Robrecht II

Robrecht van der Straeten, aka Robrecht II, is the current King of Vilzland, reigning from January 1946 following the abdication of Philippe I to the present day. Robrecht II is a committed monarchist, and believes the power of the monarch should be extended beyond ceremonial roles, similar to that of a Kaiser. He is well praised by members of the Christian Democrats, but is, to some, heavily loathed and has become a public target for republicanism.

Vibrant Upbringing
Robrecht van der Straeten was born in 1922, a young and charismatic prince. From an early age, he was seen by some a national celebrity, and the press fell in love with him. Robrecht studied History and Geography at university, as well as areas of Politics, but also had an affinity for music. By the start of World War II, he knew how to play the piano, the guitar and even the saxophone, being a fan of the jazz scene in urban areas.

Robrecht was also passionate about his country. When the war started in 1939, he was vocal in its need to side with the Allies for its own protection, but these were quickly censored when the Germans invaded. With Philippe I holding pro-Nazi sentiments, the royal family was granted immunity from Nazi persecution as long as they were able to keep the people in line. Robrecht held private views against Nazism, but liked the tone of nationalism they promoted.

The End of the War and Temporary Military Career
When the Allies liberated Vilzland, Robrecht himself took part. In 1944, he volunteered himself to military service and he helped fight with Vilzland troops in the continued D-Day Landings. He became a symbol of Vilzland pride amongst native soldiers, and soon the House of Aristocracy were eyeing him up for the position of monarch. When the war ended, he gave a speech to the people, stating that 'the war was over for Vilzland, but now the time comes to recover'.

When Prime Minister Nicolaas Stoevenbelt officially recognised the provinces of Wagnerbeck and Dubenring, Robrecht sided with him and even met privately with the Prime Minister to congratulate him on his work. At Stoevenbelt's 1945 election victory banquet, Robrecht was present as a guest of honour.

Abdication and Selection
The abdication of Philippe I had come as a surprise to Robrecht. Although he knew of his uncle's sympathising with the Nazis, Robrecht was certain his uncle would not abdicate the throne, however when the decision did come around, he supported the decision, stating that his uncle had 'made the right choice for national unity'. Robrecht himself did not expect to be elected as a replacement, though put his name in for consideration. He believed his older brothers would be chosen first.

Despite this, he was selected, following his overwhelming popularity by the people and soldiers alike. Robrecht accepted the call for coronation, and was coronated in January 1946, the day after Philippe I officially abdicated from his position.

Early Reign, 1946-1948
The early stages of Robrecht II's reign was met with national pride and popularity. Despite the republican sentiments that arose from the abdication, Robrecht had managed to secure his position in Vilzland's stable political system. His friendship with Prime Minister Stoevenbelt had already set him on a strong path, and the Prime Minister praised him as 'the destined King Vilzland has always desired'. It seemed that his early reign would be a successful one.

Robrecht oversaw the enactment of new human rights legislations, as well as the Act of Equal Franchise 1947, which saw women being able to vote and run for Senate. It had seemed that, for some time, republican sentiments had vanished.

The Rodier Crisis
For most of his later life, Robrecht had won the heart of a French divorcee, Christine Rodier - the two were university friends and during then, part-time lovers; Rodier married in 1946, but only for a year until she divorced. In 1947, news spurred that Rodier and Robrecht were potentially seeing eye to eye once again. This was confirmed a year later.

In 1948, Robrecht II made an announcement stating his intention to marry the divorcee, receiving mixed opinions from both the Church and government. In a similar fashion to the Edward VIII crisis in 1936, the Church stated they would view the marriage as illegitimate given that Rodier was a divorcee, and despite groveling to the Prime Minister for support, not even Stoevenbelt would agree to it.

Robrecht II attempted to justify the marriage as 'a matter of love' but the impossibility for it to be recognised as a royal marriage left Robrecht in the dark. His relationship with Rodier grew quieter from the public eye and he announced in 1949 that he had no intention of marrying her anymore; though public news outlets knew the relationship was still going on.

This crisis spurred a wave of republican sentiment, and Robrecht's direct intervention in trying to assert monarchic power had put him on the backburner. A series of clashes between the crown and the government named Robrecht II a 'childish ruler', and from them came the Democratic-Republican Party, who directly opposed the need for a monarchy.

Modern Day
Robrecht II remains a controversial figure. It is obvious now his intentions of committing to monarchic rule, and the Rodier Crisis still looms. His popularity remains high with the Christian Democrats, but the Democratic-Republicans see him as an upstart child. He is now 28 years old, as of 1950.