Juan Carlos II of Brazoria

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 This article is a B-class article. It is written to a good standard. This article is part of Altverse II. This page is for a Brazorian person in Altverse II. This page is for a Brazorian politician in Altverse II.
Juan Carlos II
John Cornyn (cropped).jpg
Coat of arms of Brazoria.svg
King of Brazoria
(more...)
Reign April 19, 1989
Coronation July, 1990
Predecessor Monarchy re-established
Esteban III (1931)
Heir apparent Prince Esteban, Duke of Guadalupe
Born (1943-06-10) June 10, 1943 (age 81)
Flag of Laguna.svg San Diego, Laguna, K.S.
Consort Elizabeth-Marie
Issue Prince Esteban, Duke of Guadalupe
Princess Maria Josephine, Countess of Lubbock
Prince Juan, Lord Plano
Prince Augustine
Princess Camilla, Countess of El Paso
Names
Juan Carlos Augustine Manuel Habsburgo y Phelps
Royal house Habsburg de Brazos
Father Prince Nicholas
Mother Alexandra Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Religion Avignon Catholic

Juan Carlos II (born June 10, 1943) is the eighth and current reigning monarch of Brazoria. He ascended to the re-established Brazorian throne in 1989 following the Yellowrose Revolution and the dissolution of the Landonist Brazorian Confederation. His ascension to the throne marked the establishment of the Second Kingdom of Brazoria. Since assuming the throne, Juan Carlos has overseen major political and economic

Born in San Diego, Laguna and raised in Phoenix, Maricopa, Juan Carlos grew up in exile along with the rest of the Brazorian royal family. As the grandson of Esteban III and the eldest son of his heir, Prince Nicholas, Juan Carlos was expected to eventually lead the House of Habsburg de Brazos, but was not expected to assume any form of royal throne. As such, Juan Carlos attended and graduate from Mulholland University with a degree in business administration and became a franchise owner of a chain of Shirley's restaurants in the Phoenix metro area in 1976. Following the Yellowrose Revolution of 1989 and the dissolution of the Brazorian Confederation, Juan Carlos was invited by the Regency Council of Brazoria, which was acting as the provisional government of the nation at the time, to head the newly-reinstituted monarchy. Electing to retain his birth name, Juan Carlos was anointed as Juan Carlos II on April 19, and was coronated on July 1, 1990

From 1989 to 2000, Juan Carlos ruled as an largely ceremonial figurehead, having little to no actual governmental influence. However, this changed during the Pecan Revolution, in which Juan Carlos forcibly dissolved the unpopular and increasingly authoritarian government of Jacob Milton and called for a constitutional convention. A new Constitution of Brazoria was implemented in 2000, and saw a gradual increase in royal power alongside the establishment of a more liberal democracy. Since the Pecan Revolution, Juan Carlos has overseen major political and economic reforms. Along with that, he has worked towards legitimizing the monarchy and the royal family in the eyes of the Brazorian people, and has enjoyed high popularity.

Early life and education

Juan Carlos Augustine Manuel Habsburg de Brazos was born on June 10, 1943 at St. Gabriel Hospital in San Diego, Laguna. He is the first son and child of Prince Nicholas of Brazoria and Sierran-German aristocrat Alexandra von Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Juan Carlos was born into the Brazorian royal family, which had been in exile since 1931, when the Brazorian monarchy was abolished. At the time of his birth, Juan Carlos was second-in-line to lead the House of Habsburg de Brazos and assume the family's claim to the defunct Brazorian throne, behind his father Prince Nicholas.

Juan Carlos spent his childhood in Phoenix, Maricopa, growing up in Casa Rosa Amarillo, a mansion owned by Esteban III. At the age of five, he began private lessons at the residence before attending the private Phoenix Preparatory School at the age of 8. In 1957, Juan Carlos began attending the private and prestigious Maricopa Academy. While at high school, he participated in a number of sport programs, excelling in Anglo-American football and soccer. Following the attempted assassination of his father, Juan Carlos had a small security detail at his side during his junior and senior year. He graduated high school in 1961 and began attending Mulholland University, working towards receiving a degree in business administration. He attended alongside his cousin, Maria Christina, though she eventually dropped out during their second year.

While at Mulholland, Juan Carlos became involved in the schools Brazorian émigré club, which he became president of during his senior year. He also became involved with a number of business-oriented clubs, which he attributes to his decision in entering the business world later in his life. In 1963, Juan Carlos met and befriend Elizabeth-Marie Dalton, a fellow Brazorian-in-exile. The two began a romantic relationship the next year, and eventually got married after their time in university. Juan Carlos graduated from Mulholland University in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a minor in communications. Although he did contemplate working towards receiving a doctorate, he decided against it.

Business career

Following his graduation from Mulholland University, Juan Carlos began a career in business. In 1968, he joined a Porciúncula-based shipping company, working as a assistant business manager. He left the company in 1970 to start his own business, Brazos Shipping, but after a year of operation it was forced to close in 1971. In the following year, Juan Carlos entered the fast-food industry, becoming a general manager of a Shirley's in east Porciúncula. He continued to work as the restaurant's general manager until 1974, when his family and him moved to Phoenix following the death of his grandfather. 1976, Juan Carlos opened the first Shirley's in the Phoenix metropolitan area, becoming one of the company's first franchise owners.

