Wyllhelm VIII, Holy Ambrosian Emperor
| Wyllhelm VIII | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Holy Ambrosian Emperor | |||||
| Reign | 4 September 1782 – 17 November 1808 | ||||
| Coronation | 21 October 1782 | ||||
| Predecessor | Àrmenâris II | ||||
| Successor | Position dissolved | ||||
| Born | 12 November 1756 Angechettian Castle, Ambreux | ||||
| Died | 26 July 1841 (aged 84) Figerbuun, Heldervin | ||||
| Burial | 16 August 1841 | ||||
| Spouse | Dmitrya of Bolsav (m. 1789; died 1839) | ||||
| Issue | |||||
| |||||
| House | Angechet | ||||
| Father | Àrmenâris II | ||||
| Mother | Princess Franczeska | ||||
| Religion | Reformationism | ||||
Wyllhelm VIII (Wyllhelm Hænryc Sċarlec Capout; 12 November 1756 – 26 July 1841) was the last Holy Ambrosian Emperor from 4 September 1782 until his abdication in 1808, which marked the end of the Ambrosian Empire. Unlike his predecessors, Wyllhelm did not speak Ambrosian-Gollic as his first language, and rarely was in the County of Ambreux.
Wyllhelm was born during the reign of his paternal grandfather and namesake, Wyllhelm VII, as the second son of Prince Àrmenâris and Princess Franczeska. He became heir apparent when his elder brother, Prince Richard, died from a brawl. He succeeded to the throne in 1782 upon his father's death whilst he was visiting the Kaschtbrechterberg, and hastily returned to Ambreux for his coronation.
Immediately after succession, Wyllhelm was met with strong opposition from Pourelment, which attempted to curtail the emperor's authority. He believed in the will of the Mother, and intended to rule according to this. An overwhelming majority of his subjects, including influential kings. His attempts to levy taxes for the construction of cathedrals was met with violent reaction. In response, Wyllhelm dismissed Chancellor Françis de Monscieurs and ordered him executed, before seizing control of Pourelment and dismissing it.
After losing significant support from his sons and subjects, Wyllhelm was forced to abdicate, relinquishing his titles. Wyllhelm immediately fled to Figerbuun before dying there in 1841.
Early life
The second son of Prince Àrmenâris and Princess Franczeska, Wyllhelm was born at the Angechettian Castle, Ambreux, on 12 November 1756. He was a grandson of the reigning Emperor Wyllhelm VII. He was Saletrized by Rôbert Roché, Archbishop of Ambreux on 28 November. His godparents were his uncle Frânçis Bouclaire and his great-aunt Marie.
Wyllhelm was a notably sickly infant. His mother noted that "the babe is too ill to walk; his left leg is twisted beyond repair." When his parents and elder brother toured the empire, Wyllhelm was forced to remain home with Roché as his guardian. The future emperor remarked that this "fueled my piety" in 1830.
Family letters indicate, however, that Wyllhelm was well-learned, able to read and write in Ambrosian-Gollic, Heldic, and standard Gollic by the age of 10, and was studying history, mathematics, and religion by 12. He was tutored by Roché, and was the first Holy Ambrosian Emperor to study extensively.
Eventually, Wyllhelm was able to successfully run. He took up dualing as a hobby. Regardless, the public still had a low opinion of him, possibly fueled by his left leg being approximately two inches (five centimeters) shorter than his right, in contrast to his more able-bodied elder brother Prince Richard. But on 6 March 1782 Richard died at the age of 27 from unknown causes. Wyllhelm immediately became heir apparent, and 6 months later his father died; thus, the prince became Wyllhelm VIII, Holy Ambrosian Emperor.
Accession and marriage
In 1782, at the age of 25, Wyllhelm succeeded to the throne when his father, Àrmenâris II, died on 4 September, at age 53. Government officials and Roché urged the new emperor to find a new wife; however, Wyllhelm was entirely disinterested in marriage. Françis de Monscieurs, 8th Baron de l'Nôtre, introduced Princess Dmitrya of Bolsav. The two were initially uninterested in each other, but by 1787 Wyllhelm was smitten with her. On 7 February 1789 the marriage ceremony was conducted.
Reign and struggles with Pourelment
Wyllhelm, immediately following his coronation, proclaimed that "a native of the Good Ambrosian Empire, I am the One chosen by the Good Mother Above." Many members of Pourelment saw this as a threat to fair government, as a majority of its members were not Reformationists, but rather Katherinicanists. Thus, they feared dismissal and assumption of full power by the emperor.
Distrust regarding the emperor's religious policy increased with his openness regarding religious persecution: in 1784 he called for "the absolute repurposing of non-Saletrist cathedrals". Moreover, Wyllhelm attempted in 1785 to impose a tax on non-Saletrists to fund the construction of elaborate churches. Pourelment opposed Wyllhelm's religious intolerance, declaring his calls for persecution "invalid in the Eyes of the Law."
In 1788, the Archdiocese of Araq was attacked by Lower Kiyokanai. Rather than directly involvement in the largely Foclaininthian conflict, the Katherinicanist government prefered relatively minor intervention. Wyllhelm demanded a sum of ₭6,000,000 (equivalent to ￦28,320,000 today, or $69,950,400)–far more than what Pourelment could afford–for deployment of the Ambrosian Armada. Upon refusal, Wyllhelm levied taxes without pourelmentel consent, angering government. The emperor had Chancellor Françis de Monscieurs, 8th Baron de l'Nôtre arrested and tried for high treason. Pourelment was further outraged by the imprisonement of their chancellor, and mustered armed forces of 8,000 against the Angechettian Castle.
The Emperor responded to the attack by ordering the Angechet Massacre, killing 13 members of Pourelment. De Monscieurs stated "We protest Your Imperial Majesty for your deeds, and until You are removed from the affairs of State, we are of no hope; thus Pourelment demands that You are dismissed from the affairs of State." Despite de Monscieurs' protests, Wyllhelm remained in power.
Dissolution of Pourelment
,_rev%C3%AAtu_du_grand_costume_royal_en_1779_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
In 1792, Wyllhelm opened Pourelment with a speech regarding his intent to govern according to the will of the Mother doctrine. Members began to oppose the Emperor more strongly, declaring the emperor's rule unconstitutional and invalid. This served as sufficient provocation for Wyllhelm, who immediately dissolved Pourelment before the resolution could be signed into effect, and had de Monscieurs imprisoned once more and executed over the matter, further alienating liberalists and inciting anger from decentralists.
Personal rule
Wyllhelm began his personal rule with religious reforms. In 1793, Katherinicanists were growing considerably more vocal. In response, the Emperor passed the Cathedral Tax Law, which formally granted the monarchy the right to exact payment from Katherinicanists in order to construct Reformationist cathedrals. Immediately, Wyllhelm demanded ₭10,000 each from various nobles. However, Wyllhelm had to neutralize Charles Henry Wortcostelle, the Lord Keeper of the Royal Treasury, who opposed the increased taxes. The Emperor eagerly fabricated a supposed crime that Wortcostelle had done, and sentenced him to exile.
Wortcostelle's downfall left further room for Wyllhelm to impose his fiscal policies. In 1795, Wyllhelm abolished income tax, before seeking more efficient religious taxation. The principal tax against non-Reformationists, the clouibras (bread tax), was highly ineffective, with only 5% of revenue reaching the Emperor. To combat this, Wyllhelm abolished it and replaced it with taxes on religious structures of other religions.