Antoine IV, Grand Duke of Selesburge

Antoine IV
6th Duke of Rodange 16th Count of Toutain
File:Antoine IV, Grand Duke of Selesburge .JPG Grand Duke Antoine IV in 2074
Grand Duke of Selesburge
Reign	28 March 2073 — present
Coronation	19 December 2074
Predecessor	Guilluame V
Heir Apparent	Maurice
Born	Antoine Maurice Louis August 25, 2021 (age 61) Selesburge
Spouse	Maéva Pueyrredón (m. 2052-2062) Auguste of Brunswick (m.2082)
Issue	Hereditary Grand Duke Maurice Prince Antoine Prince Philippe
Ducial House	Bissonnette
Father	Guilluame V, Grand Duke of Selesburge
Mother	Régine Ange
Religion	Roman Catholic

Antoine IV (born 25 August 2021) is the Grand Duke of Selesburge, reigning since 28 March 2073. He is the eldest child and only son of Grand Duke Guillaume V and Régine Ange.

Marriage and Family

While vacationing in Mousbourg in 2050, Antoine meet Maéva Pueyrredón, who was working as a community organizer in the city. The two meet and started dating later that same year. In 2051 Antoine proposed to Maéva in Selesburge City and received permission and royal consent to marry her in October of 2051 from his father, then Grand Duke. They were married in February of 2052. The couple had three children, all sons, together.

• Hereditary Grand Duke Maurice of Selesburge
• Prince Antoine of Selesburge
• Prince Philippe of Selesburge

Maéva unfortunately suffered from complications following the birth of their last child, Prince Philippe and died from internal bleeding twelve days after giving birth to Philippe. Antoine was reportedly heart broken at his wife’s untimely and unexpected death, going into a period of deep mourning for her. In 2073, Antoine meet Auguste of Brunswick, the once divorced and thrice widowed Mother Empress of Rhine-East Berlin shortly before he ascended the Grand Ducal Throne. Antoine and Auguste seem became romantic partners, and eventually married in 2082.

Reign

Antoine became Grand Duke of Selesburge in 2073 when his father died on March 28. Grand Duke Guilluame and Dowager Empress Auguste weremeeting in the Ducial Palace of Selesburge for a state visit and a royal brunch. The two royals were discussing a potential trade agreement between Sverge and Selesburge, focusing about grain imports into Sverge when Grand Duke Guilluame suddenly collapsed from his chair and fell to the floor. The Dowager Empress ran for help and returned to the brunch table with several attendants, including the Grand Duke's daughter, Princess Émilliene. While the attendants went over to the unwell Guilluame. They revealed that there was an internally bleeding bruise on the 80 year old man's back that had gone unnoticed. He had been walking with one of the Dowager Empress' ladies and slipped fell earlier that day. He had risen and had been completely unaware of the injury. As medics rushed to assist, Grand Duke Guilluame V of Selesburge died in his daughter's arms. Antoine, the now former Hereditary Grand Duke was informed of his father's death and brought to the scene. The Grand Duke's body was moved to his chambers and his son has called for a week of mourning while they prepare for the funeral.

Antoine attended his father's funeral on April 2 and was officially coronated as Grand Duke of Selesburge as Antoine IV over a year later in December of 2074. As he was widowed and had not remarried, he became the first grand duke to not have a consort in generations. Shortly after his coronation, Antoine did begin a relationship with Auguste of Prussia, the two of them becoming life partners. Antoine originally wished to marry her, but was advised not to due to her previous marriages and the year that the fertile Auguste, even as she neared the age of fifty might produce a child and attempt to place them on the throne after Antoine's death.

In 2079 Grand Duke Antoine IV meet with Queen Jelena III and her husband Prince Karlo in Selesburge as they prepared for the marriage of two members of their families, the Grand Duke’s son Hereditary Grand Duke Maurice and the Queen’s granddaughter, Countess Alizée of Évreux. Maurice and Alizée married in spring of 2080 in Selesburge. The meeting between the two monarchs is said to have been very pleasant between them as they enjoyed tea and took a tour of the Grand Ducal Palace. It has been make quite clear that despite the marriage that shall take place between Countess Alizée and Hereditary Grand Duke Maurice, it would be a personal marriage union, not a political one as Makonia would maintain its strict neutrality, which it has done. However ever since the ruling family of the two nations have been close.

Antoine approved of the annexation of the Naambourge Islands off the coast of Beliany in 2080, which as been seen as an overwhelmingly popular move. The islands had previously been inhabited by Selesburgers, though not officially operated by the Grand Duchy despite many efforts to do so in the late 20th Century. Later that same year, following approval by Grand Duke Antoine IV of Selesburge, the universities across the state of Selesburge were declared to be tuition free. This decision came after much protest and calls by students with large amounts of debt who found that this strangled the attendence and effectiveness of students and those with degrees in the economic community of the Grand Duchy, which the Grand Duke only wished to further improve.

Selesburge was seen as needing skilled workers, and this reality has in reflection created a win-win situation for many Selesburgers, as well as foreign born students coming to study in the universities in the Grand Duchy . All students enrolled in any of the country’s public universities can attend for free now thanks to this dramatic change. Previous debts however would be needed to pay off as this was not a retroactive movement.