Terran Emperor

The Terran Emperor, also referred to in documents as the Emperor of the Terrans or of the Terran Empire, is a hereditary imperial title held by the sovereign ruler of the Terran Empire from its founding in 2430 to its dissolution in 2675. The title continues to be held by the head of the House of Compton, among other titles, as its paramount honour in the peerage of the Republic. The title evolved out of certain political developments in the Terran Federation, and was proclaimed by the Terran Parliament to consolidate the succession to the head of state. The first emperor was crowned in Rome on 25 March 2430.
== Ideology ==
Internally, the Emperor became the centre of the new ideology of progressive conservatism of the Terran Empire. Deliberately imitating 19th century Napoleonic terminology and methods, the first Terran Emperors aspired to be strong, executive monarchs of a highly centralized and powerful government that would provide for the welfare of its subjects, bypassing local and planetary government. But this ideal was hamstrung by the constitutional restrictions placed upon the Emperor, and most successors of William I were unable to enact reform on a national scale. The Empire became embroiled in feudalism, which various Emperors opposed and attempted to confront directly with the Imperial armed forces. This combination of modern and ancient political systems within the Empire created an blurred public picture of the Emperor as simultaneously mediaeval monarch, modern head of state, and Classical conqueror.
From its outset, the Terran Crown utilized Classical Roman imagery to convey the Emperor as a continuation of Roman notions of "universal empire". Roman armaments, portraiture, architecture, and terminology pervaded the public relations of the Crown. The close personal relationship between the Terran Emperors and the Roman communion of the United Catholic Church both enhanced this image and drew controversy for its blurring the boundary between Church and State. The Terran Emperors persistently denied any fusion between state and religion, maintaining that their Catholicism was a personal choice by the Imperial family.
From its second incumbent, Emperor Baldwin I, the Terran Emperors also absorbed mediaeval imagery and connotations into their public image, particularly related to the Carolingian Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. This was maintained as a manifestation of the additional titles of the Terran Emperor, which included Holy Roman Emperor, King of Jerusalem, and Emperor of Constantinople. This too attracted criticism for allegedly violating secular principles of the Imperial Constitution. This also provoked a feud with the House of Osman, which led to plots against the Crown and the assassination of two emperors. A few other emperors died in combat in the 2470s to 2520s, engaging in the feudal wars of the Early Empire.
After the Marian Reforms in the 2520s, the Imperial office became a parliamentary monarchy with significantly expanded executive powers within a centralized governing system. The chief officers of state and government were now legally responsible only to the Emperor, though convention would make the Cabinet responsible to Parliament, and cooperation between Crown and Parliament remained a practical necessity. The Imperial Crown increasingly adopted ceremonial aspects of mediaeval kingship while presenting themselves as venerable sovereigns of an ancient tradition. The House of Compton's ties to European royalty through marriage enhanced this self-image, according to Imperial historians. This "Second Empire" era abolished the preceding federal structure, centralized the administration, expanded the military, and abolished direct feudal rule.
== The Emperor ==
The Emperor as an office of state was hereditary and based on equal primogeniture with no preference towards any particular gender or sex. The Emperor's eldest child immediately became heir presumptive upon the succession of the Emperor. The line of succession then went according to the eldest child's children, then to the eldest child's siblings and their children in birth order. For instance, if a Crown Prince died without issue, their next eldest sibling would become heir. If they died, their children would become heirs before their next sibling did. All siblings, children, and grandchildren of an Emperor were automatically given the rank of Prince and afforded honorary titles of the House of Compton. Many members of the house also held dukedoms in their own right. The specific title and position of Crown Prince was conferred and revoked solely by Imperial decree with the advice and consent of Parliament, and created an heir apparent out of the heretofore heir presumptive.
The heir was considered to have succeeded upon the death of the previous Emperor. Nonetheless, a formal coronation ceremony was seen as traditional and legitimizing. The ceremonies could be elaborate or simple, depending on the tastes of the monarch and the public mood. Sometimes religious imagery and rhetoric played a part, sometimes it did not. When it did, though Catholic ritual dominated, all of Earth's organized religions were present and had a representative bless the crown jewels and the Emperor. This signified the unity of Earth's people, regardless of creed, behind the Crown as well as the Crown's inclusionary policy.
