Julia II of Illyricum
| Julia II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Queen of Illyricum (more...) | |
| Tenure | May 12, 1555 – December 16, 1561 |
| Coronation | June 5, 1555 |
| Predecessor | Julius VIII |
| Successor | Severus I |
| Queen Consort of Illyricum | |
| Tenure | December 25, 1561 – September 9, 1568 |
| Duchess of Tudino | |
| Tenure | January 3, 1539 – May 12, 1555 |
| Coronation | July 5, 1545 |
| Predecessor | Marco Claudius |
| Successor | Silenus Adrianus |
| Regent | Marco de Tudino (1539 – 1550) |
| Born | Julia Claudia January 3, 1539 Palace of the Fish, Illyricus, Illyricum |
| Died | September 9, 1568 (aged 29) Çastelo de Julia, Tudino, Illyricum |
| Burial | September 15, 1568 |
| Spouse | Severus I (m. 1661) |
| Issue among others... | |
| Dynasty | Claudius |
| Father | Julius VIII |
| Mother | Maria Julia of Dolena |
| Religion | Illyrian Catholicism |
Julia II (January 3, 1539 - September 9, 1568), historically known as Julia the Pale, was Queen of Illyricum from May 12, 1555 to December 16, 1561. She was the last monarch of the House of Claudius and the last Catholic monarch of Illyricum.
Julia was the eldest child of King Julius VIII and following his death from disease in 1555, Julia was named by Patriarch Cornelius Pius as his successor, despite objections from a growing secular faction led by Duke Severus Adrianus of Secundia. Julia was crowned on June 5, 1555, however Adrianus and other secular nobles refused to acknowledge her leadership, beginning the Illyrian War of Succession.
During the war, Julia leaned heavily upon Patriarch Cornelius Pius, brother-in-law Marius Appius, Earl of Turio, and husband Marcius Lunus, Duke of Illyricus. Despite several tactical military victories, Catholic forces struggled to defeat Adrianus in the open field, eventually leading to Lunus' death following the Battle of Fero in 1559. Julia remarried to Lord Perseo Marco of Salonia, allowing the Salonian League to join Julia's forces in the war. With famines covering the region, Julia authorized a major assault on Secundia led by Prince Marco Fenero of Ferunia and Trurnia. The large Catholic force pushed towards Secundia until at the Battle of Hadrianicum in 1560, the force was crushed by Adrianus. The secular nobles then took the offensive with support from the Kingdom of Pavulturilor led by King Elram Melekh III eventually reaching Tudino in 1561. Following a four-month-long siege, Catholic forces surrendered, effectively ending the war.
Adrianus led secular forces to the Palace of Fish in Illyricus, where Julia resided, and following a week of negotiation Julia and Adrianus reached the Peace of Illyricus. In agreement with the deal, Julia abdicated on December 16, 1561, and Adrianus was crowned as Severus I. In order to pacify rebellious Catholic nobles, Severus I remarried from Princess of Pavulturilor Talya Melekh IV to Julia, who became Queen Consort. However Severus I confined Julia and her sister Princess Juliana to the Çastelo de Julia in Tudino. Julia would die in 1568 after falling ill, however many Catholic officials at the time believed that she was poisoned by Severus I.
Contents
Early life
Julia was born at the Palace of the Fish on January 3, 1539 and was named after Saint Julia of Illyricus as well as her grandmother Juliana of Iftramen. Julia was the eldest recognized child of King Julius VIII of Illyricum. Julia's mother was Maria Julia of Dolena who came from the House of Julius originating in Dolena (near modern day Boreadis). From birth Julia was given the title of Duchess of Tudino as part of the royal family's holdings, however in her infancy she resided in the Palace of the Fish with her uncle Marco de Tudino acting as her regent in Tudino.
In 1543 her sister Princess Juliana was born and granted holdings over the Duchy of Andrafolia. Soon after Julia was sent from the Palace of the Fish to stay with her cousin Duke Marçelo Julius of Napelia. Julia stayed with Junius and his wife Duchess Tulia Potençia for the next six years. Potençia taught Julia and would later be a close friend and advisor. In 1545 Julia returned to Tudino where she was coronated as Duchess of Tudino before returning to Napelia.
While in Napelia, Julia gave birth to an illegitimate child in 1549, Marcellus, with Roderigo Julius, son of Duke Marçelo Julius. Due to her own young age, as she was just ten years old at the time of the child's birth, and the controversy which the child's birth aroused, the child was sent to live with Roderigo Julius' cousin, Duke Phillipus Bourbus of Armorolaus. The child, Marcellus, would never be recognized by Julia or Roderigo Julius and would later become a Count of Armorolaus.
Later that year, Roderigo Julius would become Duke of Napelia and soon after Julia left and traveled to the court of King Daurenius II of Trurnia and Queen Maria IV of Ferunia. Julia would serve in the court as a royal Illyrian envoy along with her five-year-old sister Juliana and her cousin Publius Haronus, son of Duke Titus Haronus of Nosterus. While in Trurnia, Julia stayed with Queen Maria IV and helped rear Maria's son Marcus III as well as her daughter Ana Phillipa Rosa. While at the Ferunian and Trurnian royal court, Julia also met Patriarch Cornelius Pius, the leader of the Catholic Church of Illyricum, who celebrated a birthday mass in her honor and declared her to be "Noes coesrija reina" (Jackian: "Our chosen queen").
