House of Celestine

The monarchy of the United Kingdom of Cattala is the constitutional monarchy of Cattala and Roumeli. The reigning monarch and head of state is Queen Alexandra V, having been declared Queen on the 11th March 1994 after the death of her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. As a constitutional monarch, Queen Alexandra is a non-partisan sovereign and therefore undertakes official, ceremonial, representational and diplomatic duties, including appointing the Lord Celestine, head of her government. However she does still have executive power and the responsibility of ensuring democracy in the Kingdom through the dissolution of the Senato del Regno and the National Assembly. The Monarch remains commander-in-chief of the Armato Salvatori, is a senior authority in the Church of Cattala, and serves as a symbol of the country's unity.

Cattala's monarch had absolute power until the 16th century, when the first foundations of a democratic Parliament were forged following the Glorious Revolution. Since then, the powers of the Crown have faded away, but numerous Kings and Queens live on with infamous legacies.

History
The national monarchy originated in the House of Celestine, which in the late 10th century defeated an Arab fleet off the coast and claimed the Crown of Cattala for themselves. It took 70 years to unify all regions of the mainland under the control of House Celestine. Between 1070 and the 16th century, the realm was dominated by House Celestine but local houses ran their own land under fealty to the Crown.

The 13th century saw numerous civil wars within Cattala, mostly in the violent east of the country between the naval power, House Maietta of Hellas, and royal houses from Roumeli, Lessito and Tirera. By the end of the High Middle Ages, House Celestine had built up a vast army and navy and become the indisputable rulers of all Cattala, proving their strength by ending the Roumelese Wars and the War of the Vine.

Celestinian rule dominated Cattala for another 200 years, until the Glorious Revolution causes all-out war between House Celestine and House Tyrheni, the two most powerful houses in Cattala. The decade-long war was won by King Lucius the Absolute, when he overran the Tyrheni forces in Celestine and forced them into retreat. The Revolution was a key point in the history of the monarchy as it was the first time the capital was overrun by an enemy force and led to the abolition of the feudal principality system and the creation of a Royal Council from across the realm. This council remain in control of Cattala until the creation of a wholly democratic Parliament in the 19th century.

House Celestine ruled Cattala constantly until the 1814 Treaty of Paris led to the country being claimed for George III and the monarchy being replaced by a Governor General. A parliamentary system was introduced and Cattala became a democracy under British rule, which was abruptly cut short by an Italian invasion in 1860. The island was united with Italy, but the Celestinian claimant to the throne, Prince Amadeus, gathered a military to fight off the Italian invaders. The King of Italy was concerned of a possible backlash if the deposed royal family was defeated by force, so a peace treaty was signed, and the Kingdom of Celestine was created in Amosseri.

King Roger Celestine
King Roger Celestine began life as a young lord of a holdfast in modern-day Amosseri, and was known as an esteemed planner, diplomat and strong ruler of men. Upon the death of his father, Roger began a campaign of territorial expansion and by 990AD was ruler of almost all of the south-western peninsula of Cattala but remained loyal to the Byzantine rulers. In 995AD, Sicily was handed to the Arabs by King Euphemius and an Arab fleet attempted to land in south west Cattala and occupy the island. Roger Celestine, together with their allied royal house the Aroe's, met the ships of the Arab fleet in open seas and fought for control of the harbour in the south of the island. The Celestine fleet took three days to sink the entire Arab flotilla off the coast, and no soldiers landed in Cattala. Roger Celestine then declared himself King of Cattala and reigned for 26 years.

During his reign, he used his wealth and popularity amongst all noble houses to increase living standards and agricultural growth in the country until his death in 1021. But there was also a darker side to his rule - in the face of opposition, King Roger was ruthless. He conquered one other house, House Garlas, before razing their stronghold to the ground and butchering all the peasants after they refused to pledge fealty to him in what marked the start of his house's bloody ascension to dominance over Cattala. In his later years, the King did not partake in the battles and wars as he had done during his youth, instead residing in his palace in what would become Celestine, the city his descendants would build as the national capital.

King William I of Celestine
William the First's reign heralded greater independence from Sicily, which ultimately resulted in the Kingdom being independent for another eight centuries as well as more peaceful times. To his subjects, he was seen as the first King to cement his power nationwide and built a lasting legacy of strength and absolute determination that would be recognised as a trait of most Celestinian rulers for centuries to come.

The story of the brutal treatment of the Garlas dynasty was spread across the islands and when King Roger died in 1021, many lords hoped that his son would not repeat such an atrocity. However King William raised an army three times the size of his fathers and marched through Aroe land, arriving at Allais in 1024, where his army met the small garrison of House Callea's border town. The Lord of Calleas saw the vast host and pledged fealty to the King at once. Neighbouring House Blais, surrounded by allies to the Celestine's, also pledge fealty. By the time William's death in 1064, all of the noble houses of Cattala had pledged fealty to the crown and only House Garlas had been fought against and defeated in battle. Cattala was united under one monarch, who had used his strength to form treaties and alliances instead of war.

King Augustus of Celestine
By 1215, and the time of King Augustus, the Celestine monarchy had vast wealth and was dominant economically, politically and militarily. When Prince Tywin VI of House Tyrheni took power in Jennai, and committed an act of treason by refusing to recognise the superiority of House Celestine under the feudal system, King Augustus Celestine publicly executed the Tyrheni princess Cecily, who was engaged to his fifth son, in revenge for the act of treason committed by Prince Tywin. The Damego War ensued, with the King almost overrun in Celestine by Tyrheni forces until reinforcements forced them into retreat and a a ceasefire was agreed in Monte Calida, with Jennai being forced to pledge allegiance to the Celestine's once more.

King Augustus' substantial reign of 35 years was overshadowed by the events of the war, despite the huge development and rise in living standards he oversaw across the kingdom. He was one of the first monarchs to call for the abolition of the feudal principality system, but failed to enact his plans due to a five-year period of ill health that culminated in his death in 1226. Feudal Principality remained until 1532.

King Lucius the Absolute
King during the Golden Revolution, Lucius is remembered for his steadfast determination to suppress the Tyrheni rebellion in the 1520s, followed by his determination to wipe out the rebellious houses after the start of war in 1525. He was the last truly absolute monarch of Cattala, and is recognised as the founder of the Cattalian Parliament, in the form of Council of State.

Lucius was known for being a clever and well-advised monarch, but he often failed to recognise when a situation was lost due to his staunch and determined attitude.