Protector

From Honorverse

The Protector was the hereditary head of the Grayson government and the Church of Humanity Unchained.

The symbol of the Protector was a sword and bible; his office was know as the "Sword".^[1]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Mayhew Restoration 2 First Lady 3 Protector's Champion 4 List of known Protectors 5 References

[edit] History

The Protector started out as "first among equals", the most powerful of the steadholders, but not their superior. This continued until Grayson's Civil War, where Benjamin the Great took absolute power in the course of crushing the armies of the Faithful, which had wiped out every steadholder, including his own father. In order to ensure nothing of the sort would ever happen again, he formed a military which swore allegiance to the Protector, reduced the household troops of steadholders to fifty personal liegemen, and wrote a Constitution which applied to the previously sovereign steadholders. In addition, he made the oldest son of the Protector inherit, rather than allowing the Conclave of Steadholders to choose the weakest heir. As a symbol of his strength, he replaced the patriarch's key of a steadholder with a Bible and sword, showing the steadholders that the Protector, not they, ruled Grayson.

Over the 19th century BC, the Council of Elders cut back on the Protector's constitutional authority. Still, the Protector had the power to intervene in governmental affairs in accordance with the Grayson Constitution. The Constitution, since it was written by an absolute monarch, gave the Protector far more power in theory than he enjoyed in fact. The true power in Grayson once again rested with the Conclave, which divided up control of government ministries among the most powerful steadholders.

The office of the Protector had its own council to advise the Protector on most issues. Over the last six Protectors before Benjamin IX, their power had been waning, and been taken over by the Chancellor. (HH2)

[edit] Mayhew Restoration

In 1903 PD, the reigning Protector was Benjamin IX.

When Benjamin IX formally announced that he, not they, would decide to meet Honor Harrington, he took the first step towards making the Protector the true ruler of Grayson. The enforcement of the Constitution, the first war with Haven, and the death and public disgrace of steadholders such as Lord Burdette and Lord Mueller all helped him regain his powers over the steadholders. (HH2)

[edit] First Lady

The first (and usually senior) wife of the Protector was known as the First Lady of Grayson. (HH11)

[edit] Protector's Champion

The most recent recipient of the Star of Grayson was automatically appointed as the Protector's Champion, who carried the Grayson Sword of State and fought for the Protector in the case a trial by sword was demanded. (HH5)

[edit] List of known Protectors

• Oliver I
• John II
• Benjamin IV (the Great)
• Bernard VII
• Benjamin IX (1898 PD – )

[edit] References