Sigismund III of Haense
|
|
Sigismund Karl Barbanov-Bihar (Common: Sigismund Charles; New Marian: Siegmund Karl), (1815-Present), regally known as Sigismund III is the nineteenth King of Hanseti-Ruska and the first born son of King Heinrik II and Mariya of Aurveldt.
Contents
Early Life (1815-1838)
Sigismund Karl Barbanov-Bihar was born on the 9th of the Deep Cold, 1815, in the capital of Haense, the Royal City of Karosgrad, as the eldest son to Heinrik II thus making him the Grand Prince of Kusoraev, the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska. Some months after his birth, Sigismund’s mother, Queen Mariya, was mysteriously murdered in the King’s office in 1815, however this was later revealed over a decade later to be a convoluted means to end her marriage and escape to the Orenian Empire by faking her death.
During his early childhood, Sigismund was noted as being a recluse and rarely in the public light, instead keeping to the Royal apartments of the Nikirala Palace. Whether this was done at the behest of his father, for fear of losing his son similarly to Queen Mariya, or if it came around due to Sigismund’s own wishes, is unclear but it undoubtedly had an effect on the future King. Due to his limited access to the wider world, Sigismund had few childhood friends besides his own sister, Princess Petra, to whom he was incredibly close to throughout his entire life. With the kind princess being his primary source of companionship, and with little influence of his stern father on him as he was busy with rulership, Sigismund grew up a far more temperate figure than King Heinrik II.
Education
Sigismund received an education befitting a future King, being taught extensively in the subjects of politics, history, warfare, stewardship, and theology. Under the tutelage of future Grand Maer and Aulic Envoy Feodor May primarily, Sigismund progressed well with all his lessons, being an especially studious child and showing a great aptitude for writing himself, being able to convey himself well in the written word from an early age.
By far Sigismund’s favourite topic of study was history, but not for the academic practice of it. Instead he enjoyed the stories it told of bygone ages and the romanticisation of tales, taking a particular interest in the retellings of knights, folk stories and legends. Sigismund brought his passion for these into constructive changes and literary works later in his life once he was King of Hanseti-Ruska.
Though not an especially gifted swordsman himself, Sigismund was trained by one of the finest of his generation, Ailred, Duke of Vidaus, in the later half of his childhood after getting a late start. With the late Duke’s guidance, Sigismund became a capable enough swordsman and tactician, putting both to show during his reign later during the Urguani-Orenian War.
Reign
Sigismund became the King of Hanseti-Ruska at the age of twenty-three following the abdication of his father, Heinrik II, in the ‘Edict of Abdication of 391 E.S’[1] in 1838, the second time ever a King of Hanseti-Ruska has abdicated and the first time for non-illness related reasons. Whilst an unusual occurrence, and potentially problematic for Sigismund that a former King still lived to be a claimant to his new throne, Sigismund was accepted very quickly and with little controversy being widely more popular than his controversial father. Sigismund III’s coronation took place in the Basilica of Saint Henrik by High Pontiff Everard VI in 1840.[2]
Early Reign (1838-1849)
Sigismund III’s first act as King was to put to use the system his father had all but ignored, petitioning the nobility and gentry of Haense to send their sons to serve as pages below him in a notice from the Nikirala Palace[3] in 1839. This eased Sigismund’s transition into ruler as he not only came to know a number of current and future peers after his reclusive childhood but also gained favour amongst them for taking nobles from their families under his wing. Notably, Sigismund put on show the staunch difference from his father, where he was stern and cold, Sigismund displayed compassion by taking Mariya Vyronov as a page. This was unusual due to her family’s relegation from nobility to commoner the previous year, by King Heinrik II, and a large departure from the norm for an acceptable squire. Later in his reign, Sigismund began incorporating this system of pages into the ranks of the knightly Order of the Crow as squires, many of whom he put through their trials and taught personally.
