Euphemia Charlotte-Imperial is the Empress Dowager of the Ryccian Empire.

History

Euphemia was born as the second-eldest child of the now-previous Grand Duchess of Constantinople. She was given an elite education and grew up surrounded by luxury. However, on her 15th birthday, her mother, the Grand Duchess, thought that Euphemia was getting far too obsessed with shopping and “being popular”, so she sent her daughter to live with less wealthier and distant relatives in The Imperial Rim.

Being denied her wants, her life suffered a dramatic turn. It is here where her business sense was nurtured, as the Grand Duchess told her that she would never return to Constantinople until she “demonstrated that she was worthy”. In order to impress her mother, she took some money and started engaging in the stock market as an amateur. Despite her failed investments, the Grand Duchess was impressed that she went that far, and recalled her home at the age of 18, helping her get to study at the Imperial Academy.

Euphemia was a star student in university, being acclaimed for her excellent grades and model conduct, as well as for her political activism. It is here where she met her future husband, the late Emperor Louis III. At that time, he was only an Imperial Prince, as his sister, the Crown Princess of the time, had not died due to health difficulties.

After graduating, she went to the Imperial Academy Business School. Notably, she graduated early, at 24 years old. That interest in politics from university never left her, as she decided to run for the Imperial Congress in the list of the Freedom Party, who was one of the many parties that wanted to appeal to younger voters by putting candidates of her age in their list. The party managed to obtain enough votes for her to qualify as a Congresswoman.

She was initially billed as a successor to the management of the financial empire of the House of Charlotte, but she stunned the family by refusing the offer, wishing to invest and work by herself. In her words she desired to be “not another Charlotte-Imperial, but my own person in the business world”. Wishing to focus on growing her investments, she left politics and re-entered the business world fully.

In her business ventures, she met the then-Imperial Crown Prince Louis, who also opted for a financial career. They dated for three years and decided to marry in secret, so as to not draw any attention from the press. They had to make their marriage public eventually in 1003, when she gave birth to their eldest son, the current Emperor Alexander.

When her husband became the Emperor in 1005, she and her husband defied convention by refusing to leave their financial careers. This was a controversial move, and some within the royal family called for the new Emperor’s abdication, but the new Empress Consort Euphemia and the Emperor resisted any calls for them to step down. Moreover, she caused further controversy by airing her political opinions freely, something perceived as taboo for the Imperial Throne since the Democratic Revolution.

Euphemia was a philanthropist, giving some of her earnings to various organizations to promote public interest in business and general learning, as well as giving to poor relief and natural disaster charities.

In early 1028, she was the target of an assassination attempt by a radical republican due to her openness in expressing her political views, but was shielded by her husband, the Emperor Louis. The wounds were too fatal to be cured, and thus he died a few months later. It is rumoured that she went into a severe depression from which she has still not recovered, and that she blames herself for her late husband’s murder. She has stopped her public appearances and has ceased voicing her opinions, but she is still present on important ceremonies sometimes. Many citizens of the Empire feel sympathy for her and keep sending her heart-warming messages, including old-fashioned paper letters. Given that paper is rare due to its uselessness in a highly-technological society, it is expensive, but writing on this material is an art the royal family and some human nobles still preserve. Thus, sending paper letters is thought to be a way to connect with the Empress Dowager, for writers to express their most heart-felt sympathies for her loss and wish her well. It is rumoured that she does read some messages when she is either in a good or incredibly depressed state.

Facts

Euphemia is known to love horse racing and equestrianism. An ancient sport that only some parts of the Core preserve, horse racing is seen as a high-end, aristocratic event. As she aged, though, she began to purchase horses for others to race instead of racing herself.

After withdrawing from public life, her daughter, the Princess Imperial Anastasia, manages her assets at her request.