The History of Grandelumiere

The history of Grandelumiere spans from 1361 until the present day, ruled by the Grandelumierian monarchy, originally under the kings of Grandelumiere, later the emperors of Grandelumiere. The monarchs and their consorts have largely ruled as the absolute authority in the nation, only sometimes wielding less power than the nobility and statesmen. 
== The Formation of Grandelumiere ==
Grandelumiere is the de facto successor state to the Duchy of Burgundy, whose last ruler was Duke Philippe from House Burgundy (Maison Bourgogne) who died in 1361, on November 21st. Upon the death of the Philippe, Charles Lowell-Bourbon laid claim to the duchy. He had until this time been a relatively unknown and minor nobleman, a vassal lord of Philippe. However, the Kingdom of France, under the rule of Jean II le Bon, also laid claim to the territory. Due to this dual claim to the territory, the two sides began a long conflict over the region. Most of the vassal Lords and citizens of Burgundy and its holdings sided with the Lowell-Bourbon House to keep independence from the French. The French nobles largely fought on behalf of the French Crown with Jean II being absent from the battlefield itself, fighting the English encroachment on their Kingdom. 
Charles was largely present on the battlefield, alongside his fellow vassal lords. Though the Burgundians largely held off the French at the western borders of their territory, the invading army did manage to briefly capture and hold Dijon. But the civilians of Dijon revolted against the French Army and successfully regained control. There had been more close attempts by the French Army to recapture Dijon, but none of them proved effective.
The duel waged on for two years, ending December 19th, 1363, forcing the French to give up their claim to the Duchy of Burgundy. The Burgundians, as well as Lowell-Bourbon, celebrated their triumphant victory by holding a festival at the capital of Burgundy, Dijon. Duke Charles Lowell-Bourbon then decided to officially annexe Burgundy. It was suggested that House Lowell-Bourbon create a kingdom by the name of "Grandelumiere", which is a reference to God, heaven and light; the literal translation is "Great Light".
== History of Grandelumiere's Monarchs ==
=== Monarchs as the King/Queen of Grandelumiere ===
==== King Charles I, 1361-1378 ====
Other than being a competent military commander, Charles was a notedly bad politician. He failed to oversee and enforce taxation, almost bankrupting the newly founded Kingdom due to lack of funds for which to pay the massive war expenses he had accrued. The vassal lords of the kingdom grew powerful within the first years of the kingdom, taking vast chunks out of the original Burgundian holdings. This was compounded by the fact he was rarely present and was often caught up in many battles against the French, gaining territory to add to his new Kingdom.
No true government structure was ever formed under Charles; most governance was overseen by the feudal lords of directly, who ruled their respective territories and levied their own taxes. However, this was not all bad as the nobles served Charles with loyalty on the battlefield against the French. Whether this was of loyalty or greed to gain more land is questionable, however. Charles' personal finances made it difficult for him to effectively preside over the nation. Despite this political incompetence, he is still a widely celebrated figure within the state as their founder. 
In his personal life, he had married the daughter of the French King, Isabelle de France, who became the first Duchess of Burgundy and later Queen of Grandelumiere of the name. They had four children together, one son and three daughters. Their first child, Marie, died in infancy which permitted their son, Louis to take the throne.
==== King Louis I, 1378-1391 ====
After the death of late King Charles I, who died on the battlefield during the battle of Vosges, Louis assumed the throne in 1378, December 10th with his mother becoming Dowager Queen. Louis I was much more successful in establishing a structured and stable government. However, many doubted his reign due to the failures of late King Charles I. This structure was referred to as Le Conseil and was composed of the leaders of each major noble house.
There were a few protests against his regime, but none of them had reached a violent level. He planned out a government and wished to bring back the glory of his family's name. He hired Louis Charles Chevalier as his Aide-de-Camp and together, they formed the early government of Grandelumiere.
Louis had married Blanche de Flandes. He had 6 children, three of them dying in childhood, and the eldest surviving became Heiress. Louis would then die aged 44, from what is thought to be cancer. 
==== Queen Marie I and Louis II, 1391-1434 ====
Marie assumed the throne of Grandelumiere on the death of her father, Louis I, in 1391. She was the last of her immediate family, for her siblings and parents had died before her coronation. She continued with her fathers' reforms but came under the influence of a small group of powerful Dukes who empowered themselves financially at the expense of the lower nobility. They did not, however, weaken the monarchy to the levels of Charles I.  
