Felix D'laminet, Baron of Wynnoa, High Royal Marquess
Felix D'laminet | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Prime Minister of Empherias | |
In office 1 January 2397 – 10 April 2411 | |
Preceded by | Russell Montgomery |
Succeeded by | Elizabeth Rose |
Leader of the Populists | |
In office 3 May 2395 – 17 February 2411 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Henry Watford |
Member of Parliament for the Populists | |
In office 12 November 2396 – 17 April 2411 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Felix Reyn De La Menette 12 June 2369 La Menette, Empherias |
Died | 9 March 2451 (aged 81) Wynnoa, Empherias |
Nationality | Empheri |
Political party | PPP |
Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) |
Spouse(s) | Isabel Johns |
Relations | James Erbeng, Lord Skiever (step-father) Kipling Erbeng (step-brother) |
Parents |
|
Lord Felix Reyn De La Menette, Baron of Wynnoa, High Royal Marquess (12 June 2369 – 9 March 2451), frequently styled as Felix D'laminet for short, was an Empheri politician and activist. He served as Prime Minister of Empherias from 2397 to 2411, and simultaneously as the Leader of the People's Populist Party during this period. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 2396 to 2411, the first post-revolution MP to be appointed by Rijkdottir Abigail.
His legacy was one of transformation to Empherias, kickstarting the left wing movement, opening up electoral reform, helping people move out of poverty and confinement, and creating a more liberal democracy. Elizabeth Rose granted him a knighthood in 2417, her successor Alice Rettels then granted him a lordship with the title of Baron of Wynnoa. Once within the High Kingdoms, the King granted him the highest honorary title in the country, the High Royal Marquess, for his services to politics and freedom in 2449. He died on 9 March 2451, at the age of 81, of old age.
Personal life[edit | edit source]
D'laminet was born in the small town of La Menette, in the far north of Empherias. His father was Reyn de la Menette (born 2348), a local businessman and trader who ran the local train services. Originally Reyn as a mononym, he gained his surname when other traders in Wynnoa needed to distinguish between himself and other prominent northern trader Reyn de Vreimes. His mother was Mayais Vyns (born 2350), the eldest daughter in the elite Vyns dynasty, who was disowned by her family for marrying a commoner. Reyn de la Menette died in 2379, and his business was consumed by the Vyns dynasty who had used their connections with the government to convince them they needed to ensure stability for northern rail routes. Ten-year-old Felix and his mother Mayais were forced to live in poverty together in La Menette, where he gained a lot of his early political beliefs.
By 2384, Mayais Vyns agreed to marry prominent James Erbeng, Lord Skiever, twenty-five years her senior, in return for a stable and wealthy home life for her and Felix. Teenage Felix and his step father did not get along, and he would recount later in his life how Lord Skiever's attitude towards him helped radicalise him against the elites in the country. However, Lord Skiever was able to use his favour with the government to get Felix a well-paying job as a civil servant in March 2388. Without his stepfather's knowledge, he also began socialising in populist circles and began writing populist articles under a pseudonym. Mayais had two children with Lord Skiever: Kipling in 2388 and James in 2390. Mayais died in 2391, aged 41, during a complicated pregnancy when Felix was 22 years old. In the 2393 general election, Lord Skiever became a member of parliament and was subsequently appointed to a small government role by prime minister Lord Grey.
Felix's real name was leaked by pro-government newspapers in October 2394, leading to a scandal where Lord Skiever was accused of treason and being an inside spy for the revolutionaries in government. Lord Skiever subsequently kicked Felix out of the family home, and barred him from his will and estate. Lord Skiever, being from a relatively small estate and being a relatively small part of the government, was not pursued greatly by the new interim government. He did not flee like other nobles did, and managed to escape riots and looting by being in a rural part of the country. However, when Felix D'laminet ascended to become prime minister in 2397, Lord Skiever feared that he was be persecuted by D'laminet. The two met again for the first time since 2394 during the campaign for the 2407 general election where they talked exclusively about Mayais Vyns. It was reported but not confirmed that D'laminet had threatened Skiever with the seizure of his assets, though this did not happen.
Lord Skiever would die in 2408, aged 83, and his estate would travel to D'laminet's half brother Kipling, who became Kipling Erbeng, Lord Skiever, although Kipling decided a few years later to retire the hereditary lordship due to public pressure.