Kalistan

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Her Imperial Majesty Empress Carolina I Ananto in Command
From Orphan to Empress, Sovereign's views formed by relationship to Black Empress
Kaliburg Free City, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 1, 5578


Her Imperial Majesty at Tea; Will look to increase uses of Informal Audiences

It's been just over six months since Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina I Ananto was crowned.  In this space of time, she has demonstrated skill in managing a smooth transition, has put forth an internally and externally consistent foreign policy, and has ensured that the ship of state remains on an even keel.  But what do we really know about the new Monarch?

On the question of biography, Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina I Ananto was born April 16, 5546 in Kundrati.  The name of her biological mother died in childbirth, and her biological father had previously abandoned them, and was unable to be located later.  The infant was cared for at the hospital before being placed with a foster family, where Pavlina Hulanevek who was, at the time, a lawyer for the Etxean Bank in Kundrati, met her.  After several months, Pavlina adopted the infant as her own daughter, and began to raise her as a little family.

When Pavlina was introduced to Emperor Fredrick I Ananto in Likatonia, the young Carolina was a mere five years old.  The courtship ended in marriage, and Carolina and Pavlina moved to Kalistan when she was six.  The Emperor doted on the little girl and indulged both her and her mother in every way.  Carolina learned Vrassan very quickly, and, due to Pavlina's interest in speaking Vrassan in the house, Carolina soon lost her native Lurrian.  She still can read it fairly successfully, but can no longer speak it with any fluency or confidence.  Instead, she now speaks Vrassan, Egelian, and Canrillaise, and can manage a measure of Dundorfian.  Carolina was officially adopted by Emperor Fredrick I Ananto in 5557, when she was 11, and was named Crown Princess as her mother became Empress of Ananto and Kalistan to provide them protection of Lese Majestie.

The rebellion and the family's sojourn in Gaduridos threatened to interrupt her education at an early age, but when she returned to Kalistan, she threw herself back into her studies with gusto, and soon became interested in mechanics and physics.  In high school, Carolina took courses in politics, philosophy and music, but was far more interested in auto shop and math classes.  She intended to follow her adopted father, Fredrick Ananto, into automechanics.  But when she entered National Service following High School Graduation, the Crown Princess was tracked into Civil Engineering instead, because her aptitude and needs of service suggested she would be a better fit as a surveyor.  During her National Service, Carolina was part of beginning a road project to connect Eveari with growing Gold Plain settlements, and has her name etched onto three separate bridges in Gold County along with other members of her NSP gang.

Following her release from National Service, Carolina attended Kaliburg Polytechnic, where she majored in Civil Engineering, but also studied economics, moral philosophy and political theory.  While in school she took an internship with a major Kalistani Civil Engineering firm to get practical experience, and that experience led to a cooperative partnership with Kundrati Engineers in planning our the Kaliburg Metro System that is currently in construction.  She also was responsible for negotiating the settlement of the Embargo crisis with Luthori, and laying a foundation for relations with Luthori and Kundrati, with whom Kalistan had long been estranged.  She began training for her administrative responsibilities immediately after leaving college and was seen by many as almost a vice empress, who could do and say things that the Empress could not.

Her road to coronation was dramatically sped up when her mother's Alzheimer's disease diagnosis was revealed.  The last three years have involved extensive training, almost to the exclusion of all else.  But the Crown Princess also had time for romance:  She began dating William Ricardo Sandoval, the head of the Ananto Growers' Syndicate, who she first met in National Service, a year before finally marrying Sandoval in November of last year.  Her Imperial Majesty was crowned this May, following the Alzheimer's related stroke that put Empress Pavlina in a coma for three days, and has already laid out her foreign policy which involves a pivot toward Anantonese partners and Artanian nations.  She inherits an Empire that includes the Kingdom of Gaduridos, a very healthy economy, and peace at home.

We have little experience with Her Imperial Majesty as a ruler to date, owing to the shortness of her term.  She has named nationalist Sir Bradley Downs, who is Speaker for the Institutional Party, and has asked him to form a new government for a new reign.  We know Her Imperial Majesty to be aligned with the Nationalist wing of the Institutional Party, similar to her mother.  This suggests that she will focus closer to home in her foreign affairs, and will look to Kalistan's interests first.  Some early evidence to support this is her apparent preference for Anantonese Nations in the slowly growing war of words between Majatra and Lourenne.  Apparently siding with Lourenne and Lodamun against long time partners, and removal of troops from Wrnuke signals that she intends to strengthen the Anantonese region against outsiders, rather than being open to outsiders coming.

Economically, Her Imperial Majesty has expressed support for the social democratic policies of the Kingdom of Gaduridos.  Under no circumstances is the Empress a socialist, but she has explicitly endorsed the cause of human rights in Kalistan, and may consider increasing some measure of democracy in Kalistan.  That would be the dream of liberals, who have been calling for years for more democracy.  But it is also just as likely that the Empress will maintain the current absolutist, autocratic institutional stance, and will instead refer others to Gaduridos for democracy.

There are a lot of question marks about this one.  The one thing that most watchers can say is that The Empress Carolina's youth, beauty and willingness to wear bright colors marks a difference in demeanor with Princess of the Empire Pavlina, one which is optimistic and forward looking.  Pavlina's reign was marked by mourning and pique.  Her Imperial Majesty, at least outwardly, does not display the maudlin, but appears to be very serious, very intellectually curious, and more importantly willing to smile.

The most encouraging aspect of Her Imperial Majesty's new reign:  She has used Informal Audiences more in the past six months that Pavlina utilized within the last ten years, and appears to conduct business and obtain information through Teas, as opposed to the formal audience setting preferred by her mother.  This development is welcoming to most of the peerage, as well as various ideological factions, who see it as increased access to the Empress.

Carolina's upcoming reign is expected to not be boring, at any rate.  Her history, interests and skills all suggest that she, like her mother, will be very influential on the history of Kalistan.