Michael I

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Michael Racine Phillip St. Germaine, sometimes known as Michael I, Michael the Distinguished, or Michael the Last, was the fifth and final "ruling" King-Regent of Saint Germaine (all King-Regents after him held no real political power). He was born in 1932 and died in 1963, killed in a riot on Saint Germaine Island during the Second Democratic Uprising.

Traditionally, the crown of Saint Germaine would be passed to the eldest child. However, the elder brother, Rudolphus IV, was killed in a tragic accident while riding horses when they were children, leaving him next in line for succession. He was described as being an individual of poor constitution, and eschewed public appearances. Dark rumors circulated as to his being an absinthe addict and a sexual hedonist, though there is no evidence to these claims.

The reign of Michael I was one of great political turmoil. He was considered by many to be the primary mover in the conspiracy to murder his father, Rudolphus III. Further, he was exceedingly vicious and paranoid for a 20th century monarch. He instituted a form of "secret police" in 1958, presumably to hunt down his father's murderer. However, this quickly became state-sponsored political thuggery, a fact which futher stoked the unrest of the peoples of the islands.

In 1963, rumors began circulating that Michael I was planning to hand over the islands to the Communists in exchange for an astronomical sum of money, an action that would also have resulted in a sharp decline of the commoner's standard of living. This led to the formation of several small "rebellion" groups, all of whom desired a change in government. The response of the secret police was bloody, and after a particularly brutal series of raids on dissident safehouses, the streets of Saint Germaine erupted into rioting.

It was during these riots that Michael I was killed. Hundreds of peasants swarmed the royal mansion, beating down his security detail. Although many islanders were killed in the action, they succeeded in burning the royal mansion to the ground. It was in the midst of this razing that the mob dragged Michael I from his bed, and lynched him.

After his death, the crown did not pass to anyone until 1972, when Joseph I was crowned by Parliament as part of the new government.

King-Regents of the Saint Germaine Principality

Phillip I | Rudolphus I | Rudolphus II | Rudolphus III | Michael I | Joseph I | Alexis I | Joseph II