After major financial success, Juan Carlos oversaw the building of three other Shirley's in Phoenix and its surrounding suburban areas. Because of this, Juan Carlos was referred to by his employees and company executives as the "Maricopa Kingpin" of Shirley's. During his time as a franchise owner, Juan Carlos was directly involved in the day to day affairs of his establishments. According to employees at the first establishment, he was frequently seen operating many parts of the kitchen and reportedly rarely was absent. However, following the death of his father in 1979 and his ascension as head of the House of Habsburg de Brazos, Juan Carlos took a more hands-off role as he dealt with the affairs of heading his extensive family. He officially retired from the fast-food industry in 1989, when he was invited to become assume the re-established throne of Brazoria.

Ascension as King

Main article: Brazorian Restoration

In 1979, Juan Carlos assumed the role as head of the House of Habsburg de Brazos and also assumed the claim over the defunct throne of Brazoria. Although Esteban III accepted the abolishment of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic of Brazoria, he revived his claim to the Brazorian crown after the republic's defeat in the Brazorian Civil War and the establishment of the Landonist Brazorian Confederation. Although the claim was actively pursued, hopes of a restoration gradually declined as the Confederation solidified itself amongst the Brazorian people.

As the Confederation experienced a period of partial liberalization, political opposition to Landonism and support for the Brazorian royal family saw a massive increase in the nation, especially among younger Brazoreños. This growing opposition to landonism and support for monarchism cultivated in the Yellowrose Revolution of 1989, in which the Brazorian Confederation was overthrown and dissolved by revolutionaries aligned with the Yellowrose Movement, a collection of anti-landonist, monarchist, and pro-democracy groups. During the revolution, Juan Carlos and the Brazorian royal family publicly supported the Yellowrose Movement. Following the Baton Rouge Agreement with the United Commonwealth, the Regency Council of Brazoria, which was acting as the nation's provisional government, was allowed to invite Juan Carlos to assume the newly re-establish throne of Brazoria, which he graciously accepted on April 16, 1989.

Reign

Coronation

Main article: Coronation of Juan Carlos II of Brazoria

Upon being invited to assume the throne, Juan Carlos and his family travelled to Grand Llano, arriving on April 1, 1989 and being greeted by crowds celebrating their arrival. Prior to his arrival in Grand Llano, Juan Carlos II had never visited Brazoria, as he was born in exile and was prohibited from visiting by the Brazorian Confederation. Upon arriving in Grand Llano, he attended a televised meeting of the Regency Council, where he formally accepted the invitation to the throne. Although he assumed the title of King of Brazoria on April 19, 1989, he acted as the de facto head of state from April 1 to April 19. Upon his ascension to the throne, the Second Kingdom of Brazoria was officially established.

A coronation for Juan Carlos was subject for debate among members of the government of Jacob Milton. While many supported some form of ceremony that would "legitimize" Juan Carlos and his reign, many also believed that a coronation ceremony was too lavish, and displayed a potential immediate disconnect between the monarchy and its subjects, similar to the later years of Esteban III's reign. Despite these worries, the government announced a potential date for a coronation ceremony and eventually settled on sometime in July of 1990, with the twenty-first of the month being selected in January. While planning the ceremony, the government spent millions in additional security measures, as it was believed that Confederation loyalists attemptrf some form of violence against the king and his family. However, on the day of the coronation, no attempt was made on the king or members of his family. The coronation of Juan Carlos occurred on July 21, 1990 and was attended by a number of foreign leaders and representatives, including foreign royalty and nobility.

Pre-Pecan reign (1989 to 2000)

Upon assuming the throne, Juan Carlos had almost no power or influence in the proceedings of the government. As per the Baton Rouge Agreement, the monarchy was to be completely sidelined in terms of governance, solely acting as a ceremonial body meant to encourage patriotism within the nation. Instead, almost all political power was centered around Chancellor Jacob Milton, who ruled in a authoritarian and somewhat dictatorial manner. Milton's ascension was not the idea of Juan Carlos, but rather a request made by the United Commonwealth through the Baton Rouge Agreement, as Milton had previous served as ambassador to the Continental States and was familiar among Continental leadership.

Early into his reign, Juan Carlos and Jacob Milton quickly became political enemies, as the latter's authoritarian actions and refusal to hold elections came into conflict with the king's public advocacy for the restoration of parliamentary democracy, a position he had advocated for both before and after assuming the crown. The relationship between the king and the chancellor worsened as the latter's tenure continued into the 1990s, with no sign of elections being held. In his later writings, Milton expressed his disdain with Juan Carlos, believing that he was "actively working towards [his] downfall", while private letters sent by Juan Carlos to his secretary suggested "mutual animosity" between himself and Milton. Despite this rivalry, both men kept their ill-feelings towards each other out of the public view, as both viewed public discontent between the monarchy and the government as harmful to the fragile political unity at the time.

