Louis V of Pracht

Louis V (1689 - Present) known as the well-beloved (le bien-aime) is the ruling monarch of the House of Hochberg and rules as Emperor of Pracht, starting from 1699 after the death of his grandfather, Charles III.

His father, the Dauphin Louis, was the son and heir to Charles III but died before he could reach the throne. He has been known for reforms of government and seizing his own power from the nobility. At the beginning of his personal rule, starting in 1706, he used brute force to quash rebellions which were ravaging the country at the time.

His heir apparent is his eldest daughter, Marie Helene.

Reign of Charles III - Son Altesse Imperiale, Monsieur le Dauphin
Louis V was born on May 6th, 1689 at the Chateau du Egmont in Bruxelles. He was the first child of Louis, Monsieur le Dauphin and thus was a grandson of the ruling monarch, the aged Charles Auguste III. Louis would be the first child of the dauphin and would be joined by two more siblings in coming years. He was placed instantly into the care of the Imperial Governess, the Comtesse de Retz. The young Louis saw little of his father to begin with and to further compound their distance, the Dauphin would be diagnosed with pneumonia and sent to the Duche de Dauphine to recover. After a few months of the Dauphin staying in Dauphine, to further compound the situation he'd be diagnosed with consumption. His already weakened immune system could not take the strain. The Dauphin would die in 1694, leaving his 5-year-old son to become the new Dauphin.

Immediately after his birth, there were days of celebration within the Empire and many tributes and honours to the young boy. It was also celebrated due to a new relative of the Emperor being born after the decimation of the Imperial Family in 1686, where many members of the Imperial Family were killed in the great smallpox outbreak of 1684-1687, an epidemic which took the lives of an estimated 36,000 people, including 7 members of the Imperial Family. There were many days of balls and masquerades put on to celebrate the birth of the boy, who was by then declared Duc de Bourgogne by decree of Charles III.

Louis had a difficult childhood, being fatherless he sought reassurance mainly from his governess, the Comtesse de Retz. Most power over Louis' life was put into the hands of the Comtesse by Charles III as he saw it clear that the Comtesse cared deeply for the young Dauphin. In 1697, the Dauphin was appointed a tutor, who would be the Cardinal-Duc de Bretagne. The Cardinal was in a position of great influence already and saw the opportunity to influence the future Emperor for his own benefits, though his cryptic language that he would use to attempt to get to Louis would never catch on with him. Though the Cardinal was unsuccessful in gaining influence with the Dauphin, he still taught the Dauphin well, teaching music, foreign policy, languages (particularly English, French, Spanish, German and parts of Latin), military planning, internal policy and many other important topics. Louis would also enjoying studying his favourite topics of his own accord.

He was baptized in 1698 and named Louis Ferdinand, a decision made by Charles III. Charles III was very instant on the education of the Dauphin, understanding the dire situation that he would leave the Empire in upon his own death after he had drained the treasury of most funds on useless constructions and frivolity within the court. One of the biggest things that Charles III insisted that Louis be educated on was military strategy. Under Charles III, Pracht had lost wars and had even lost the Marquisat de Tubingen, gained by Louis IV. In 1698, believing that his death was imminent, Charles III wrote a will naming Louis' uncle, Auguste Charles, as the regent should he pass while the Dauphin was still in minority.

On the 14th of January 1699, the young Dauphin was playing in his chambers, accompanied by his governess and his younger brother and sister. Unbeknownst to all of them, Charles III had collapsed in his chambers and was nearing death. Courtiers were hanging around in the main hall by the Imperial Bedchambers. The Imperial Governess, seeing the crowd of people, knew exactly what was happening. She quickly took the Dauphin and his siblings into his private bedroom, locking the door. As the clock struck 3, there was a long silence and then an announcement "l'Empereur est mort!", followed by loud thundering of courtiers running through the hall to attempt to declare the Dauphin as Emperor. The guard was ordered to stop any courtiers from entering the room, as the governess calmed the already frightened Louis. Louis was now heralded "Louis V, par la grâce de Dieu, Empereur de toutes les Pracht" and was declared as such across the Empire.

