Themiclesian royal family
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The Themiclesian royal family (公家, kong-kra) consists of the male-line descendants of Themiclesian monarchs that do not have independent households. Those that are part of independent households are classified under the royal clans (公族, kong-tsok).
Etymology
The term kong-kra is written with two Mengja characters 公 and 家. The former originally meant a male ancestor, before the Hexarchy. Since the house of the senior ancestor acted as a government or intermediary between the junior houses within the clan, the term also evolved to mean "public". Today, terms like kong-stjit-kugh "public suit" and kong-stjit-mjet "public property" evidence this mutated meaning. The latter word had the meaning of a household. In the 2nd c. BCE, the senior house took the title of "king" (王), but the term kong-kra was already enshrined in public use.
Definitions
Strictly speaking, the category which best encompasses the word "royal family" in the Casaterran sense is kong-kra. Yet due to stronger familial ties in Themiclesian culture, the kong-kra effectively functions as a unit of the kong-tsok, the extended clan of royal descent. The distinction of various kra (households) was once geographic, since each branch household was likely to be assigned to a new seat, and even remoter in history they could also have been assigned to specific productive tasks, such as horse-keeping or farming. There is also the term kong-stjit (公室), which is accepted to be synonymous with gwênh-kwal (縣官). This word is roughly comparable to the body politic of the crown in Casaterran political philosophy, using the royal house as a metaphor of public institutions. Compare the phrase kong-stjit-kugh (公室告), "suit at royal house", meaning offences in which public authority comes to bear; cp. Casaterran public law, versus private law.
Princely titles
The current system of regulating titles of the royal family, called Princely Titles (王號, wyang-hawh), dates from 1849 and replaced an older custom introduced in the 12th century. While the titular system resembles one of appanage, none of these titles are substantive and are granted by courtesy to a reigning monarch.
The basic rule is that anyone who is a legitimate descendant of a reigning monarch through the male line, up to the fifth generation away (his children counting as the first away), is entitled to the style of Prince (王, wyang). A legitimate child of the reigning monarch's or the Crown Prince's body is entitled to the more senior style of Grand Prince (大王, da-wyang). Additionally, the Crown Prince's heir apparent's further heir apparent is also entitled to Grand Prince; this person would be the reigning monarch's most senior great-grandchild.
A Grand Prince takes precedence over a Prince in the order of precedence. Amongst the Grand Princes, the most senior is the Crown Prince's heir apparent, followed by his heir apparent in turn, if present. The Crown Prince's heir apparent is called the Imperial Grand Prince (公大王, qwang-da-wyang), and his heir apparent in turn is the Heir Grand Prince (孫大王, sun-da-wyang). Upon the birth of Prince Rem in 2004, as the reigning monarch's great-great-grandchild, he obtained the unprecedented title of Great Heir Grand Prince (曾孫大王, pseng-sun-da-wyang); upon the passing of the monarch in 2016 and his father's succession as reigning monarch, Prince Rem directly became the Crown Prince without going through the intermediate titles.
Other than those in the direct line of succession, the princely title will come with a description before it, which is approved by the reigning monarch on the advice of the Privy Council. Currently, there are three Grand Princes in Themiclesia:
- Grand Prince Nem-kyung (南宮大王, b. 1938), who is the eldest child and daughter of Emperor Qirq.
- Grand Pricne Ngwyat (月親王, b. 2007), eldest daughter of the Reigning Emperor.
- Grand Prince Swar (選親王, b. 2010), second daughter of the Reigning Emperor.
While the royal family bearing princely titles was once as large as hundreds during former centuries, its size has contracted dramatically into the 20th. Despite his unprecedented reign, Emperor Qirq (r. 1922 – 2016) had few children, while the lines from former monarchs gradually passed beyond the fifth generation from their reigning ancestors. The royal family now consists of three Grand Princes and eleven Princes. While the right to succeed does not depend on having a princely title, descent being only considered, the Family has seen a shortage of members carrying out various public functions, even during the last years of Emperor Qrirq's reign.
History
When the Meng dynasty was invited to take hegemonic power in Themiclesia in 542/3, it wished to continue its custom of giving the title Prince to descendants of the Emperor's body, regardless of the identity of the mother. To Themiclesian nobles at the time, such disregard for the mother's identity was unacceptable, so the title of Prince was widely recognized only in imperial children begotten through the Empress-consort. There was therefore a constant tension between the emperor, who wanted to pass the crown to a favourite child, and the baronage, which insisted the crown must pass to the eldest son of the empress's body.
