House of Columbia

  

House of Columbia Taigh nan Coluimbia
House coat of arms (Scottish house variant) Sierran coat of arms Clockwise from top right: English coat of arms, Irish coat of arms, Scottish coat of arms, British coat of arms Tondolese coat of arms
Country	Alaska (1912–present) Cozumel (2013-present) Guam (1975–present) Tondo (1902–1938, de jure 1902–1932, de facto) Northern Mariana Islands (1975–present) Sierra (1858–present) Superior (1943-present) United Kingdom (1858–present; disputed)
Parent house	Clan Stewart → House of Stuart
Titles	Monarch of Sierra (1858-present) Protector of All Sierrans (1858-present) Monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland Monarch of England (1859-present) Monarch of Scotland (1859-present) Monarch of Ireland (1859-present) Monarch of Wales (1859-present) Monarch of France (1859-1919)(1859-present) Monarch of Alaska (1912–present) Monarch of Guam (1975–present) Monarch of the Northern Mariana Islands (1975–present) Emperor of Tondo (1902–1945) Monarch of Superior (1943-present) Monarch of Hanover (1929-present) Monarch of Lakota (1993-present)
Founded	1858
Founder	Charles I
Current head	Elizabeth II
Ethnicity	Scottish, English, German
Cadet branches	House of Welfburg

The House of Columbia (also referred to as the House of Sierra or the Jacobite House, and in Scottish Gaelic, Taigh nan Coluimbia) is the ruling and founding royal house of the Kingdom of Sierra and the official successor and continuation of the historic House of Stuart. It is also the royal house of the monarchies in the Columbia realms including: Cozumel, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Founded on November 28, 1858 by King Charles I, on the same day of the promulgation of the new constitution and creation of the current government of Sierra, the House of Columbia is one of the three royal houses reigning in the Americas (the others being the Superian House of Welfburg and the British House of Windsor).

The House is also officially recognized and regarded by the Jacobites as the rightful successors to the throne of the United Kingdom (including England, Scotland, Ireland, and erroneously, the Wales) The claims to the first four titles were made by Charles I by royal edict on March 18, 1859 and remain sanctioned to the present-day with current head Elizabeth II holding the title of Queen of Great Britain respectively, and other associated titles, although these are purely nominal. The original claim to the French throne was dropped although not formally relinquished in 1919 by King Louis I. For a time, the House of Columbia was also the ruling house of Tondo, ruling the nation during the Tondolese colonial period (1905-1941), having removed the House of Li from power. After Sierra recognized Tondo's independence in 1945, the House of Columbia continued to rule the Tondolese islands of Palawan and Cuyo until its eventual retrocession to Tondo in 1995.

The House of Columbia is part of the Church of New England although unlike its English counterpart, it is not a state church as the principle of separation of church and state is embodied in the Sierran constitution. The House monarchs have all used the traditional British title of Defender of the Faith in their styles, with the rationale of being in the defense of all faiths, and even the lack thereof. In addition, Columbia has historically claimed the additional throne to France, a claim initially adopted by James VI and I, although this claim has since officially been dropped, by Louis I in 1902. The House of Columbia's claims are unrecognized by the government of United Kingdom, which removed the heirs of James II from the line of succession through the Bill of Rights 1689, and asserted a new line of succession with the Hanovers through the Act of Settlement 1701.

The House of Columbia was formed in response to the selection of founder Charles I as the first king of the new monarchy established in Sierra under the 1858 Constitution. The California Republic, the predecessor state of Sierra, had gained its independence from Mexico in 1848 through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo following the Mexican-American War, but after ten years, was considered a bureaucratic disaster. In need for a more efficient and stable government, Californian delegates were called to draft a entirely new constitution. The delegation comprised primarily of two factions: republicans and royalists, the former that demanded an American-styled republic and the other a monarchy.

