David III of Lower Columbia

David III of Lower Columbia, formally His Majesty, King David III, was the thirteenth King of the Federal Kingdom of Lower Columbia, and the fourth monarch of that country from the House of Hart. His most enduring achievement was authorizing Lower Columbia's switch to clean energy sources, which included approving the construction of the country's first thorium-fueled nuclear reactors and wind farms, as well as funding research into geothermal and fusion energy production. He also welcomed the world to the Fourth Summer Simlympic Games, which the city of Nyhaven hosted in 1980.

Marianne La Salle
While attending the Royal University of Nyhaven, then-Prince David met Marianne La Salle; the two fell deeply in love and were married on April 29, 1945, in Kendall's Royal Cathedral. Even before David had earned his baccalaureate, Princess Marianne gave birth to the couple's first child, Prince Harold. Two more children followed after the prince and princess finished their education. Prince David then began his service in the Royal Lower Columbian Navy, as a pilot; his wife and children stayed in Saint Catherine's Palace during his tours of duty.

The young family took a vacation in Banff in the winter of 1952, during which Prince David had to fly back to Kendall to receive a group of American diplomats. However, when Princess Marianne and the children departed on February 25, their plane encountered thick fog during its climb and crashed in the Rockies, killing everyone aboard. After the wreckage was found, King Michael III declared a national week of mourning for the princess and the children. Their remains were flown back to Kendall and buried in early March.

Lisa Dixon
The grief-stricken prince remained a widower for four years after the death of Princess Marianne, and did not seek a new wife while he mourned his lost love. In the summer of 1955, however, King Michael III introduced Prince David to Lisa Dixon, the daughter of a Kingstonaise industrialist, who was visiting Kendall with her father as he sought to expand his business into Lower Columbia. The two bonded quickly, and soon their relationship became serious. With the blessings of both fathers, the two wed on August 23, 1956, at Pacific Palace. This private venue was chosen for the wedding because of the prince's desire to avoid as much media attention as possible.

The couple decided to delay in producing an heir, although they had to abandon that plan upon hearing the news of King Michael III's death on April 3, 1960. That event, which immediately made the prince take the throne as King David III, focused a great deal of media attention on the couple's childlessness. Having agreed that they had waited long enough, the new king and queen began trying to have children. They eventually produced an heir, the future King Zachary, in 1962.