Regency of Auguste Charles - Sa Majeste Tres Catholique, l'Empereur
In the will of Charles III, Louis' uncle Auguste Charles was made regent of the Empire for Louis V. There was much hope for the new era in Pracht, after the devastating financial spending of Charles III that left the Empire bankrupt and spiraling out of control in terms of Foreign Reputation. Louis was quietly moved to the Chateau d'Orleans with a small entourage of young noble courtiers his own age to keep the Emperor company. Louis adored the Chateau d'Orleans, with its luscious gardens and extravagant decoration of the Chateau at the time. The Imperial Governess also accompanied the Emperor to the Chateau d'Orleans, where she was instructed to continue her care of the Emperor until the regency period had ended.

Louis and his siblings lived quietly at Orleans, the public never heard from the Emperor but semi-annual announcements stating that the Emperor was doing well could be heard on the streets of Brussels. During the Regency Period, Pracht was beginning to rebuilt its then fragile economy under the regency of Auguste. It was deemed necessary that spending on the Imperial Household was cut significantly, as well as taxes on nobility being imposed for a short amount of time. New trade connections were also established in this time to allow Pracht to receive more annual income for the product that it traded. New alliances were also considered for the Empire, in which it found one suitable ally, Spain. Political turmoil was also an issue at the beginning of the regency period, as the Council of Ministers and the regent could not agree on anything. However, the regent had persuasive skills and managed to bend the Council to his will, a skill that Louis would never be able to master himself in the future.

As all of this was going on politically, Louis continued his education quietly under the Cardinal-Duc de Bretagne with assistance from the Governess. Later in the regency, Louis would receive daily reports on issues in the Empire, to which he would write back his response and recommendations of action on the issue. In the final years of the regency, Louis was moved back to Chateau du Egmont, a place which he had never felt secure or happy at. He would miss the Chateau d'Orleans, but understand the ancient requirement for the Emperor to have his seat of power in Brussels. In 1708, Louis was arranged to marry Marie Johanne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, an ancient house within the Empire, dating back since almost the foundation of the Kingdom of Pracht, originally being Germanic. When he turned sixteen in 1706, the regent stepped aside for him to take his position.

Coronation
Louis V was crowned on May 28th, 1707 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the traditional location of the coronation ceremony. His coronation was a long, solemn affair which followed the ancient traditions exactly. Many foreign diplomats attended the ceremony, attempting to win favour and a possible alliance with the Empire which after the boosts and growth of the Regent Auguste was seen as a dominant power in Europe, a strong ally to have. The ceremony was presided over by Cardinal Bretagne, his tutor, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prince-Bishop of Brussels.

He'd be crowned in a way that reflected the glory of God himself, according to attendees. It was speculated that as the crown descended upon his head, the sunlight from the circular window above had shone brightly upon him. This was seen as a good omen for things to come within this reign.

Wedding
On the 17th of June, 1709, Louis would be married at the Cathedral of St. Gudala and St. Michael in Brussels. Much like his coronation, the ceremony was much of grandeur and tradition. There were many spectators, including the immediate Imperial Family, the Dowager Empress Helena, the former regent Auguste and many more. Foreign diplomats also attended his ceremony to once again attempt to boost their favour in the eyes of the Emperor. The celebrations were huge and lasted for many days, but the celebrations afterwards were deemed the most suitable and grand for the ceremony.