Through compromise, it was agreed that the new constitution would incorporate elements of both a monarchy and a democratic republic, with a weak, figurehead monarchy and an American-styled civil government. Convention president Smith Charles Miller, a man who had worked extensively in the Californian government and had ancestral origins to the House of Stuarts, was chosen to lead the nation as its king. Acceding, Smith was crowned King Charles I, and consequently became the head of the newly formed House of Columbia.

Today, the House of Columbia is composed of 5 members in the Royal Family which includes the King and Queen and their children; 11 members in the Extended Court; and hundreds more relatives without a formal title or distinction proscribed. The official motto of the House is Renatus et redemit or "Redeemed and reborn" in Latin–a reference to the House's connection to the fallen House of Stuart.

History

House of Stuart

Main article: House of Stuart

James II of England was exiled to France after he was deposed by his daughter, Mary, and her husband, William.

The House of Columbia has lineage to the extinct British House of Stuart through James II of England. Prior to the Revolution, the House experienced a lapse in reign when Oliver Cromwell seized control from Charles I, and had him executed in 1649. After the brief interregnum rule under the Commonwealth, Charles II restored the monarchy and assumed power. Following his death, his brother, James II succeeded the throne as Charles II produced no legitimate children. James II's reign was embroiled with disagreements with Parliament, and James II was ultimately deposed and exiled by his daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange in the Glorious Revolution.

The political event was partially motivated by religious reasons. During the king's short, three-year long reign, James II troubled members of the opposition with his belief in the divine right of king, his policies of religious tolerance, his open Catholicism, and his close ties with France. The disagreements conflicted with the Parliamentarians' desire to keep England Protestant, and feared the king would undermine Britain's move towards a parliamentary democracy.

By 1688, James II had amassed a large standing army of loyal Catholics from all over the British Isles, given important state positions to Catholics, and issued the Declaration of Indulgence. He also forged an alliance with the Dissenters and Nonconformists, with the hopes of bringing down of Anglican supremacy in Britain. Despite this development, up until this point, opponents tolerated the King's rule. They believed that his reign would only be a temporary setback, as once he died, Mary would succeed him, returning the throne to a Protestant. However, the birth of his son, James, altered the line of succession. Prior to the young prince's birth, the throne would have passed to the King's daughter, Mary, who was a Protestant. With a Catholic as the heir apparent, the possibility of a Catholic dynasty in England became very likely.

Opponents of James II began to conspire against the king, by seeking help from James II's nephew, William Henry of Orange, who was a Stadtholder in several Dutch provinces. William himself was married to James II's daughter, Mary. Being both Protestants, the two were viewed as the prime candidates to replace James II. Although William had entertained the idea of conquering England, he was fearful of receiving retaliation from his rival, Louis XIV of France, back in the Dutch Republic. Once William was assured he had English support, and he had received financial, military, and political backing from his home country and the Holy Roman Empire, William launched an invasion in England. He issued the Declaration of the Hague, which essentially was William's promise to defend British Protestants, and landed off the coast of Southern England in Brixham on November 5, 1688.

Within weeks, the mere presence of William had inspired thousands of Protestants to riot, and caused many Royalist troops to defect towards the invader's side. William deliberately waited out for James II's regime to collapse on its own, and patiently stalled the advancement of his troops. For James II's part, he was hesitant to muster up a large force to oppose William. Indeed, many of his loyal troops were not eager to fight, and even his own commanders doubted their king's willpower. As rioting worsened in London, James II, his wife, and the Prince of Wales attempted to flee on December 10. The following day, the King was captured, and was sent back to London to conduct formal negotiations with his son-in-law. On December 16, James II sent an envoy to arrange a meeting with William. William had, at this point, no more desire to keep the king in power, yet he did not wish to arrest James II. Instead, William sent a letter warning the king that his own personal safety could not be guaranteed. As anti-Catholic rioting intensified, and Queen Mary pleaded him to leave, James II departed from England under the protection of Dutch guardsmen.

