House of Woestein
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| Country |  Mauritia Badakistan Achsen |
|---|---|
| Titles | Stadhouder of Mauritia Shah of Badakhshan King of the Hanseatics Grand Duke of Lorenburg Prince of Grens Prince of Lichthart Prince of Woestein Infante of Woestein Jonkhrow of Woestein |
| Founder | João Maurício, Prince of Woestein |
| Current head | H.M. Lucas VIII, Prince of Woestein |
| Founding | 1640 (claimed) 2012 (micronational) |
| Cadet branches | Woestein-Frag Woestein-Majerkreek Woestein-Serinhaém Karnia-Woestein |
The House of Woestein is the current reigning house of the United Provinces of Mauritia, the State of Badakhshan and the Hanseatic and Confederate States of Achsen. 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[edit | edit source]
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 comes from a corruption of the Dutch woestijn, meaning "desert", a word used by the analogy to "sertão", itself a corruption of "desertão" (Great Desert), reflecting the mixture between the Dutch cultural pattern of the United Provinces of Mauritia and the geographic reference of northeastern Brazil.
Origins[edit | edit source]
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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.[1]
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,[2][3] 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[3].
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[4] 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[5], who, in fact, is the founder of the United Provinces of Mauritia as we known today.
Members[edit | edit source]
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.
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 elected King of the Hanseatic and Confederate States of Achsen since 09 December 2020[6][7][8].
Armorial of the House[edit | edit source]
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.
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Arms of the House (greater)
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Arms of the House (small)
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Arms of the House in Badakhshan
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Arms of the House in Achsen
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Arms of Woestein-Frag
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Arms of the Duke of Frag
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Arms of Woestein-Majerkreek
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Arms of Woestein-Serinhaem
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
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.
Stadhouder John III, married to Princess Wilhelmina
- Stadhouder Louis II, married to Infanta Maria da Purificação
- Stadhouder Charles II, married to Jonkvrouw Marie Louise
- Stadhouder Mathias IV, married to Infanta Renata
- Stadhouderin Maria I, married to Stadhouder Alexander II
- Stadhouderin Maria II, married to Duke Louis
Stadhouder Lucas VIII
See also[edit | edit source]
— ROYAL HOUSE — House of Woestein
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| Preceded by None |
Ruling House of United Provinces of Mauritia 2012 - present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by House of Götzö-Thomaz-Rocha |
Ruling House of Badakistan 2015 - present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by None |
Ruling House of the Hanseatic and Confederate States of Achsen 2020 - present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Ernst van den Boogaart, et al. eds, Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen 1604-1679: A Humanist Prince in Europe and Brazil. The Hague: Johan Maurits van Nassau Stichting 1979.
- ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "John Maurice of Nassau". Encyclopædia Britannica. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Johan Maurits (III); Digibron.nl
- ↑ Facsimile of 1647 first edition
- ↑ "Historical List of the Stadhouders of Mauritia", Mauritaanse Protokol. 20 October 2017.
- ↑ "Adesão ao Tratado de Persenburgo gera controvérsia e diminui lista de candidatos à rei", Colégio de Eleitores, 18 June 2020.
- ↑ "Negociações com Ebenthal podem mudar corrida pelo trono", Colégio de Eleitores, 18 November 2020.
- ↑ "Ratificação da Convenção de Montediszamble", Colégio de Eleitores, 09 December 2020.