House of Midford
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| House of Midford Midford clan | |
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| Noble family and royal house | |
 Coat of arms of the House of Midford | |
| Parent family | House of Argyle and Fordstrand (Cadet branch of Gathoria) |
| Country | Illusia and Neverendia |
| Place of origin | Nyverith |
| Founded | 1552 |
| Founder | Johann Alexander, 1st Baron Midford |
| Current head | Alyssa |
| Members | List |
| Connected families | Miyamizu ( ) |
| Motto | Coram populo (In the presence of the people) |
| Estate(s) | Royal: Enigmastadt Palace, Enigmastadt Private: Midford Estate, White Plains |
| Deposition | Briefly abolished between 2017 to 2047 |
The House of Midford (Illusian: Haus Midford) is the reigning royal house of Illusia and Neverendia. Alternatively known to the populace and White Plains citizenry as the Midford clan, the House of Midford hails from the Neverendian region, with their peerage title existing from 1552, under the behest of Johann Alexander, 1st Baron Midford. The family traces their origins as a cadet branch of the House of Argyle and Fordstrand, and were originally situated in Nyverith.
Over the course of its existence, only one member of the house has managed to rule the Illuverendian nation, that being Alyssa. However, one of the prolific members of the House of Midford was Emilia d' Midford, formerly known as Mary, who was the supreme commander of the Stratocracy. The family received extreme aversion during the Stratocracy, and the hatred continued until Alyssa rose to the throne and exonerated her family's name through the Midford rapprochement.
The House of Midford has one adoptive member that has became part of the official family, that being Lady Chihaya Midford, which was a former member of the Miyamizu family, until their demise in the controversial Great Fire of White Plains.
History
Johann Alexander founded the House of Midford in 1552 after his marriage with Catherine of Carlswitz, who was a fleeing noblewoman from Santhea, and part of the once-influential House of Carlswitz. The 1st Baron Midford had met her during the heated years of the Illusia-Neverendia War, in which the Carlswitz dynasty fled into deeper regions held by the Kingdom of Neverendia. The name of the family comes from Midford Castle, a former now-demolished castle in Nyverith.
No members (with the exception of Alyssa) onward of the Midford dynasty became a monarch. Marcus Argyle, Duke of Midford, played a central figure in the truce, eventual peace treaty and opening of diplomatic relations between the Illusian and Neverendian kingdoms in the end of the war, being one of the members of the Neverendian side of the Friedenzirkel (Peace Circle). Despite the lack of a sovereign monarch, the Midford dynasty exercised authority over royal affairs, serving as royal advisors to the monarchs of the Kingdom of Neverendia and envoys to the Kingdom of Illusia. A consequence of their membership in the Friedenzirkel led to the dynasty having intermarriages with Illusian nobles, which further strengthened the family's influence across the Challenge Line.
During and after the Enigmastadt Declaration, the dynasty remained their foothold in Nyverith, but continued to strengthen their Illusian influence. It was not until 1979, however, when Maximillian von Midford, one of the Illusian members of the dynasty, along with his Neverendian spouse, Clarissa Alcott-Midford, moved from Nyverith to White Plains, establishing the Midford Estate. Maximillian became mayor of the city in 1984, solidifying the family's influence in the city, and viewing the city as its new home.
The family took in an adopted child, that being Chihaya Miyamizu, the sole survivor of the controversial Great Fire of White Plains. She received royal peerages on the re-establishment of the Illuverendian monarchy in 2047.
The family's title and royal privileges were briefly abolished after the Illuverendian Revolution in 2017. Although many were tolerant at first, the continuous totalitarian governance of Stratocracy, led by Mary Catherine Midford, left a bitter taste to many, making the Midford dynasty the subject of many criticisms and public ire. The accession of Alyssa in 2047, through her Midford rapprochement, exonerated the dynasty, and brought back the royal titles and privileges of the House of Midford. Her accession also broke the family's lack of monarchs.