William III, Archduke of Ostcelestria

Archduke William III of Ostcelestria (13 April 1631 - 6 November 1701) was the first Archduke of Ostcelestria, was the son of Friedrich II, Duke of Konlicht. He is known as "William the Holy", and is the most renowned military leader of Apfeldonia during the Civil War. He was the first Lord Marshal of Apfeldonia, and during his tenure in office, he was the closest advisor to King Richard I and also brother-in-law through the marriage of Richard's sister, Mary to William.

Early Life
William was born in Konlechner Castle to Duke Friedrich II and Duchess Claire during the great first showers of April, which caused all of Apfeldonia to be drenched in rain for a week. The weather of the day of his birth were viewed by contemporaries as a sign of cleansing for all of Apfeldonia, however the pouring of rain was also seen with a double edge as the Uiop flooded its banks near Lipton and much of the crops within the Lahn region were damaged.

Marriage and Entitlement
During October of 1647, William at the age of 16 was wed to Mary, Princess of Apfeldonia, second child of King Robert II. This marriage was originally to be a political alliance between the western realms held together by the Konlichts and the Vollands in Lahn. To celebrate this great marriage, a massive wedding festivity was carried out, celebrations centred in Lipton and Konlicht were focussed on the ceremonial aspects of the marriage. The massive length of the wedding is legendary, however, historians now agree that the festivities lasted for the entire month. Important dates of the wedding are as follows:


 * October 1st - The Royal Engagement Ceremony, at the balcony of Konlechner Castle.


 * October 4th - The Royal Procession from Konlicht to Lipton begins.


 * October 7th - The Entrance of the Royal Betrothed into the Capital of Lipton.


 * October 10th - The Royal Wedding on Sunday in the Cathedral of the Holy Lion of Lahn in Lipton.


 * October 10th - 26th - Celebrations and Festivities throughout the Nation, primarily in Ostcelestria.


 * October 27th - The Royal Couple depart Lipton for their Honeymoon in the Helvetian Mountains.


 * Octoer 31st - The Royal Couple return to Lipton to a Celebration and Thanksgiving service.

The massive 16-day long celebrations that occurred after the wedding took place is traditionally known as the first celebration of Gratis-Und, a celebration that is a fundamental aspect of Ostcelestrian as well as Helvetian and Freiheitian culture. Following the Royal Engagement Ceremony on the grand balcony of Konlechner Castle, the aging Duke Friedrich II declared his son as regent, but also as Archduke as decreed by King Robert II on the announcement of the marriage proposal. As part of the dowry, King Robert II had given William a gold state coach that would be used as transportation for the festivities, as well as a garden named in their honor in Lipton. In addition through an edict, Robert decreed that the House of Konlicht was now the Official and Royal Cadet Branch of the House of Volland, furthermore he entitled William to use the title of Archduke of Ostcelestria, and recognizing the feudal fiefs of the Konlichts and surrounding realms in the region to be united as Ostcelestria.

The First Archduke
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The First Year of the War
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Succession
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Lord Marshal
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Post-War Era
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The 'Prince of Lahn'
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Death and Legacy
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In Popular Culture
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