In accordance with the Baton Rouge Agreement, Juan Carlos had no governmental power or influence. The right of royal assent was not required for legislation to be implemented into law at the time, and the monarch's ability to call for fresh elections, or to remove a insubordinate chancellor, were not constitutionally entrusted powers. From 1989 to 2000, Juan Carlos ruled strictly as a ceremonial figurehead, with his only duty to the state was attending diplomatic and ceremonial events. As such, Juan Carlos is not historically associated with the controversies and actions of the Milton government, which historians have argued allowed the monarchy to continue following the Pecan Revolution, alongside the king's adamant support for new elections.

Pecan Revolution

With no clear elections in sight, the government of Jacob Milton grew increasingly unpopular as the 1990s progressed. His refusal to allow free elections and reinstate parliamentary democracy, coupled with executive actions made by the chancellor that had been deemed authoritarian, resulted in widespread demonstrations against Milton beginning in 1998. Beginning as peaceful protests calling for the calling of elections, they soon devolved into fully-fledge riots against Milton and his council of secretaries. In order to remain politically neutral, Juan Carlos and the royal family did not initially support the demonstrations, with Juan Carlos instead calling for peace. However, after the Brazorian Army was called to end the protests, the monarchy took a stand against Milton, with Juan publicly calling on Milton to resign. Without the king's public backing, Milton's government seemingly collapsed in an instant, with ministers who had been supporters of the king distancing themselves from Milton, and some calling for his resignation.

On December 31, 1999, Jacob Milton resigned as chancellor after a month of protests and was succeeded by Robert Dietrich. Dietrich, who had been a vocal supporter of Milton and a critic of the monarchy in general, had planned to continue his predecessor's policies, despite said policies being the downfall of his predecessor. In what would be known as the Pecan Revolution, over one million Brazorians took to the streets on February 20, 2000 to demand the re-establishment of parliamentary democracy and the holding of free elections. In Grand Llano, Juan Carlos addressed a crowd of demonstrators outside of the New Palace, openly endorsing the demonstrators and calling for the holding of free elections to the defunct Diet of Brazoria. Like his predecessor, the king's demands seeming collapsed Dietrich's administration, forcing the relatively new chancellor to resign on February 22. With no clear predecessor established, Juan Carlos assumed control of the government, forcibly dissolving it and calling for a new constitutional convention.

Juan Carlos played a major role in transitioning Brazoria into a liberal democracy. He presided over a second constitutional convention, in which he had a large role in adding the provisions protecting the rights of both Brazorian citizens and democracy. More surprisingly, Juan Carlos advocated for the monarchy to remain a solely ceremonial body of government, though delegates to the convention instead granted greater authority to the sovereign, elevating the position alongside the neighboring monarchies of Sierra and Superior. Following the implementation of the new constitution, Juan Carlos ensured the proper transition to a democratically-elected government in August, when Rex Gutierrez of the Federalist Party won the first democratic election since 1931.

Current reign

Personal life

Marriage, family, and interests

While attending Mulholland University, Juan Carlos met and befriended Elizabeth-Marie Dalton. A fellow Brazorian-in-exile, Dalton's parents were supporters of the White Army and fled Brazoria with their family following the Crismon Army's victory in the Brazorian Civil War. Their wedding took place in Porciúncula, where members of the Brazorian royal family and the Sierran royal family were in attendance. The couple has a total of five children: Prince Esteban, Duke of Guadalupe (born 1979), Princess Maria Josephine, Countess of Lubbock (born 1980), Prince Juan, Lord Plano (born 1981), Prince Augustine (born 1984), and Princess Camilla (born 1988). Before the restoration of the Brazorian monarchy, the family resided in Casa Rosa Amarillo, a mansion located in Phoenix, Maricopa.

Along with the rest of the Brazorian royal family, Juan Carlos is a practicing Avignon Catholic. Since becoming monarch, Juan Carlos has called for reconciliation between the church in Avignon and the church in Rome and has worked to improve the relations between Brazoria's large Avignon and Roman catholic populations. Throughout his reign, Juan Carlos has been a vocal advocate for children and teen sports in Brazoria, being a patron of a number of youth sports organizations. Since 1993, Juan Carlos has opened the Brazorian National Youth Football League, Youth Baseball Conference of Brazoria, Brazorian Association Football Conference, and the Youth and Teens Basketball League of Brazoria. Juan Carlos himself is a fan of Anglo-American football and soccer, though has not revealed his favorite team, as he jokingly believes it violated royal neutrality. He is also considers himself an equestrian, with the Brazorian royal family owning a number of horses.

Titles, styles, and honors

Titles and styles

  • June 10, 1943 to June 7, 1979: Juan Carlos Augustine Manuel Habsburg de Brazos
  • June 7, 1979 to April 18, 1989: Don Juan Carlos Augustine Manuel Habsburg de Brazos
  • April 19, 1989 to Present: His Royal Majesty, Juan Carlos II, the King of Brazoria

Honors

See also

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