SimsRoyalLegacy

Lunaria's Current Line of Succession

Has the Lunarian Royal Family's curse struck again?

Hundreds of years ago, the Mad King Edward IV lost his throne and his head to his second son, Xavier II after a brutal and bloody war that spanned the course of ten years. The reason? He disinherited his first son, Crown Prince Caspian, for marrying a woman he disapproved of, had her captured and executed in front him, driving him to take his own life as well. These actions destabilized the Monarchy to the point of a peasant rebellion due to the former Crown Prince's popularity with the people...on top of King Edward's bad spending habits, fascination with blood, war, and torture, and overall hotheaded disposition, of course.

Standing upon the gallows his last words were a curse to his offspring: "Whichever of you rotten curs sits my throne, suffer and lose love and legacy both! Sow nothing, reap nothing!"

Those words? They stuck. Like, really stuck, to the point where King Xavier II lost three of his four boys within the first five years of his reign. Then his last surviving son lost four wives before a singular Heir was produced. Then that Heir lost his first wife to illness, his second in the birth of a singular daughter, and his third to a fever only months after the birth of their only, sickly son. So on and so forth this horrid luck plagued the House of Quinn for generations, all the way up until King Vincent and Queen Ana.

They were seemingly the first to "break" the curse, producing three healthy children, two of which were boys who could inherit the Lunarian throne. Until Queen Ana's illness prevented them from expanding their family even further the way they wanted to. After, we saw hope with then-Crown Prince Arden and Crown Princess Calla who also produced two healthy sons and a wonderful daughter. But then poor Crown Princess Calla was assassinated, King Arden has disinherited his daughter entirely, his second son doesn't seem to want to settle down and have kids, and the current Heir to the throne has only been able to produce a daughter out of wedlock. And yes, Crown Prince Nicky is engaged to be wed so there's still hope for the future but with the family's current track record, many in the House of Lords are fretting.

There are less than ten in Lunaria's line of succession. As of now the succession line consists of:

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Nicholas, Duke of Ancastor

His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Duke of Rosefielde

His Royal Highness Prince Rhysander, Duke of Andale

His Highness Prince Matthew, Earl of Odair

Lord Jacob of Odair

His Highness Prince Adrian of Andale

A measly six men (or technically five men and a toddler) eligible to take charge if something should – Watcher-forbid – happen to the King. Most of our neighbors have fifteen or more in line barring Windsor, which is newly independent.

Huge Crowds Drawn For Queen Regina's First Solo Appearance of the Season

Today Queen Regina visited the Windenburg Women's Reproductive Health Center (aka the WWRHC) located in the iconic Waterfront District. The visit drew hundreds out to get a glimpse of Her Majesty who seemed overjoyed to be back at work. Today's visit is in line with her status as the WWRHC's Royal Patron; she's come out to tour the newly rebuilt facility after it had suffered from heavy vandalism from protesters last summer.

The WWRHC is involved with providing women from low-income backgrounds with accessible healthcare centered around gynecology, breast and ovarian cancer, pregnancy, and many other conditions. It has helped hundreds of thousands of women in Lunaria stay on top of their healthcare. The new facility has expanded to include another wing now which can accommodate another fifty rooms dedicated to cancer screenings and research. The center now also boasts a separate facility dedicated entirely to fertility care; from IVF treatments to oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing) and sperm donations the new services will help many women who are struggling to start families of their own.

(Above: HM greets her adoring public outside the newly built fertility center. Her walkabout ran almost half an hour longer than usual due to the high turn out much to her security team's dismay.)

Queen Regina has made it her mission to put women at the forefront of her charities and patronages, keeping women's issues in Lunaria in the spotlight with her own popularity. Her Majesty has inspired so many to be the voice for change, so much so, that the House of Commons had changed its laws to include women representatives earlier this year.

(Top: Queen Regina is greeted by Dr. De la Cruz before being taken on a tour of the new fertility clinic. Bottom: HM shares a lively discussion with the medical professionals of the WWRHC.)

While touring the new facility the Queen met with the top doctors working within the WWRHC, including Dr. Maryn de la Cruz the leading fertility expert not only at the Center, but in the country. Her studies and breakthroughs on oocyte cryopreservation has significantly boosted the success rate of pregnancies curated through IVF over the last two decades.

