Monarchy of Meriad

The Meriadni monarch is the  of Meriad, a   with a  of government The present form of the monarchy dates back to 1763, with the establishment of the Meriadni government in its current form.

The current monarch and head of state of Meriad is Queen Crica, who ascended the throne after the abdication of her father, King Sketli, on 1 January, 2017. The is Crown Prince Martin Sommerfeldt.

The Queen's functions as the Meriadni are mainly ceremonial. She is charged with formally ratifying treaties and accords, signing laws and royal decrees, and with the formal appointment of a variety of executive officials including the Prime Minister. She is also a tangible figure of national unity, and the formal supreme commander of the Meriadni Armed Forces

Constitutional Role
In the Constitution of Meriad, the monarch (otherwise referred to as His/Her Majesty, or abbreviated H.M.) is the. Other than this symbolic role, the monarch has few direct functions in the government. The roles that are maintained by the monarch as also commonly exercised by a royally-appointed officials, such as the Lord Regent of the Crown in the Royal Cabinet and the Talerjarl in the Hall of Jarls.

Nonetheless, there are a number of roles still personally exercised by the reigning monarch, such as the formal signing of international treaties and accords ratified by the Hall of Jarls, the appointment of the Prime Minister and other senior government officials, the official review of the Armed Forces, and the personal command of the 83rd Cavalry Squadron of the Royal Marines ("The Queen's Own").

List of Monarchs
This list encompasses all Meriadni monarchs from the country's unification in 1520 until the present.

Succession
Since 1855, succession within the Monarchy of Meriad has been through absolute primogeniture, wherein the reign is passed to the firstborn child of the reigning monarch regardless of gender. The heir apparent, referred to as the Crown Prince/Princess, as well as any members of the Royal Family with direct claim to the throne have the right to abdicate, passing the throne to the next individual in the line of succession.

Upon the death of the reigning monarch, the heir apparent immediately and automatically accedes to the throne, and is required to take the Oath of the Crown. This oath is administered by the Talerjarl of the Hall of Jarls, and requires the monarch to swear to uphold the honor and defense of Meriad. In the case of abdication, the abdicating monarch retains executive authority until the Oath of the Crown has been administered to the heir apparent.

Current line of succession

 * [[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] King Kristofer of Meriad (1913–1987)
 * [[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] King Sketli of Meriad (born 1932)
 * [[Image:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] Queen Crica of Meriad (b. 1982)
 * (1) Crown Prince Martin (b. 2008)
 * (2) Princess Stella (b. 2014)
 * (3) Prince Halvard (b. 1938)
 * (4) Prince Peter Augunssen (b. 1969)
 * (5) Princess Eliena (b.1999)
 * (6) Princess Johanna (b. 1973)
 * (7) Prince Jeremy (b. 1997)
 * (8) Prince Justin (b. 2001)
 * (9) Princess Juliana (b. 2004)

Titles and Styles
The present monarch's full title and style is "Crica the First, Most Illustrious Queen of Meriad, Öberjarl, and High-born Giver of Rings."

Honors
The monarch of Meriad is traditionally the custodian and Grand Custodian of the three royal, the Noble Cross, the Royal Order of the Polar Star, and the Order of Saint Isak.

Royal Crest
The Royal Crest of the Monarchy of Meriad was adopted by King Pietr III in 1791, and is as "Per pale bleu-celeste on azure, a stag statant Or charged with banner purpure, banner bearing pair of acorns slipped Or with tips towards base."



Residences


The Meriadni Monarch retains three official residences, all of which are used on a regular basis by members of the royal family and visiting dignitaries. The Capital Palace, located just outside the city limits of Járnfjördur, is the primary residence of the royal family, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. One wing of the palace is open to the public as a museum, while the remainder is off-limits for use by the royal family. The monarchy also retains a second palace near the city of Vatsvik in Steinhjem, which is entirely closed to the public. This is where the royal family spends much of the summer, and is accordingly named the "Summer Palace."

The Royal Family also has a townhouse in downtown Járnfjördur roughly half a mile from the Westford House, the official residence of the Prime Minister. This facility is primarily used to house visiting foreign dignitaries, but is occasionally used by other members of the royal family.