The main issue during her reign was her marriage. She had married aged 13 to Louis de Baviera. Succession to the throne had permitted females to inherit, but the Dukes were unhappy with this. Le Conseil forced Marie into signed documentation which meant that she, and every future Empress, would rule as Co-Monarch with their husband. Marie did not like granting her husband co-sovereignty to her nation, but could not risk civil war, it is due to this that their marriage was often tense as the two disagreed on many topics. 
Marie and Louis had seven children together, however, 3 were stillborn and two died in childhood. Their eldest son would become heir and their youngest child, a daughter, married a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire.
=== Monarchs as the Emperor/Empress of Grandelumiere ===
==== King/Emperor Charles II, 1434-1441 ====
Charles had a relatively short reign, only lasting 7 years. He did, however, reform the Kingdom into the Empire, as he sought the glory of the Roman Empire. He also spent much time conquering land from France, taking Valois into the Imperial Domain, taking full advantage of the Hundred Years' War, while France was occupied with the English forces.
It was assumed that he was assassinated on April 4th, 1441 at the Castle Villemaison but the cause of his death remains shrouded in mystery. He did, however, marry Isabelle de Portugal. They four children; all of who survived.
====Empress Marie II and Louis III, 1441-1465====
Marie's reign would be marked by the struggle between herself ad her brother Henri. Henri wanted the power of his sister, and looked to the laws of other Kingdoms, arguing he should inherit as a male. This infighting became so heightened that the two fought frequently in wars, causing the Decade of Strife from 1443 until 1454. Powerful nobles sided with opposing sides and fought for their ideologies. This civil war was ended when Marie II offered a peace, in the form of the Duchy of Valois. Henri accepted her peace agreement, and took Valois, establishing the House Lowell-Valois. 
Besides the Decade of Strife, Marie reformed Le Conseil, into the Petit Conseil, with select positions on it. She was also the first to decree absolute monarchy and was, surprisingly, supported by her brother in her move. Louis de Bourbon, her husband, fought many wars for his wife, though he mostly fought for gains in the north and east, rather than against the French crown. 
She had three children from her marriage which survived her.
====Empress Elisabeth and Charles III, 1465-1468====
Elisabeth was the younger sister of Marie II and was never intended to be the heir. However, Elisabeth orchestrated the murder of her sisters' children and took the throne for herself. She was married to Charles de York, who continued the wars fought by Louis III. He fought the long battle of Paris, laying siege to the city for several months. The Grandelumierian army succeeded, capturing Paris and taking it into the Domain.  
Besides the capture of Paris, the couple achieved little else of note. In fact, the most important documentation besides Paris was after the death of Elisabeth. Charles III had survived his wife and despite being co-sovereign, the throne passed to Elisabeth's 1st cousin, Philippe. This led to the granting of a new title specific to future Co-Emperor's who'd survive their wives. This title was Mon Grand-Seigneur de l'Empire, often shortened to Mon Grand Seigneur.
====Emperor Philippe I, 1468-1476====
Philippe took over the reign of Grandelumiere during a period of intense rivalry between France and Grandelumiere, following the defeat at Paris. He spent much money for his knights to receive the best armour and weaponry, to ensure the wars in these regions would turn in their favour. 
He is most notable for seeing the empire through several recurrences of the black plague and funding clerical charitable hospitals. These hospitals took in the poor and sick, treating them for plague illnesses, as well as any other illnesses. During this time, the number of churches, monasteries and abbeys grew to accommodate these hospitals and schools, which were built specifically to help train in the fields of medicine.
Louis married Marie de Castille and together had ten children, the majority dying in infancy. Their eldest, Henri, married and had children before succeeding, and would die of the plague in 1474. Philippe himself died of the black plague two years later.
====Emperor Louis IV, 1476-1493====
thumb|223x223px|Louis IV, Emperor of Grandelumiere, King of Burgundy and Belgium
Louis took the throne following his grandfathers' death. He was devastated by the loss of his grandfather and father, but he remained dedicated to protecting his empire from the black plague. He continued his grandfather's legacy by continuing to fund these medical schools and hospitals as well as the now ongoing war with France. However, the military took a large blow from the black plague, causing massive amounts of causalities. The capital of Grandelumiere, Dijon, also became vulnerable to the black plague. It wiped out half of the population and called for quarantine. 
