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HM King James I

His Majesty King James I (James Michael Thomas Williams) 16 April 1994 - 8 December 2045, was the second King of New England, reigning from 30 January 2036 until 8 December 2045.

Leading what many saw as a tragic life, the King's rule was a brief one, and was tragically cut short when the King was incapacitated as the result of a stroke in 2043. His brother, Prince Edgar, acted as Prince Regent with the assistance of the Regency Council until the King passed away in 2045.

• Early Life
• Duke of Duval
• Illegitimate Children
• King
• Death

Early Life

The future King was born in Armidale Hospital on Saturday, the 16 April 1994. He was the eldest child of Michael Williams (later King Michael) and his wife Christine Wright (later Princess Christine). He was baptised by the Rev. Ian Morris at the Armidale Baptist Church on the 29 May 1994. His godparents were his aunt and uncle, Thomas and Mary Williams who lived not far from where the young James grew up at Jeogla.

James was named after his grandfather, father and uncle. He was always known to his family and close friends as Jimmy. His upbringing was a happy one for the first ten years of his life. James was sent to the local state school (Chandler Primary) from 2001 until 2006. When the Civil War began and his father became a fugitive, James and his siblings were sent to New Zealand. James was sent to live with his maternal uncle and was sent to school in Riccarton, near Christchurch. He later attended Christchurch Boys High School, and matriculated in 2012.

In late 2012, he was made Prince James of New England, and was seen as the heir to his father's throne. He attended the coronation of King Michael, and played a minor role in the ceremony.

In his early years, it was been widely written that James did not have the loving family environment that his younger siblings received, although this has been denied by his siblings and mother. As heir to the family farm and later the throne of New England, James's father was firm and harsh towards his son in the belief that James was not fit for the responsibilities expected of him. In return, James was quite a rebellious youth and refused to yield to his fathers demands to 'shape up'.

In his days at school and university, James was well known as a champion drinker, and won a number of mentions in the student press as a leading social figure on campus. This devil-may-care attitude caused many problems for the King, and James was barely eligible to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in 2016 with his testamur littered with failures and conceded passes.

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Duke of Duval

In 2016 the Prince was made Duke of Duval, with a full installation to occur when the prince turned twenty-five. The honour was bestowed by the King a noble title befitting to the eldest and presumed heir to throne, and a reward for James completing university. However, in the earliest days of independence, it was not assumed that James would become King. Many people advocated a fully elected monarchy, a situation that led to the establishment of the Witan in 2018. In 2019, the prince was installed as Duke in an elaborate ceremony conducted on Mt Duval.

In 2019, the newly made Duke of Duval began his duties as a public figurehead of the nation. He began by representing his father at the Rugby County Championship final in Armidale in September 2019. Despite his role as the third most senior figure in the land (after the King and First Minister), James was excluded from the most prestigious of events, which were usually attended by his father, mother or in some cases, his younger brothers. Michael warned James on several occasions that he could provoke a constitutional crisis if he did not conform to the wishes of his family and the nation. On these occasions, and many afterwards, James refused to yield. In 2021 James left New England and spent five years abroad in Europe, and it was suspected that this when the Duke became addicted to alcohol and amphetamines. He returned to New England in 2023 and took up a position on the Executive Council, but his addictions were kept out the public spotlight until after his death.

In the early and middle years of his time as Duke, James lived in high style. He and his entourage fully indulged in a love of parties, drugs and the latest fashions of high society. Before the Five Day War, the nation followed their every move, much to the annoyance of his parents. Photographers often captured the Duke and his latest mistress at a number of events that he had gone to great expense to host. He also stopped attending many events, and carried out few public duties for the King. Complaints were raised in Parliament at the expense of these events, which were on the public purse, especially given how the government was struggling to equip and train the New England Defence Force to an adequate level for the pending conflict.