Bells across the Empire tolled at the time of the wedding and cannon salutes were set off from fortresses nationwide. Masses of cheering crowds would flood into Brussels to follow the procession leaving the Cathedral. The long procession of carriages, headed by the elaborately decorated Imperial Carriage, having six peacock feathers attached to each corner of the carriage, pulled by six horses in ornately decorated garter. The carriage had many features inside too, including a small dining table which would allow them to take the food set out if they wished to take it. After arriving back at Egmont, the court entered, leaving the cheering crowd outside the gates to watch the firework display which would be set off from the courtyard. Indoors the court was served a great banquet, with many courses and for dessert, there was a cake with nine days of work put into it, extravagantly decorated using icing to spell out the initials of the two and creating elaborate structures on top of the cake. The fireworks display was also suited to spell out their initials along with many other beautiful and bright colour patterns. They'd then be led to the bedding ceremony, where the marriage would reportedly be consummated on the night.

Early Reign and Children
One of his first acts was to build up the military to prepare for a defensive war against Britain, which had been antagonizing Pracht for a few years beforehand. The military was soon strong and powerful, though the anticipated war never happened, the new might of the military was used to set an example to any other country that would attempt to antagonize Pracht.

In March 1710, the Empress would give birth to their first child, a girl who was immediately titled Madame la Dauphine. She would be baptized Marie Helene. In August 1714, she would give birth to their second child, Madame Deuxieme, who unfortunately would pass away within 6 days as a result of birth defects, leaving Louis and Marie heartbroken. Their third child would be born in 1715, who would become the Duc de Bourgogne and eventually favourite child of Louis. In 1716, another son was born who became Marquis de Longueville. He'd have 8 more children with Marie later on.

Following Catholic Tradition, he would send his daughters off to a convent in bursts to be educated by the nuns of the convent. Another of his acts in his early reign was to improve relations between the Sovereign and the Council of Ministers, which had always seemingly got in the way of the monarch. Louis had managed to achieve common ground with the council, who would agree not to argue with his decisions unless they breached any documents signed by previous monarchs or were a threat to the Empire in general. Louis began to achieve popularity with his people and was viewed as an idealistic monarch. Although he did appoint an Imperial Chancellor, he'd never allow the Chancellor to interfere with his own politics or decisions.

The War of the South
In 1728, the Holy Roman Empire declared war on Pracht over disputes of ownership of the Southern French Territories, which the H.R.E had claimed to own. Louis V's decision to personally go to the south to take command of the armies by himself was incredibly popular with the people and boosted morale of the army to see their Sovereign on the battlefield. Louis put his Minister of Defence, Jean-Auguste, in command of strategy within the battle, for which he awarded the minister the Military Order of St. Louis. A series of successful battles, including the Battle of Provence, the Battle of Dauphine and the Battle of Lyon brought great victories for Pracht, which were much celebrated. The war dragged on, with the Holy Roman Empire refusing to surrender.

After a loss for Pracht at the Battle of Valence, the forces of the H.R.E attempted to march towards Paris to ransack the city, but were trailed by the forces of Pracht, lead by Louis V. After splitting the forces into two halves, the H.R.E forces were ambushed at Nevers, leading to the final battle of the war, the battle of Nevers. Both sides were exhausted and both had an equal chance of a victory at the time. The battle dragged on and after 12 hours of fighting, the Holy Roman Empire finally conceded defeat and hoped for a Peace Treaty. In the Treaty of Nevers, Pracht was declared the victor of the War of the South and in war reparations, received a payment of approximately 850,000 Prachtian Marks. It also gained the provinces of Beaujeu and Tubingen. The victory was much celebrated in the Empire, which much boosted Louis' popularity.

Affairs
It has been well documented that Louis has had a number of affairs in his reign. It was firstly documented that he had an affair with the Comtesse de Turenne, who was made Comtesse in her own right by Louis. It has been rumoured that two children of the Comtesse are not of her husband and actually the biological children of Louis.

Next, a rumour began circulating that Louis had an affair with the Baroness de Utrecht and was the biological father of her son, the current Baron de Utrecht, but the husband of the Baroness has claimed that the child is his and Louis himself has never commented on the existance of the child at all.