(Above: HM wears her signature color, purple, in the form of an affordable wrap dress from Chopshop that costs §65 online. She accessorized with her wedding anniversary gift from the King, a custom gold and diamond Simtier watch (§25,000!) and an unidentified, delicate diamond and gold necklace and earring set.)

Happy Birthday to Duchess Claire!

Today marks the Duchess of Andale's 46th birthday! The Duke and Duchess' joint Simstagram account released a brand new photo of the two in celebration.

The couple, who have been married for over two decades, pose in the drawing room of their official residence Highland House. Prince Rhys wears his family orders for the formal portrait and stands tall behind his seated wife. Duchess Claire looks regal in her deep blue gown and satin gloves. The Duchess also shows off the iconic Lover's Diamond Kokoshnik tiara, a piece originally loaned to her by her former mother-in-law, the late Queen Ana; King Arden has allowed her to keep it upon his ascension to the throne.

King and Queen Attend Governor's Ball in Del Sol Valley

Kicking off the first official event of the season, King Arden and Queen Regina attend the Del Sol Valley Governor's Ball at the prestigious Rotterdam Ballroom in the Del Sol Grand Hotel. The ball is a celebration for the inauguration of the Del Sol region's new Governor Hiram Macnair; a man who has had public backing from the Queen's very own Harwood family. It was a close race, with Hiram's opponent, the Devonshire family-backed Earl of Clarence, losing by a close twenty votes.

Governor Macnair ran on forward thinking politics centered around women's rights. His matter-of-fact, go-getter attitude coupled with his philanthropic background gained him immense popularity with Del Sol residents. His partnership with many of the Harwood family's legal initiatives regarding women's inheritance has transformed the Del Sol region of Lunaria into one of the most progressive in the country. The most recent has tackled a woman's right to inherit certain properties from their parents, which under Lunarian law must be offered to any male relatives before it can be offered to any daughters in the family. The newly appointed governor has promised to keep the momentum going during his term.

(Above: The King and Queen were captured sharing a chat with the newly appointed Governor Macnair and his wife in a short video released on the Del Sol Grand Hotel's official Simstagram.)

The King and Queen have attended multiple Governor's Balls throughout the country but this one in particular is close to their hearts. Not only is Queen Regina a part of the Harwood family who has supported Macnair's career and ideals, his wife, Sonya, is one of her close personal friends. The two attended university together and even shared a dorm during their freshman year. His Majesty the King has on multiple occasions hosted Governor Macnair in court, connecting him with supportive members of the House of Lords and attempting to introduce his ideals on a national level.

(Above: Their Majesties share a quiet, intimate side conversation between socializing at the Ball. King Arden has worn the softest expressions we've ever seen on him since the murder of his previous wife.)

Their Majesties spent the evening mingling with he crème de la crème of Del Sol Valley, an eye-catching couple dressed to the nines. Queen Regina looked stunning in her signature color: a deep, regal purple gown made custom for her by iconic Lunarian designer Lady Sìle Astley. The King could barely take his eyes off her!

Grand Duke Ricardo Announces Engagement

His Royal Highness Ricardo, Grand Duke of Castille has announced his fifth engagement to Lady Mariella de Castillo. The two stood outside the gates of the Palacio de Verano to make the announcement directly to the Castillian press.

The Lady Mariella, 25, was appointed as the late Grand Duchess Eliana's Lady-in-Waiting two years ago. She is the granddaughter of His Royal Highness's top advisor, the Marqués de Castillo, Eduardo. She received a top-tier education in political science from the University of Castillon, one of the top schools in Castille.

Grand Duchess Eliana was incredibly fond of her, oftentimes taking her along during her overseas tours and engagements. She was also frequently spotted on vacation with the Grand Duke and Duchess and their children.

Lady Mariella was one of the few people who were by the previous Grand Duchess's side in Asteria before her tragic skiing accident. She has been said to have been a source of comfort for the Grand Duke and his children before a romance blossomed between her and Ricardo.