After a particularly controversial incident in May 2032, where James entertained a number of Australians and it was reported in the Australian media that James had promised that as King he would sweep away the impediments to the bilateral relations, including any First Minister that was seen as too independent. In response, Michael immediately had James dismissed from the Executive Council, effectively reducing his income and removing him from the functional activity of government. Indeed, for two years, James was denied access to rated documents as he was considered a security risk. His popularity with the people plunged to just 16% and most began to assume he would be excluded from the throne. A bill was brought before parliament in mid 2032, but it was gagged by the National Party and SDLP who feared any division could be used and exploited by the Australians.

After this rebuke, James resolved to improve his image with the people. He began to attend public events again, and hosted a number of small state occasions, including a visit by the President of Brazil, Ricardo da Costa, in June 2034. By October 2034, James had mended enough bridges to be allowed back on the Executive Council. James had been able to shake his drug habit in late 2032 and at the same time, became involved in a relationship with Sophie McCallister, a former fashion model. It has been observed in the media that McCallister was a strong influence on the Duke, and she was also well liked by the King and Princess Christine. Speculation of a possible marriage began to surface, although this was denied by royal sources in the media. By 2033, James was well clear of his former life and had settled into an publicly acceptable routine of official events. In late 2033, the King met his wayward son, and was satisfied that James was as settled and ready for responsibility as he would ever be. A sign of the reconciliation between father and son came when James attended the State Opening of Parliament in November 2003 in his old roles of Aide-de-Camp and Royal Commissar.

The move to halt the rift came at a time when King Michael's health was failing. The King had been diagnosed with cancer in August 2033, and was battling to stay alive. It was in a speech to the Royal Agricultural and Grazing Society in December 2033 that Michael informed the nation of his condition. From this time on, James became close to his father, and worked hard to fill the gaps in the King's schedule. But the King's cancer became worse, and on 1 June 2035, James became Prince Regent. James spent the next seven months as de-facto head of state, and was aided by a sympatric Royal Chancellor in Yvonne Gates.

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Illegitimate Children and Engagement

Owing to the uncertain nature of his future, in the early and middle years of his time as Duke, there was never much expectation applied by the public or media for James to marry. Indeed many had assumed that Sir Jonathon Braddock would became King when Michael eventually died. A poll conducted in 2025 to name the heir to the throne had Braddock at 42% and James at 33%. At this time, James was often cited as the most eligible bachelor in New England.

Despite his bachelor status, James maintained relationships with a number of women over the years. He was linked to a number of affairs including those with model Helen Johns and most controversially in 2027, Elizabeth Myer-Owens who was serving as a Thegn of Apsleyshire. Indeed, it was revealed after his death that James had fathered an illegitimate son, Lucas (right, bottom), by Myer-Owens in 2028, which meant by law that he should have been included in the list of succession. But Myer-Owens had kept the news that James was the father of her child from both Lucas and her husband, John, until it was revealed in her will and testament after her own death in 2049. This was an event which caused a minor political crisis.

From 2032, James had a much more serious relationship with Sophie McCallister, and another illegitimate son, Damien (right, top), was born in 2033. At the time, McCallister was also married, but Damien was not made aware of who his real father was until after James had died in 2045. Damien McCallister had been sworn to secrecy by his distraught mother, but news of the story broke not long after the Lucas Myer-Owens story. In 2043, James proposed to McCallister, who had divorced her husband some years earlier. She accepted the proposal, but it was decided to delay the announcement until after Damien finished school for the year to prevent him becoming distracted by the media attention. In the meantime, McCallister became the unofficial Princess Consort to the King, and it was acknowledged by the media that James and Sophie were an item.

In 2049, when the news of the two illegitimate children was revealed, it caused a sensation in the media. The presence of two heirs totally upset the then list of succession, and meant that Crown Prince Alexander could be excluded in favour of his elder cousins. By law, illegitimate children are usually ineligible to inherit the throne unless the Witan votes otherwise. Because the Witan had already voted on the succession, no change could be made until the Witan met again to discuss the issue. In a prepared statement, Lucas Myer-Owens renounced any claim to the throne when news of his father became known public in 2049. He currently works as a cameraman for Radio Television New England, and makes no public appearances for the royal family.

To date, Damien McCallister has not commented on his claims as a rightful heir to the throne. His press officer, Adele Oliver (who was seconded to him by the present King), has hinted to the media that it is likely Damien will officially indicate his position on the succession after he completes university in November 2054. The choice McCallister makes has been the source of much speculation in the media over the last three years. In event of a claim to the throne being made, McCallister can be included in a future list of succession if the he and Witan agree to it. To complicate matters, McCallister is a close friend of Crown Prince Alexander, and is a god-parent of Prince Michael. The Duke and McCallister have known each other for many years, making any decision on the matter by McCallister a very interesting and difficult one.

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King

At 13:00 on 28 January, 2036, King Michael finally succumbed to cancer. The Witan was summoned to meet in the Great Hall of Parliament the next day. After furious debate, James was elected King and his younger brother Edgar was made Duke of Duval. The funeral for King Michael was a somber affair, with New England being in a state of mourning for two weeks. The new King walked behind the cortege of his father, alongside his two brothers and nephew, Prince Alexander.

The new King's coronation was held the following November, with a number of overseas dignitaries coming to mark the occasion. The following year, the Witan sat again to consider amendments to the constitution. The convocation was opened by the King with great pomp on the 6 May 2037.

Despite the slip ups that had been made when he was Duke of Duval, the new King settled into the role of Monarch with ease. Within weeks, James had developed very good relationship with both John Tudor and Opposition Leader, Bill Howlett. In terms of political events, James's reign was a peaceful one, with one election seeing Howlett defeat Tudor, only to be defeated himself four years later by Jim Gordon.

There were also several notable overseas tours made by the King include a trip to Tamworth, Australia in 2041. This trip was the first by a reigning Monarch to Australia. The trip was seen as an important step in healing relations with Australia, which in many ways it appeared to do. The King also made two trips to Europe, the second of which came just before the first trip to New England by the European President, Arnold Visser, in September 2042. James also made trips to New Zealand, China, Japan, India and Brazil.

In late 2042, the first signs of ill health appeared, when the King was treated breathing problems that were brought on after the dose of the 'flu. At the time, it was assumed that the King remained in decent health, although doctors were concerned at the level damage that had occurred to the King during his many addictions. As a result of the illness, the King was told to completely give up alcohol, which he managed to do successfully.

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Death

On the evening of 15 March 2043, the King complained of headaches and blurry vision. He was seen by the Household Chaplin, Owen Lewis, who recommended that the King be admitted to hospital. He was rushed to Macdonaldtown Hospital where tests revealed that the King had suffered a stroke. His condition was greeted by shock by the people. Having had no knowledge of his addictions, they could not comprehend what could cause a reasonably young man of forty-nine to be struck down.

Whilst in hospital, the King suffered another massive stroke in the early hours of 16 March. He was completely incapacitated by the second stroke and considered by the medical team in charge of his treatment to be largely brain dead. At 0300 that morning, the Chancellor, Dame Antonia Davidson, and Duke of Duval were summoned to the hospital and informed of the King's condition. Both agreed that the Regency Act now applied, and Prince Edgar was proclaimed to be Prince Regent, with the full powers of the Monarchy being exercised by the Prince and other members of the Regency Council.

The King's health was determined to be beyond the abilities of medical aid, and the next morning, the news was broken that he had suffered a stroke and was not expected to recover. It came as a surprise to many when six days later the King appeared to regain conciseness, but he remained non-responsive to stimuli and did not recognise members of his family who were present.

In this state, the King lingered for another two and a half years. He was fed by tube and was in no way able to look after himself. It was apparent that this arrangement could continue indefinitely, with the King having almost no chance of recovery. Because of the constitutional position of the Monarch, euthanasia (which had been legalised in 2030) was out of the question, but his family objected to removing the feeding tube because it would mean an unpleasant death for the King. In the end, the debate of the matter was ended when a third and deadly stroke that occurred on the evening of the 8 December 2045. The King was pronounced dead at 21:37 that night. He was succeeded by his brother, Prince Edgar the following day, who in honour of his big brother, took the name King James II.

The King was buried with full ceremonial honours at Saumarez House on the 11 December 2045. The funeral was held in the National Cathedral, with many overseas leaders attending.

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