Viktoria Arturia

## Viktoria I Arturia

**Viktoria I Arturia** (Viktoria Arturia Bernadotte Irene-Aquitania; 18 January 1908 – 30 April 1939) was Empress of Irene from 1914 and Princess consort of the British Empire from 1918 until her death, ruling over a dynastically unified Irene jointly with her husband Carl II. Viktoria is considered the first Irene-born Princess consort of the British Empire, being described as such during her own lifetime, although subsequent generations of her own distant cousins also married into the British Royal Family. An Empress in her own right, she was considered one of the most powerful rulers of her time—openly defying her parents to enlist in the Imperial Irene Navy—a decorated military officer, she was considered one of the most powerful Empresses of all time—though she was not often found entertaining her children, as her duties as Empress of Irene occupied her waking hours, she was incredibly adept at manipulating people. She managed to maintain several crumbling alliances, establish civil relations with many of the Empire`s former enemies, and singlehandingly managed to occupy the throne of a desolate Kingdom on her own without support from any of her nation`s allies. Her two children, Prince Alfred and Princess Andrea, became beacons of hope for the British Empire—growing up into a war-torn world during the aftermath of WW1 and through the beginning and end of WW2—the time that they spent with either of their parents was rather meager but they managed. Viktoria had died on 30 April 1939, when Andrea was twenty and her younger brother was eighteen. Lord Arthur Lascelles, youngest son of Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood and Mary, Princess Royal, married her daughter Princess Andrea of Irene—despite the two being on unequal status the marriage was allowed—eventually their marriage even evolved into a sign of pride for Irene`s Imperial Family.

## Life

### **Early years**

Viktoria was born in Germanicus, Makarova, to Fergus of Norway and his only wife, Shimousa of Irene on 18 January 1908. At the time of her birth, she was first-in-line to the throne, her parents were the current reigning Empress and Emperor. Her younger sister Marinette of Irene was born two years later on 17 November 1910, which didn`t change her position in the line of succession. When her father died in 1911, her mother became obsessed and drawn more to her office and duties than her own children—these troubled times caused rising tensions between Viktoria and her mother—she would later go on to describe these rising tensions as "full of enragement, how could she, so full of anger towards thee rise as if to strike a hand against thee cheek?" Her anger towards her mother rose into moments of true fury when she went as far as to slap and paddle her younger sister—the nobles who had also seen this lapse of judgment pleaded with Viktoria`s mother to step down as Empress in return for becoming the Empress Dowager, she refused and had those nobles executed. Her mother would eventually die in 1 September 1914, at the beginning of WW1—Viktoria was coronated as Empress of Irene—drawn into a war dominated by desperation, death, pain, and incredible loss, Viktoria struggled to hold her empire together. Throughout all of these struggles and toils, she made a name for herself as a ruthless leader and was relentless when it came to pursuing her revenge against those who had wronged her.

### **First World War**

On 4 August 1914 the Empress wrote in her diary, "Germany, oh Germany why must we declare war with a fair and bright nation such as thee? The fault rests with us, your former allies, my mother betrayed thee over a pit of fire. Please God, forgive our sins." From 1914 to 1918, Irene and it`s allies were at war with the Central Powers, led by the German Empire. The German Kaiser Wilhelm II, was a former friend of her mother, though the new Empress didn`t share these sentiments—she advocated for his release none the less—Irene though a former ally of the German Empire was often looked down upon by the British as a backwards nation, as people in it`s Empire were treated fairly and they led with dignity and pride. In contrast to these claims, Irene was a flourishing nation with great charity among it`s people—the Empress though often aloof in regards to her nature often indulged the whims of local peasant children and taught them how to dance, throw knives, play cards, and fight like a warrior. King George V, met the young six-year-old Empress Viktoria on the eve of her birthday—where they discussed politics and the situation of the war itself—the King gave Viktoria a copy of the legendary Tale of King Arthur as a birthday present which she treasured and passed down as a family heirloom to her daughter and eldest child, Princess Andrea.

On 17 July 1917, her younger sister (Marinette of Irene) married a Russian Grand Duke—Viktoria was notably upset and didn`t allow Marinette to return to Irene with him—when he turned out to be a impersonator, Viktoria and Marinette were notably enraged and the people advocated for his death, finding him to be a blight on the monarchy of the Empire. Fearing for the safety of her younger sister after an assassination attempt on Marinette`s life happened, Viktoria sent her to the United States to be protected by the President himself—Viktoria now eight-years-old accompanied with her younger sister to the United States with a horde of Irene Imperial Guards and elected the members of the United States' Supreme Court to watch over her.

In letters written to George V from Viktoria mailed directly to the King himself during 11 December 1917 to 11 December 1921, the Empress mentions the grave situation Germany is tumbling into. The King replied back with this letter, "Dear Empress Viktoria of Irene, though your concerns may be based on factual evidence, there are more pressing concerns, such as worsening conditions in my own country."

When Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, George's first cousin, was overthrown in the Russian Revolution of 1917, the British government offered political asylum to the Tsar and his family, but worsening conditions for the British people, and fears that revolution might come to the British Isles, led George to think that the presence of the Romanovs would be seen as inappropriate. The Irene government offered political asylum to the Tsar and his family but growing concerns over the safety of the Empress herself, led the Irene government to retract their generous offer. The Tsar and his immediate family remained in Russia, where they were killed by the Bolsheviks in 1918. The Empress allowed her younger sister to return from America at this time, seeing it as incredibly appropriate considering the end of the war seemed close, members of her own cabinet warned against this move and called for the execution of the assassin who tried to kill Princess Marinette, citing him as "dangerous" and "incredibly homicidal" with a "vindictive streak a mile long." On 11 November 1918, the Empress married a British prince (two years her senior), Prince Carl.

Two months after the end of the war, Prince John died at the age of 13 after a lifetime of ill health. The eleven-year-old Empress called for a period of sixty-three days of mourning—the Empress personally journeyed to Great Britain despite the allocated risks in doing so and mourned with the King herself—one of her retainers (an African American-Indian woman) named Saffron was accosted during the visit, the Empress herself rose to defend her retainer and called the person who insulted her retainer a "wanker" which left the British Court physically stunned and speechless much to the laughter of the Empress`s own retainers.

In May 1922, Saffron accompanied Viktoria on a tour of Belgium and northern France, where they payed homage to the people who had died in the First World War. Rudyard Kipling personally published a short book about Viktoria`s visit, later personally obtaining factual information as to construct a biography of the young Viktoria.

#### **Postwar Reign**

Before the First World War, most of Europe was ruled by monarchs related to George, but during and after the war, the monarchies of Austria, Germany, Greece, and Spain, like Russia, fell to revolution and war. On April