Louis married Marguerite de Valois, his 2nd cousin. They had a total of 6 children, two of them dying at infancy. Their eldest son, Louis, assumed the throne in 1493 following the death of his father from typhoid fever.
====Emperor Louis V, 1493-1499====
Louis took the throne following his fathers' death. His armies set about conquering France, with the assistance of the Holy Roman Empire and eventually conquers all of France (excluding some minor territories in the south and west which would be conquered slowly over the next century). Louis V of Grandelumiere had Charles VIII executed in Dijon, along with his entire immediate family.  
He also had his wife, Anne de Bretagne, executed for trumped up charges of treason. He had her beheaded after failing to secure a divorce and remarried, to Jane de Ferrara.  
His reign was extremely unpopular with the general populace, as he clamped down on his people with an iron fist. He was himself assassinated by his eldest daughter, Marie. She assumed the throne in 1499.
====Empress Marie III and Francois, 1499-1512====
thumb|250x250px|Marie III, Empress of Grandelumiere, Queen of Belgium, Burgundy and France
Marie, after having a group of nobles assassinate her father, took the throne by executing her siblings afterwards to ensure her position. She had them burnt on fake accusations of heresy or treason, despite only being 14 herself. The nobles had assisted her as they believed they would have more control over a young girl. Her reign would begin the Century of Death, a period of political instability due to infighting from the ruling house and manic zealotry. 
She married Francois d'Orleans, one of the nobles who had conspired against Louis III, despite the fact that Francois was 36. Together they had nine children. Henri, their eldest son, would remain with his mother as Heir and was often maltreated. His father cared little and their mother put her religious paranoia above her children. Her children would not be the only ones to suffer her religious paranoia, as she executed many non-Catholics, particularly those of Jewish origin.
Marie would die aged 27 due to complications in delivering her 10th child, who died with her.
====​Emperor Henri, 1512-1534====
Henri assumed the throne aged 11, his father acting as regent for him. His reign was more peaceful, as Henri was a timid boy, who had been beaten into submission by his mother, and frequently allowed his ministers to do his work for him. These beating would have an effect on the boy nonetheless, who would suffer periods of insanity.
Henri was often favoured by the lower classes, but not the nobility, due to his kindly nature and timidness. Some had even plotted for his assassination, but the attempts proved unsuccessful. Additionally, during his reign, he had made a formal alliance with Holy Roman Empire. Despite his popularity and general kindness, he did suffer bouts of insanity, ordering hundreds to be executed on loose allegations of being Protestants. 
Henri married Isabelle de Portugal and had a total of 8 children. The youngest died at the age of 3 from measles, but otherwise, all the children survived. Henri was stabbed to death by his brother, Charles.
====Emperor Charles IV, 1534-1535====
Louis took over the throne following the death of Henri II in 1534 and executed his brother's children. His reign begun with an annulment of the alliance with the Holy Roman Empire, and in fact, immediately followed this by declaring war over what he perceived as attacks to his sovereignty over Lorraine. Several territories were gained from this war, including Nassau and Liege.
These long drawn out wars with the Holy Roman Empire depleted the treasury. His government levied higher taxes and cut charitable donations to the Church. Despite removing money to the Church, he did also practise the burning of witches and heretics which had now become the norm. 
Charles had married Marie d'Aragon but had no children. Charles would be found dead, strangled in the woodland, reportedly by his nephew Louis' guards. Louis would succeed him.
====Emperor Louis VI, 1535-1542====
After the death of his uncle, Charles IV, Louis ascended to the throne of Grandelumiere. He continued the wars against the north, taking much of the Low-Countries and some territories to the west, mainly Tubingen. His reign also marked the formation of the Petit Conseil as it is today introducing the use to Lord Chancellor and Imperial Chancellor. 
He had his uncle killed however for one reason, he had sympathies for the protestant faith. Louis abolished the Inquisition and executed members of the clergy who refused to set aside their issues with the protestant faith. He had made plans to execute his sister, Marie, however, these would never come about.
Louis had married Marie de Montpensier and had 4 children total, however, they all died.
====Empress Marie IV and Philippe II, 1542-1558====
Marie took the throne from her brother and ruled over Grandelumiere with little trouble, except when it came to protestant affairs, in this department, she was the opposite of Louis VI.