Fleeing to France, the Bill of Rights 1689 declared James II's departure from England as an effective abdication, transferring the Crown to William and Mary. In addition, the Bill of Rights modified the rules of succession, notably by forbidding any Catholic from inheriting the throne. When William and Mary died, Mary's sister, Queen Anne, succeeded the throne as Mary died childless, and William did not remarry. Anne herself would die without a legal heir, with her only son surviving past infancy, Prince William, dying at the age of 11. Although James II's son, James Edward Francis Stuart, was the closest living relative to Anne at the time of death, he and the rest of James II's children were ineligible for succession as the Bill of Rights forbade Catholic monarchs. Since the Bill of Rights did not provide for any succession beyond Anne, Parliament realized this prior to Anne's death, and passed the Act of Settlement 1701 to ensure that the Crown would be preserved in the hands of Protestants. The Act made Sophia, Electress of Hanover, the granddaughter of James VI and I, the new heir presumptive of Anne.

In 1714, two months before Anne's death, Sophia died, thus rendering her son, George, the successor. George became the first Hanover monarch of Britain, thus ending the Stuarts' control over the throne. George's ascension greatly angered Jacobites, who sought to restore the Crown to James II and his heirs, and saw the Hanover succession as illegitimate. In addition, many Tories themselves were sympathetic to the Jacobite cause, and the Spanish Crown supported the Jacobites cause, thus enabling the outburst of the decades-long, albeit sporadic Jacobite risings, that were waged by the Stuart heirs.

Following the failed Jacobite rising of 1745 where House heir Charles Edward Stuart was defeated at the Battle of Culloden, the Stuarts extinguished any further prospects to the throne and fled to Spain. The exile in Spain was short-lived, and by 1772, through safe passage by Spanish ship, the Stuarts arrived in the British colony, New Jersey, to meet up and rally Jacobite supporters. The Stuarts hoped to gain the approval of the colonists, have them revolt against King George III, and restore the monarchy in the former American colonies. With colonial sentiment fiercely opposed to a monarchy, the Stuarts failed to gather significant support, but their cause was half-fulfilled through the American Revolution in 1765 when the American colonies fought to overthrow British control.

In the United States

Charlotte Stuart, later known as Belle Miller, was the sole surviving child of Henry Benedict Stuart, the last heir-head of the House of Stuart. She would be the paternal grandmother of future king Charles I.

With the formation of the United States, the republican government stripped the Stuarts of their titles, formally ending the House of Stuart. Disgraced and reviled, the Stuart's patriarch, Charles died in 1788 after years of prolonged alcoholism and depression. Charles' brother, Henry Benedict Stuart, disenfranchised of his brother's rights and titles as head of the Stuarts, still chose to pursue the title and but, became a Catholic priest, seemingly threatening to end the House of Stuart, at least, the direct lineage of descendants of James Francis Edward Stuart. Charles' only child who survived past infancy, Charlotte Stuart (whose legitimacy remains up to debate) married former Revolutionary War captain James Miller and settled in Newark, New Jersey. Prior to her father's death, Charlotte was named the official heir in Charles Edward's will. Historians have disputed on whether or not her father and mother, Clementina Walkinshaw, were married but Jacobites and the House of Columbia have asserted that Charlotte was indeed legitimate as legal documents signed by Charles Edward indicated that he perceived Charlotte as his rightful heiress. However, there has been no verifiable evidence of any form of marriage between her father and mother, suggesting that either her parents married in secret, and Charlotte was truly a bastard under law. Although she had secured the property of her father following his death, Charlotte Stuart was unable to secure correspondence from any of her relatives or benefactors in France or Italy. Fearing the hatred attached to her family name in both the United States and in her ancestral home, Britain, Stuart took up her husband's name, Miller, and legally renamed herself to Belle to remove local suspicion of her connection to the disgraced family. Nonetheless, public knowledge of her bloodline was widespread, due to her association with her uncle, Bishop Henry, who was open regarding his family, and serviced the Catholic diocese in New Jersey. Belle and James fathered three children, including eldest son Gregory, the father of future king Charles I.

The crest used by supporters of the Stewarts in America.

Gregory grew up groomed by his parents to lead the family company, Miller & Stuart Company, a business that specialized in shipbuilding and maritime trading. The family was supported by Charlotte's heirlooms and property given to her by Charles Edward Stuart, as well as James Miller's own assets and fortunes from his service in the military. When James Miller died in 1817, Gregory took over the company, and became a locally powerful and well-known leader in the business community, and secured a large estate outside Newark. Prior to his assumption of the family business, Gregory met his wife, Anna Clemens in 1810 during a trip to New York City. Falling in love, the two married the following year and settled in his home in Newark. When the War of 1812 broke out, Gregory enlisted and left his pregnant wife in the care of his family. Returning back, Gregory sustained minor injuries, and recovered quickly. The couple welcomed their first child, George in 1813, and Walter in 1819.

Members

The 1858 proclamation of the House of Columbia's creation stated that all Sierran descendants of Charles I and Rachel in the male line were to bear the name Columbia, except for women who married into other families, both royal or common. Presently, all living Sierran male-line descendants descend from the children of Louis I and Martha, including those of Charles, Prince of Mojave and George, Prince of Sonora whose names and issue were restored with their royal titles and rights by Elizabeth I in 1963.

List of Stuart and Columbia heads

Monarchs of Scotland

Portrait	Name	From	Until	Relationship with predecessor
	Robert II of Scotland	February 22, 1371	April 19, 1390	nephew of David II of Scotland who died without issue. Robert's mother Marjorie Bruce was daughter of Robert I of Scotland.
	Robert III of Scotland	April 19, 1390	April 4, 1406	son of Robert II of Scotland.
	James I of Scotland	April 4, 1406	February 21, 1437	son of Robert III of Scotland.
	James II of Scotland	February 21, 1437	August 3, 1460	son of James I of Scotland.
	James III of Scotland	August 3, 1460	June 11, 1488	son of James II of Scotland.
	James IV of Scotland	June 11, 1488	September 9, 1513	son of James III of Scotland.
	James V of Scotland	September 9, 1513	December 14, 1542	son of James IV of Scotland.
	Mary I of Scotland	December 14, 1542	July 24, 1567	daughter of James V of Scotland.

Monarchs of Great Britain and Ireland

Portrait	Name	From	Until	Relationship with predecessor
	James VI of Scotland and James I of England	July 24, 1567 and March 24, 1603	March 27, 1625	son of Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Served as King of Scotland alone, 1567–1603, before inheriting the titles King of England and Ireland, including claim to France from the extinct Tudors.
	Charles I of England, Scotland & Ireland	March 27, 1625	January 30, 1649 (executed)	son of James VI of Scotland & I of England & Ireland.
	Charles II of England, Scotland & Ireland	January 30, 1649 (de jure); May 2, 1660 (de facto)	February 6, 1685	son of Charles I of England, Scotland & Ireland. Prevented from ascending the throne during the republican rule of the Commonwealth of England, but then accepted retroactively as king.
	James VII of Scotland and James II of England and Ireland	February 6, 1685	February 13, 1689 (exiled)	brother of Charles II of England, Scotland & Ireland, who died with without legitimate issue. Son of Charles I. Overthrown at the Revolution of 1688 and exiled to France. Direct ancestor of the House of Columbia.
	Mary II of England, Scotland and Ireland*	February 13, 1689	December 28, 1694	daughter of James II of England and Ireland & VII of Scotland, who was still alive and pretending to the throne in France. Co-monarch was William III & II who outlived Mary.
	Anne of Great Britain and Ireland*	March 8, 1702	August 1, 1714	sister of Mary II. daughter of James II of England and Ireland & VII of Scotland. Name of state changed to Great Britain with the political Acts of Union 1707, though family used the title since James I & VI. Died issueless, rights legally passed to House of Hanover. Transfer of rights unrecognized by Jacobites.

