Nicholaus of Belfras
| Nicholaus I | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Sovereign Prince of Belfras (more...) | |||||
| Reign | 19 April 1980 – present (44 years) | ||||
| Coronation | 1 August 1980 | ||||
| Predecessor | Georgio I | ||||
| Heir apparent | Alexander | ||||
| Consuls | See list | ||||
| Born | 22 September 1955 Thessalona, Belfras | ||||
| Spouse | Beata Anicia (m. 1982) | ||||
| Issue | |||||
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| House | Dimitrios | ||||
| Father | Georgio I | ||||
| Mother | XXX | ||||
| Religion | Fabrian Catholic | ||||
Nicholaus (Nicholaus Alexandros Dimitrios; born 22 September 1955) is the Sovereign Prince of Belfras, head of the House of Dimitrios, and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The House of Dimitrios has origins in both the Duchy of Patrinos and in the nation's fatherland Latium.
He was born as the Heir Apparent to his father, Georgio I, replacing Alexia who was previously the Heir Presumptive and became the eldest son, with Sergios and Thodoris following over the course of ten years. Nicholaus enjoyed a relatively private upbringing, attending a prestigious youth academy and eventually Nuovo Portelli - the country's most elite university - for a law degree. He met Beata Anicia, a Latin Royal, shortly after ascending to the throne and the pair married on 18 August 1982 at the Vindeballan Cathedral in Thessalona.
Nicholaus succeeded his father upon his death on 19 April 1979 and assumed royal responsibilities immediately, although the coronation was not held until 1 August 1979 to allow time for mourning and preparations to be made.
Early Years
Nicholaus Alexandros Dimitrios was born at the Saint Judith Maternity Hospital in Thessalona, on 22 September 1955. He was the first son of Georgio and Lauren.
Nicholaus has two younger brothers, Sergios, and Thodoris. Nicholaus also has an older sister, Alexia, who was the Heir Presumptive until his birth and went on to serve as the Chancellor of Nuovo Portelli for 21 years until her retirement in 2013.
When Nicholaus was fourteen months old, at the end of 1956, Questros Palace was heavily damaged in a structural fire that forced the royal family temporarily to Oakfield Castle, a Patrinosian estate that had been the family's historic house and was the home of Georgio's uncle at the time. Nicholaus would remain at Oakfield Castle until 1960 when at age five his father took him on a six month visitation to Latium as part of duties relating to the Commonwealth, presenting Nicholaus to Empress Diana as Belfras' Heir Apparent. When his father's visitation of Latium came to a close, five and a half years after the fire at Questros Palace, they would return to their nation's capital which had been completely renovated.
Education years
Nicholaus attended Lechester Woods School from 1963 to 1968. Aged 13, he was sent to spend his school term time boarding at the elite Jason V Academy on the outskirts of Thessalona from 1968 to 1973. Nicholaus is reported to have hated his time at Jason V, with his teachers reportedly being simultaneously impressed by his study form and unimpressed by his social antics. Claudia Fabius, a biographical writer wrote in the 2012-published 'The Princes of Belfras' that Nicholaus' teachers "Found themselves exhausted by his social antics in the class-room and were very happy to see him leave at the end of the day, while also being very impressed by the papers he would turn in." This apparently led to an allegation of cheating his tests when he received high scores from a mock exam in 1970, although the allegation was later dismissed by the school's council after Nicholaus explained the processes of his answers and received high scores from sitting a strictly supervised test.
At age nineteen in 1975 he enrolled into the Mondria Campus of Excellence, reading Jurisprudence for three years. Whilst at the Campus he took a heavy interest in cricket and began to to play it as a hobby. He also reportedly performed some stand-up comedy and played as a parody of Orestes Cotta named Oopsie Cooty. His attendance of the Campus of Excellence earned him a place at the highly prestigious Nuovo Portelli university where he was studying for his Juris Doctor.
On 10 April 1980 he was rushed from Nuovo Portelli to Westfields Hospital in Thessalona where his father had been transported to after fainting. It was later revealed that his father had several large tumours, one of which had burst causing traumatic internal bleeding which two operations failed to correct. On 19 April 1980 his father died quietly in his bed with his family, including Nicholaus, around him. Later that day the news was announced and Nicholaus was shown to the world as the new Sovereign Prince of Belfras. As a result of his accession, his tenure at Nuovo Portelli went unfinished until he returned to study in 1984, finishing his studies and exams for his Juris Doctor under special circumstances privileges allowed to resit tests.
Reign
On 19 April 1980, Nicholaus became Sovereign Prince of Belfras upon the death of his father, Georgio. On 5 May he met with the senate for them to give their oaths of allegiance and for him to take his royal assurance and command of his royal guard. Afterwards he appeared before the diplomatic corps and press media for a live speech in which he confirmed his name would be Nicholaus I. He stated in the speech that a time of mourning for his father would be in place with flags around the nation at half-mast and a royal funeral that would take place seven days hence on 12 May. After the funeral, plans and preparations were made for Nicholaus' accession which took place on 2 August 1980 at the Vindeballan Cathedral, taking the entire day. The day began with the formal coronation under the sight of god within the cathedral to the historic carriage-drawn procession to Questros palace for his formal taking of the throne. A garden party was held at the end of the day on the grounds of Questros restricted for political and social elite.