=== The Court ===
The Imperial Court was constituted as an executive office to assist the Emperor in the exercise of his or her duties and prerogatives, as a ceremonial household for the Emperor, and as a functional household of high servants for the Emperor. The highest offices of the Court were vested in hereditary princes of imperial or royal rank. Other attendants included titled nobles, knights, squires, and pages, comprising many thousands of personnel. While the court was not the centre of government, it was the symbolic and diplomatic centre of the state. The Crown, as a legal entity, constituted the Imperial State in all its forms, and the Imperial Court was the collective body of the Emperor and his extended group of attendants and officers.
The high officers were:
* The Lord High Steward, vested in the Emperor of Luna. The Lord High Steward was responsible for coordinating Court officers and presiding in lieu of the Emperor. The Lord High Steward was statutorily responsible for exercising the regency in the event of an Emperor's minority or absence, or during an interregnum, and could act as Prince-Regent of the Empire in those situations. In the coronations, the Steward presented the crown to the Emperor and held it while the Emperor placed their hand on it to swear the coronation oath. The Steward also presided over trials of peers in the House of Lords.
* The Lord High Chancellor, vested in the African Emperor. The Lord High Chancellor was responsible for managing the day-to-day affairs of the Court and presided over the constitutional court of the House of Lords. In the coronations, the Chancellor bore the globe-capped sceptre and handed it to the Emperor. Custody of the Great Seal of the Empire is also entrusted to the Chancellor.
* The Lord High Marshal, vested in the King of Great Britain. The Lord High Marshal was responsible for the armed security of the Court and the properties it directly managed. The Marshal initially had purview over the personal defence of the monarch, but this role gradually fell to military units and to the Personal Imperial Guard, a branch of the Imperial Gendarmes. In the coronations, the Lord High Marshal bore the sword Joyeuse and belted it around the Emperor's waist.
* The Lord High Chamberlain, vested in the Emperor of Russia. The Lord High Chamberlain was made responsible for managing the Imperial palaces. The Chamberlain has the sole right during coronation to vest the monarch in their coronation robes, mantle, and cape.
* The Lord High Constable, vested in the Emperor and King of France. The Constable had responsibilities for the Imperial stables, managing the Emperor's horses and ensuring their proper care and training, as well maintaining the Emperor's fleet of carriages, chariots, and automobiles. During the coronations, the Lord High Constable would lead the Imperial Horse Guard in the procession to the coronation site and would stand outside the building with the horses of the guard and the Imperial carriage or chariot. The Constable also presided over legal cases regarding the misuse of heraldry and heraldic arms, heard in the House of Lords as the High Court of Chivalry.
*
Other household offices existed, some of which granted the holder noble rank for their term of office, some of which granted lifetime nobility, and some of which were hereditary:
* The Lord Huntsman, who nominally organized and directed Imperial hunts, particularly domestic stag and boar hunts, but others as well, including the rare but prized Tyrannosaurus rex hunt on remote colony worlds. The Lord Huntsman was also responsible for the care and training of the Emperor's hunting hounds, different packs of which were maintained at the Imperial lodges.
* The Lord Falconer, who directed Imperial hunts which used birds of prey rather than dogs to flush or track the quarry. This position was rarely utilised but was filled throughout the Empire's existence.
* The Lord Provost, who had nominal control over the groundskeepers and security of the main Imperial palace in Brussels, but later had their responsibilities diverted to the Personal Imperial Guard.
* Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, also simply called Lord Privy Seal, who was responsible for guarding and proper usage of the Imperial Privy Seal.
* Lord Bannerbearer, hereditary in the House of Hanover, who was responsible for bearing the Emperor's banner during all ceremonial functions.
* Lord Keeper of the Privy Purse, also called simply Lord Privy Purse, who was given responsibility for the Emperor's personal finances, including management of the civil list, imperial grants, and all semi-private expenditures of the monarch. This is separate from the Treasurer of the Empire, a political office which managed the finances of the Crown and Empire, which was often co-held by the Prime Minister.
