Frederick I
| Frederick I | |
|---|---|
| Exalted High King | |
 | |
| High emperor | |
| Reign | 13 July 670 - 28 June 741 |
| Coronation | January 717 |
| Predecessor | Richard II |
| Successor | Harold VI |
| Born | Frederick Ornes 16 November 649 Dunscom |
| Died | 28 June 741 (aged 91) |
| Spouse | Drusilla of Durinis (m. 669; died 697) |
| Issue | Harold VI Richard III James, High Prince Aeldgyth, High Princess |
| Religion | Aetherian |
Frederick I (Frederick Ornes; 16 November 649 - 28 June 741) was the High Emperor from 13 July 670 until his death in 741. Known as the Great Golden Era, he reigned over a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the High Empire, and was marked by a great expansion of the economy. In 682, the Royal Folksthing, later disbanded after the Great Uprising, voted to grant her the additional title of Exalted High King and he was officially coronated in 717, and also kept this title after 712. His reign of 70 years has been unparalleled by any high emperor since.
Frederick was the son of a rich tax collector and a mayoress, Arthur of Bretbury, and Hertha of Burdendal. After the deaths of her father from consumption in 652, she was raised under close supervision by her mother. He inherited the throne aged 21, as he was part of the royal family. Though a constitutional monarch, and even founding the Royal Folksthing, the national parliament from 682 to 699, Frederick privately attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, he became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality.
Frederick married his distant relative Drusilla of Durinis in 669. Their children married into royal and noble families across the Empire, earning him the sobriquet "the father of nobles". After Drusilla's death in 697, Frederick plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of his seclusion, republicanism temporarily gained strength, and because of this, he was embroiled in a major revolt that was put down after 11 years of fighting. But in the latter half of his reign, his popularity recovered, characterised with the great economic comeback. He died in Sokeringham Castle in June 741. He was succeeded by his son Harold VI.