She is known for her piety and religious zeal, executing hundreds of protestants for heresy against the Catholic faith. These mass burnings were attended by Marie herself who would watch from her chair erected in the city centre of Dijon to watch.  She did, however, stabilise the economy, though this is largely credited to her Imperial Chancellor, the Cardinal Guyenne. The majority of her Chancellors were notably clerics owing to her zealotry.  
She married Philippe de Nassau and had one child, Marie. Both Marie and Philippe would be assassinated by the Protestant Jean Rou.
====Empress Marie V, 1558-1562====
Marie V became Empress aged 9, and her nation was ruled for her by her 1st Cousin once removed, Cardinal Louis de Bretagne (future Louis VII) as Regent. Her regent burnt many heretics and witches and suppressed revolts with swift, brutal action.  
Marie would die aged 13 from poisoning. Since she had no children due to her lack of marriage and no living siblings, her Regent, and cousin, Cardinal Louis, became Emperor, who is widely known to have overseen the poisoning. 
Marie V also holds a distinction for two reasons. Firstly, she is the first and only sovereign of the Empire to never rule in their own right. Secondly, she is the only Empress to date not to have a co-sovereign, as she was too young to marry. 
====Cardinal-Emperor Louis VII, 1562-1593====
Louis VII shared the same ideals as Marie IV, and he believed protestants were heretics against the Catholic church. He was also known for rounding up many protestants and sending them to various fortress prisons which specialised in torturing protestants. Many people revolted against his regime, especially those who sought religious freedom. Many thousands were burnt or otherwise executed, however, and all rebellions were put down using violent force. 
Louis was contested by various family members, two of which he executed, and others were thrown into the Bastion. Besides this, only a few territories were gained from the Holy Roman Empire.  
Louis had several illegitimate children with the Duchesse d'Orleans, however, they could never be recognised due to his position. He would be executed by his nephew in 1593.
====Emperor Louis VIII, 1593-1608====
Louis VIII took the throne by force in 1593 after a staged coup d'etat. He personally executed his uncle, Louis VII, by beheading him with his own sword. This move was denounced by the papacy and began a period of tension between the Papacy and the Empire. Beyond this, the rebellion of 1599 broke out, ultra-zealous Catholics denounced Louis VIII, at the instigation of the Pope. These rebellions were dealt with lightly so as to not send the nation into civil war.
He married Louise de Lorraine, and together had only two children, Charles and Louis. Charles would die of convulsions leaving Louis as Heir. Louis VIII would himself eventually die of a stroke. His death marked the end of the Century of Death.
====Emperor Louis IX, 1608-1609====
Louis had been sickly for the majority of his life. He was married and had a surviving grandchild upon his ascension to the throne. His rule was one of the shortest in history. Due to its length, he achieved little of note. 
Louis' rule ended with his death, owing to his long record of ill health. He was succeeded by his grandson Charles.
====Emperor Charles V, 1609-1645====
Charles' ideas were heavily influenced by late Emperor Charles II's beliefs. He was a strong advocate for imperialism and wished to expand the borders of Grandelumiere. He spent a fortune expanding the army and navy, conquering much land in the north of the New World. This region became Nouvelle-Grandelumiere.  
Charles overlooked the Empire itself, which caused riots and one major revolution that threatened the security of Grandelumiere. He is known for one event at Dijon when revolutionaries were becoming violent. He called for the murder of every rioter in Dijon. There were only 2 survivors; they described the event as brutal and "uncalled for". This outraged the public, and the revolution became more turbulent and gruesome.
The revolution died down after Charles had successfully suppressed the revolutionaries by military force. He married Catherine de Normandie. They had two children, the second, Louis Philippe, was born and lived, however, his mother would die giving birth to him.  
====Empress Anne and Charles VI, 1645-1657====
Empress Anne took over the throne from her father, Charles V, without the issues that had occurred through several previous monarchs. The only issue that had been considered was her brother, Louis Philippe. Though her advisers, taking a note from history, suggested that she offer her brother a House of his own to placate his desires for power. She would immediately do so, which sparked the creation of House Lowell-Brittany when she offered Brittany to Louis. She raised Brittany from a Duchy to a Principality for him too. 
Her reign had few wars, and there was little fighting within the government itself. She continued to suppress the protestants, but without much violence. She gained few territories, and truces were arranged between Grandelumiere and the Holy Roman Empire. 
