Prince of Ohio

Prince of Ohio is one of the titles granted to the heir apparent of the North American Emperor and descended from the from the formally independent titles of King and Emperor of Ohio. The title became tied to the North American line of succession after the Unification Act of 2015 formally reunified the Republic of Ohio, under the restored Emperor Malum I and the North American Confederation, under the restored North American Emperor. The current Prince of Ohio is Prince William, the only child of Emperor William I, who is Emperor of the North American Confederation.

Roles and responsibilities
The Prince of Ohio is the heir apparent of the North American monarch. No formal public role or responsibility has been legislated or otherwise delegated to him by law. The current Prince is however so young he will not have any role independent from his parents for the next 13 years.

The King of Ohio
The history of the Prince of Ohio begins with the formation of the United American Kingdom and Ohio River Republic. Originally founded by a group of Ohioan micronationalists, they elected Joseph Marx to be their first king on 1 June 2008, the day after their declaration of independence. Originally an absolute monarchy, the U.A.K. soon took a more oligarchic route when it transformed into the River Republic, with the formation of the Noble Council. However corruption among council members and instability issues soon led King Joseph I to disband the Noble Council, reform the government, and declare himself Malum I, Emperor of Ohio.

Imperial Ohio
Among the first actions taken by His Imperial Majesty, Malum I, as the central authority of his new nation, was to draft the Universal Rights of Man which became the supreme law of Ohio and the moral framework for the Imperial office to enforce. The Ohio Empire, as one of the earliest MicroWiki nations, quickly established itself as a powerhouse nation and deeply influential member of the community. However, a series of micronational conflicts and ideological scandals began to have a serious impact upon the Empire and its Emperor. Following the New European Civil War, the Ohio Empire's power and authority began to wane, despite the nations victory in the conflict. A lack of cultural development and general political stagnation, coupled with Malum I's growing fatigue and disillusionment with Imperial power began to leave the Empire in a crippled state.

Confederation and Interregnum
It was during this time of political turmoil that Malum I began the talks with Wilhelm of New Europe, and Aaron Meek of Eniarku that would lead to the establishment of the North American Confederation. With the founding of the Confederation in November 2010, it quickly became the desire of Malum I to abolish his royal titles. The Ohio Empire was formally declared a Republic of Ohio, with the former Emperor now acting as transitional governor, and the process for Malum to formally abdicate from his imperial titles was begun. However, the "Lethler Experiment", "Dakoda George scandal", and "Micras Crisis" soon caused the collapse of the Meek government and began the Interregnum period of the Confederation, collapsing the Ohioan transitional government as well. Joseph Marx, now no longer the leader of his nation but still retaining the title of Emperor, became the Emperor-in-pretence of Ohio; a title he would keep until the restoration of the throne in 2015.

Restoration and the Unification Agreement of 2015
In early 2015, William I reestablished the Confederate government alongside Joseph Marx, who used his title as Emperor to restore order to the Republic, before quickly approving the passage of the Unification Agreement of 2015 on the 28 June 2015, formally creating the modern position of Prince of Ohio and allowing the formal abdication of the Ohioan Emperor, who named the crown prince of the Confederation his heir.

Standard of the Prince
As heir apparent to the North American Emperor and member of the North American Imperial Family, the Prince of Ohio bears an Imperial standard, which is used in all formal government events. The standard is a simplified variation of the Emperor's standard, referencing the Prince's role as heir apparent to the throne, with the Imperial Crown and Eagle displayed in the center and four stars in each of the corners.

Badge of the Prince
Alongside the Imperial Standard, the Prince of Ohio also possesses a badge unique to their position. Displaying the colors of the Imperial Flag of Ohio as well as a Buckeye (A cultural signature of Ohio) and arrows emblazoned on the center, the badge is highly symbolic of the history of the Ohioan micronations.