After that, it was documented that he had an affair with the Duchesse de Nassau, wife of the powerful Duc de Nassau. It was believed that three of her children are biologically children of Louis, a rumour which has been widely accepted across the court. The Duke, however, wishing not to have his or his family's reputation slashed, claim that the children are his own.

Next, it came into rumour that he had began an affair with the Comtesse de la Gelderland, which became perhaps the most scandalous affair of his reign, because of the Comte's reaction mainly. The affair was began in 1720, and would result in two illegitimate children from it. Court rumour made its way to the Comte de la Gelderland, who would have quite a harsh reaction. His initial reaction was to denounce his marriage and force his wife into a convent, where she is to stay for the rest of her life. He took the two children that she had with Louis and send them into the countryside to live with peasants. Louis himself never commented on the matter.

Finally, his most recent affair was with the Marquise de Nice, an affair which is reportedly still ongoing and has produced two children. These affairs have said to have deeply hurt the Empress, who felt saddened by the constant court rumour of his affairs. He still remains popular with his people and courtiers today, despite the affairs.

Legitimate Issue
With his wife, Marie Johanne, he had fourteen legitimate children, with twelve being carried to full term;
 * Marie Helene, Madame la Dauphiné (24th March 1710 - Present)
 * Marie Henriette, Madame Deuxième (15th August 1711 - 21st August 1711)
 * Henri Antoine, Duc de Bourgogne (14th October 1713 - Present)
 * Stillborn male (16th December 1714)
 * François Xavier, Marquis de Longueville (3rd May 1716 - 12th February 1727)
 * Louis-Auguste Ferdinand, Comte de Dunois (18th January 1718 - Present)
 * Marie Josèphe, Madame Troisième (23rd October 1719 - 14th December 1725)
 * Marie Sophie, Madame Quatrième (14th May 1720 - Present)
 * Jacques Alexandre, Comte de Provence (12th March 1722 - Present)
 * Marie Thèrése, Madame Cinquième (1st February 1723 - 3rd February 1723)
 * Marie Amelie, Madame Sixième (1st February 1723 - Present)
 * Stillborn female (20th November 1725)
 * Marie-Henriette Éloise, Madame Septième (14th February 1727 - Present)
 * Charles Philippe, Comte de Lyon (8th August 1728 - Present)

Illegitimate Issue
With various others, he supposedly had 11 illegitimate children;

With the Comtesse de Turenne; With the Baroness de Utrecht (supposedly); With the Duchesse de Nassau With the Comtesse de la Gelderland; With the Marquise de Nice;
 * Louis de Turenne (18th August 1716 - 21st November 1730)
 * Marie de Turenne (28th May 1719 - Present)
 * Louis, Baron de Utrecht (19th April 1717 - Present) - a disputed claim over the parentage of the Baron, resemblance to the Emperor has lead some to believe he is illegitimate offspring of Louis V.
 * Auguste de Nassau (20th December 1720 - Present)
 * Elisabeth de Nassau (19th January 1723 - Present)
 * Claudine de Nassau (2nd June 1725 - 19th July 1725)
 * Louis-Auguste de la Gelderland (11th March 1721 - Present)
 * Antoine de la Gelderland (18th May 1723 - 28th May 1723)
 * Marie Adelaide de Nice (28th December 1725 - Present)
 * Louis de Nice (15th March 1727 - Present)

Titles and Styles
-6th May 1693 - 14th October 1694: Son Altesse Imperiale, le Duc de Bourgogne

-14th October 1694 - 17th August 1699: Son Altesse Imperiale, Monsieur le Dauphin

-17th August 1699 - Present: Sa Majeste Tres Catholique, l'Empereur

Louis' official style is: "Louis V, par la grâce de Dieu, Empereur de toutes les Pracht" or "Louis V, by the Grace of God, Emperor of all Pracht"

Honours

 * Grandmaster of the Order of the Holy Spirit
 * Grandmaster of the Order of Saint Louis