Nicholas VIII of Æthele
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| Nicholas VIII | |||||
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| King of the Æthics (Cyng sé Æthréd) | |||||
| Reign | 6 November 1836 – 28 February 1853 | ||||
| Coronation | 15 November 1836 | ||||
| Predecessor | Wealhmær VI | ||||
| Successor | Nicholas IX Ælfsige IV (disputed) | ||||
| Lord Ministers | See list
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| Born | 14 February 1801 Royal Court of Edmond, Edmond, Æthele | ||||
| Died | February 28, 1853 (aged 52) Ottonia | ||||
| Spouse | Theodura of Onneria (m. 1850) | ||||
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| House | Corraidhín | ||||
| Father | Wealhmær VI | ||||
| Mother | Margaret, Princess of Highkark | ||||
| Religion | Fabrian Catholic | ||||
Nicholas VIII (Nicholas Matthew Mark Lucius; 14 February 1801 – 28 February 1853) was King of the Æthics from 6 November 1836 until his death on 28 February 1853 during the Siege of Roan. Nicholas VIII was born in the reign of his father Wealhmær VI, who had given birth to three sons and two daughters. As the first son of King Wealhmær VI, who had been increasingly popular, he was homeschooled partially by Lodge Scholars and by his father. He married Theodura of Onneria in 1850, bringing Æthele and Onneria into a personal union between the two Kingdoms.
Nicholas was a brutal, heavy-drinking man. He had a fondness for strong drinks, extravagant parties and plays, which he heavily immersed himself in upon his coronation. He was commonly categorized as a drunken fool and failed sometimes to see past his powerful temper. Nicholas was a formidable policymaker, and he also drew corresponding criticism. His decision to intervene in the Ottonian Unification War ultimately lead to his death, when he was killed during an attack during the Siege of Roan.
Nicholas and Theodura never had children, which lead to the crisis which would ultimately become the War of Æthic Succession, in which Nicholas' brothers, John and Ælfsige would both claim the throne and engage in a half-decade of war.