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Kingdom of Iceland
Konungsríkið Ísland
Timeline: Napoleon's Australian Victory

OTL equivalent: Iceland, Eastern Greenland, Danish Virgin Isles, Danish Gold Coast, Danish India
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Location of Iceland
Location of Iceland
Motto
Guds hjælp, Folkets kærlighed, Island styrke
Anthem "Lofsongur"
Capital
(and largest city)
Reykyavik
Other cities Nuuk, Tranquebar, Fort Christiansborg
Language
  official
 
Danish
  others Icelandic, Greenlandic
Religion Icelandic National Church
Demonym Icelandic
Government Constitutional Monarchy
  Legislature Althing
Queen Louisa
  Royal house: Oldenburg
Prime Minister Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Population 500,000 
Established 27th April 1811
Currency Krone
Internet TLD .is
Organizations FN

The Kingdom of Iceland, commonly referred to as Iceland is a country situated in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. It covers Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Eastern Greenland, and has colonies in the Caribbean, Africa and India. The kingdom and its colonies have a combined population of about 5,000,000 people.

The country was formed in 1811, when the Danish Royal Family fled Denmark in the wake of an invasion by the French. The royals set up a new kingdom in Iceland, a Danish colony. The kingdom grew from abject poverty to relative richness through trade with its colonies and a strong fishing trade. War with America over Greenland in 1892 became a drain on the economy, but the stalemate and eventual French-negotiated peace created a strong martial pride.

Iceland -along with Saint Helena , Brazil, Van Diemans land, India and the Dutch East Indies- is a diaspora nation.

History[]

Iceland was first discovered in 874 AD by the Norse. It was settled by Norse and Danish colonists and by the Napoleonic Wars, was a dependency of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway.

In 1811, Napoleon invaded Denmark-Norway with a large force with the intention of capturing the Danish fleet and adding Scandinavia to his empire. King Frederick VI and his court, following the example of the Portuguese Royal family, fled the country with loyalists and set sail for Iceland.

On the 27th of April that same year, King Frederick proclaimed the new Kingdom of Iceland, consisting of Iceland, Greenland and Denmark's other colonies around the world.

Iceland maintained its independence for the remainder of the Napoleonic Wars, which was spent building up a military in preparation against a potential French invasion. Iceland also initiated an alliance with Brazil, a fellow diaspora nation.

In the post-war years, Napoleon II of France pursued good relations with Iceland. The Franco-Icelandic Treaty of 1837 gave all of Denmark's colonies to Iceland, and established a trade agreement. Growth in Iceland's colonies and population throughout the rest of the nineteenth century helped te kingdom's wealth to grow.

In 1892 however, things began to go downhill for the island kingdom. America invaded Greenland , hoping to establish bases on the strategic island. Iceland was taken by surprise by the attack. However, Iceland's small, yet well-trained and winterproof army managed to hold Nuuk against the invaders. France negotiated a treaty between the USA and Iceland in 1893.

With peace came a new national fervour which helped put Iceland's economy back on track. Industrialisation came late to the kingdom, but by 1910 there were (relatively speaking), many factories around the island.

The twentieth century was a time of growth and peace for Iceland. The colonies brought in some wealth, which, combined with a flourishing cod trade, helped the kingdom grow and prosper. A growth in the tourism market in the late 20th century has given the island kingdom an excellent start to the 21st century.

List of Monarchs[]

  • Frederick VI (b. 1768) reigned 1811-1839; married Maria, Princess of Hesse-Kassel
    • Christian VIII (b. 1786) reigned 1839-1848; married Charlotte, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
      • Frederick VII (b. 1808) reigned 1848-1863; married Princess Wilhelmina of Iceland
        • Christian IX (b. 1830) reigned 1863-1917
          • Frederick VIII (b. 1853) reigned 1917-1918
            • Christian X (b. 1885) reigned 1918-1932
            • Frederick IX (b. 1891) reigned 1932-1963
              • Christian XI (b. 1921) reigned 1963-1998
                • Frederick X (b. 1943) reigned 1998-2009
                  • Louisa (b. 1973) reigned 2009-present

Government[]

Iceland is a semi-constitutional monarchy. The reigning King or Queen is the head of state, the incumbent being Queen Louisa. The Queen has the power to veto laws, propose new legistlation, call referenda and to call elections, as well as the normal; powers of passing laws, swearing in the parliament and nominating subjects for awards.

The parliament of the kingdom consists of the unicameral Althing, which consists of 70 elected members, each representing an electorate. The Althing proposes, amends, and passes or does not pass new laws. If a proposed law is passed, it is given to the sovereign for the royal seal of approval.

Colonies[]

The Kingdom of Icelands currently has many overseas possessions,

Location Icelandic colonies

which are collectively referred to as the Overseas Colonies of Iceland (OCI). These include:

  • The Danish Virgin Isles: Located in the Caribean, including Puerto Rico.
  • The Danish Gold Coast: Located in the Gold Coast of Africa.
  • Danish India: Which is further divided into three districts:
    • Danish Southern Idia: Tranquebar and Nagapatam
    • Danish Ceylon: Matara
    • Danish Indian Isles: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The colonies are each administered by a Governor, and the Indian districts are administered by a Lieutenant-Governor. individual colonies can make their own laws in the same way that municipal councils can. Therefore, each colony has its own Colonial Town Council, which is made up of elected officials.

Each colony sends one representative to the Althing in Reykyavik, which is appointed by the Governor.

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