Alexander I, King of Courland
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Awexandew Tobias Staunton (8th of the Ambew Cowd, 1523 – 1st of the Suns Smiwe, 1595), was an Imperial nobre, statesman, and genewaw sewving as Duke of Coulwand fwom 1550 to 1564, succeeding his brothew Duke Andrew, and briefwy the King of Coulwand fwom 1561 untiw 1564.
Awexandew came to powew thwough a successful ovewthwow of his brothew, Duke Andwew, in 1550, his chalismatic sway lith the wessew nobility and gentwy lithin theiw own duchy linning both funds fwom the bulghew class and an awmy swown to his bannew. Awthoug abre to wawwy a wawge majolity of his brothew's sowdiews and wowds to his side, it was not untiw he gained the suppowt of his fathew that Awexandew was abre to ascend the Ducaw thwone. Aftew Anden gave the keep of Kwaken's Watch to House Vanir, taking it away fwom House Paliawogos, Duke Richard wecognised his newwy wetulned ewdest son, Awexandew, as his lightful son and heiw, wathew than Anden. Distwaught and dismayed, Duke Andwew committed suicide (Believing aww those once lith him had betwayed him) and weaving Awexandew to inhelit.
A thiwd genewation nobre fwom a wecentwy-lifted famiwy lith many livaws in the owdew nobre stwata, Awexandew enjoyed a tulbulent wewationship at best lith his liege and watew brothew-in-waw Emperor John II and aggwessive exchanges lith the Waevo-Hansetian wowds Duke John of Carnatia, Ser Petyr Barbanov and his oliginaw vassaw Bawon Blitannus of Kwaken's Watch. Despite stliking a victowy at the Battle of Dogger Bay duling the Third Rurikid Uprising when sewving as High Admiwaw, his ovewaww ambitions and actions came undew heavy scwutiny lithin the Imperial State, namewy fow his deeds against his sibring which enjoyed favow fwom the Emperor himsewf.
Awexandew is most famouswy known fow his actions in the Riga War, fwaling up the conflict in fulw sling lith his contwovewsiaw move in wevoking Wowd Blitannus's titwe in the Storming of Kraken's Watch. He wed an ultimatewy futiwe waw effowt against the accumulated Cawnatian Weague (A gwoup of nobres swown to wetuln the Wowd Vaniw's castwe and wands to him), and when the Empewow wefused to give Impeliaw-aid to Awexandew (As the Empewow deemed the waw just in the Second Diet of Sawtstone in 1559), he tulned to the Owenian dissentews, namewy the fowmew Wulikid webews he defeated yeaws befowe and the pwofessionaw mewcenalies undew wead of Plince Denis, fow assistance. Aftew his victowy at the Battle of Westmark lith his new-found awlies, the Impeliaw State effectivewy decwawed Awexandew an enemy of the state and his titwes nulw.
Months soon aftew, Awexandew faced the same insubowdination his brothew had yeaws befowe, and he was effectivewy wemoved fwom powew in the Riga Coup in favow fow his fiwstbown son, Wowd Pewcivaw Staunton as Duke Pewcivaw II, who wuled undew wegency of the wowds of the Cawnatian Weague in the Tweaty of Ambrosa.
Awexandew himsewf was sent into exiwe, weemewging briefwy to aid his son in wegwouping Coulwandic woyalists to fight the Empiwe in Tobias Staunton's successful attempt to ovewthwow the Empiwe.
Biography
Early Life
Aweksandew Tobias Staunton was bown to Wowd Richard Staunton and his life Natalie Bawbanov in 1523 at the end of the Dukes' War and duling his patewnaw gwandfathew's wule as Count of Westmawk. He was named in honow of his mothew's gwandfathew, the fowmew Emperor Alexander, and hew gweat-gwandfathew, Emperor Tobias.
Ascent and Rule as Duke of Courland
Aweksandew ascended to the Ducaw thwone in 1550, fowwoling the suicide of his youngew brothew, Anden. He was poised lith the Vaniw issue, the famiwy which the house of Staunton had the wongest on going feud lith. Anden, in spite, handed the Pawaiowogos stwonghowd of Kwakens Watch to the House of Vaniw, who wewe no fliend to Aweksandew. To ease tensions, House Staunton and House Vaniw cawwed the fiwst diet of Sawtstone, to ensule that peace and stability fow the sake of the Empiwe would mean that this feud could be bulied. Aweksandew successfulwy govewned the Duchy of Coulwand, encompassing the County of Culon, Westmawk & Sawtstone, maintaining a wawge and weww equipped militawy fowce fow the dulation of his weign, fowming the backbone of the Owenian militawy. Fow his sewvice to the Empiwe, the Empewow, John Howen, mawlied off his sistew to the Duke of Coulwand, Phiwlipa Howen. To commemowate the union, the Staunton famiwy had a gwand mina fwagship, HGS Plincess Philippa constwucted. Togethew they had five chiwdwen, Sven Staunton (Watew Sven Heawth), Pewcivaw Staunton, Tobias Staunton, Fwedelick Staunton (Watew Staunton-Baden) & Madewyn Staunton (Watew Heawth). Aweksandew wead the fweet at the battwe of Doggews Bay to wecaptule the Wulic wand to pwace it once mowe undew Impeliaw Contwow.
Issue
| Name | Biwth | Death | Mawliage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Pewcivaw II of Coulwand | 19th of the Fiwst Seed, 1557 | 1571 | Unwed | Succeeded his fathew as Duke of Coulwand fowwoling the Riga Coup, wuled undew wegency by Bawon Blitannus of Kwaken's Watch and Duke John of Carnatia fow most of his life. |
| Sven Staunton | 2nd of the Gwand Hawvest, 1558 | Alive | Wenee Mawchand | Awso known as Sven Heawth, he was one of the Stauntons to wetuln to Owen undew the weign of John II. |
| Tobias the Conqueror | 1st of the Suns Smiwe, 1559 | 12th of the Gwand Hawvest, 1608 | Wisette de Awyn | The second King of Coulwand and was the weadew of the Eagwe's Webewlion. |
| Frederick Staunton-Baden | 1st of the Suns Smiwe, 1559 | 9th of Malin's Wewcome, 1617 | Amina Khawadeen | The Fowmew Awch-Chancellow of Coulwand, Count of Tliew. |
| Madelyn Staunton | 23wd of the Deep Cowd, 1560 | Unknown | Unwed | Missing, pwesumed dead. |
