Kingdom of Brandsen

* Inspired on the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden

## ***The Kingdom***

### Creation:

In 983, after decades of the **War of Ice** between the three principalities, Brandsen, Lesunburg and Franckmann, Brandsen rose victorious. Those three power sources fought for years to be able to rule over their land and the others, Brandsen ended up winning because of their general, Magnus Harald Handgaard, who was able to trick his enemies and give to his Prince his crown and new lands. Magnus was given the title of Duke of Handgaard for that.

### Religion:

After the Protestant Reform, and also because of problems with the church, Brandsen chose to change their official religion to protestantism in 1672. Before that they were catholics.

### House of the Royal Family:

The official House is the **House of Kilic**, but it was only established in 1584, after the **House of Lysderberg** ran out of male heirs and the throne fell on the last king oldest daughter and she was married to a man from the **House of Kilic**, who ruled over the Principality of Franckmann six centuries before.

### Official Language:

Danish, but Norwegian and Swedish are also taught in schools.

### Order of succession:

Brandsen has male-preference primogeniture for their succession to the throne, with only a couple Queens. In 1992 they changed the law to absolute primogeniture.

## ***Titles***

### Royal Titles:

There are four Royal Titles officially recognized by the government, all of the Principalities, but with no land to rule over, as the monarchs were always afraid they would try to usurp the throne. They are the Prince of Lesunburg, Prince of Franckmann, Prince of Lysdenberg-Bladez and Prince of Otte

#### *Prince of Lesunburg*

The **Prince of Lesunburg** was created in 1017, in order to make peace with the old rulers over part of the kingdom. They are from the **House of Djurhuss** and many times tried to act as regents to child monarchs, but were never allowed. They never held too much power as in the War of Ice they never had mercy with enemies, and, as their old enemy now ruled the lands, they were afraid of what they were capable of. Because of that barely any marriages between the **House of Djurhuss** and the **House of Lysderberg** or **House of Kilic** happened, and inbreeding was a big thing with them.

#### *Prince of Franckmann*

The **Prince of Franckmann** was also one of the old rulers of the principality with the same name prior to the War of Ice, like the Princes of Lesunburg, but, differently from them, they were created Princes right after the Kingdom rose up, in 984, as they signed the Act of Peace that Lesunburg refused to sign for 33 years. Being from the **House of Kilic**, they had a good relationship with their kings and queens. A good example of their friendship is the fact that many of their Princes were allowed to marry royal princes and princesses, and the **House of Kilic** became the official royal house after 1584 because of the marriage of the ruling prince with the heir of the kingdom.

#### *Prince of Lysdenberg-Bladez*

The **Prince of Lysdenberg-Bladez** is a female-line descendent from the old **House of Lysdenberg**, that ruled over Brandsen for over six centuries. Established in 1432, it was created after a Princess of Brandsen married a Prince of Astério, but he was not close to inherit the throne neither was she, but her father, the king, had her as his favorite child, and wanted her to have a big title, so he created her husband Prince of Lysdenberg-Bladez after the marriage and he moved to Brandsen instead of her moving to Astério. The **House of Lysdenberg-Bladez**, which they are part of, was created that day too. When the King died without male heirs to take the throne they tried to proclaim their eldest son as King, but the nobles refused the idea, instead giving the crown to the last King’s daughter. Even after that they were well accepted in the court.

#### *Prince of Otte*

The **Prince of Otte** was created in 1677 for the younger son of the King, who he always wanted to get the crown, not his eldest son. At the beginning, it would stay as the House of Kilic, but the prince decided to go all in it and changed to be the **House of Lysdenberg-Kilic-Otte**, going back to the medieval times, to try to put power in the name with the House that won over all the principalities. They were indeed powerful, and got it to rule as regents a couple of times, and made marriages between big monarchies over the centuries, at some point ruling over the Kingdom of Escoffier because of a wedding of a Prince with the female heir of them, but it didn’t last as their only child died without issue.

### Noble Titles:

There is only one noble title in which it has its land to protect and take care, the dukedom of Handgaard, existing since 983. The other nobles are the Count, whose title it's only a courtesy and is passed down in male-line and mostly work at court to advise the king. They are allowed to marry commoners as the only noble in the kingdom, but not royals.

### Courtesy Titles:

The Duke of Handgaard’s children have the courtesy title of Count and Countess and are called “Count/Countess X of Handgaard”, and the other Counts and Countesses are called “Count/Countess X Y”.