Diane of Breotonia, Empress of the North

Diane of Breotonia ("Diane the Resplendent") (1623-1670) was the wife of Magnus II, King of Arendaal and Emperor of the North and thus the Queen Consort of Arendaal and Empress Consort of the North between 1643 and 1663. She was the daughter of the King of Breotonia and mother of Emperor Greger I, the "Sun King". The marriage of Magnus II and Diane cemented prosperous relations between two great trading powers, the Empire of the North and Breotonia.

The prosperity that Arendaal enjoyed thanks to such ties and the Emperor Magnus II's crucial support of the Kunglig Nordiska Handelsforetag (KNH) trading company was immense. However, the period was marked by tensions between Aren Protestans and Catholics, and Diane's Catholic faith would come to be both a liability and an asset for the Imperial monarchy.

Diane arrived at the Aren Court as a result of the match making skills of her future mother-in-law, the formidable Maria Rikissa of Franken, Consort of Magnus II's father, Emperor Sven IV. The alliance obtained by marriage was intended to grant Aren traders greater access to foreign markets through their connections with powerful trading partners like the Breotonians.

Described as graceful and doll-like, the young Princess was at first overwhelmed by the opulence and rituals of the resplendent Imperial Aren Court. She married Magnus II, then the Crown Prince, in 1639, four years before he would become Emperor.

According to observers, Diane was deeply in awe of her husband who, though only a teenager like herself, possessed a cold, calculating brilliance well beyond his years. The couple were mutually infatuated with one another and it was not until later that this would grow into devotion and respect. Magnus II wasted no time in attending to the business at hand: siring an heir within a year of their marriage and a child every year for the next decade. A popular court joke held that Diane was a better indicator of the new year than the changing seasons, falling pregnant every year like clockwork.

Perhaps it was her initial timidity, or her constant cycle of pregnancies, but for the first five years of Magnus II's reign, Diane was entirely outshone at court by her mother-in-law, Queen dowager Maria Rikissa. By the late 1640s, however, Diane grew more confident and assertive.

Her support, political advice and even her behind the scenes machinations are credited with bringing Arendaal more economically from their alliance with Breotonia that had been hoped for, increasing trade revenues considerably. By the 1650s, even the formidable Empress dowager openly showed her respect for Diane's political aptitude.

The Empress' religion proved to a more contentious issue. Although Arendaal had been declared a Protestant state in 1560 by Kristian II (who founded the Empire of the North, brought an end to the 15year Wars of Religion (1545-1560) and instituted "Acts for the Preservation of Religious Freedoms" that ensured freedom of worship to all), tensions still simmered under the surface of Catholic-Protestant relations.

In dealing with his Catholic subjects, Emperor Magnus II found Diane an invaluable asset. However, Protestants were less pleased and accused the Empress of preferential treatment of Catholic nobles and resented her donations to Catholic religious orders. It would only be in the reign of Magnus and Diane's son, Greger I that these enduring religious tensions were at last resolved.

Family, Marriage and Children
Princess Diane of Breotonia married Magnus II of Arendaal, Emperor of the North and King of Arendaal in 1639. Their children included:
 * Greger I of Arendaal (1640 - 1695) - who succeeded his father as ruler of Arendaal in 1663
 * Kristian of Arendaal, King of Ormssex-Colne (b. 1644) - crowned King of Ormssex-Colne in 1690
 * Alais of Arendaal, Queen of Franken (b. 1645) - Consort of Nikolaus V von Franken
 * Louisa of Arendaal, Queen of Eiffelland (b. 1647) - Consort of Lothar VI of Eiffelland

Other Royal Relations

 * Sven IV of Arendaal - father-in-law
 * Maria Rikissa of Franken, Queen of Arendaal - mother-in-law
 * Marie of Montelimar, Queen of Arendaal - daughter-in-law (first wife of Greger I)
 * Hannelore of Danmark, Queen of Arendaal - daughter-in-law (second wife of Greger I)
 * Charlotte of Wendmark, Queen of Ormssex-Colne- daughter-in-law (wife of Kristian)
 * Helene of Arendaal, Empress of the Talemantine Empire - sister-in-law (Magnus II's sister) Consort of Horace XII of the Talemantine Empire
 * Diane of Arendaal, Queen of Anglyn - sister-in-law (Magnus II's sister) Consort of Cedric X of Anglyn
 * Adela of Arendaal, Duchess of Treviso - husband's aunt. Consort of Duke Ciro II and Duke Valentino II
 * Leonor of Arendaal, Queen of Batavie - husband's aunt
 * Karolina of Arendaal, Queen of Montelimar - husband's greataunt. Consort of King Robert I of Montelimar
 * Alienore of Arendaal, Princess of Havenshire - husband's greataunt. Consort of Edwin I of Havenshire
 * Frederik, Prince of Arendaal - grandson
 * Johanna of Batavie, Princess of Arendaal - grand-daughter-in-law (Frederik's wife)
 * Charles I of Ormssex-Colne - grandson
 * Kristianna I of Arendaal - great-granddaughter

Ancestors
's ancestors in four generations: