor	Frederick IV
Successor	Willem III
Prime Minister(s)	See list
Born	Princess Katherina of Lieseltania 14 December 1916 Coudenberg Palace, Pruzhana, Lieseltania
Died	21 May 2013 (aged 96) Ravenhof Castle, Ypenburg, Lieseltania
Burial	2 June 2013 Sint-Visennabasiliek, Saint Visenna, Lieseltania
Spouse	Prince Nikolaas
Issue	Willem III Princess Eleanora Princess Madeleine Prince Casimir
Full name Katherina Françoise Alexandra van Wolf Era name and dates Katherinean era: 1939–1980
House	Wolf
Father	Frederick IV
Mother	Princess Madeleine of Gallia
Religion	Church of Visenna

Katherine I (Katherina Françoise Alexandra; 14 December 1916 – 21 May 2013) was High Queen of Atmora and Mizuho, and the Queen of Lieseltania from 11 September 1938 after the assassination of her father Frederick IV, and then until her abdication in 1980.

Born during the reign of her grand-aunt High Queen Elizabeth, Katherina was fifth in line of succession behind her uncle Prince Edward of Lieseltania, and her father Prince Frederick of Lieseltania, till the 1931 September Crisis in which the Young Voshans had assassinated most of the senior members of the Atmoran royal family. With the death of her grand-aunt High Queen Elizabeth, Katherine would be made the Princess of Wolf with the ascension of her father as High King Frederick IV in 1931. In 1937 Katherina married Count Nikolaas Ulzens van Alsemberg, with whom she would have three children with Willem III, Eleanora, and Madeleine. Following the unexpected death of her father Frederick IV in the Belgarad railway bombing in 1938, Katherina ascended the throne as High Queen of Atmora and Queen of Lieseltania.

Her reign oversaw the beginning of the Third Voshan War, and the young High Queen would offer little resistance to her Chancellor Louwrens van Geuzendam during the early stages of the war. Katherina would lead the failed coup d'ètat against Chancellor Geuzendam in 1943. Following her failed putsch Katherina would then go on and lead the Castaliense Confederation, sparking the Atmoran Civil War and allying herself against Geuzendam with Vozh and Aravea in 1943. The defeat of the fascists, the death of Geuzendam in 1946, and Katherina's surrender of Atmora to the Allies. Would garner sympathy leading to her not being prosecuted in the Leidenschdam Trials, and being allowed to remain on the throne. For the remainder of her reign, Katherina would oversee the post-war reconstruction of Atmora along with the mending of relations with Vozh and Aravea. Along with fighting the remnants of fascist and communist elements during the Atmoran Interior War, which would persist even after her reign. Katherina on 23 May 1980, would abdicate the throne of Atmora and Lieseltania to her son Willem, Prince of Wolf.

Katherina is best renowned as a symbol of Atmoran unity and resistance against the Geuzendam regime, particularly because of her part in Operation Primrose and the landing of royalist troops in the Kingdom of Larsenburg. Additionally she is known as a stalwart defender of the Atmoran constitution during both the Atmoran Civil War and the Atmoran Interior War.

Early life and education

Katherina was born on 14 December 1916, in the Coudenberg Palace, Pruzhana. She was the first child of Prince Frederick of Lieseltania (later High King Frederick IV) and his wife Princess Madeleine of Gallia (later High Queen Madeleine). Her father was the second son of the Princess Maëlys of Atmora and Count Albert de Maseneer van Mostinckx, and her mother was the third daughter of King Charles III of Gallia and Princess Katherina of Lippe. Her childhood was characterised as nothing of great importance as it was never considered that Katherina would ever take the throne as her grand-aunt High Queen Elizabeth had a son Karel, Prince of Wolf and her position as fifth in line to the throne.

Growing up far removed from the Atmoran royal court, together with her only sibling and sister Princess Winter of Atmora in De Gestelhof Palace, Pruzhana.

Reign

Royalist putsch

Yet by 1943 and the continued erosion of Atmoran democracy and freedoms under the fascist Chancellor, Katherina would grow tired of her Chancellor constantly overreaching his bounds and, together with the Corps of Royal Guards and other royalist officers would attempt to overthrow and arrest the Chancellor. With the failed coup d'ètat by the High Queen and royalist factions, the High Queen would retreat to Asvarre beginning the Atmoran Civil War and leading the Castaliense Confederation from the Kingdom of Asvarre

Atmoran Civil War

Katherine having escaped Lieseltania with the Atmoran Seventh Fleet abroad HMS Henrietta de Grote a Asvarra class fast battleship dreadnought in daring crossing of the Halkeginian Sea in the Battle of Cape Alava. 29 November 67 kilometres south of the coast of Cape Alava, Brandenburg Admiral Herman Buitenhuis of the Rijkskriegsmarine Home Fleet intercepted and attempted to capture the High Queen. Outnumbered by Admiral Buitenhuis, Admiral Hossen of the Seventh Fleet first priority was to get the High Queen away from Cape Alava as quickly as possible.

The III Battle Squadron under Schout-bij-nacht Maurits Sievering drew Viceadmiraal Chiel Vinkers's IX Battle Squadron away from the High Queen in the XVI Battle Squadron. Schout-bij-nacht Sievering in a last stand together with his destroyer flotilla under his command intercepted and destroyed the IX Battle Squadron killing Admiral Vinkers in the naval action. Sievering with his ship dead in the water and sinking after the battlecruiser RMS Anholt chose to go down with his ship. Sievering's squadron sank another battlecruiser RMS Colmont, and four destroyers at the cost of Sievering's HMS Leeuw, destroyers HMS Reinalda and HMS De Ridder, and the battlecruiser HMS Héroïne badly damaged. The actions of Sievering managed to buy time for Admiral Hossen and Admiral Priem to defeat Admiral Buitenhuis with the destruction of his only carrier the RMS Vernietiging. For his heroic actions in the battle of Cape Alava, Katherine would posthumously promoted Sievering to the rank of Vice Admiral and awarded the Military Order of Alexandra. Along with that of the captains of the HMS Reinalda and De Ridder, the III Battle Squadron was further awarded the unit award of the Military Order of Alexandra.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

• 14 December 1916 – 11 September 1931: Her Royal Highness Princess Katherina of Lieseltania and Gallia
• 11 September 1931 – 7 January 1938: Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wolf
• 7 January 1938 – 23 May 1980: Her Majesty Katherina , by the Grace of God, High Queen of Atmora and Mizuho, Queen of Lieseltania
• 23 May 1980 – 23 May 2013: Her Majesty High Queen Katherina