Rubinian Monarchy
Rhodevus operates under a Non-Hereditary Absolute Representative Monarchy more commonly known as a Rubinian Monarchy. First established in 1845, a Rubinian Monarchy is named after the first king of Rhodevus as well as the man who designed the system of governance; King Rubin Machin.
The monarch is chosen by their predecessor, and accepted as the monarch via vote from the senate/house. the monarch is for all intents and purposes an absolute monarch and legally allowed to do pretty much whatever, but due to this system, the monarch usually forgoes some of their absolutist powers in order to even gain the favour of the senate/house to become monarch in the first place. Monarchs rule for life, or until they step down
Organizational Structure
In a Rubinian Monarchy, the monarch has an absolute authority over the nation. This absolutism is only controlled by the Senate and House of Commons during negotiations to accept the heir. Monarchs are able to pass Decrees, which are order that bypass the Senate and House of Commons.
The Upper Legislature is the Senate. The Senate is tasked with voting on legislation which passes through the lower house of parliament. The monarch is tasked with opening Senate meetings and has a spot in the Senate, of which they are obligated to attend.
The Lower Legislature is the House of Commons. New laws are brought to the House for preliminary revisions and voting. The monarch has a spot in the House, but is not required to attend every meeting.
A complimentary body known as the Council of Premiers is an advisory council to the monarch. It is comprised of the elected premiers from each province, as well as the Imperial Governor of the Ile du Fleurs and Governor of the Iles du Surèté. This council is headed by the Imperial Premier of the Imperial City of Rhode. The duties of the Council of Premiers are extra duties placed upon these elected people, on top of their regular duties as premier of their respective provinces.
House of Commons
The lower house of parliament; House of Commons is the primary elected component of parliament with each member chosen by a plurality of voters in each of the country's federal electoral districts, or ridings. To run for one of the 340 seats in the lower house, an individual must be at least 18 years old. Each member holds office until Parliament is dissolved, after which they may seek re-election. The ridings are regularly reorganized according to the results of each decennial national census.
Senate
The upper house of parliament; the Senate is the secondary elected component of parliament with each member chosen by a plurality of voters in each of the country's federal electoral districts, or ridings. Senators however must be approved by the monarch. As such, the monarch is allowed to appoint or dismiss senators without the requirement of a vote in the district.
Relationship Between the Monarch and Parliament
As an absolute monarch, the monarch is technically able to bypass the Senate and House in every decision they make. To ensure trust between the monarchy and parliament, before a new monarch is accepted by parliament, they are required to accept certain limitations on their authority.
Since 1847, with the ascension of King Alfred Montgomery, the second king of Rhodevus, these restrictions have essentially been codified, with minimal changes over the years to keep up with the times. Certain important restrictions, include the ability to depose a monarch with a 2/3 majority vote in the senate, a 50% +1 majority nation-wide referendum or a unanimous vote by the Council of Premiers.
Parliament retains the inalienable right to accept or reject a monarch's successor. This is one of the few duties of parliament that supersedes any decree made by the reigning monarch.
Monarchical Decrees
A monarch can proclaim a Decree, which is a law or action which overrules the Senate. These decrees are among the few remaining rights which harken back to the monarch's absolutist position.[1]
Requirements to be Chosen as Heir Candidate
Before one can become the monarch, they must first pass a few basic requirements to ensure that they are of sound mind and body. Upon completing these requirements, they are able to have their names written on the List of Heirs. From these names, the monarch is able to choose one to be the official heir, along with all the duties and responsibilities which come with it.
- Be born a citizen of Rhodevus
- Maintain only Rhodeve citizenship[2]
- Serve in the Rhodeve military[3]
- Be of sound mind and of good standing[4]
- Be able to uphold the duties of the position[5]
- Maintain strong allegiance to Rhodevus[6]
Heir Candidate List
A well known check to ensure no foul play regarding the appointment of a successor is the Heir Candidate List. This list is comprised of seven to thirty-five names organized into a seven-by-five grid pattern. Each name is of someone selected by the monarch and had passed the initial requirements to be labelled as an Heir Candidate.
The organizational structure is to ensure that if a candidate declines the position of official heir, there is an immediate next potential choice. The first candidate is written in the top left section of the grid. If this candidate were to decline the position, then the name directly beneath it is asked next. Similarly, if the Senate and House of Commons do not agree with the candidate, then this too will have the candidate written below as the next option.
If the primary candidate in question is killed or dies from suspicious circumstances, or in any way acts in a manner deemed suspicious by Rhodeve criminal code, then the entire column is removed and the next column to the right is used.
If all names are removed from the list, then a new Heir Candidate List is drafted. The list is written by the reigning monarch and kept as a paper version in a heavily locked and fortified wing of the Imperial Palace.
Selecting an Heir
Heir Candidates on the Heir Candidate List are reviewed by the Council of Premiers, being given only one column at a time. Once these candidates pass this initial inspection, the names are sent to the Senate to further deliberate. At this stage, the candidates are often called to answer questions in front of the Senate. The Senate will vote to either accept or reject the candidate as a potential heir. If the Senate accepts the candidate, a secondary vote will go through the House of Commons.
If the Council of Premiers, Senate or House of Commons reject a candidate, they are removed from the Heir Candidate List.