(Above: A close-up of the antique Art Deco ring. It is one of the most expensive engagement rings within the Grand Duchy's collection.)

King and Queen Celebrate Wedding Anniversary

We're kicking off the fall season in Lunaria by celebrating the King and Queen's wedding anniversary!

The Royal Family's official Simstagram released this photo of the couple taken at a previous family gathering to celebrate a decade of marriage. The two will reportedly be spending their anniversary at the Windenburg Palace with a full dining service curated by one of Her Majesty's favorite Michelin star chefs. Afterwards, it's rumored that the King has also scheduled a small, private performance from renowned vocalist Maria Dobre, also a favorite of the Queen!

No Titles? No Problem! Former Princess Ana Flaunts Her Man!

The House of Lords has finished their Summer session this week, so residents of Margate were treated to a sighting of their Duke and soon-to-be-Duchess on an afternoon stroll to the shops! Today is the first glimpse of a casual outing of the two in public.

With the end of the summer session, the Duke will have plenty of time to spend with his fiancee for the next month which sources close to the couple claim has already started to be a bone of contention between the two. As far as we can tell though, the grass couldn't be greener between these two! They were spotted grabbing something to eat at a popular local bistro where they laughed and chatted before shopping.

While the couple has announced their engagement, no date has been set for a wedding. Rumor has it that the Duke hasn't even been able to meet with any of the former Princess's siblings or parents. (Not surprising considering the whole disowning thing though...It must be rough to be Ana right now!)

(Above: A look of pure love! The former Princess couldn't take her eyes off her man the whole day.)

We're waiting patiently for more wedding drama though! Will it conflict with the Royal Wedding between the Crown Prince and Princess Minerva? Will she find a way to reconcile with her family? Is she still even invited to her brother's wedding?

Seeing her happily out and about with her fiancé makes Ana seem like she isn't worried about any of this at all. Perhaps she can teach us how to be this unbothered someday.

...

Ambassador From Castille Meets With The King

Yesterday evening His Excellency Ambassador Ramon Cortez of Castille was spotted entering the Windenburg Palace to presumably meet with His Majesty the King. The visit is rumored to be a last minute meeting scheduled at the request of the Grand Duke Ricardo of Castille.

Relations between Lunaria and Castille have cooled significantly since the incidents surrounding the former Princess Isadora of Castille. (Rumored baby trapping? Murder for hire? Isadora Aguilar was a real piece of work!) The once close ruling families of the two countries have not been photographed together in years; a shock after the close bonds of friendship built when King Arden was a young Crown Prince during one of Grand Duke Ricardo's State Visits.

(Above: Ambassador Cortez arrives at the Windenburg Palace in the early evening, well outside of the King's normal visiting hours for foreign dignitaries.)

While Lunaria has kept up its treaties with Castille over the years, there is no longer warmth between the two countries. Tourism from Lunarians has dropped drastically according to the last census released by the International Tourism Association; many of our citizens consider it unsafe to travel there.

Perhaps this visit is an olive branch finally being extended by the Castillian government to our own? No official statements had ever been made by the Grand Duke or any members of his family in regards to the Isadora incidents, despite him quickly stripping her of her rank and titles after news broke about her criminal behavior. In fact, the Grand Duke has never even publicly acknowledged Her Royal Highness Princess Magdalena, his biological granddaughter.

Transcript below

Transcript below:

Queen Clarisse Park, Rosefielde

Talk Radio Host: And this just in tonight...the Windenburg Palace has just announced the King's decision to remove the Princess Annaliese from the Royal lineup!

Talk Radio Host: Rumors from the Palace staff say that His Majesty is cutting all ties with his beloved daughter over her engagement–

Charles: Holy shit he really did it.

Huntington House, Ancastor

Talk SHow Host: –to the Duke of Margate, a man twice her age–

Nicholas: Ugh, Annaliese has done it again! I need to give her a call–

Minerva: Calm yourself amour. I should call Ana...

Windenburg Palace, Windenburg

Talk Show Host: –and one of His Majesty's political opponents. Despite this, many Lunarians are shocked at the King's decision to cut ties like this with his youngest child.

Regina: You're such a stubborn fool husband.

