Greger I of Arendaal

Greger I of Arendaal ("Greger the Sun King") (1640 - 1695) was the King of Arendaal and Emperor of the North between 1663 and 1695. He was the son of Magnus II of Arendaal, Emperor of the North and his consort Diane of Breotonia. Greger capitalized on the strategies of his father, supporting the Kunglig Nordiska Handelsforetag (KNH) and thus increasing the economic power of Arendaal while increasing the rising power of the Empire of the North. His reign is best remembered for the final resolution of tensions between Catholics and Protestants in Arendaal, and for a series of military conflicts with Wiese.

Greger was also key to securing the crown of Ormssex-Colne for his younger brother Kristian, whose descendants ruled the area of Engellex until 1834.

Greger I himself became famous for his contributions to Aren art and culture and for the sweeping centralization of the bureaucracy and nobility at his glittering court of Versailles. Under Greger I Arendaal prospered artistically, intellectually, economically, and socially, standing firm as a leading power in Europe. Greger's long reign has been hailed one of the most successful in Aren History.

Sun King: Personality and Legacy
Greger proved to have both the political acumen and intellectual capacity of his father, Emperor Magnus II. Perhaps as a testament to his excellent education, he was a man of considerable ability, much industry, and great force of character. He had a magnificent courtesy of demeanour, which so impressed all who came near him as to make them his willing devotees. "There is enough in him to make four kings and eight respectable men besides" was what was said of him.

The Emperor possessed the power of self-assertion in spades, which attached those around him to his person, almost as if he were a sort of divinity. Princes and nobles of every degree were contented to hang about the court, flocking to the spacious lodgings at the Palace of Versailles. The exquisite Palace has repeatedly been exalted by onlookers as the most beautiful in existence, not least due to Greger’s devotion to heightening its splendour.

For ages past, Arendaal had enjoyed the good fortune of seeing her throne successively occupied by great rulers and administrators. Such sovereigns had not only governed, but also impressed the imagination of the people. From this accomplished lineage came forth a prince singularly well informed, fond of study, enamoured with art, with a refined taste in literature, a passion for science and a natural ear for music. With such a disposition Greger I followed in the well trodden path of Royal success.

Versailles, the Arts and Court Life
Greger was a formidable man in and of himself, yet it was the Imperial Aren Court centred around Versailles Palace that shone as his most brilliant asset. Though he had little patience for frivolities, he knew that in an age of Empire, the way to best assert power was to outshine his contemporaries in the brilliance he commanded.

There was a tremendous outburst of talent of every kind during his reign, and in artists, authors, musicians, generals, thinkers, and men of science, Arendaal was incomparably rich. These virtuosos blossomed at Court and such was their radiance that it became custom for foreign Royals to mime their fashions and outlooks.

Palace of Versailles was the most opulent royal residence yet known in Europe. Its grounds were considerably enlarged during Greger’s reign, taking on their present resplendent form.

It was Greger I's role as patron of the Arts that earned him the title: "The Sun King". Painting, music and literature flourished alongside scientific advancement and philosophical investigation. As an indication of this artistic prowess, the Baroque age came to be known as the “Golden Age of Aren Painting”.

Marriage Alliances
Emperor Greger I was a great believer in the tried and true practice of Royal Marriage Alliances, taking great advantage of the marriages of his sisters to powerful European rulers, and arranging important matches for his children and grandchildren. Greger himself, through his mother, was the grandson of the King of Breotonia and through his father a great-grandson of the King of Lorraine. His first wife, Marie was a Princess of Montelimar, while his second marriage was to Hannelore, a Princess of Danmark.

Greger I was instrumental in securing the Crown of Ormssex-Colne for his younger brother, Kristian. His sister Louisa married the King of Eiffelland, while Alais was the Queen Consort of Franken. Greger's eldest son, Frederick, married Johanna of Batavie and his granddaughter Kristianna I wed the Emeperor of the Talemantine Empire. Like his father, he was rumoured to have supplied mistresses to prominent figures in Wiese to act as spies.

Greger was bound to his first wife, Marie of Montelimar, not only out of love, but by a devoted sense of loyalty that pervaded his character. He perplexed contemporaries by keeping much female company. "When women have well-formed minds," he would say, "I like their conversation better than that of men; you find with them a certain gentleness which is not met with amongst us, and it seems to me, besides, that they express themselves with greater clearness, and that they give a more pleasant turn to the things they say." He had great faith in women’s intellectual and political abilities and thus adamantly wanted his grand-daughter Kristianna I to succeed him after the death of his eldest son Crown Prince Frederik. Despite his great grief following Marie's death in 1685, he married Hannelore of Danmark in 1687, a political move intended to cement closer ties to Danmark.

The Aren People Under Greger
It is true that, having recognized the importance of Court Life, Greger devoted himself to it with fervour, yet it is well known that his priority - and the real reason for his immense popularity - remained his devotion to fulfilling the interests of the peoples of Arendaal and the Empire of the North. Extensive measures were taken to keep taxation low and to simultaneously ensure that the wealth generated from taxes were employed to the public gain.

Family, Marriage and Children
Greger I of Arendaal, Emperor of the North and King of Arendaal married twice, firstly to Princess Marie of Montelimar, daughter of the King of Montelimar. Their children included:
 * Frederik, Prince of Arendaal (1658 - 1690) - who would predecease his father by five years. Frederick's daughter, Kristianna, would become Greger I's successor in 1695.

After Marie's death, Greger married Princess Hannelore of Danmark, a daughter of the first King of Danmark, King Jorgen. Their children included:
 * 

Siblings

 * Kristian of Arendaal, King of Ormssex-Colne - brother. Crowned King of Ormssex-Colne in 1691
 * Louisa of Arendaal, Queen of Eiffelland - sister. Consort of Lothar VI of Eiffelland
 * Alais of Arendaal, Queen of Franken - sister. Consort of Nikolaus V von Franken

Other Royal Relations

 * Queen Kristianna I of Arendaal - granddaughter and heir as ruler of Arendaal
 * Johanna of Batavie, Princess of Arendaal - daughter-in-law. Wife of his son Crown Prince Frederick
 * Helene of Arendaal, Empress of the Talemantine Empire - aunt. Consort of Horace XII of the Talemantine Empire
 * Diane of Arendaal, Queen of Anglyn - aunt. Consort of Cedric X of Anglyn
 * Theodore VII of the Talemantine Empire - grandson-in-law. Husband of his granddaughter Kristianna I
 * Adela of Arendaal, Duchess of Treviso - great-aunt. Consort of Duke Ciro II and Duke Valentino II
 * Leonor of Arendaal, Queen of Batavie - great-aunt. Consort of the King of Batavie (great grandmother of his daughter-in-law Johanna)
 * Gustav V of Arendaal - great-grandson
 * Isacco Beniamino II of the Talemantine Empire - great-grandson
 * Liliana of Arendaal, Queen of Montelimar - great-granddaughter. Consort of King Michel II of Montelimar
 * Heloise of Arendaal, Empress of Wiese - great-granddaughter. Consort of Emperor Emperor Karl I of Wiese
 * Kristine of Arendaal, Queen of Eiffelland - great-granddaughter. Consort of Philipp IV of Eiffelland

Ancestors
's ancestors in four generations: