Monarch of Risevne
The Monarch (Mirselec Risevan Korai "King" or Risevan Imkorai "Queen"), as under the 1827 Constitution, is the head of state of Risevne and all territories under Risevan sovereignty. While the constitution gives the King substantial autonomy in managing his own estates, as well as certain legislative powers, in practice the monarch rarely uses these powers, and mostly takes on ceremonial roles.
The Kingdom of Risevne is, in terms of lineage, the successor state of the Kingdom of Masal and Kingdom of Rarena, which were merged by marriage in 1249 DN. The kingdom was then extended through all Masalne in 1477, in the Matafengar, and finally to Agalmare in 1502; with this extension it also took on the form of a parliamentary monarchy, where the status of the king was laid out beyond doubt but was in turn circumscribed by the Afengar. While the practice of things have since changed, with the embrace of parliamentary democracy, much of the symbolism of the monarchy remains, a sign of the respect of the Risevani towards the ancient sovereignty.
Note: The term King of Risevne may be used to refer to the monarch hereafter; this is a matter of convenience, not gender discrimination. (In any case there was a profusion of Risevan Queens.)
Style
History
The Monarchy Today
Political Role
The monarch of Risevne has considerable powers in theory, and under the Constitution; established practice, however, tends to limit these powers.
The monarch is responsible for the appointment of the Ganize, or governmental ministers, as well as the ordaining and approving of the Risevan Cabinet; this is carried out in an elaborate ritual where the seal of each Ganize is bestowed upon them and an oath of fealty to the monarch and the kingdom is sworn. At the same time he is responsible for the selection of the Naruganize should a parliament fail to have a clear majority, and he also has the power to override the Naruganize's choice of Ganize, though this power has not been exercised since 1863. At the same time the monarch meets the Naruganize and other senior officials once every week for a briefing, where he or she will be briefed on certain matters, and in turn advises or warns the Naruganize.
The monarch, while mostly excluded from the legislative process in modern times, is in fact vested with certain powers in this area as well, as according to the 1827 Constitution; one of the most important and significant is the allowance of a royally imposed temporary veto, where the monarch may force a bill to be frozen for three months, pending debate and another vote, as long as the bill does not have a 2/3 majority within the Afengar.
At the same time the monarch is charged with the power and responsibility to ensure that the laws apply throughout the nation, and are not enforced upon a part of the people alone, be the separation for better or worse; this other royal right gives the monarch the power to suspend for up to nine months a law that can be seen to be discriminatory to a segment of the population (that is, it would only be enforced upon a certain group of people), pending hearings and consultations in the Afengar.
Finances
The Risevan Royal Estate is the source of income for the Risevan monarch, covering all royal expenditures. Under the 1827 Constitution land owned by the monarch cannot be sold, but will pass automatically from one monarch to the next; the monarch is also prohibited from purchasing land above a certain amount. However, the monarch may purchase and sell other assets; this allowance, in turn, has helped transform the Royal House into one of the country's wealthiest families. In 2041, the annual income of the Royal Estate has been estimated at 1.57 billion Mirin.
Public Life
Part of the esteem that Risevani attach to the monarchy derives from their deep involvement in the society of Risevne; within the country the monarch is often known not for any political act, but rather as patrons of learning and the arts.
The Royal Museum Trust was founded by King Itaran IV in 1961 with the goal of reviving and funding many museums which in the postwar period were suffering shortages of funds. It presently provides for 19 museums around the nation, including the famous five Royal Museums of Isana, and has a scheme whereby the government matches every 2 Mirin in Trust contributions with 1 Mirin.
The Royal Education Foundation, founded by King Arnen IV two months after the end of the Fourth Global War with the original aim of providing for the education of orphans and overaged students who had not been able to enter school during the war years, has since grown to become a major charity for aiding economically disadvantaged families send their children to higher education (primary education is free and compulsory in Risevne).
The Risevan Royal Scholarship for Higher Education, often simply known as the Koraita Ganatas or Royal Grant, is a well-known scholarship for university education in Risevne, and is considered as being even more prestigious than the Risevan Governmental Service Scholarship. Financed from the Royal Estate as well, the Royal Grant differs from the governmental scholarship in many respects; it has no bond or contract whatsoever, and instead of individual applications the selection process involves school submissions of portfolios of their best students, producing a pool of around 400 candidates who are then whittled down to just 60, of whom a maximum of 6 will get the award in any year.
