Treaty of Dynastic Separation
| Long name | Treaty of Dynastic Separation between Natopia and Nouvelle Alexandrie |
|---|---|
| Type | Bilateral treaty |
| Context | Marriage of Crown Prince Uturuncu and Princess Adelaide; prevention of personal union between Nouvelle Alexandrie and Natopia |
| Signed | 15.III.1721 AN |
| Location | Palace of Vista de Nada, Lindström, Natopia |
| Effective | 15.III.1721 AN |
| Condition | Ratification by both legislatures |
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The Treaty of Dynastic Separation between Natopia and Nouvelle Alexandrie (Alexandrian: Traité de Séparation Dynastique entre Natopia et Nouvelle Alexandrie; Martino: Tratado de Separación Dinástica entre Natopia y Nueva Alejandría), commonly known as the Treaty of Dynastic Separation or the Uturuncu-Adelaide Treaty, is a bilateral treaty signed on 15.III.1721 AN at the Lindström Summit in Lindström, Natopia. The treaty establishes that the thrones of Natopia and Nouvelle Alexandrie shall remain separate despite the marriage of Crown Prince Uturuncu of Nouvelle Alexandrie (later King Sinchi Roca II) and Princess Adelaide of Natopia (later Crown Princess of Natopia).
The treaty was necessitated by the unique dynastic situation created by the marriage. Princess Adelaide was heir apparent to the Natopian throne as the eldest child of Empress Vadoma I and Emperor Edgard III. Crown Prince Uturuncu was heir apparent to Nouvelle Alexandrie as the eldest child of King Sinchi Roca I and Queen Abigail. Without the treaty, their eldest child would have eventually inherited both thrones, creating a personal union between two of the most powerful nations in the Raspur Pact.
Background
The engagement of Crown Prince Uturuncu, Prince of Rimarima, to Princess Adelaide of Natopia was announced in late 1720 AN, following a period of diplomatic courtship between the House of Inti-Carrillo and the House of Waffel-Paine. The match was welcomed by both nations as a strengthening of the alliance between two founding members of the Raspur Pact, but it immediately raised concerns among constitutional scholars and diplomats about the implications for the succession.
The personal union problem
Both Nouvelle Alexandrie and Natopia follow forms of absolute primogeniture in their succession laws. In Nouvelle Alexandrie, the Succession to the Throne Act, 1700 explicitly provides that "the gender of a person does not give that person, or that person's descendants, precedence over any other person." This meant that the eldest child of Uturuncu and Adelaide, regardless of gender, would be heir apparent to the New Alexandrian throne. Simultaneously, Princess Adelaide remained heir apparent to Natopia, meaning her children would stand in the Natopian line of succession. Without intervention, the couple's eldest child would eventually become both King or Queen of Nouvelle Alexandrie and sovereign of the Bovic Empire of the Natopian Nation, uniting two distinct constitutional systems, two different state religions, and vast territories across Eura and Tapfer under a single crown.
While personal unions had occurred elsewhere on Micras, both governments concluded that such an arrangement would be unworkable given the different governmental structures, religious establishments, and geopolitical interests of the two nations. There were also concerns within the Raspur Pact that a combined Natopian-New Alexandrian superstate would upset the balance of power within the alliance.
Lindström Summit
Negotiations took place in early 1721 AN at the Lindström Summit, a series of meetings held at the Palace of Vista de Nada in Lindström, Natopia. The summit brought together representatives of both royal houses, constitutional experts from the Cortes Federales and the Frenzy, and diplomatic observers from other Raspur Pact nations. The principal negotiators were Crown Prince Uturuncu and Princess Adelaide themselves, reflecting the personal nature of the arrangement. They were assisted by teams of legal advisors, including representatives from the High Court of Justice of Nouvelle Alexandrie and the Natopian judiciary.
Key provisions
Designation of heirs
The treaty's central provision establishes which throne each child of the marriage is primarily designated to inherit:
- The couple's eldest child is designated heir apparent to the throne of Nouvelle Alexandrie, holding the titles Princess of Rimarima, Duchess of Nueva Geneva, Countess of Rochefort, and Granddaughter of Inti as specified in the Succession to the Throne Act, 1700.