Arden: She made her choice when she got into bed with the enemy; you remember whose side Margate is on right?

Regina: He's winning if he splits our family like this Arden.

Arden: Margate cannot be let close under any circumstances. This had to be done, wife.

Regina: I hope it was worth it to you.

Darklynn Manor, Margate

Alexei: Ana, the news!

BREAKING: PRINCESS ANNALIESE BOOTED FROM ROYAL LINEUP

Well, well, well, looks like His Majesty the King has had enough! Today an official announcement came from the Windenburg Palace Press Office: Her Royal Highness the Princess Annaliese is a "HRH" no more.

After her (not-so-shocking) engagement announcement to the recently divorced Duke of Margate, it looks like King Arden has finally put his foot down. The official statement has been replicated below:

"His Majesty King Arden, First of His name, wishes for it to be known that Her Royal Highness the Princess Annaliese will henceforth no longer be a representative of the Crown. Her patronages will be returned to the Crown at once to be redistributed amongst members of the Royal Family, along with any assets belonging to the Crown and His Majesty. Out of respect for his late father, the King Vincent, whom adored the Princess Annaliese, His Majesty will still allow her to remain a legitimate member of House Quinn and keep their surname. From now on, she shall simply be known as Miss Annaliese Natalia Coraline Quinn."

(Above: His Majesty the King was spotted in San Myshuno just yesterday, attending a private meeting in the financial sector; giving a rare smile to the cameras, no one would have guessed he'd be about to cut ties with his favorite child.)

Ouch. Talk about a fall from grace; although, can we really be surprised after she announced her engagement without getting permission from the King? Not even a beloved Princess is above the law in that aspect.

When consulting with our sources close to the King, we found out that things are actually so much worse between father and daughter than we're being led to believe (which is, in our opinion at least, insane because what could be worse than losing your title?).

(Above: A close up of last year's official birthday portrait of then-Princess Annaliese, where she is seen wearing her mother's Halo Scroll tiara; it's just one of the many ties to her mother that she will no longer have access to.)

"There's a lot of hurt all around in the situation," one of the palace staffers told us. "After a brief altercation with his daughter, His Majesty locked himself away for days before the engagement announcement. Afterwards, HM made the call to cut her off entirely. She's no longer allowed within his residences and she's losing her inheritance...including her mother's tiaras and jewelry. The King has completely washed his hands of her."

Crown Prince Kellan of Windsor Weds

Earlier this weekend Lunarians tuned into the wedding of Crown Prince Kellan of Windsor and Lady Giselle Blackwell. Today, the Windsor Royal Family released official portraits of the bride and groom along with Their Majesties King Dante and Queen Ashli, the former Princess Royal of Lunaria.

The Windenburg Palace Press Office also released the above photograph in honor of the event with a personal message from King Arden:

Crown Prince Nicholas and Fiancée Attend Windsorian Royal Wedding

What a lovely morning to see Lunaria's It Couple representing the Crown!

Today His Royal Highness Crown Prince Nicholas and his fiancée, Her Imperial Highness Princess Minerva, were photographed attending the wedding of HRH's cousin, Crown Prince Kellan of Windsor, and Lady Giselle Blackwell. The two matched wonderfully in shades of blue as they walked into Castorly Abbey. The late summer wedding is the couples first official foreign event as an engaged couple!

Also spotted in attendance were some well missed familiar faces! River and Amina Quinn, the notoriously private Sulani-based couple, were photographed looking as loved up as ever as they entered the Abbey ahead of their eldest two children. River had his arm wrapped lovingly around his wife in and adorable PDA moment as she seemingly laughs at a joke.

Kaleo Quinn, who has recently signed with the Sulani National Football League, shares an animated chat with younger sister Masina, who is set to start her final year of high school this fall. The two are incredibly close with their older cousin Kellan, having grown up together during the summers of their childhood.

We were also surprised to see TRH Crown Princess Diana, her husband Prince Stefan, and Princess Elizabeth arriving together to the Abbey this morning.

Well...mostly we were surprised to see Elizabeth.

