Harald III of Arendaal

 Harald III of Arendaal ("Harald the Renaissance Prince") (1456 - 1497) was the King of Arendaal between 1480 and 1497. He was the son of King Gustav IV of Arendaal and Niccola of Potenza. He expanded upon his father's image as a Renaissance ruler and an unparallel "patron of the arts", cultivating and perfecting Arendaal's reputation as the first nation of Europe's Renaissance. He is most famous today for his patronage of the greatest artists of the Renaissance, such as the Aren artists Hans Memling, Botticelli and Leonardo Da Vinci. Harald III is also remembered for his alteration of Aren law to allow the eldest child of a monarch to inherit the throne: thus women could inherit the Aren throne over their brothers. Harald's daughter became the first woman to rule Arendaal who still had younger brothers living. Two of his children, Marguerite I and Rurik II would rule the Kingdom of Arendaal.

Before Harald's reign and since 955, both men and women could inherit the Aren Crown. However, a woman would only come to the throne throne only if she had no living male siblings (and provided these siblings had no legitimate children). Harald abolished this preference, stating that the eldest child would inherit the Aren throne regardless of their gender. It was thought that Harald's actions were deliberately done to ensure the succession of his eldest child, Marguerite I over his son Rurik II.

Marguerite shared her father's intelligence and cultural sympathies, whereas Rurik was seen as a more vapid, weak figure. Harald took pains to ensure that the most imporant nobles of Arendaal supported the right of his daughter to inherit the throne over his son. In this he was successful, for except for a brief skirmish early in her reign, Marguerite I ruled Arendaal peacefully between 1497 and 1517.

Rurik II, however, mounted a rebellion after his sister's death in 1517, and became King of Arendaal until 1520. Throughout this brief period Rurik fought a relentless military campaign against Marguerite's son Frederik II. By 1520 Frederik II emerged triumphant and ascended the throne himself.

Harald III is especially famous today for his artistic patronage and his image as a "sporting golden boy", athletic, charismatic and personable. Though intelligent and deeply interested in science, philosophy and, Harald was not particularly studious as a youth. He was a keen athlete, known for his prowess as a rider, swordsman, jouster and archer. As such, he was expected to become a great military leader before he gained the crown. However, Harald reign was marked not by military campaigns but by skillful diplomatic trade agreements and cultural advancement. Harald a political mastermind who knew how important the cultivation of an image was for a King and, by extension, for a nation. He patronized the greatest artists of his age, and it was he who invited Leonardo Da Vinci to Arendaal and acted as his greatest patron. Da Vinci would spend the rest of his life in the Aren Kingdom, benefiting from the patronage of Harald's successors Marguerite I, Rurik II and Frederik II.

His artistic patronage and opulent staging of armed tournaments and entertainments were done both for personal pleasure, and to promote the glory of Arendaal on an international stage. Artistic, scientific, literary and cultural strides were the fruits of booming trade, and Harald knew that they could be key factors in attracting still more trade and commercial opportunities. He was interested in agriculture and business, helping to expand and increase not only the profitability of his own vast estates, but the agricultural produce of the country as a whole. He relaxed tariffs, thereby allowing for greater trade with Arendaal's Nordic neighbours, and introduced acts to bolster the commercial life of the country. With his sanitation measures and by making grain free to the lower classes he significantly improved the lives of the peasantry. He was friendly towards guilds and yet supported independent commercial ventures, and he also expanded upon previous laws to make universities open to all students based on academic merit. Such laws increased the numbers of Aren educated professionals exponentially.

Harald III personally acted as a great patron of many of the most notable artists of the age. His marriage to Princess Ottavia of the Talemantine Empire (a marriage arranged by former Aren Queen consort Eliana of the Talemantine Empire (Ottavia's aunt and the wife of Harald's uncle Pieter I) cemented ties to southern Europe and ensured a steady stream of artists and traders from the south flocked to Arendaal. Often Harald would also secure the patronage of nobles at his court, thereby allowing Arendaal to become perhaps the most prolific centre of artistic, scienfitic and literary production in Europe. He established training schools for budding artists and commissioned massive architectural and artistic works throughout his reign. Foreign artists began to flock to Arendaal in search of artistic freedom and financial gain.

The portrait of Harald III seen above, painted by Botticelli, is deliberately modest: the King wears simple clothes and is shown against a plain backdrop. Its aim, in which it undoubtedly suceeds, is to alert the onlooker to the merits of Harald himself, rather than to the greatness of the Aren King. The painting stands out for the smile that animates the sitter's features — the painters way of suggesting a living presence. The painting therefore represents a man who is endowed with so many merits on his own, that he need not remind you of his rather illustrious ancestry or exalted social position.

Family, Marriage and Children
King Harald III of Arendaal married Princess Ottavia of the Talemantine Empire, a marriage arranged by Eliana, Ottavia's aunt and the wife of Harald's uncle, King Pieter I). Their children included:
 * Marguerite I of Arendaal (1479 - 1517) - who succeeded her father as ruler of Arendaal in 1497, the first woman to ever be crowned over her brothers
 * Rurik II of Arendaal (1480 - 1520) - who disputed Marguerite I's succession and forcibly seized the throne upon her death (He was later overthrown by her son Frederik II)

Siblings

 * Anne of Arendaal, Queen of Montelimar - sister. Consort of Jean VI of Montelimar, and later Regent of Montelimar
 * Nikolina of Arendaal, Empress of the Talemantine Empire - sister. Consort of Giovanni Luciano IV of the Talemantine Empire

Other Royal Relations

 * Pieter I of Arendaal - uncle
 * Sigrid of Arendaal, Holy Germanic Empress - aunt. Consort of Emperor Victor II of Swabia
 * Madeleine of Arendaal, Holy Germanic Empress - aunt. Consort of Emperor Heinrich V von Franken
 * Frederika of Arendaal, Queen of Eiffelland - aunt. Consort of Ludwig V of Eiffelland
 * Eliana of the Talemantine Empire, Queen of Arendaal - uncle's wife (wife of Pieter I) and wife's aunt
 * Juan Carlos of Coronado, Prince Consort of Arendaal - son-in-law
 * Caitlin of Eireann, Queen of Arendaal - daughter-in-law
 * Frederik II of Arendaal - grandson
 * Malena of Arendaal, Holy Germanic Empress - granddaughter. Consort to Emperor Georg II Wilhelm von Thießen
 * Gisela of Arendaal, Queen of Franken - granddaughter. Consort of Sebastian III von Franken

Ancestors
's ancestors in four generations: