New England Online > Government & Politics > The Monarchy > King Michael
HM King Michael
| HM King Michael | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Ruled: | 1 October 2012 - 29 January 2036 |
| Successor: | James I |
| Date of Birth: | 6 June 1970 |
| Place of Birth: | Armidale |
| Spouse: | Christine Wright |
| Children |
- HM King James I - HM King James II - HH Princess Lucy - HH Prince Gavin |
| Date of Death: | 29 January 2036 |
| Place of Death: | Saumarez Palace |
| Buried: | Royal Chapel, Saumarez |
His Majesty King Michael (Michael James Williams) 6 June 1970 - 29 January 2036, was the first King of New England, reigning from the establishment of the kingdom on 1 October 2012 until his death 29 January 2036. So far, King Michael is New England's longest serving Monarch, having reigned 23 years, 3 months and 28 days.
The King was the leader of the movement that led to the independence of New England, and after accomplishing his goal, took a back seat in the politics of the nation, preferring to become a constitutional monarch rather than a president or First Minister.
Early Life
Michael James Williams was born in Armidale on the 6th June 1970. He was the second eldest child of Gary and Sarah Williams, who owned a small farm in the Wollomombi area east of Armidale.
Michael was schooled at Chandler School and then Armidale High School. He did not attend university. When his father died in 1992, Michael took control of the family farm, which was primarily a sheep and cattle grazing property.
Michael was a deeply religious man, who attended church every week. He was a member of Baptist Church until 2014 when he converted to the little known Unitarian faith. The King often called upon his countrymen to develop a sense of religion and faith to sustain them when they were in need of support. He made no attempt to evangelise, but saw the need for many people have for a strong faith system.
Marriage and Family
Michael married his childhood sweetheart, Christine Wright on 16 September 1993 in St. Peter's Cathedral, Armidale. The couple honeymooned in Fiji for two weeks.
In 1994 the first child of the couple was born, James Michael Thomas (later HM King James I) on 16 April 1994. A second child, Edgar Christian Michael (now HM King James II), was born on the 8 September 1996 in Armidale Hospital. Lucy Michelle Helen was born on 19 November 1999 in Armidale. The last child of the couple, Gavin Frederick Keith was born on 31 October 2002 in Armidale.
Political Agitation
The future king always had an interest in politics, and was active in the local branch of the National Party. Throughout his early life, Michael was identified as an Agrarian Socialist. In 2003 he agitated for the party to show leadership and independence from the much larger Liberal Party
, with whom the Nationals had been in coalition for the better part of eighty years. The Nationals were, however, unwilling to strike out on a dangerous course and risk losing the share in government they had held with the Liberals since 1996.
When the Iraq War broke out, Michael resigned from the party, believing it was not in Australia's interests to be involved. He received support when he went public with his clashes with the National Party leadership and managed to draw large amounts of support from the public.
Rebel Leader
In late 2005, the Prime Minister announced that the United States would be establishing permanent military bases in New England. The outcry from the public was enormous, and it it sent on course a tragic course of events that would lead to war. Michael became president of the local branch of the New Australia Party, which was a bipartisan group that wished for the bases to be closed and for Australia to assert its independence.
Rather unsurprisingly, the group drew in some radical elements from both the far right and far left. The Armidale branch was dominated by the left, something that happened nowhere else. Although Michael's politics was somewhat right of centre, he openly supported the branch and encouraged people to join.
On 7 January 2006, Federal Police raided the headquarters of the New Australia Party, and a number of people, including Michael, were arrested on dubious terrorism charges.
Civil War
After his release two weeks later, Michael now took up arms with other members of the New Australia Party. They sensed that the country was evenly split and that the Commonwealth was poorly defended with a significant proportion of its forces abroad.
Exploiting this weakness, Michael formed together a group of loyal supporters and issued a from Kingstown on 19 February 2006. On that day, New England was born. Fighting would continue for another five years, until the New Zealand government intervened and was able to get both parties to agree to the Treaty of Wellington.
King
Having led the movement for so long, Michael announced to his supporters that he wished to retire. His friends and supporters managed to convince him to stay on, but Michael made it clear that he did not want to be the head of the new government. He asked his closest friend Jonathon Braddock to write a constitution that would create a weak head of state, and Braddock obliged (to everyone's surprise) by making Michael the King of New England.
With the support of his family, Michael accepted the offer. He was proclaimed King by the Witan on 1 October 2012, the day the New England formally became an independent nation. The new King immediately employed a number of royal courtiers from Europe to train him and family in proper royal protocol and procedures. Constitutional expects were also brought in to train Michael and his children in how their new nation was governed and what their role in this country would be. The King made it clear from day one that his children were to set a good example to the country and not act in a spoiled or stuffy manner. They were to carry out their roles with humility and not embarrass themselves or the country.
It is widely accepted that the King was a firm and unbending father, and was driven by the desire for his family to be the shining example that all New Englander's could follow. In many ways he succeeded, although the pressure was evident on his eldest son, James, whose stress and fatigue led to drug addiction and an early death in 2045.
Later Years
The King's reign was peaceful with the exception of the Five Day War in 2032. The King was 62 years old when the war broke out, and he worked hard throughout that week rallying troops and reading briefings from the government. He stayed awake for several days during the conflict, sleeping only in short bursts.
The toll of the war on the King's health was immediately apparent when he suffered a heart attack two weeks later. Although he recovered, he required by-pass surgery on his heart which was performed in early 2033. He bounced back in full health, only to be struck with Liver cancer six months later. Initially, the cancer was kept secret, but in his annual speech to the Royal Agricultural and Grazing Society in December 2033, Michael informed the nation of his condition. Despite several short bursts of remission, his health continued to fail, and he ordered his son be named Prince Regent on 1 June 2035. The King lingered for another seven months, before succumbing to the cancer on 29 January 2036.
The Witan met the next day and proclaimed James as King.
| King of New England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth II As Queen of Australia |
2012 - 2036 | James I |
| Monarchy of New England | ||
| Monarchs: King Michael · King James I · King James II Consorts: Princess Christine · Princess Amber Current Heir: Crown Prince Alexander & Prince Simon Other Members: Princess Kate & Lord Dawkins · Prince Richard & Lady Elsa |
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| Duchy of Chandler · Duchy of Duval Honours System · Crown Estates |
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