Monarchy Of The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow

The King Of The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow (feminine equivalent being Queen Of The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow) is the elected monarch and Head of State of the Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow, the land incorporated of the 14 kingdoms on the continent-sized realm of Kinkow. The Monarch of The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow rules from the capital city of Theed, in the Crownlands. Their seat is the Royal Palace Of Dainsbury, located on the outskirts of the main city of Theed.

Titles
The monarch is officially styled King/Queen Of The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow, Protector Of The Realm and Of The Faith.

The title King/Queen Of The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow refers to the 14 kingdoms that existed before the War Of Unification and that the Monarch is the official ruler of all those 14 kingdoms.

The title Protector Of The Realm refers to the Monarch being the Commander in Chief of the armies of Kinkow (lead by the five wardens: East, West, North, South and Central) and of the Royal Army, Navy and Coastal Guard. However, the Monarch does not necessarily have to adopt the title of Protector Of The Realm and may delegate it to someone else. This commonly happens when the incumbent monarch is incapacitated and the Hand Of The Monarch succeeds them, the title will often be given to the Lord Commander Of The Royal Army or a different member of the military personnel. An example of when this happened was when Neeyutnee Apailana succeeded Queen Padmé Naberrie, after the latter abdicated the throne. Instead of the title being given to the newly crowned Queen Neeyutnee, it was delegated to Lord Admiral Of The Navy, Randalph Naberrie.

The title Protector Of The Faith refers to the Monarch being the head of the Faith Of The Seven (the predominant religion of the realm) in Kinkow, after the passing of the Laws of the Faith under the reign of King Manny Durrun.

The office of the King/Queen Of The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow is often referred to as the Monarchy or the Crown. The position was created after the War Of Unification and the subsequent Unification Of Kinkow, unifying the 14 kingdoms of Kinkow. The identity of the first King Of The Unified Kingdoms is unknown, however it is known that he came from the family that once ruled the kingdom that incorporated the Crownlands.

The monarch is formally addressed by their subjects as "Your Grace" or "Your Majesty" and during official events is referred to using the structure: "Name" of the House "Name" the "order number" of His/Her Name, King/Queen Of The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow, Protector Of The Realm and Of The Faith"

For example, Veruna Amidala would be formally referred to as "Veruna of the House Amidala, the second of His Name, King Of The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow, Protector Of The Realm and Of The Faith".

While the Monarch is both Head of State and Head of Government, the day-to-day administration of the nation is delegated to Royal Advisory Council; a council of ministers and advisers that is headed by the Lord Hand, making the Lord Hand the effective Head of Government. The extent to the Monarch's involvement in the day-to-day governance of the nation varies with each monarch.

Electing the Monarch
The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow has an elected monarchy. The monarch is elected every ten years, through the Reap process and sitting monarchs can run for re-election as many times as they choose. Only members from one of the Thirteen Great Houses can put their name forward to be a candidate for the monarchy, as commanded in the Pacta Conventa (Kinkow Constitution). Members of lesser noble houses are prohibited from putting their names forward in a reap, however they are able to vote during the reap.

Reap Process
The Reap is the process by which a new monarch is elected, in the Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow. It is split into three stages and is held during the interregnum period. The three stages are:

The Convocation
The Convocation stage begins at the very beginning of the interregnum period, with the King/Queen Of The Unified Kingdoms Of Kinkow dispensing their duties and handing the leadership and governance of the country over to the Convocation Council. The Convocation Council is comprised of the senate, after both the senate and the monarch is discharged of their duties. The Convocation Council is charged with establishing the dates and rules of the reap and screening candidates. During this time, the Convocation Council may also make amendments to the Pacta Conventa ; for the new monarch to ratify upon their coronation. During the Convocation, candidates have a month to announce their candidacy and travel to the capital for the reap. The Convocation lasts approximately one month and any candidate nominations, after that month, are not counted and the candidate will not be on the ballot for the first vote.

The Election
The Election stage is the second stage of the Reap and is when the nobility officially vote for the new monarch. A preliminary or first vote is held within the first few days of the Election, this gives candidates an idea of the nobles' intentions and interests. After the first vote, many candidates drop out and pledge their support for a candidate with a larger voting block. The candidates are prohibited from attending the election but are allowed to send representatives, who will lobby for them in the election. The Election is open to all members of the nobility and can be comprised of as many as 10,000 nobles. The largest turnout was during the First Reap Of Veruna Amidala, where over 11,000 nobles were in attendance. The Election stage is held for up to 6 weeks and during this stage, nobles have the disposition to debate issues and press candidates to adopt their policies and ideas for the country. Debates often get heated and lead to confrontations and fights. Candidates often have a core voting block who lobby for them and try to convince the nobles in attendance to vote for them. It is vital that a candidate has a strong team of nobles who have the wits and influence to sway the nobles in their favour. Attending nobles often debate and discuss their preferences before the election, however, many nobles are often pressured or convinced to change their preferences during the election stage. The Election is often held in one of the large state rooms, in the palace, or is held outside. At the end of the Election stage, a final vote takes place and the new King or Queen is elected. Once the new King or Queen is chosen, the outcome of the vote is made official and unchangeable; regardless of any internal or external circumstances. If the Monarch-Elect dies or is incapacitated before their coronation, the runner-up is crowned instead. However, this has only ever happened once and it's precedent can be debated. After the Election, preparations are made for the new King or Queen's ascension and coronation.

The Coronation
The Coronation is the third and final stage of the Reap and the stage in which the new Monarch is officially crowned and the departing Monarch leaves. The Coronation is the stage where the Convocation Council officially relinquishes their power and jurisdiction over the country to the new Monarch. The Coronation can last between 4 days and 1 week. The Monarch-Elect undertakes various ceremonies and formalities, such as swearing the oath to uphold the Pacta Conventa. The coronation itself is held on one single day and is held in the Throne Room in the Royal Palace Of Dainsbury. The new Monarch is crowned before their court and swears the oath to uphold the Pacta Conventa. The nobility also sign the Papers Of Fealty, swearing their fealty to the new Monarch. This is often done privately, after the coronation ceremony. The new government is also sworn in during the coronation and is required to swear an oath of fealty to the new Monarch, along with the five wardens and the Lord Commanders of the Royal Military. Those oaths are sworn publicly, during the coronation, after the new Monarch is crowned. After the official coronation ceremony, the new Monarch may present themself to their subjects by making an appearance on the Balcony Of Appearances. Celebrations and parties are often held, after the coronation ceremony.