 *Not recognized in the Jacobite Succession 

Pretenders of Great Britain and Ireland

Portrait	Name Jacobite name	From	Until	Relationship with predecessor
	James VII of Scotland and James II of England and Ireland	December 11, 1688 (England and Ireland)/March 14, 1689 (Scotland)	September 16, 1701	son of Charles I. Overthrown at the Revolution of 1688 and exiled to France. Direct ancestor of the House of Columbia.
	James Francis Edward Stuart (James III & VII) (The Old Pretender)	September 16, 1701	January 1, 1766	son of James II and Mary of Modena. Contested the throne with Hanover King George I.
	Charles Edward Stuart (Charles III) (The Young Pretender) (Bonnie Prince Charlie)	January 1, 1766	January 31, 1788	son of "James III" and Maria Klementyna Sobieska. Contested the throne with Hanover King George II.
	Henry Benedict Stuart (Henry IX & I) (Bishop Duke of York)	January 31, 1788	July 13, 1807	brother of "Charles III". Inheritance to the throne originally the result of the initial belief that "Charles III" produced no legitimate children. Became Bishop of the Diocese of Newark.

Heads in America and Monarchs of the Columbia Realms

Portrait	Name (Jacobite name) (Qualifier name)	Era name (Romanized era name)	From	Until	Relationship with predecessor
	Charlotte Stuart (Charlotte I) (Duchess of Albany) (Belle Miller)	—	July 13, 1807	February 16, 1831	niece of "Henry IX & I". Natural daughter of "Charles III". Later legitimized by "Charles III" and recognized by "Henry IX & I" as his successor.
	Gregory Miller (James IV & IX)	—	February 16, 1831	November 28, 1858 (relinquished)	son of "Charlotte I" and James Miller. Founder of the Miller & Stuart Co..
	Charles I of Sierra (Charles IV & I) (The Redeemed Pretender)	赎桂 (Shù Guì)	November 28, 1858	August 15, 1893	son of "James IV & IX" and Anna, Duchess of Napa. Founder of the House of Columbia. First Jacobite successor since James II to assume a royal title (as King of Sierra).
	Louis I of Sierra (Charles V & II)	大人 (Dà Rén)	August 15, 1893	June 23, 1927	son of Charles I of Sierra. Became the first King of Alaska in 1912. Dropped the claim to the defunct French throne. Became Emperor of Tondo in 1902.
	Louis II of Sierra (Henry X, II, & I)	真和 (Zhēn Hé)	June 23, 1927	September 18, 1945	son of Louis I of Sierra.
	Louis III of Sierra (Robert I & IV)	公榮 (Gōng Róng)	September 18, 1945	September 9, 1965	son of Louis II of Sierra. Dropped the title of Emperor of Tondo.
	Elizabeth I of Sierra (Alexis I)	護息 (Hù Xi)	September 9, 1965	October 17, 2005	daughter of Louis III. Became the first monarch of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in 1975. Succeeded the throne instead of her older brother, Prince Charles, Duke of Puerto Princesa
	Charles II of Sierra (Andrew) (Duke of Cabo)	和路 (Hé Lù)	October 17, 2005	June 21, 2015 (abdicated)	son of Elizabeth I of Sierra. Abdicated in 2015 in favor of his eldest daughter, Elisa.
	Elizabeth II of Sierra (Elisa)	愛的 (Ài De)	June 21, 2015	Incumbent	daughter of Charles II of Sierra.

^a. Literally Redeemed Gui; deviation from 赎回贵族 ("redeemed nobility")

^b. Literally great man

^c. Literally true peace, but conventionally understood as true true ("true and true"); deviation from 認真和諧 (serious and harmonious)

^d. Literally honorable glory or pride

^e. Literally protect interest or care; deviation from 保護消息 ("protect the message'")

^f. Literally "peaceful road"; deviation from 和平的道路 ("the road to peace")

^g. Literally loving virtue; deviation from 愛的美德 ("the virtue of love")

^h. Given era name posthumously

 *Never reigned as monarch 

Royal family tree

The family tree below depicted only includes the monarchs, their consorts, and their issue starting with the respective civilian parents of Charles I and Rachel of Sierra.

