Reigning Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval
The Emperor is the head of state and head of government of the Empire. The reigning Emperor is Arissa Lavigny-Duval of the Imperial Family. Emperors reign for life, and they alone hold the power to designate or disqualify heirs, and appoint Senators and Chancellors.
Under Imperial law, only members of the royal Imperial Family by blood or marriage are eligible to ascend to the Imperial throne. While this has meant that the line of succession has been effectively hereditary, the Emperor's legitimacy is dependent on the Imperial Senate's approval, and the Empire's history has been shaped by the oscillation of influence between the Imperial throne and the Senate. The Senate also has the authority to hold an election for the Imperial throne and consider alternative candidates, such as a Senator or a remote relation of the Duvals, if no heir was designated by the previous Emperor or none of the extant members of the Imperial Family are deemed acceptable.[1][2][3]
In the event that an Emperor becomes unwilling or unable to rule, their duties are assumed by their Chancellor. In practice, a number of Emperors throughout the Empire's history have relegated much of their responsibilities to their Chancellors.[4]
Residence
The Imperial throne
The Imperial Palace on Capitol is the official residence of the Emperor. It is one of the great manufactured interstellar marvels of our age.[5] The emperor can make important statements and speeches in the palace or occasionally on the steps. Imperial marriage, mourning, procession and crowning are held there.[6][7]
Protection
The Imperial Guard are assigned to protect the Emperor, certain senators and the Imperial Palace.[6]
Powers and duties
The Emperor is the sovereign ruler, head of the Empire and above the law. The emperor can sit in the Imperial Senate, declare the opening and closure of each Senate session, declare the Senate's agenda, impose rules and regulation for the Senate to follow, and meet with foreign ambassadors in the name of the Senate. The Emperor can appoint Senators, the Chancellor and hold them accountable.[2] It is the Emperor's duty to ensure the success of the Empire and its continuation long into the future.[8] Thus the Emperor holds the true power of the state.
Election
Imperial succession is generally hereditary if there is a suitable candidate acceptable to the Imperial Senate. There are usually no elections. The rare exception is if there is not a clear line of succession then the Imperial Senate has the duty to decide who will rule the Empire. They must follow the rules set out by centuries of law and tradition. The Senate has one month to determine who will be the next ruler to sit on the Imperial Throne. The candidate must be of royal blood or of royal marriage, and must have a clear majority backing of the Senate in the final count.[3]
History
After the death of the Achenar colony's founder, Marlin Duval, in 2296, her brother Henson Duval took over its administration and immediately began transforming the Republic of Achenar into the Empire.[9] Henson's first act was to disband the council and assume sole responsibility for the leadership of the Achenar colony. He rejected the Federation's requests that the colony join them, and declared that the leadership of the colony, and any affiliated systems, would be hereditary passed down from father to son. In 2320, Henson Duval was formally crowned as the first Emperor of the Empire.[10]
Henson's restructuring of Achenar's government into a monarchy gave rise to a counter-ideology among his detractors known as Marlinism. The core tenet of Marlinism was that the position of Emperor should be abolished and replaced by a representative system of elected senators. Marlinism became widespread throughout Imperial fringe systems and remained a minor yet persistent presence in Imperial politics by the 34th century. A radical offshoot of Marlinism called Neo-Marlinism also eventually emerged; it shared the main goal of Marlinism, but asserted that terror tactics were the only feasible way to achieve that goal. Neo-Marlinist groups such as the Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army also held a particular hatred for the Imperial Family.[11]
Early in the reign of Hengist Duval, the 15th Emperor changed the laws of succession so that daughters of the Imperial line would also be able to ascend to the throne.[12] The Senate later determined that the title "Emperor" should be used for both male and female rulers.[6]