After coming to power, Nicholaus worked closely with Consul Nikolas Siskilis to reshuffle the cabinet, replacing several individuals who had known republican ambitions, in particular having Freddy Day brought in as the media secretary and having the environmental secret Euterpe Bariade, who had blocked several attempts for more environmentally friendly alternatives to maintaining the southern rainforest, replaced with David Anastas, a cross-party member from the Green Party. Nicholaus' involvement in the reshuffle sparked rumours of a heavier political reform which did not occur.
During a charity event on 3 September 1981 he met his future wife Beata Anicia, the younger sister of Duke George of Callatis, a Latin nobleman. The pair quickly began courting and announced their engagement on 18 January 1982, with the pair marrying later that year on 18 August 1982.
Throughout the year of 2003 the early stages of the 2004 Belfrasian Recession began to show. Orestes, which housed much of the nation's steel industry was the first to feel the recession with the nation's largest steel manufacturer Turnstyle going into administration on 18 November 2003. The senate faileed to agree on a resolution to grant funding to the corporation to avoid it going into liquidation on 15 January 2004, resulting in almost 15,000 worker spread out over Orestes, Mondria and Laygos becoming unemployed. This occurred on the same year the nation's welfare system was retracted from use pending a renovation over it's payment system, meaning the now unemployed 15,000 work-force was now without any source of income while searching for employment elsewhere. A protest for welfare began in Orestes on 20 February with 8,000 attending the march which began peacefully until a rogue group of demonstrators turned violent in a shopping district, with clashes against riot police resulting in the deaths of a father and two children who were crushed to death in a stampede. Both sides blamed the other for the deaths and riots began to quickly break out throughout the country.
Nicholaus passed an emergency resolution to overrule the senate and allow a special negotiation team - with him as it's head - to begin talks with leaders of the multitude of factions that rose up during the riots. A criminal investigation into the deaths of the bystanders on 20 February concluded they were crushed to death by fleeing demonstrators but passing riot police officers did not render aid as a result of the ongoing combat between rioters and police. Talks between the crown and rioters came to a close on 12 June with riots across the country ending in a single demonstration held on 20 June which was non violent. The senate debated the events and awarded Nicholaus the 'Civic Peace Medal' for his efforts in ending the riots.
2016 Latium succession crisis
Personal Life
Family
Nicholaus' father, Georgio, became the Sovereign Prince at an early age as a result of the Belfro-Mutulese war of 1911. Georgio's brother, Prince Nicholaus - Nicholaus' direct namesake and Heir Apparent to their father Philippos was killed in action during the disasterous Xuman Campaign whilst landing at Saktun beach. Georgio, who served in the Federation Navy during the war, went on to marry XXXX on XXXX with whom he spent the rest of his life with. Georgio ascended to the Sovereign throne in 1924 after Philippos IX died from a long illness. They would have four children, with their first being Alexia, followed by Nicholaus himself and his two brothers Sergios and Thodoris.
Nicholaus married Latin Beata Anicia on 18 August 1982 at the Vindeballan Cathedral in Thessalona, the site of his coronation and his parents wedding. They have four children: Victoria, Alexander, George, and Christos
The couple's first children, twins Victoria and Alexander, were born in a private hospital in Thessalona on 15 July 1984, with their mother being treated for Postnatal depression following the birth. Four years later the couple welcomed their third child, George, while on holiday to Vannois on 5 May 1990, with Beata not suffering a relapse of postnatal depression. Their fourth and final child, Christos, was born on 7 April 1993. Victoria and Alexander both attended the Mondria Campus of Excellence and eventually Nuovo Portelli, although Victoria dropped out to pursue a career as a successful cricket player and Alexander finished his studies and began focusing on his duty as the Heir Apparent. George attended the Imperial War College and entered the Army, and Christos attended West Mondria Football Academy while also attending the Jason V Academy, going on to become a football player.
Titles, styles, honors and arms
| Styles of The Sovereign Prince | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
Styles of address
- 22 September 1955 - 19 April 1980: His Highness Nicholaus the Hereditary Prince
- 19 April 1980 – present: His Majesty the Sovereign Prince
Decorations
Belfras: Lord Commander of the Knights of Saint Julius
Latium: Member of the Most Excellent Order of the Empire 
22 February 2017
Awards
- Belfras: Civic Peace Medal (2004)
Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Spouses |
|---|---|---|---|
| By Beata Anicia (b. 1953): | |||
| Victoria | 15 June 1984 | ||
| Alexander | 15 June 1984 | ||
| George | 5 May 1990 | ||
| Christos | 7 April 1993 | ||