It was with the success of this that Sigismund went on in the next few years to introduce or augment further Haeseni traditions, steeped in the history of his new dual kingdom, naming the period himself as the ‘Sigismundic Era of Culture and Tradition’. The first of these changes came in 1840 with the introduction of the Valkskej[4], otherwise known in common as the ‘Peace of the Sword’. Originating from ancient deals made by the scyfling house of Volik to show their willingness to bear arms if the need arose to keep their word, Sigismund decided to incorporate it in regular Haeseni pact making following house Volik’s staunch support of Haense against the belligerent scyflings during the Scyfling Invasion of Hanseti-Ruska. Following this, Sigismund made sure to utilise this practice with every alliance made from then on. A year later, in 1841, King Sigismund also codified a ceremony for the bestowal of the golden bulava, the symbol of power for the office of the Lord Palatine who is the second most powerful person in the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, which he entitled ‘Veinir Bulava’[5]. Sigismund took inspiration from a similar ceremony used back during the reign of one of Sigismund’s ancestors and predecessors, King Stefan I.
Later in the same year, tragedy struck the usually optimistic and jovial, if even sometimes immaturely so, monarch when his wife, Emma of Jerovitz, delivered their first child, son and heir; Grand Prince Edvard Arjen. Born in 1841, the first Grand Prince lived for only approximately seven minutes before passing away due to a breathing related issue and in the arms of his father. This was made public in a statement from the Nikirala Palace[6]. This sent Sigismund into a depressive episode, developing a temper in some instances and despondency in others, with no sign of it letting up until nearly two years later when his daughter, Princess Klara Elizaveta, was born in 1843 which raised Sigismund’s spirits notably. The safe birth of the Princess was detailed in a missive from the government entitled ‘News from the Nikirala Palace’[7]. In this was also detailed the King’s brief travel to the far off Kingdom of Kalden as well as the Aulic Council sponsored committee set up to begin reviewing ‘Ve Haurul Caezk’, otherwise known as the Haeseni lawbook.
Michaelite Schism (1849-1850)
TBA
Urguani-Orenian War (1850-Present)
TBA
Ve Haurul Caezk (1851)
TBA
Marriage(s)
Sigismund III married Emma Kortrevich in the Basilica of Saint Henrik in 1836, officiated by the High Pontiff Everard VI. Wed two years before going on to become King, as the Grand Prince of Kusoraev the ceremony was large and lavish but by no means a surprise as the two had been courting for some years prior. The match was widely accepted as a loving and well placed one with Emma being the sister of Count Jan Kortrevich.
Titles, Styles and Honors
- 1815-1837: His Royal Highness, Sigismund Karl, Grand Prince of Kusoraev
- 1837-Present: His Royal Majesty, Sigismund III, King of Hanseti-Ruska
Full title as King of Hanseti-Ruska
The titles of Sigismund III are: His Royal Majesty Sigismund III, by the Grace of Godan King of Hanseti and Ruska, Defender of the Faith, Grand Hetman of the Army, Prince of Bihar, Dules, Lahy, Muldav, Solvesborg, Slesvik and Ulgaard, Duke of Carnatia and Vanaheim, Margrave of Korstadt, Rothswald and Vasiland, Count of Alban, Alimar, Baranya, Graiswald, Karikhov, Karovia, Kaunas, Kavat, Kovachgrad, Kvasz, Markev, Nenzing, Torun, and Toruv, Viscount of Varna, Baron of Esenstadt, Kraken’s Watch, Kralta, Krepost, Lorentz, Rytsburg, Thurant, Venzia and Astfield, Lord of the Westfolk, Protector of the Highlanders, etcetera.
Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Marriage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edvard Arjen, Grand Prince of Kusoraev | 1841 | 1841 | Unwed | Firstborn son of Sigismund III. |
| Princess Klara Elizaveta, Duchess of Baranya | 1843 | Aluve | Unwed | Firstborn daughter of Sigismund III. |
| Karl Sigmar, Grand Prince of Kusoraev | 1846 | Alive | Unwed | Secondborn son of Sigismund III. Twin to Prince Sergei. |
| Prince Sergei Aleksandr, Duke of Rothswald | 1846 | Alive | Unwed | Thirdborn son of Sigismund III. Twin to Grand Prince Karl. |
| Prince Josef Frederik, Duke of Schattenburg | 1849 | Alive | Unwed | Fourthborn son of Sigismund III. |
| Princess Maya Ceciliya, Duchess of Kreden | 1852 | Alive | Unwed | Secondborn daughter of Maric. |
