Josefina of Jerovitz
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Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay née Kortrevich (Common: Josephine Theodosia Irene) (14th of Sun’s Smile, 1876 - Present) is the youngest daughter of Nikolai I "The Good" Kortrevich, Count of Jerovitz and Esmée di Oxenstierna. She was the 3rd Princess-Consort of Sutica and the 7th Duchess-Consort of Reinmar. Josefina is the only surviving child of the Count and Countess-Consort of her five siblings, and is most well-known for her decades-long tenure as High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska, reviving the position that was unable to survive on its own under King Karl III.
Contents
Early Life (1876 - 1895)
Josefina Theodosya Renée Kortrevich was born to Nikolai I ‘The Good’ Mikhail Kortrevich, Count of Jerovitz, and his wife, Esmée di Oxenstierna on the 14th of Sun’s Smile, 1876, within the Viscounty of Krusev. She was extraordinarily close with her siblings, Esfir, Anton, Matviy, Inessa, and Vladrik, though often shy when out in public. Josefina was often rambunctious and playful among her family, closely resembling her father in appearance aside from the green eyes inherited from her mother.
Allegedly, Josefina was an avid reader, having frequently been depicted holding a book in portraits painted during her childhood. She often made use of Jerovitz’s library when her brothers and sisters were away, remaining mainly on Jerovitz soil with her parents until she turned seven years old. She was nicknamed Josie early in her life by her father, a nickname which has persisted to the present day.
She briefly warded under Queen Amadea of Susa before beginning her career in stewardry in 1890, at fourteen years old.
During Queen Amadea’s Lifstala (the Haeseni social season) of 1891, Josefina debuted into Haeseni high society with her eldest sister, and her demeanor noticeably began to mellow due to the extreme scrutiny and competitiveness of the season. Though she continued to joke with those she felt most comfortable with, she became much calmer as opposed to the exuberance of her childhood. In the same year, King Karl III bestowed the County of Jerovitz on the House of Kortrevich, and the family keep was redesigned and rebuilt under the name Karov, where Josefina lived until her marriage in 1895.
Marriage
Josefina was married to Wilheim II Konstanz Barclay in the chapel at Wilheburg in 1895, officiated by Venerable Katerina Cardinal Jorenus, three years after they entered into a betrothal. The match repaired relations between Houses Kortrevich and Barclay that had been significantly damaged by the demotion of Barclay, lobbied for by Jan I "The Envoy", Count of Jerovitz. The pair were well-suited and loving, having known each other for years before a courtship began.
Family Life (1895 - Present)
Unfortunately, Josefina’s parents passed on in 1898, the same year her first son was born. The sudden and unexpected deaths, murder in the case of her mother, deeply affected Josefina. Until the Hanseti-Ruska of Almaris was ultimately abandoned after coming under siege by the Mori’Quessir, Josefina only sparingly visited Jerovitz and its chapel, the place where her mother’s body was found.
She became close with her sister-in-law, Edith of Reinmar, having learned jewelry-making from her before Edith’s own marriage to the then Crown Prince James of Aaun, Lord of Alba, and her subsequent move to the Heartlands. During Aaun’s continued conflict with the Duchy of Adria, Josefina hosted Princess Adeline, Prince John of Aaun, and Princess Augusta of Aaun at Reinmar at Edith’s behest, raising them for a time alongside her own children before they returned to New Vienne. Josefina also often spent time with the children of her sister, Esfir, and her brothers, Matviy and Vladrik, frequently watching over them so their parents could work unbothered.
Josefina continued to share a close relationship with her siblings until their deaths, though she only openly mourned all except Anton, who had been disowned decades prior.
In 1927, Wilheim abdicated his titles, and their son, Manfred, took up the mantle of Prince of Sutica and Duke of Reinmar.
High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska (1906 - 1932)
Josefina was appointed High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska by King Georg I in 1906, for her dedication as a steward and as the Kastellan of Stewardry under King Karl III. She was the second longest presiding Seneschal, resigning in 1932 with a total of twenty-five years and six months served in the position.
During her tenure, she introduced the Offices of Immigration and Inspections, meant to stand alongside the Office of Stewardry under the Seneschal to better serve the Haeseni people. The Office of Immigration’s purpose was to aid those wishing to immigrate to the Dual Kingdom, providing language lessons and assistance in finding work. The Office of Inspections’ purpose was to assist the Seneschal in canvassing the city for vandalism, illegal tenants, and crime.
At the time of her retirement, Josefina had spent forty-two years as a steward for the Crown of Hanseti-Ruska.
The Robertine Order of Merit
Josefina was inducted into the Robertine Order of Merit in 1932 by her nephew, King Aleksandr II, after retiring from the position of High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska, for her work in settling the Dual Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska in the Royal City of Valdev after the migration from Almaris to Aevos. She aided in housing hundreds of citizens and fostered a workable administration during the transition, before ultimately stepping back once the city had stabilized, allowing her son Manfred to take her place.
Titles, Honors, and Styles
Titles
- 1895 - 1927 Princess-Consort of Sutica, Duchess-Consort of Reinmar, Countess-Consort of Freimark and Kretzen, Baroness-Consort of Madvon and Freising, Lady of Wilheburg, Erwinsburg, Freiburg, and Rozenfeld
- 1898 - 1906 Kastellan of Stewardry
- 1906 - 1932 High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska
Honors
- 1932 The Robertine Order of Merit (KOM)
Styles
- 1876 - 1890 Her Ladyship, Josefina Theodosya Renée Kortrevich
- 1895 - 1898 Her Princely Grace, Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay, Princess-Consort of Sutica, Duchess-Consort of Reinmar, Countess-Consort of Freimark and Kretzen, Baroness-Consort of Madvon and Freising, Lady of Wilheburg, Erwinsburg, Freiburg, and Rozenfeld
- 1898 - 1906 Her Princely Grace, Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay, Princess-Consort of Sutica, Duchess-Consort of Reinmar, Countess-Consort of Freimark and Kretzen, Baroness-Consort of Madvon and Freising, Lady of Wilheburg, Erwinsburg, Freiburg, and Rozenfeld, Kastellan of Stewardry
- 1906 - 1927 Her Excellency, Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay, Princess-Consort of Sutica, Duchess-Consort of Reinmar, Countess-Consort of Freimark and Kretzen, Baroness-Consort of Madvon and Freising, Lady of Wilheburg, Erwinsburg, Freiburg, and Rozenfeld, High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska
- 1927 - 1932 Her Excellency, Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay, High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska
- 1932 - Present Her Ladyship, Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay, KOM
Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Marriage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manfred II Johann Barclay | 1898 | Alive | Ravenna of Thurant | Firstborn son and heir of Wilheim II Barclay and Josefina. |
| Georg Leopold Barclay | 1903 | Alive | Unmarried | Secondborn son of Wilheim II Barclay and Josefina. |
| Winifred Clarisse Barclay | 1907 | Alive | Unmarried | Firstborn and only daughter of Wilheim II Barclay and Josefina. |
| Konstanz Gottfried Barclay | 1908 | Alive | Unmarried | Thirdborn son of Wilheim II Barclay and Josefina. |