- The couple's second child is designated heir to the throne of Natopia, holding the title Prince of Lindström, the official designation for the Natopian heir apparent.
- The couple's remaining children retain their place in both lines of succession according to the ordinary laws of each nation, but are not designated as primary heirs to either throne.
This provision was implemented following the births of the couple's five children:
- Princess Sayari (b. 1722 AN), heir apparent to Nouvelle Alexandrie;
- Prince Nathan (b. 1724 AN), designated heir to Natopia after his mother;
- Princess Urpi (b. 1726 AN);
- Prince Xanthorr (b. 1728 AN);
- Princess Phaedra (b. 1730 AN).
Prohibition on personal union
The treaty prohibits any individual from simultaneously holding the thrones of both Nouvelle Alexandrie and Natopia. To enforce this prohibition, the treaty establishes a renunciation requirement: any person who stands to inherit both thrones must formally renounce their claim to one throne before acceding to the other.
The renunciation must be:
- Made in writing and witnessed by representatives of both governments;
- Irrevocable once the individual has acceded to either throne;
- Completed before the coronation or formal accession ceremony in either nation.
If an individual fails or refuses to make the required renunciation, they are deemed to have renounced the throne they have not yet claimed, and succession to that throne passes to the next eligible person under that nation's succession laws.
Preservation of succession rights
The treaty does not remove any child from either line of succession. All children of the marriage retain their places in both the New Alexandrian and Natopian successions according to the ordinary operation of each nation's succession laws. The designations of Sayari for Nouvelle Alexandrie and Nathan for Natopia establish primary expectations but do not exclude the other children from inheriting either throne should circumstances require.
Under ordinary circumstances:
- In Nouvelle Alexandrie, the line of succession among the King's children follows: Sayari, Nathan, Urpi, Xanthorr, Phaedra, in accordance with absolute primogeniture under the Succession to the Throne Act, 1700.
- In Natopia, the children stand in the line of succession after Crown Princess Adelaide, with their relative positions determined by Natopian succession law.
The renunciation requirement ensures that whichever child ultimately inherits either throne, personal union remains impossible.
Separation of governance
The treaty establishes that the governance and administration of both nations shall remain separate and independent:
- Neither sovereign may hold executive or legislative office in the other nation;
- The governments of each nation shall operate independently without interference from the other;
- Neither nation shall acquire territory, resources, or sovereign rights from the other through dynastic inheritance;
- Diplomatic relations between the two nations shall continue through normal channels, not through any personal connection of the sovereigns.
Dual titles and residences
The treaty permits members of the royal family to hold courtesy titles in both nations. Prince Nathan, for example, holds the New Alexandrian title of Viscount of Paruro while also holding the Natopian title of Prince of Lindström. These titles are personal honors and do not confer governmental authority across borders.
The treaty also permits the Queen Consort of Nouvelle Alexandrie (Adelaide) to retain her position as Crown Princess of Natopia and to reside in either nation as duties require.
Contingency provisions
The treaty addresses several contingency scenarios affecting the succession in each nation.
Contingencies affecting Nouvelle Alexandrie
If Princess Sayari dies or becomes permanently incapacitated without eligible heirs before acceding to the New Alexandrian throne, Prince Nathan becomes heir apparent to Nouvelle Alexandrie under the Succession to the Throne Act, 1700. Because Nathan is also designated heir to Natopia, he would then stand to inherit both thrones. In this circumstance, Nathan must declare which throne he will claim before acceding to either. Upon his declaration:
- If Nathan chooses Nouvelle Alexandrie, he renounces his claim to Natopia, and Princess Urpi becomes the designated Natopian heir;
- If Nathan chooses Natopia, he renounces his claim to Nouvelle Alexandrie, and Princess Urpi becomes heir apparent to Nouvelle Alexandrie.
