Adrian I

Adrian I, born Adrian Matthias Felipe van Damme (1580-1649) was the King of Brunant from 1611 to 1649. A career soldier, he was best known for his reforms to the military early on in his reign.

Early life
Adrian was born in 1580 to King Willem I and his wife, Maria Cristina de Figueroa (daughter of the Spanish 2nd Duke of Feria). The prince joined the Royal Guard in 1599. Seeing the might of naval warfare, he petitioned his father to introduce a navy but he would not do so. Adrian was posted to coastal defenses and oversaw the modernization of Brunant's againg castles.

Reign
In 1611 he took over as King of Brunant from his father, who had died. One of his earliest acts was to introduce a navy to Brunant, with the acquisition of the Koningin Marie in 1613.

Personal life
In 1600, Adrian was married to Philippa of Saxony, a German noblewoman. According to Adrian's initial thoughts of her, she was "rather ugly, tall and broad" and "not nimble enough for love but hardy for child-bearing". This was a purely political marriage orchestrated by the couple's parents and the pair were never in love. With Philippa, Adrian would have four children: Philippa died in childbirth in 1608 and Adrian was quick to remarry. In 1610 he married Francesca de' Medici (1592-1638), of the Tuscan Medici family. It is presumed that he and Francesca had been in love since 1605. The couple were married at St. Peter's Church in 1610; they would have a largely happy marriage. The pair had nine children:
 * Maria Anna, 1601-1633
 * Willem Alexander, 1603-1663
 * Maria Alexandria, 1606-1608
 * Elisabetha, 1608-1699
 * Christian, 1611-1616
 * Francesca, 1613-1670
 * Amalia, 1615-16
 * Augustus, 1617-1629
 * Johannes Philip, 1617-1701
 * Barbara Elisabeth, 1618-1712
 * Augustina, 1620-1629
 * Martina Andrea, 1622-1680
 * Frederick, 1624-1703

Despite his commitment to his wife, Adrian was believed to have fathered five children with other women, most famously the actress Constance Clarence. Francesca died in 1638 and Adrian would not remarry. He died in 1649, at the age of 69.