For the first part of the Meng dynasty restored, there was no consistent rule as to the application of the title Prince. Sometimes it was given to any number of the Emperor's children, and in others only to those considered within the line of succession, i.e. born of the current empress or a former empress. In 634, the fifth ruler Emperor Kaw reached a settlement with the baronage regarding the succession and the question of titles that went hand in hand with it: children born of the empress-consort would receive the title Prince (王, wyang), while those born of imperial concubines may receive the title Prince of the Blood (親王, tsin-wyang); if the empress-consort was childless, she had the option of adopting a Prince of the Blood, under certain conditions.
In any case, the Meng emperors insisted on calling all his children "imperial children" (皇子) in order to elevate them above the "children of the elders" (公子), who were produced under an archaic custom that appears to have been a form of conjoint marriage, of which the ruler's marriage by Rite of Congression was part. Before the Meng dynasty, the children of the elders were preferred over illegitimate children of the ruler, but the Meng emperor steadfastly resisted this rule, claiming inter alia that it was both barbarous and unreasonable.
In the following Dzei dynasty, the distinction of imperial children between those born of the empress-consort (帝子) and by other women (它生子) slowly eroded in practical terms, as successive empresses-consort decided to adopt rather than bear her own children; in nominal terms, however, the titles of Prince and Prince of the Blood became more rigidly associated with the emperor's children through the empress-consort and those through other women, respectively.
In 952, Dzei came under the heavy cultural influence of the Menghean Sunghwa court and began to treat grant of Prince and Prince of the Blood not only to the emperor's children but also their children. As by now Princes of the Blood may be adopted as the empress-consort's child
The category of Prince of the Blood (親王, tsin-wyang) applied to the first two generations of a monarch's (his children and grandchildren) progeny after the resumption of the imperial title in 1549. The title was very rarely used in this context in any era. It was, however, often granted to the Emperor's illegitimate children; as a result, the legitimate princes entitled to its use often shun it and instead describe themselves as plain Princes, which in principle only passes through the legitimate line.
Royal styles
Succession
The Themiclesian throne follows the rule of absolute primogeniture, which replaced male primogeniture in 2003. The change did alter the order of succession, though in more remote branches and not within the direct line that is expected to inherit the crown.
Legitimacy
Only legitimate children, born of the mother joined to the father by the Rite of Arrival (適), are permitted to inherit the throne. This excludes the children born of the monarch's other consorts and lovers, even if the mother holds a recognized position at court. The Themiclesian rule is different from many other Hemithean monarchies, in which children born of concubines and servants may inherit the throne based on their proximity in blood to their reigning father and in preference to legitimate brothers, cousins, and other collateral lines.
This rule became slightly controversial after Emperor Grui died unexpectedly at the age of 30, with a widely-acknowledged but illegitimate younger brother and a pregnancy by the Empress Hum-dar. A vocal segment of the population called for postponing the succession until Hum-dar's delivery, in the hopes that the child might be a boy, who may have a claim as the popular emperor's successor. The alternative was the 6-year-old Lord Tak-min, who by descent was a distant fourth cousin to Emperor Grui. However, jurists said that, in the law, the throne must pass to whoever the heir is at the time of the Emperor's death, and the Emperess's pregnancy cannot be recognized as an heir. With this option ruled out, there were also calls for the Emperor's half-brother to take the throne, though this came to nothing.
Peerage
No member of the royal family is automatically entitled to a peerage; however, grants are historically common.
Female peers were, at one point, more common than male ones, since their titles could not be inherited by children through their husbands. Customarily, the eldest son of the monarch is granted a peerage, though exceptions have existed, to enable them to participate in court politics. Where a peerage is granted, the royal is assumed to have established his own household, and the peerage granted is typically a baronetcy, the lower of two grades of peers in Themiclesia. The name of the household usually, but not always, becomes the title of the peer. Hence, if Prince Rem should become Baron Rem (商君, rem-ghwa).
