Honorverse
Advertisement

Gustav VII was a descendant of Gustav Anderman and Emperor of the Andermani Empire.

Gustav VII was actually a woman, the oldest of three sisters of the mentally unstable Gustav VI. The latter tried to appoint his favorite rose bush as Chancellor of the Empire, and was consequently removed from the throne. Because he had no brothers or sons, a civil war over the vacated emperorship was imminent, since the Imperial Charter's mandated a male-heirs-only line of succession. To prevent what could only have been a bloody and catastrophic affair, his sister took the throne by a legal fiction: she had herself legally declared a man. She then took control of the Imperial Navy's Home Fleet, thus ensuring that her male cousins did not question her ascension to the throne.[1]

"His Majesty" Gustav VII held the throne for thirty-eight years, and was considered to be one of the best rulers the Empire had ever had. She was succeeded by Gustav VIII.[2] (HH6)

References[]

  1. On Old Earth, a similar maneuver was undertaken by Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt. She declared herself Pharaoh after the death of her husband, Thutmose II, denying his son (her nephew) the throne.
  2. Presumably her eldest son.


Preceded by
Gustav VI
Andermani Emperor
( - PD)
Succeeded by
Advertisement