She married Charles d'Autriche. Together they had five children, 3 boys and two girls. Their eldest son, Charles took the throne upon her death.
====Emperor Charles VII, 1657-1692====
Charles VII took the throne of his mother in 1657. He organised the military back into a powerful force, fighting several defensive wars against the Holy Roman Empire, which tried to claim back the Low Countries and Tubingen. The Emperor was present himself on the battlefield, overseeing these victories.  
Back home several small fights between noble houses were breaking out, and he had his Imperial Chancellor, Cardinal Vosges, lead several battles against the rebellious houses. Vosges also oversaw the majority of the state politics, becoming increasingly more powerful. 
left|thumb|218x218px|Louis X, Emperor of all Grandelumiere
He married Marie Charlotte de Bretagne, his first cousin, and together had three children.  
====Emperor Louis X, 1692-1695====
Louis X was the grandson of Charles VII, his father, Louis Etienne, having died before he could succeed. His move to the throne was peaceful. His rule was, similarly to his predecessor, ruled over by his Chancellor, Cardinal Vosges. 
Louis would be uninterested in politics, paying more attention to hunting and philosophy. He married Anastasie Genevieve de Valois and had 4 children. He would die after an accident, leaving his infant son to take the throne.
====Emperor Louis XI, 1695-1767====
Louis XI succeeded his father on 24th of August, 1695. The beginning of his reign was overseen by his mother, as his Regent, and then Cardinal Vosges until his death in 1717. Louis would be incredibly pious, like his sister Sophie.
He was a devout catholic and worked to maintain the church while suppressing other religions through the exclusion of non-Catholics from holding Chancellor position, preventing non-Catholics marrying into the Imperial Family and preventing non-Catholics being awarded knightly orders. He also greatly added land mass, through several wars, including those against the Holy Roman Empire, Switzerland, Genoa and Savoy. He is perhaps most well known for making his court more elaborate than his predecessors. He is more affectionately known as the Grandfather of the Houses, for his policy of marrying his family into the powerful Houses of Grandelumiere. He died from internal injuries, leaving his throne to his grandson. 
He married Elisabeth Justine de Valois and had 20 pregnancies. However, it is well documented his primary use for his children was an extension of his own glory and position. He had 17 children to various mistresses over time, with 14 living children from his wife. However, only one of his illegitimate children were ever legitimised. 
==== Emperor Louis XII, 1767-1769 ====
Louis XII succeeded his great-grandfather, his own father and grandfather dying of smallpox beforehand. His reign started while 19 years of age.
He married Marie Josephe de Montpensier. His reign was noted as one of luxury at its beginning, the nobility increasingly isolated as one group away from the serfs. During his short reign, he was noted as a lavish spender himself, with several gifts for ladies of the court. However, his main distinction is that of first Emperor to die as a result of the revolution, forced from Saint-Etienne to the capital of Dijon where he would be imprisoned and later executed in public. 
He was executed for crimes against the State by the revolutionaries and succeeded by his son, Louis Francois. He had three children, two of which would take the throne.
==== Emperor Louis XIII, 1769-1770 ====
Louis XIII succeeded his father to the throne while himself still imprisoned. He had succeeded as a result of the revolution and was imprisoned at the Tour de Temple at the time of his rule. He would never be coronated and thus is a disputed Emperor, but he was recognised by the revolutionary authorities at the time as Emperor, and his successors have since recognised him and his brothers reigns as official.
He would achieve nothing in his reign due to the shortness of it. He was married to Marie Victoire de Valois prior to his imprisonment and had children, all of which would die in the Temple prior to his own death.
==== Emperor Charles VIII, 1770-1771 ====
Charles VIII would succeed to the throne on his brothers' death. He would be reluctant to take the throne due to the death he now associated with it. In fact, as a result of his time in prison, he had come to fear the throne, predicting it would be his death.
His short reign, though not as short as predecessors, saw the end of the revolution and freedom from the prison of the Temple. He would begin the groundwork for the restoration of justice through auto-de-fe's in extrme cases and otherwise mass imprisonments and public floggings. He would look to his sister-in-law for advice when in need and otherwise attempted to maintain order when freed.
Ironically, now free from the temple and revolution which he thought would kill him on the throne, he was assassinated by his uncle for the throne, who would succeed him as Louis XIV.
==== Emperor Louis XIV, 1771-Present ====
Category:Monarchs of Grandelumiere