House of Woestein

The House of Woestein is the current reigning house of the United Provinces of Mauritia. The house has played a central role in the Lusophone and Brazilian sectors, especially since 2001, when helped the development of the Holy Empire of Réunion until the independence of Mauritia, in 2012. In 2015, after the overthrow of the Badakistani monarchy, succeeded the House of Götzö-Thomaz-Rocha in the throne of Badakistan during the restoration.

Surname usage
Although by tradition members of reigning dynasties seldom use surnames, being known instead by dynastic titles, the family choose to adopt a common surname for micronational purposes, but related to their place of origin and ancestry. Woestein, from a corruption of the Dutch, means "desert", a word used by the analogy to "sertão", reflecting the mixture between the Dutch cultural pattern of the United Provinces of Mauritia and the geographic reference of northeastern Brazil.

Origins
The House of Woestein is considered to founded by Maurice of Nassau, nicknamed The Brazilian and considered the first Stadhouder of the United Provinces of Mauritia, despite he never used the title and the micronation didn't existed at that time. In fact, he ruled governor of Dutch Brazil, Count and Prince of Nassau-Siegen and Grand Master of the Order of Saint John. Much inspired by the claimed founder of the house, who landed at Recife, the port of Pernambuco and the chief stronghold of the Dutch in January 1637. Immediately after his arrival, he gradually extended the Dutch possessions from Sergipe in the south to São Luís de Maranhão in the north. With the assistance of the famous architect, Pieter Post of Haarlem, he transformed Recife by building a new town adorned with public buildings, bridges, channels and gardens in the then Dutch style, later naming the newly reformed town Mauritsstad, after himself and naming the future capital of the United Provinces of Mauritia. By his statesmanlike policy, he brought the colony into a most flourishing condition. His leadership in Brazil inspired two Latin epics from 1647: Caspar Barlaeus' Rerum per octennium in Brasilia et alibi nuper gestarum sub praefectura and Franciscus Plante's Mauritias. He also established representative councils in the colony for local government, and developed Recife's transportation infrastructure. His large schemes and lavish expenditures alarmed the parsimonious directors of the West India Company, and John Maurice, refusing to retain his post unless he were given a free hand, returned to Europe in July 1644. However, leaving behind unrecognized ancestors and a life of ruling by example, the claimed Stadhouders of Mauritia were all elected, sometimes in the same family, in resemblance to what happened in the Holy Roman Empire. The first person with the title of Prince of Woestein that assumed the position of Stadhouder was Lucas I, from 1706 to 1721. Eighteen years later, Prince Lucas III would become the tenth Stadhouder of Mauritia. From 1775 to 1785, another two Princes of Woestein would rule as Stadhouders of Mauritia: Lucas V and Lucas VI. Two years later, the next Woestein on the throne was Gustav II as the nineteenth Stadhouder, reigning until 1796. Only in 1818 and for a year, a Woestein would rule again: the Prince consort of Woestein, Rainier I - or Renato I, in Portuguese. His son, Renato II, would become Stadhouder in 1825 and rule for fourteen years. From 1845 to 1860, two Woestein ruled: John III and his son, Louis II. From 1888 to 1900, another two Princes of Woestein as Stadhouders, Charles II and his son Mathias IV. In 1947, the first woman ascended to the Mauritaanse throne as Stadhouerin Maria I, the daughter of Mathias IV. After her death in 1977, she was suceeded by her widower, Alexander II, that reigned until 1989. Their daugther, Maria II, would be elected in 1996 and reigned until her abdication in 2012, being suceeded by her only son, Lucas VIII, who, in fact, is the founder of the United Provinces of Mauritia as we known today.

Members
By law, the name of the House and all descendants of John III of Mauritia and his wife, Wilhelmina of Woestein in the direct line were to bear the name of Woestein, except for women who married into other families. The current members of the dynasty are all descendants of Stadhouder Alexander II, Grand Duke of Lorenburg and Stadhouderin Maria I, Princess of Woestein, and there are two dynastic branches: the Woestein-Lorenburg and the Woestein-Neuhaus. The Woestein-Lorenburg branch is composed by the former Stadhouderin, Princess Maria II and her husband, Duke Louis de Sotomayor de Lima, their son, Stadhouder Lucas VIII, as the head and most senior member of the family and their adopted children, Infante Lucas Willem, Marquis of Majerkreek and Infante Lucas Fridericus, Duke of Frag. There is also an adopted son of Infante Lucas Willem, Dom Bruno of Woestein-Majerkreek, Viscount of Serinhaem. The Woestein-Neuhaus branch was founded when Infante Ricardo, Margrave of Neuhaus and brother of Stadhouderin Maria II, married Cilene d'Albuquerque, member of the Mauritaanse high nobility. They fathered four children: Jonkheer Leandro, Jonkheer Leonard, Jonkvrouw Maria Elisabeth Haiane and Jonkheer Leo Rodrigo. On 26 August 2021, due the wedding of Jonkvrouw Maria Elisabeth Haiane to Emperor Oscar of Karnia, the Stadhouder of the United Provinces of Mauritia granted to the bride and her natural daughter, Jonkvrouw Alice, the title and style of Her Grace, the Infanta of Woestein.

Armorial of the House
The gallery below show the coats of arms used by members of the house. Their growing complexity and use of crowns shows how arms are used to reflect the growing political position and royal aspirations of the family.

Genealogy
The House of Woestein traces its descent from the 17th century to the present monarch, Prince Lucas VIII, Stadhouder of Mauritia. The list excludes in-laws. All are listed primarily as Mauritaanse royalty unless otherwise noted.


 * [[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] Stadhouder John III, married to Princess Wilhelmina
 * [[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] Stadhouder Louis II, married to Infanta Maria da Purificação
 * [[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] Stadhouder Charles II, married to Jonkvrouw Marie Louise
 * [[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] Stadhouder Mathias IV, married to Infanta Renata
 * [[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] Stadhouderin Maria I, married to [[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] Stadhouder Alexander II
 * [[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] Stadhouderin Maria II, married to Duke Louis
 * [[Image:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] Stadhouder Lucas VIII
 * Infante Lucas, Marquis of Majerkreek
 * Infante Lucas, Duke of Frag
 * Dom Bruno, Viscount of Serinhaém
 * Infante Ricardo, married to Infanta Cilene.
 * Jonkheer Leandro, married to Jonkvrouw Jessica
 * Jonkvrouw Ingrid
 * Jonkvrouw Yara
 * Jonkheer Leonardo
 * Empress Marie Elisabeth Haiane, married to [[Image:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] Emperor Oscar
 * Archduchess Alice
 * Jonkheer Leo Rodrigo