Helene of Brunant

Helene Andrea Van Draak (born 3 March 1990) is the Queen of Brunant. and Head of the Armed Forces. She is Brunant's ninetenth monarch and second female queen regnant. Helene came to the throne in September 2013, succeeding her father, King Anthony, following his abdication. She is married to Bernd Donia, with whom she has a daughter, Marianne and a son, Cristian.

As monarch, the queen has become a highly popular figure due to being youthful and more modern, reflecting much of Brunanter society with her somewhat leftist views and less formal lifestyle.

Early life
Princess Helene was born in Koningstad to Prince Anthony and Princess Adriana. She was their second child and only daughter. The Princess was christened at Dortmund Cathedral, and her godparents were Queen Aleksandra (her grandmother) and Jose Luis Rojas, her grandfather. The princess is of mixed Brunanter and Spanish ancestry, but from her father's side she has a variety of Spanish, Lovian and German ancestors.

Helene, along with her brother, Prince Alexander, was given more freedom as a child instead of a traditional and more secluded childhood. The princess attended a public school in her early years in Koningstad. Later on she attended a private college, doing her schooling in English.

Education
The princess went to grade school in Koningstad, where she was an excellent student. She later studied at Ambrosian College. In 2008 she went to Grijzestad, to study at Grijzestad University and do a career in law. Helene finished her career in 2012 and is now able to practise as a lawyer in Brunant. At the university, she met her boyfriend Bernd Donia, sometime in late 2009. The princess and Bernd developed a more serious relationship during those years and were expected to marry in 2012.

During this period the princess began modeling, but she has not taken this up seriously. Still, she appeared in two magazines in 2010 and 2011, and did a photo shoot before her wedding in 2012.

Wedding and marriage
On 12 October 2011, Helene's boyfriend of two years, Bernd proposed to her. She accepted following approval from both the government and the royal family, with preparations made for a wedding in the summer.

On July 22, 2012 the couple were married at St. Sebastian Church after a nine month engagement, the first royals to do so at that church. Their wedding was attended by The King and Queen, close members of the royal family (her brother, aunts and uncles, cousins) and the Queen mother. Other guests included the Donia family (the groom's relatives), President and Mrs. Henneman and other Brunanter and Lovian dignitaries in government.

After the wedding, the princess and her husband took up residence in Koningstad in a house in the old town. From March 2012, it was quickly rumored in the tabloids that Princess Helene might be pregnant. Helene and her husband initiatlly denied these rumours but later confirmed the princess' pregnancy in July 2012, though several tabloid papaers were sued for breaching the princess' right to privacy. On February 4, 2013, the Princess gave birth to a healthy daughter named Marianne, who is now the Duchess of Middleton and heir to the throne.

Crown Princess
On 26 April 2012, her older brother, Prince Alexander, renounced his claims to the throne, making Helene first in line after her father. As Crown Princess she takes on greater roles with and in place of her father. She was at the investiture ceremony of Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands along with her husband, representing Brunant. She has also been involved in official visits to Sweden, Libertas and Spain in 2012 and 2013.

Princess Helene served as acting monarch when the King went to Switzerland for cancer treatment in July 2013. After months of speculation, it was announced on 1 September that King Anthony would abdicate for health reasons. On September 14 Helene will officially became queen, and she would become the first queen regnant of Brunant since 1663.

Personal beliefs and political alignment
The queen has been noted to be a more left-leaning person when compared to her father and gradfather. She is highly supportive of rights for homosexuals, immigrants and the disabled, and for the protection of the environment. The queen is not highly involved in politics, though she has spoken out against political extremism in the past, particularly the far-right. She has been criticized by some organizations and politicians for this, being as she is supposed to be politically-neutral. The Queen is known to be a supporter of FC Kings, and as princess was seen at their matches, though she is officially a fan of every football club in Brunant as monarch.

Queen
On 14 September 2013, Helene was proclaimed queen after a coronation ceremony in Koningtad. After several events and a mass her father officially abdicated. The ceremony was attended by several members of foreign royalty, including Albert II of Monaco, Jean-Louis II of Cettatie, King Sebastian of Lovia and representatives of other monarchs and governments.

Following the wedding the new Queen and her family moved into the Realpaleis' apartments and sold their old residence.

Helene made her first official state visit in October, being hosted by the King and Queen of Spain alongside her husband, Prince Bernd, in Madrid. The queen hosted Strasland's King Oscar III in the royal palace in November 2013. She also had Tagogese democracy activist Vincent Ndengu at the Royal Palace that same month, prior to the Open Eyes and Ears for Tagog event later that week which she attended. The Queen and Prince Bernd are godparents to Princess Sabine of Cettatie (daughter of King Jean-Louis II Queen and Amelie), born in 2012 as well as Lovia's Prince Arthur, son of King Sebastian and Queen Louise, born in 2014.

On 10 November 2013 the Royal Palace announced the Queen's second pregnancy, with a boy being expected in May 2014. The queen gave birth to a boy on 26 May 2014, named Cristian Alexander.

In March 2014, the Queen and Prince Bernd traveled to Cettatie for the birthday of Princess Viviane.

Official duties
The Queen's duties are of a representative and ceremonial nature. The Queen appoints Prime Ministers to congress, officially open its sessions and signs bills (alongside the President) to declare them law. She pays State Visits abroad and receives those to Brunant, opens the congress on its first session, regularly meets with the prime minister and cabinet to discuss politics and receives Letters of Credence of foreign ambassadors to Brunant and signs those of Brunant to foreign nations.

As head of the armed forces, she has the right to declare war and make peace (on the consent of the Congress), and she may, at any moment, dismiss the President or Prime Minister if a situation were to arise where they are not acting in the best interests of the nation, though this has yet to happen.

The queen is paid a stately 242,000 € per year, but much of that is used to donate to a variety of charities to support. The queen thus pays taxes on 130,000-160,000 € on average.

Honours and awards

 * Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau (2011)
 * Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (2012)
 * Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Olav (2013)
 * Order of St. Andrew (2013)
 * Knight of the Order of the Republic of Juliana (2014)

On top of these the queen heads the Order of the Dragon and is the commandant of the Order of St. Andrew.

Ancestry
Queen Helene has mixed ancestry, though primarily of Brunanter and Spanish origin. Via King Ambroos I, Helene is related to King Sebastian of Lovia (6th cousin), King Hendrik of Libertas, King Oscar III of Strasland and the pretender to the Traspesian throne. The Queen, via Karl Van Draak is more distantly related to the Royal family of Cettatie and King Edward of Kemburg.

Through ancestor George I of Great Britain, she is related to the British Royal Family and others.