After the assassination of Hengist Duval in 3301, there was no clear successor to the Imperial Throne, because Hengist had disqualified his son, Prince Harold Duval, from the line of succession only the year before. This left the choice of who would be crowned the next Emperor entirely to the Imperial Senate. Chancellor Anders Blaine was widely considered the strongest candidate for the throne, but the revelation of his indirect connection to Emperor's Dawn left Princess Aisling Duval and Senator Arissa Lavigny as the most convincing contenders.[13] Arissa Lavigny had previously declared that Prince Aristide Lavigny was not her biological father, and that she was the illegitimate daughter of Hengist Duval. This made her claim to the throne stronger than Aisling Duval's, since Aisling was Harold's illegitimate daughter.[14] Senator Denton Patreus was also briefly thought to be vying for the throne after he opined that the Emperor should be chosen based on merit rather than bloodline, and Senator Zemina Torval signaled her support for Patreus when she asserted that Patreus was the most popular Senator among the citizenry.[15][16] In the end, the Imperial Senate voted to elect Arissa Lavigny-Duval as the next Emperor. She was crowned in the Imperial Palace as the 16th Emperor of the Empire on October 18, 3301.[6]
Funeral arrangements
The death of an Emperor is followed by a four-week official mourning period during which they lie in state inside the Hall of Martyrs for public viewing. The number of attendees may total in the millions, though not all will have the chance to view the body in-person. A state funeral and procession are then held the day after the end of the mourning period. The coffin is carried by the Imperial Guard through the city of Capitol and followed by the Emperor's spouse, then immediate family, Senators, Patrons of high status with direct connections to the Emperor, Clients, citizens, and lastly the Emperor's favourite Imperial Slaves, who are traditionally set free at the end of the funeral. The Emperor is finally interred in the Hall of Martyrs in a private ceremony, while citizens across the Empire partake in the Feast of Remembering.[17][18][19][20]
Titles and Styles
- Greeting: Hail the Emperor[21]
- Reverence: Bask in his Greatness. Bask in his Glory. Bask in her Greatness. Bask in her Glory.[21]
- Title: His Majesty. Her Majesty.[22]
- Cheering: Long Live the Emperor! [23]
These styles are visible below and above the Access Corridor of Imperial stations. Imperial sympathizers occasionally do the act of basking.[21]
List of Emperors
| Name | Reign | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Henson Duval | 2320 - 2402 | Founder of the Empire and 1st Emperor; brother of Marlin Duval, who founded the Republic of Achenar that preceded the Empire[10] |
| Saik Duval | 2402 - 2483 | 2nd Emperor[10] |
| Trasken Duval | 2483 - 2541 | 3rd Emperor[10] |
| Hennick Duval | 2541 - 2604 | 4th Emperor[10] |
| Lucius Duval | 2604 - 2684 | 5th Emperor[10] |
| Anders Duval | 2684 - 2739 | 6th Emperor[10] |
| Hender Duval | 2739 - 2799 | 7th Emperor[10] |
| Trasken Duval II | 2799 - 2858 | 8th Emperor[10] |
| Trasken Duval III | 2858 - 2943 | 9th Emperor[10] |
| Olban Hensard Duval | 2943 - 2991 | 10th Emperor[10] |
| Gaylen Trasken Duval | 2991 - 3061 | 11th Emperor[10] |
| Atticus Obellan Duval | 3061 - 3132 | 12th Emperor[10] |
| Hender Saik Duval | 3132 - 3182 | 13th Emperor[10] |
| Hesketh Duval | 3182 - 3233 | 14th Emperor[10] |
| Hengist Duval | 3233 - 3301 | 15th Emperor;[10] assassinated by Brendan Paul Darius |
| Arissa Lavigny-Duval | 18 October 3301 - Present[6] | 16th Emperor;[10] the first female Emperor, as well the first illegitimate member of the Imperial Family to be elected Emperor |
Trivia
- Emperor is an imperial title that is of a higher honour and rank than king (royal title). An emperor is a monarch and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm.[24]
- Emperor is derived from the Latin Imperator, meaning "commander" or "one who commands". In English, the feminine form is Empress (the Latin is imperatrix). The realm of an emperor or empress is termed an Empire.[25]
Videos
References
- ↑ Synteini Slave Sale Honours Emperor
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Governments and politics in Elite Dangerous
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chancellor Blaine Opens Senate Debate
- ↑ GalNet: Chancellor Blaine Opens Senate Debate
- ↑ Tourist Beacon 0144
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Arissa Lavigny-Duval Crowned Emperor
- ↑ Date Set for Imperial Wedding
- ↑ The Emperor Speaks out for Unity - 18 JUL 3301
- ↑ Elite Encounters RPG
- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 Tourist Beacon 0159, The Line of the Duvals
- ↑ GalNet: Terrorist Attacks on Imperial Starports
- ↑ Senate Declares Arissa Lavigny-Duval Emperor
- ↑ Imperial Succession Vote in Senate Today
- ↑ Arissa Lavigny is the Daughter of the Emperor
- ↑ GalNet: Senator Patreus Declares Succession About Power Not Blood
- ↑ GalNet: Torval Backs Patreus's Line on the Imperial Succession
- ↑ GalNet: Official Period of Mourning Begins
- ↑ GalNet: Millions Pay Respects
- ↑ GalNet: Public Viewing of Emperor Hengist Duval Ceases
- ↑ GalNet: Emperor Hengist Duval's Funeral
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/37wmt2/ootl_on_the_whole_empire_bask_meme/
- ↑ Blaine Refuses Patreus’s Request - 14 MAR 3301
- ↑ Long Live the Emperor! - 14 JUL 3301
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_and_noble_ranks