Management
Administration
The ceremonial governor of the royal family is the Comptroller of the House (宗正, tsung-tjêngh), who is typically a close member of the household that holds an ordinary peerage. Since ordinary peerages are only granted for public service, the Comptroller tends to be a member of the royal family that is familiar to the government, or at least governance in general. Administratively, an official is appointed to manage each household under the broader royal family. A member of the extended royal family may only marry or divorce with the permission of the Comptroller. Indirectly, this gives the modern government considerable power over the family.
Finances
Historically, non-titled members of the royal house do not have statutory income. They reside at one of several palaces and have small staffs assigned to them, through the Privy Treasury.
Family tree
The following is the family tree of all reigning monarch since Emperor ’Ei, who reigned from 1763 to 1821. Over his 59-year reign, he sired four legitimate princes from whom over 80 people are now alive in in the line of succession. The royal family only maintains accurate genealogical records for legitimate descendants up to ’Ei's grandfather, Gwits-men (r. 1632 – 1689), whose progeny now includes at least 300 people alive now.
- 1. Emperor ’Ei (b. 1744, r. 1763 – Mar. 1821)
- Grand Princess Ku-rum
- Crown Prince Pran (公子反, 1767 – 1820)
- 2. Prince Ker-num (公子根臨廟, b. 1819, r. Mar. 1821)
- 3. Emperor Krang (影廟, b. 1772, r. Apr. 1821 – 1825)
- 4. Emperor Ngarh (獻廟, b. 1774, r. 1825 – 1849)
- 5. Emperor Tang (璋廟, b. 1800, r. 1849 – 1857)
- Grand Prince Ghwra-sngrar (華山大王, 1804 – 1833)
- 6. Emperor Men (玟廟, b. 1823, r. 1857 – 1875)
- 7. Emperor Gwai (龢廟, b. 1859, r. 1875 – 1906)
- 8. Emperor Lem (藤廟, b. 1838, r. 1906 – 1910)
- 6. Emperor Men (玟廟, b. 1823, r. 1857 – 1875)
- Grand Prince Grir (圓大王, b. 1811
- 9. Emperor Qlek (式廟, b. 1837, r. 1910 – 1912)
- 10. Emperor Qhwing (觪廟, b. 1840, r. 1912 – 1913)
- Prince Pek-sngrar (北山王 1840 – 1902)
- Prince Tung-ning (冬年王 1865 – 1898)
- 11. Emperor Grul (懷廟, b. 1889 r. 1913 – 1921)
- Grand Princess Kats (股大王, 1912 – 2000)
- 11. Emperor Grul (懷廟, b. 1889 r. 1913 – 1921)
- Prince Tung-ning (冬年王 1865 – 1898)
- Grand Prince Rang (良大王, 1780 – 1852)
- Prince Nu-men (瑙紋王 1805 – 1857)
- Prince Dzi (蔡王, 1829 – 1870)
- Prince Tup-mer (對海王, 1834 – 1900)
- Princess Ter (貞王, 1855 – 1940)
- Princess Ta-kit (都計王, 1860 – 1877)
- Prince Gwen (袞王, 1860 – 1905)
- Princess Tak-put (襗般王, 1884 – 1934)
- Prince Neng (仍王, 1887 – 1920)
- 12. Emperor Q'rirq (顯廟, b. 1918, r. 1923 – 2016)
- Crown Prince Qhruh (公子孝, 1937 – 2014)
- Grand Princess Lwang (同大王, b. 1966)
- Crown Prince Tam (談公大王, 1967 – 2008)
- 13. Reigning Sovereign (今上, b. 1989, r. 2016)
- Grand Princess Nem-kung (南宮大王, b. 1939)
- Crown Prince Qhruh (公子孝, 1937 – 2014)
- 12. Emperor Q'rirq (顯廟, b. 1918, r. 1923 – 2016)
- Prince Ding (城王, 1890 – 1992)
- Prince Sin-ding (新城王, 1913 – 1997)
- Prince Gwrin (權王, 1840 – 1882)
- Princess Ten-tyat (珍王, 1841 – 1913)
- Prince Lak (奪王, 1866 – 1930)
- Prince Tung (董王, 1890 – 1971)
- Prince Lak (奪王, 1866 – 1930)
- Prince Nu-men (瑙紋王 1805 – 1857)
- Grand Princess Dzi (柴大王, 1781 – 1840)
- Grand Princess Krak (客大王, 1782 – 1833)