Titles

Monarch

King/Queen of Sierra

Ceremonial Titles

• Protector of All Sierrans
• Archduke/Archduchess of Sierra
• Duke/Duchess of Sonoma File:Flag of Sonoma.png
• Duke/Duchess of Monterey File:Flag of Monterey.svg

Jurisdictional Titles

• Sovereign of Sierra
• Sovereign of Los Pacifícos /
• Sovereign of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands
• Sovereign of Rapa Nui
• Sovereign of Bénieîle
• Sovereign of the Channel Islands
• Sovereign/Paramount Chief of the Sierran Samoa
• Sovereign/Paramount Chief of the Hawaiian and Midwayan Islands
• Righteous Sovereign of the Deseret
• Most High Lord/Lady of Cancún and Yucatán /
• Sovereign of All Other Loyal Lands and Islands of Sierra
• High Lord Superintendent of the Realm

King/Queen of the United Kingdom (disputed; nominal)

Titles of Pretense

• Sovereign of England
• Chief of Scots
• King of Ireland
• Prince of Wales (erroneous claim)

King/Queen of France (disputed; nominal) (historical; 1859–1919)

Title of Pretense

Emperor/Empress of Tondo (historical; 1902–45)

• Sovereign of Palawan and Cuyo (historical; 1946–96)

Commander-in-Chief of the Sierran Crown Armed Forces

Military Ranks

• Colonel-in-Chief of the Occidental Guards
• Colonel-in-Chief of the King/Queen's Loyal Regiments
• Captain-General of the Royal Army
• Brigadier-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force
• Lord/Lady High Admiral of the Royal Navy
• Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Marines Corps
• Lord/Lady High Admiral of the Royal Coast Guard
• Patron of the Royal Cyber Defense Force
• Honorary Paramount Chief of the National Guard
• Grand Scoutmaster of the Royal Surveyors' Commissioned Corps
• Honorary Director-General of the Royal Park Services Commissioned Corps
• Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Engineers Corps

King/Queen of Guam

King/Queen of the Northern Mariana Islands

Consort

Queen Consort/Prince Consort of Sierra

• Archduchess of Sierra/Duke of El Capitan
• Grand Dame/Knight of the Celebrated Order of the Golden Poppy
• Grand Dame/Knight of the Order of Merit
• Grand Dame/Knight of the Royal Order of the Rose of Sharon
• Grand Dame/Knight of the Royal Order of the Navel
• Coronet of the Order of the Harmonious Kingdom
• Coronet of the Order of the Pacific
• Member First Class of the Royal Family of King Charles I
• Member First Class of the Order of the Tricolor
• Member First Class of the Order of the Encircled Star
• Member First Class of the Order of King Charles I
• Member First Class of the Order of King Louis I
• Member First Class of the Order of Queen Elizabeth I
• Member First Class of the Royal Family of King Charles II
• Lady/Lord of His/Her Royal Highness' Most Honorable Privy Council
• Personal Aide-de-Camp to His/Her Royal Highness
• Lady/Lord Patron of Sierra

Other

Crown Prince/Princess of Mojave

• Crown Prince/Princess of Sierra
• Duke/Duchess of Mojave
• Earl/Countess of Palm Springs
• Baron/Baroness of Barstow
• Lord/Lady of the Channel Islands

Prince/Princess of Sonora

Prince/Princess of Colorado

Prince/Princess of Tahoe

Prince/Princess of Monterey

Prince/Princess of Sonoma

Duke/Duchess of Cabo

See also

• Monarchy of Sierra
• House of Stuart
• House of Carlotte-Ostre de Hapsburg
• Van Draak family

Royal house House of Columbia
Preceded by House of Stuart	Stuart–Columbia 1371–present	Incumbent
New house	Ruling house of the Kingdom of Sierra 1858–present	Incumbent
New house	Ruling house of the Kingdom of Alaska 1912–present	Incumbent
New house	Ruling house of the Commonwealth of Guam 1975–present	Incumbent
New house	Ruling house of the Federation of the Northern Mariana Islands 1975–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Yi dynasty	Ruling house of the Tondolese Empire 1902–1945	Succeeded by Yi dynasty