If both Sayari and Nathan are unable to succeed to the New Alexandrian throne (through death, incapacity, or Nathan's renunciation), Princess Urpi becomes heir apparent to Nouvelle Alexandrie. If Urpi also stands in position to inherit Natopia, she is subject to the same renunciation requirement.
If all five children are unable to succeed to the New Alexandrian throne, the succession proceeds to the King's siblings and their descendants under Section 4.3(6) of the Succession to the Throne Act, 1700, beginning with Prince Amaru, Duke of Qusqu.
If the House of Inti-Carrillo is entirely extinguished, the New Alexandrian succession passes to the House of Carrillo under Section 4.4 of the Succession to the Throne Act, beginning with the descendants of Francis Joseph IV and Elizabeth I of Caputia.
Contingencies affecting Natopia
If Prince Nathan dies or becomes permanently incapacitated before acceding to the Natopian throne, or if Nathan renounces his claim to Natopia in order to succeed to Nouvelle Alexandrie, the next child in birth order assumes the designation as heir to Natopia. Under current circumstances, this would be Princess Urpi.
The treaty does not otherwise alter Natopian succession law. The Frenzy retains authority over matters of Natopian succession not explicitly addressed by the treaty.
General provisions
If any individual not specifically named in the treaty (such as a grandchild of King Sinchi Roca II and Queen Adelaide) stands to inherit both thrones, the renunciation requirement applies equally. The individual must choose one throne and formally renounce the other before accession to either.
Implementation
The treaty was ratified by the Cortes Federales and the Frenzy in III.1721 AN, shortly before the marriage ceremony. It took effect immediately upon ratification.
Marriage of Uturuncu and Adelaide
The marriage of Crown Prince Uturuncu and Princess Adelaide took place in 1721 AN, following the treaty's ratification. The wedding was celebrated in both nations and marked the formal union of the House of Inti-Carrillo with the House of Waffel-Paine, creating the cadet branch designated "Inti-Carrillo y Waffel-Paine" in genealogical records.
Accession of Sinchi Roca II
The treaty's provisions were first tested in 1735 AN when Crown Prince Uturuncu acceded to the New Alexandrian throne as King Sinchi Roca II following the death of his father. Princess Adelaide became Queen Consort of Nouvelle Alexandrie while remaining Crown Princess of Natopia. Princess Sayari, then thirteen years old, became Princess of Rimarima and heir apparent to Nouvelle Alexandrie, while Prince Nathan, then eleven, retained his position as designated heir to Natopia.
Current status
As of 1751 AN, the treaty remains in full force. Princess Sayari married Prince Janus of Neridia in XII.1750 AN and continues as heir apparent to Nouvelle Alexandrie. Prince Nathan announced his engagement to Princess Darya Ardashirdokht Osman in IV.1751 AN and remains third in line to the Natopian throne, behind Empress Vadoma I and Crown Princess Adelaide.
Princess Sayari is expected to accede to the New Alexandrian throne in due course. Should she predecease her father without heirs, Prince Nathan would become heir apparent to Nouvelle Alexandrie and would be required to choose between the two thrones under the treaty's renunciation provisions.
Reception
The treaty was broadly welcomed in both nations as a sensible solution to a complex dynastic problem. Constitutional scholars in both Nouvelle Alexandrie and Natopia noted that the treaty preserved the independence of both nations while permitting the strengthening of dynastic ties between two allied powers.
The treaty's approach of requiring renunciation rather than pre-emptively excluding children from succession was noted by legal scholars in both nations. The High Court of Justice of Nouvelle Alexandrie issued an advisory opinion in 1722 AN confirming that the treaty's provisions were consistent with the Succession to the Throne Act, 1700 and did not require amendment to that Act. The Natopian judiciary issued a similar opinion regarding compatibility with Natopian succession law.
Within the Raspur Pact, the treaty was seen as evidence of the alliance's capacity to manage complex inter-member disputes through negotiation. The treaty preserved the balance of power within the Pact by preventing the emergence of a combined Natopian-New Alexandrian state through dynastic inheritance.
