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House of Anthord

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House of Anthord
Royal house
Coat of Arms of the House of Anthord
Royal Coat of Arms of Great Nortend
Parent familyAnthords of [Albish place]
CountryGreat Nortend
Current regionTeudallum
Place of originAlbeinland
Current headAlexander II of Great Nortend
Titles
Titles of the head of the House of Anthord
  • King of Nortend
  • King of Hambria
  • Lord of Cardoby
  • Duke of Mere-Lucas
  • Duke of St. Parth and Hastica
Motto
Dominus dominium dedit

(The Lord hath given dominion [unto me])

The House of Anthord is the reigning royal house of Great Nortend. It is descended from the Anthords of [] of Albeinland, who gained the Erbonian throne after Albert of the House of Destern died without issue in 1518. After the death of Mary in 1772, the Albish House of Oln ruled Great Nortend until the House of Anthord regained the throne upon the accession of Edmund VII in 1813, the son of Catherine I of Oln and Prince Henry de Anthord.

In 1974, Catherine II married Andrew de Anthord, 9th Duke of Faunslaughter and 20th Duke of Mere-Lucas, of the noble House of Anthord-Mere-Lucas, a cadet branch of the House of Anthord which held the dukedom of Mere-Lucas in Albeinland and Faunslaughter in Great Nortend. From the accession of the current sovereign, Alexander II, the reigning house has been formally known as the House of Anthord-Mere-Lucas, although in common parlance the house remains known as the House of Anthord.

The dukedom of Mere-Lucas remains vested in Alexander II as it is a grant of the Albish Crown; however, the dukedom of Faunslaughter, as an Erbonian dukedom, reverted to the Crown upon the death of Prince Andrew. It was granted by Alexander II to his brother, Prince Arthur, who had used the courtesy title of Master of Faunslaughter hitherto.

Symbols

The heraldic (left) and government (right) depictions of the cross marten.

The cross marten, depicting a stylised sprig of three strawberry leaves and the stem in the shape of a cross, is one of the ancient symbols of the House of Anthord. It is typically depicted in the form of four kite-shapes joined at their longer ends, with three pearls at the corners of each limb except for the bottom 'stem'. Often this bottom 'stem' lobe is also more elongated than the 'leaf' lobes.

Nowadays, it is often used as a symbol of Crown property or as an official mark, and thus is used to mark military property, prisoner uniforms, the borders of Crown demesne and government certification. It is most commonly used as a silver hallmark, however, lending its name to the pound marten, the silver coins whereof bear the mark.

The etymology of 'marten' is unclear. The Royal College Dictionary of English suggests that it is related to the Arlethic word 'marce' meaning 'sign', 'token' or 'mark' from whence the English 'mark'. It may also be related to the unit of weight or currency known as the mark, perhaps being derived from its use on silver coinage. Other etymologies relate it to the Latin fragum meaning strawberry, but this is phonologically satisfactory and involves some unlikely mutations.

Monarchs

House of Anthord pre-Oln

  • William II
  • George I
  • Edmund V
  • Charles III
  • Alexander I
  • William III
  • Edmund VI
  • Mary

House of Anthord post-Oln

  • Edmund VII
  • Henry VI
  • Edmund VIII
  • Edmund IX
  • George II
  • Catherine II

House of Anthord-Mere-Lucas

Family Tree

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