Alexander II of Great Nortend

King of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria
Alexander in 2000, as Captain of the Royal Naval College.
Monarchy of Great Nortend
Reign	30 April 2003 – present
Predecessor	Catherine II
Heir apparent	William, The Prince of Rhise
Lords High Treasurer	Andrew, Duke of Limmes William, Margrave of Bine Henry, Earl of Alsby
Born	(1978-07-09) 9 July 1978 Palace of St Michael'sgate, Lendert-with-Cadell, Great Nortend
Spouse	Catarina of Nikolia (m. 2004)
Issue Detail	Princess Henrietta Prince William
Full name William Alexander George Nicholas de Anthord-Mere-Luces
House	House of Anthord (Anthord-Mere-Luces)
Father	Andrew, Duke of Faunslaughter and Mere-Lucas
Mother	Catherine II
Religion	Church of Nortend

Alexander II, William Alexander George Nicholas de Anthord-Mere-Luces on the 9th of July, 1978, is the reigning Sovereign and monarch of the Kingdom of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria. Known before his succession as Prince William, he acceded to the throne thereof at 5·32 a. m. on the 30th of April, 2003, after the passing of his mother, Catherine II. As well as his titles of King of Nortend and Hambria, he is also the Lord of Cardoby, Duke of Mere-Lucas, Duke of St. Parth and Hastica, Supreme Governour of the Church Mundane and Vicar of God.

Early life and education

William was born on Sunday, the 9th of July, 1978, at the Palace of St Michael'sgate during the 13th year of Catherine II's reign, at the age of 27. His father was the Prince Consort, HRH Prince Andrew, The Duke of Faunslaughter and Mere-Lucas. The royal couple had only married two years prior, at the relatively advanced ages of 25 and 28, and it was considered a relief for the entire Royal family and court that they had begotten a son.

William was baptised a week after his birth, on the 16th of July, a Sunday too, by the Bishop of Lendert, the Rt. Rev'd Frederic Walfort, and was christened William Alexander George, after the Kings Alexander I, George III and his paternal grandfather, William, Duke of Faunslaughter and Mere-Lucas.

William was tutored at home until the age of ten, when he was sent to Allord College. He was confirmed at the age of sixteen at the St Peter's Cathedral, Lendert-with-Cadell, on the 6th of December, 1994, taking the name of Nicholas after St Nicholas, whose feast day is the 6th of December, and also being invested as Prince of Rhise the same day. He graduated from the fifth form of Allord College in 1996 and was sent to the Royal Naval College at Canesea where he was commissioned as a midshipman aboard the training ship HEMS Southclive in 1997. He served for three years as the Captain of the College until 2001.

In 2001, William went to Cholstave College, University of Aldesey, to read for a Bachelor of Arts, but left after little over a year when his mother's poor health led him to take up an increasing load of state duties.

Accession

At 5·32 a.m., on the 30th of April, 2003, Catherine II died, and William became King of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria. He took the regnal name of Alexander II, to a homage to his ancestor, Alexander I, who acceded to the throne in 1603, nearly exactly 400 years prior.

Marriage

On the 3rd of February, 2003, William had announced his formal engagement and betrothal to Grand Princess Catarina of Nikolia, with a scheduled wedding on Sunday, the 7th of September. Katarina was not required to convert to the Church of Nortend as she was a member of the Nikolian Catholic church, with which the Church of Nortend is in full communion.

However, the sudden death of Catherine II, William's mother, on the 30th of April that year set the entire kingdom into a year-long period of court mourning wherein a wedding would be impossible. The wedding was rescheduled for September 4th, 2004, when Alexander II was married to Catarina at St Peter's Cathedral in Lendert-with-Cadell.

Coronation

After the period of mourning, Alexander wished to be crowned with his fiancée, Catarina. Therefore, the date of his coronation was pushed back to after their wedding. The Coronation of King Alexander II and Queen Catarina, therefore, was held the day after on September 5th, 2004, at Sulthey Cathedral where almost all Erbonian kings and queens had been crowned for centuries.

The royal couple's first-born, Princess Henrietta, is second in line to the throne and was born on the 14th of September 2005. Their second-born, and the first in line to the throne, Prince William, was born two years later on the 25th of August, 2007.

Reign

Alexander's reign has been marked with very few events of importance. Erbonian politics has been fairly stable in the decades since his accession in 2003. Alexander has been reported to be a relatively heavy spender, especially when compared to his mother, Catherine II.

He is, however, reported to have a poor relationship with William Fitzgerald, the 12th Marquess of Bine, who was appointed Lord High Treasurer in 2005 and served until 2009 in the position when his government was ousted from power by the Scodeliers. Bine was an advocate for the abolition of tariffs on foreign goods imported, which he saw as a damper on the Erbonian economy. Alexander fervently opposed this, and wrote on several occasions to admonish Bine. He refused to give his agreement to an Order in Council supported by Bine and his government which would have removed tariffs on agricultural and industrial goods; however, he agreed to reduce tariffs on the latter.

Alexander continued in his mother's tradition of performing royal walkabouts. In a first for the Erbonian royal family, Alexander has permitted special tours visiting the Palace of St Michael'sgate.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 7 July 1978 – 6 December 1988: His Royal Highness The Prince William of Rhise and Gervis
• 6 December 1988 – 30 April 2003: His Royal Highness The Prince William of Rhise and Gervis, Duke of Morney and Earl of Scode
• 30 April 2003 – present: His Majesty The King

Alexander's full formal title as King is:

The Most Excellent High and Mighty Sovereign Lord Alexander the Second by the Grace of God King of Nortend and Hambria Lord of Cardoby Duke of Mere-Lucas Count of Hastica and Governour of the Church Mundane.

The 'temporal' style of 'The Most Excellent High and Mighty Sovereign Lord' is not used in the first person.

Arms

Alexander's arms as King are the royal Coat of Arms of Great Nortend undifferenced. As Prince of Rhise, he bore his arms quartered, with the royal arms in the first and fourth quarters and the arms of the Duke of Morney in the second quarter, and the arms of the Earl of Scode in the third quarters, surmounted with a royal helm and his prince's coronet.