Following this, stage the monarch will then interview each Heir candidate personally, in order of preference of successor. These interviews are conducted with the Imperial Premier as well. It is at this stage that a candidate is offered the position, in which they can accept or refuse.
Upon acceptance of the position, the Heir Candidate becomes a 'Héritier Potentiel' or 'Potential Heir'. This is considered a temporary position in which the monarch, Senate, House and Council all can ensure that the person is able to complete the job to a satisfactory degree. While the Senate and House of Commons are able to hold no-confidence votes on the Héritier Potentiel, the Council of Premiers now act only in an advisory role to the monarch and are unable to reject the candidate.[7] The monarch retains the right to continue accepting or reject the Héritier Potentiel throughout this phase.[8]
Heir vs Heir Héréditaire
There is a common misconception that the Rhodeve heir is called the Heir Héréditaire. The way to address the heir, is as the prince or princess heir. This is their official title and signifies them as the official heir to the monarch of Rhodevus. An Heir Héréditaire however, is a different title. This is the title of the first child to the monarch as it translates to 'Hereditary Heir'. Had the monarchy been hereditary, then this person would be the official heir. It is common practice that until a true prince or princess heir is chosen, the Heir Héréditaire is the recognized heir to the monarch.
The issue with this title is exacerbated with the current Wolff dynasty, in which both Queen Diana and her father King Benner the Great were Heirs Héréditaire prior to becoming monarchs.
Royal Titles
The monarch of Rhodevus is the king or queen. A monarch's spouse is the king or queen consort. The prelim of the title matches that of a monarch, so King's husband or wife is known as a king consort, while a Queen's husband or wife is known as a queen consort. The consort to the monarch does not have any true royal status outside of their marriage and so hold no political authority except for what they could do themselves. Consorts are allowed to run for political positions, although it remains illegal to use the position as consort to influence the election. Their children are all princes and princesses. This title allows for them to be recognized as the issue of the reigning monarch, but it does not grant them any status, except for the ceremonial one.
Prince or Princess Heirs are the title granted to the person whom the monarch as chosen as their official successor. This position is considered a true royal one and it comes with political influence and responsibilities. The child of a Prince or princess heir is also given the title of prince or princess, similar to the children of the reigning monarch.
Monarchs
| Name | Picture | Years Reigned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Rubin Machin | [[]] | 1845-1846 | First Monarch of Rhodevus. Last President of the Republic of Rhodevus. Died due to Leukemia at the age of 41 |
| King Alfred Montgomery | [[]] | 1847-1860 | Stepped down at the age of 87, setting a precedent for monarchs to retire due to old age. |
| King John Harrison | [[]] | 1860-1900 | Was assassinated by the member of the Bannerless Brotherhood |
| Queen Maya "Angelie" Angellos | [[]] | 1900-1921 | Stepped down at the age of 73 |
| King Julius "Spytfire" Pentogrom | [[]] | 1921-1945 | Stepped down at the age of 56 when diagnosed with lung cancer |
| King Isaac Wolff | [[]] | 1945-1980 | Died at the age of 89 |
| King Benner Wolff "The Great" | [[]] | 1980-2006 | Died at the age of 52 from poison |
| James Wolff | [[]] | 2006-2007 | King during The James Wars. His title as king was stripped from him posthumously for starting the conflict |
| Queen Diana Wolff | [[]] | 2007-Present | |
| Princess Heir Sierra Everen-Abrams | [[]] | Future | The current Princess Heir of Rhodevus |
References
- ↑ Decrees require a 9/10 majority vote to overrule when the decree is given. If the decree is meant to last ad infinitum or for a period of time longer than 10 years, then a 2/3 majority vote is required to overrule a decree.
- ↑ This requirement does not allow heir candidates to be dual citizens.
- ↑ This requirement allows for both the Military Branch and Diplomacy Branch of military service
- ↑ This has come to mean that any arrests or criminal infractions automatically bar a candidate from becoming an heir. It does not include minor traffic violations. Candidates also are required to pass a psychological examination with a government approved psychologist or psychoanalyst
- ↑ At first this restricted the position to those with physical and mental disabilities. Since 1971, it allows for those with physical disabilities, but the ban on those with mental disabilities remains in effect. This requirement also applies to current occupation and lifestyle. As the position of prince or princess heir is one with active political duties, if the candidate's lifestyle or current occupation isn't one that can be dropped or changed at a moment's notice, they will not meet this requirement
- ↑ This requirement is to ensure that the candidate does not hold anti-Rhodeve stances or hold loyalties to other nations or organizations greater than the loyalty they have to Rhodevus. This requirement allows for a fairly large loophole, in which an heir's spouse does not require Rhodeve citizenship. This loophole was utilized by Princess Heir Sierra Everen-Abrams in order to marry her wife, Rezuan Empress Ymira Everen-Abrams, without requiring to relinquish her position
- ↑ The House of Commons requires a 2/3 majority vote for the no-confidence vote to pass. The Senate requires a 50% +1 majority vote for a no-confidence vote to pass.
- ↑ There is no time limit for how long a candidate can remain an Héritier Potentiel. Customarily, this position lasts for 6-12 months, but may run longer, especially when the Héritier Potentiel is also the Heir Héréditaire. Queen Diana remained an Héritier Potentiel for 2 years.
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