* Keeper of the Imperial Archives, who was responsible for keeping and maintaining the archive of the Emperor's personal records, including correspondence, books, photographs and other records, in both hard-copy form in the Imperial Library and in the form of a digital database. The Keeper is assisted by the Royal Librarian, who manages the day-to-day functions of the hard copy archive.
* Lord Butler, who was the head of the Emperor's domestic staff. The Lord Butler was the only member of the domestic staff who was conferred noble rank for life..
* Imperial Cupbearer, who was a member of the Emperor's domestic staff granted noble rank for their term of office. The Cupbearer was responsible for bearing the Emperor's cup in the coronation feast and stood in attendance with the cup in hand during the coronation ceremony. More practically, the Imperial Cupbearer guarded both the Emperor's drink and food against poisoning attempts. Failure in this latter task was met with dismissal and prosecution, as in the case of the death of Emperor Baldwin I.
* Imperial Playmaster, who organized the Emperor's attendance to the opera, theatre, ballet, and cinema.
* Lord Physician, who was the chief medical officer responsible for the personal health and well-being of the Emperor, but could also be called upon to examine and treat the Imperial Family, the officers of the Court, and the Emperor's domestic staff. The Lord Physician was typically a former Imperial Navy or Spacy surgeon. The officer conferred noble rank for the holder's term of office.
* Master of the Swans, an officer responsible for feeding and caring for the Emperor's flocks of swans present on the Emperor's properties.
== Subsidiary titles ==
The incumbent Terran Emperor also holds these titles by sole right:
Emperor of Jupiter, Emperor of America, Emperor of Mexico, Emperor of Constantinople, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Jerusalem, and Archon of Earth.
== List of Terran Emperors ==
Name 	Birth 	Reign 	Death 	Notes
William I 	5 Nov 2381 	1 Jan 2430 - 25 Oct 2437 	25 Oct 2437 	Founder; son of Archon Andrew Compton
Baldwin I 	11 Sep 2400	25 Oct 2337 - 7 May 2447 	7 May 2447 	Son of William I
Francis Charles I 	6 Jun 2419 	7 May 2447 - 3 Jul 2459 	3 July 2459 	Son of Baldwin I
Baldwin II 	9 Apr 2441 	3 July 2459 - 5 Dec 2460 	5 Dec 2460 	Son of Francis Charles I; assassinated
Francis Charles II 	2 Jan 2450 	5 Dec 2460 - 30 May 2474 	30 May 2474 	Brother of Baldwin II, regency until 2468; assassinated
Baldwin III 	19 Sep 2451	30 May 2474 - 2 Aug 2489 	2 Aug 2489 	Brother of Francis Charles II; died in combat
Mary I 	13 Dec 2453	2 Aug 2489 - 14 May 2510 	14 May 2510 	Niece of Francis Charles I; assassinated
Francis Charles III 	28 Apr 2473	14 May 2510 - 5 Feb 2525 	5 Feb 2525 	Son of Mary I; died in combat
Mary II the Great 	2 Jan 2477 	5 Feb 2525 - 14 Nov 2555 	14 Nov 2555 	Sister of Francis Charles III; passed Second Constitution
Francis Charles IV 	27 Sep 2501	14 Nov 2555 - 4 July 2565	4 July 2564 	Son of Mary II
Francis Charles V 	5 Sep 2521 	4 July 2564 - 18 May 2581	18 May 2581 	Son of Francis Charles IV
Mary III 	21 Dec 2545	18 May 2581 - 10 Apr 2596	10 Apr 2596 	Daughter of Francis Charles V
Francis Charles VI 	1 May 2568 	10 Apr 2596 - 4 Mar 2631	4 Mar 2631 	Son of Mary III
Francis Charles VII 	20 Aug 2617	4 Mar 2631 - 10 Jun 2668 	10 Jun 2668 	Grandson of Francis Charles VI
Maximilian Charles I	13 Mar 2640	10 Jun 2668 - 30 Mar 2675	still living	Son of Francis Charles VII; abolished the Empire