Fictional Monarchies: Royal Houses, Titles and Succession
A worked example of an invented royal house, its titles, a regency and a succession dispute, with comparisons from real history.
Last updated October 2026
Contents5
Fictional monarchies borrow words such as king, princess, duke and regent from real history. An invented realm gives those titles its own powers and succession rules.
The House of Alder below is an original exercise in royal titles and succession. Historical comparisons lead to the monarchy references and glossary of ruler titles.
Rules for an invented royal house
A royal house is a family; the crown is an office; the realm is the territory governed. A family can supply several claimants without deciding which one has the lawful claim. In an invented realm, that decision might rest on birth order, election or a council's approval.
The Royal Family's succession explanation describes the legal rules behind a real crown. Those rules provide a historical comparison, while the exercise below sets out a different charter.
Where invented realms borrow titles
A princess in a story may be an heir, a sovereign or a ruler's child. The word alone cannot establish her powers. The same applies to a fictional duke or emperor: the story's institutions give the title its meaning.
Councils, regents and rival claims
A council may choose a regent to govern during an heir's childhood. In an invented realm, the charter can define who appoints the regent, which powers the regent holds and when the heir takes control. A rival claimant might challenge any of those rules, turning a family dispute into a conflict over law and government.
The House of Alder
Imagine the House of Alder ruling a small island realm. Its charter gives the crown to the eldest child, while a council chooses a regent until that heir comes of age. The ruler dies during a war. The heir is a child, and an adult cousin claims that a wartime exception gives the crown to the nearest adult relative.
| Role in this invented realm | Claim | Point of conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Child heir | Succession under the charter | Whether the wartime exception applies |
| Council | Power to appoint a regent | Whether it can choose someone outside the family |
| Adult cousin | A wartime claim to the crown | Who can interpret the exception |
| Regent | Temporary government for the heir | The age at which power must pass to the heir |
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These people, rules and events are fictional. If the council elects the sovereign instead, the cousin's family relationship carries less weight. Changing the law changes the dispute even when the family tree stays the same.
Real ranks and disputed crowns
The Parliamentary peerage reference describes British ranks. A duke's place in that system does not decide a fantasy duke's relation to an emperor. The noble ranks reference explains their historical setting.
The Royal Family's account of Stephen and Matilda describes rival claims to the English crown and a negotiated succession settlement. The British royal history book selection offers further historical reading alongside this fictional exercise.