While Crown Princess Diana has worked tirelessly alongside her father and mother over the years to represent the Rivenian Crown, Princess Elizabeth has become a bit of social recluse ever since that nasty business went down with our very own Prince Nicky. Perhaps she was hoping for one last chance to reunite with him before his wedding?

It looks like despite her best attempts, no such drama unfolded between the former childhood friends! Crown Princess Diana kept a close watch on her sister throughout the day and was never seen far from her side! Better luck next time Liz!

After a moving ceremony, all the guests were invited back to the Palace for a banquet and reception. None of the press were allowed in, but the Windsor Palace released a short video of the couple's first dance along with a few clips of the Royals mingling.

THE PRINCESS ANNALIESE ENGAGED....WITHOUT PERMISSION?!

Well, well, well, they sure move quickly!

The Savalani family announced the engagement of His Grace Alexei Savalani, Duke of Margate to Her Royal Highness Princess Annaliese of Ancastor along with the couple's official engagement photos. The couple posed for award-winning photographer Elsie Harrow-Bowes within the gardens of the Duke's official residence, Darklynn Manor, in the countryside.

(Pictured above: HRH and His Grace pose in the picturesque gardens of Darklynn Manor to announce their engagement. Princess Ana wears red, a color normally associated with the Savalani family rather than the traditional light blue members of the Royal Family have worn for centuries. Is this a snub to her father and the rest of her family?)

While the announcement of their engagement isn't too surprising considering the two have been closer than ever since the Duke's divorce, we find that the Palace has been suspiciously silent on the matter. Traditionally the Windenburg Palace Press Office will release an official announcement straight from the King when one of his children is engaged to be wed (as seen earlier this year when His Majesty announced the engagement between Crown Prince Nicky and Princess Minnie of Pierreland). This announcement is confirmation of the King's blessing for the marriage, which is legally required for the marriage of any child of a King.

(Above: HRH and the Duke look totally and completely in love in their official engagement shots. Rumor has it that the Princess is already making changes to Darklynn Manor in order to prepare to move in together. Even His Grace's previous wife was never allowed to alter his ancestral home before!)

With crickets echoing from the Palace, we guess it's safe to assume His Majesty has probably been thrown for a loop with the sudden news. It's no secret that King Arden is not a fan of his daughter's relationship with the Duke (who is only a few years his junior) and has decided not to acknowledge the couple.

(Above: Princess Ana flaunts her new ring; a simple, but elegant band of alternating diamonds and rubies. Duke Alexei personally designed the ring, using precious stones belonging to his family. Experts estimate the cost of the ring to around §78,000.)

So, without the King's permission what can Princess Ana expect? Apparently anything from the stripping of her title and patronages to–if the King is feeling particularly vindictive–actual jail time. No one, of course, expects things to escalate that far since no King has acted so severely to an unwanted marriage since the time of the Mad King, Edward IV, around four hundred years ago.

A Royal expert claims that permission is coming any day now:

"I've watched [the Family] for years now and there's not a single thing King Arden has ever denied his youngest. He's always been strict with the boys; Nicky is his Heir and he expects much more of him than the other children and Charlie...well, he has always gotten into trouble and needed firm guidance from his father. But Ana? Ana is his little girl who reminds him so much of his late wife that he can never stand to see her upset or sad. She's never so much as stepped a toe out of line until now; I've seen it in action and know she can persuade His Majesty of anything. Permission will come and soon."

Palace Releases Two New Photos In Memory Of Crown Princess Calliana

Today the Royal Family's official Simstagram shared two never before seen photos of Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Calliana in honor of her death anniversary.

The first is a family photo of then-Crown Prince Arden, Princess Calla, and an infant Prince Nicholas in the gardens of the now-destroyed Whiteglenn Manor, which served as the couple's official residence throughout their marriage. The photo was taken about a year after Prince Nicky was born.

The second photo comes from the same photoshoot and depicts HRH comforting a fussing Prince Nicky who was, according to the caption of the post, quite frightened of the large snail statue behind them.

Over a decade ago Princess Calla was taken from us too soon by a successful assassination attempt at a charity gala inside the Palace. To this day, Lunaria mourns the gentle and incredibly kind woman who constantly went above and beyond in her duties to the Crown.