Duchess of Tudino
In 1550 amidst growing concerns over infertility and age, King Julius VIII requested an annulment to his marriage to Maria Julia of Dolena, which sparked widespread controversy. With opposition from the Church of Illyricum, Julius VIII eventually negotiated with Patriarch Pius to eventually create the Succession Act of 1550, keeping Julia as his successor unless a male heir was produced[a]. This move was met with large opposition from a growing secular noble faction, however Julius managed to maintain order through his marriage to Philippa Druscilla, the daughter of prominent secular leader Julius Nurius, Earl of Menon.
Julia was moved to Tudino where the Çastelo de Julia had been constructed several years prior on order of Marco de Tudino, who was partially relieved of his duties upon Julia's arrival. While there in 1551 Julia gave birth to illegitimate twins with Duke Marcius Lancius of Perfulia. This new pair of illegitimate children led to more controversies, as Julia was widely criticized, with one play of the time, Le Ane by Cristopher Mariono, depicting Julia as a naked child parading around wearing a crown. Such obvious criticism of the royal family was outlawed, and the play was soon banned, however public opinion of Julia continued to sour.
In 1552, Maria Julia of Dolena fell ill while staying in Dăbuza and soon after died in Illyricus. Maria Julia had been Julia's major tie to the throne and, with her death, many nobles began to push for the revoking of the Succession Act of 1550. However Patriarch Pius continued to push for Julia's accession, officially issuing a Patriarchal Indulgence in December 1552 which cleared her of responsibility for her illegitimate children. Following the stillbirth of Queen Consort Druscilla's child in 1553, Julia became considered to be the only successor to Julius VIII, especially following her marriage to Duke Marcius Lunus of Illyricus in 1553.
On March 19, 1554, Julia gave birth to her first legitimate children, Paulus and Salonia. Shortly after, Julia traveled to State of the Church to meet Pope Julio III, leaving her sister Juliana to take care of her children. While Julia was in San Pedro, Julius VIII fell ill on campaign in the Andaluzian Mountains and became confined to bed rest. Julia was forced to cut her time in San Pedro short, returning to Illyricus in July, 1554, after receiving Papal approval to become Queen. Despite being only fifteen, Julia become effective Queen Regent as Julius VIII's sickness progressed. Julia surrounded herself with strong advisors, including Patriarch Pius, her husband Duke Marcius Lunus, and Duke Titus Haronus.
Reign
Accession and coronation
After almost a year of acting as the effective Queen Regent, and the birth of daughters, Talia and Anastasia, on May 11, 1555, Julius VIII died of his sickness. In a public announcement shortly after, Patriarch Pius declared that Julia would become Queen as per the Succession Act of 1550. At the funeral of Julius VIII, Julia came dressed as a mourner and her husband, Duke Marcius Lunus, helped carry Julius' body into his tomb, which was housed in the Cathedral of Saint Gregorius in Trurnia. The funeral also acted to cement Catholic alliances with religious nobles and the monarchs of Ferunia and Trurnia, Kings Daurenius II and Marcus III.
However immediately following Julius VIII's death, widespread dissent and disagreement over Julia's accession began. Several prominent nobles who challenged Julia's accession included Earl Julius Nurius of Menon and Duke Severus Adrianus of Secundia. Several other nobles also claimed the throne, however Nurius and Adrianus garnered the most support, mostly drawing from the eastern secular nobility.
Patriarch Pius rushed to crown Julia queen in order to stabilize the kingdom, hoping that her coronation would fully unite the fractured Catholic nobility. Just two weeks after the funeral of Julius VIII, Julia was crowned and confirmed in the Cathedral of Saint Gregorius by Patriarch Pius, with papal envoys in attendance as well as Archduke Marco Marco of Salonia. Julia was crowned and styled as Her Royal Majesty Julia II Claudia, Queen of Illyricum, Protector of the Catholic Church of Illyricum, and Empress of Romanya.
However despite Julia's coronation and accession, secular nobles refused to recognize Julia. Earl Julius Nurius and Duke Severus Adrianus began to meet with other secular leaders in Secundia, forming what Julia termed as "Le saeculare çale" ("The secular cabal"). Secularists gathered troops around Secundia for several months, forcing Julia to issue the Illegitimacy Act of 1555, which declared Severus Adrianus and Julius Nurius to both be illegitimate pretenders to the throne and decreed that secularists could not claim the Illyrian throne. Julia also began gathering troops herself in Tudino, leaving the forces under the command of Duke Titus Haronus. Julia also sent her sister, Princess Juliana, to the royal court at Ferunia and Trurnia in order to help secure an alliance in the region. In Illyricus Julia formed her own court with noblewomen from around the Kingdom, including her sister Juliana, Countess Maria Lucia of Alephonia, and Princess Ana Phillipa Rosa of Trurnia.
Court of the White Roses
Post-reign
Children
Beliefs
Notes
- ↑ The act also ensured that even in the event of a legitimate male heir to Julius VIII, Julia would serve as Queen Regent until the child comes of age
