Helene of Mariana

Helene Andrea Van Draak (born 3 March 1990) is the Queen of Brunant. and Head of the Armed Forces. She is Brunant's ninetenth monarch and second female queen regnant. Helene came to the throne in September 2013, succeeding her father, King Anthony, following his abdication. She is married to Bernd Donia, with whom she has a daughter, Marianne and a son, Cristian.

As monarch, the queen has become a highly popular figure due to being youthful and more modern, reflecting much of Brunanter society with her somewhat leftist views and less formal lifestyle.

Early life
Princess Helene was born in Koningstad to Prince Anthony and Princess Adriana at 4:27 AM on 3 March 1990. She was their second child and only daughter. Helene was born at the Royal Koningstad Hospital.

The Princess was christened at Dortmund Cathedral, and her godparents were Queen Aleksandra (her grandmother) and Jose Luis Rojas, her grandfather. The princess is of mixed Brunanter and Spanish ancestry, but from her father's side she has a variety of Spanish, Lovian and German ancestors. She has one older brother, Prince Alexander, born in 1988.

She has an older half-sister, Tania Riesberg, from her father's sideand a younger half-sister, Carla Molina Rojas, from her mother's side.

Helene, along with her brother, Prince Alexander, was given more freedom as a child instead of a traditional and more secluded childhood, going to a public preschool, Koningsberg Palace Infant School.

Education
The princess went to Eldridge Primary School in Koningstad, starting first year in 1996. There she was an excellent student. She later studied at Fedde Laninga Middle School and Ambrosian College.

Helene took an interest in painting at an early age, which she continues to do as a hobby. She also took up tennis at the age of 7, which she regularly played.

In 2008 she went to Grijzestad, to study at Grijzestad University and do a career in law. Helene finished her career in 2012 and is now able to practise as a lawyer in Brunant. At the university, she met her boyfriend Bernd Donia, sometime in late 2009. The princess and Bernd developed a more serious relationship during those years and were expected to marry in 2012.

During this period the princess began modeling, but she has not taken this up seriously. Still, she appeared in two magazines in 2010 and 2011, and did a photo shoot before her wedding in 2012.

Wedding and marriage
On 12 October 2011, Helene's boyfriend of two years, Bernd proposed to her. She accepted following approval from both the government and the royal family, with preparations made for a wedding in the summer.

On July 22, 2012 the couple were married at St. Sebastian Church after a nine month engagement, the first royals to do so at that church. Their wedding was attended by The King and Queen, close members of the royal family (her brother, aunts and uncles, cousins) and the Queen mother. Other guests included the Donia family (the groom's relatives), President and Mrs. Henneman and other Brunanter and Lovian dignitaries in government.

After the wedding, the princess and her husband took up residence in Koningstad in a house in the old town. From March 2012, it was quickly rumored in the tabloids that Princess Helene might be pregnant. Helene and her husband initiatlly denied these rumours but later confirmed the princess' pregnancy in July 2012, though several tabloid papers were sued for breaching the princess' right to privacy. On February 4, 2013, the Princess gave birth to a healthy daughter named Marianne, who is now the Duchess of Middleton and heir to the throne.

Crown princess
On 26 April 2012, her older brother, Prince Alexander, renounced his claims to the throne, making Helene first in line after her father. As Crown Princess she takes on greater roles with and in place of her father. She was at the investiture ceremony of Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands along with her husband, representing Brunant. She has also been involved in official visits to Sweden, Libertas and Spain in 2012 and 2013.

Princess Helene served as acting monarch when the King went to Switzerland for cancer treatment in July 2013. After months of speculation, it was announced on 1 September that King Anthony would abdicate for health reasons. On September 14 Helene will officially became queen, and she would become the first queen regnant of Brunant since 1663.

Personal beliefs and political alignment
The queen has been noted to be a more left-leaning person when compared to her father and grandfather. She is highly supportive of rights for homosexuals, immigrants and the disabled, and for the protection of the environment. The queen is not highly involved in politics, though she has spoken out against political extremism in the past, particularly the far-right. She has been criticized by some organizations and politicians for this, being as she is supposed to be politically-neutral. The Queen is known to be a supporter of FC Kings, and as princess has been seen at their matches, though she is officially a fan of every football club (and sports team) in Brunant as monarch.

Public perception and style
The queen is widely seen as a fashion-forward figure. She is known for wearing Cassals and Sarria dresses and suits, and is also seen wearing items from Dolce and Gabbana, Elie Saab and Swedish company H&M.

The queen has been patron of a number of charities and organizations, including the Carrington Children's Home, Organization for the Improvement of Visual Impairment, Smoke-Free Brunant and Forest Stewardship Council Brunant.

In private, Helene enjoys spending time with her children and family, watching the occasional sports match and looking after the family pets. She has a pair of rare Griffon Bruxellois, named Gisbert and Adenis, after Brunanter legendary characters.

Queen
On 14 September 2013, Helene was proclaimed queen after a coronation ceremony in Koningtad. After several events and a mass her father officially abdicated. The ceremony was attended by several members of foreign royalty, including Albert II of Monaco, Jean-Louis II of Cettatie, King Sebastian of Lovia and representatives of other monarchs and governments.

Following the wedding the new Queen and her family moved into the Realpaleis' apartments and sold their old residence.

Helene made her first official state visit in October, being hosted by the King and Queen of Spain alongside her husband, Prince Bernd, in Madrid. The Queen and Prince Bernd are godparents to Emma Augusta Holme of Denmark, born in 2014.

On 20 September 2013 the Royal Palace announced the Queen's second pregnancy, with a boy being expected in May 2014. The queen gave birth to a boy on 26 May 2014, named Cristian Alexander.

In March 2014, the Queen and Prince Bernd traveled to Cettatie for the birthday of Princess Viviane. The Queen's first official visit of 2015 was to Denmark in February 2015, meeting with Denmark's Queen and Prince Henrik. She later joined her husband and children in Denmark for the baptism of Emma Augusta Holme, a distant family relation.

The Queen made her first official appearance on social media on 4 July 2015, making a personal tweet from the newly-created Royal Family Twitter account.

Official duties
The Queen's duties are of a representative and ceremonial nature. The Queen appoints Prime Ministers to congress, officially open its sessions and signs bills (alongside the President) to declare them law. She pays State Visits abroad and receives those to Brunant, opens the congress on its first session, regularly meets with the prime minister and cabinet to discuss politics and receives Letters of Credence of foreign ambassadors to Brunant and signs those of Brunant to foreign nations.

As head of the armed forces, she has the right to declare war and make peace (on the consent of the Congress), and she may, at any moment, dismiss the President or Prime Minister if a situation were to arise where they are not acting in the best interests of the nation, though this has yet to happen.

The queen is paid a stately 242,000 € per year, but much of that is used to donate to a variety of charities to support. The queen thus pays taxes on 130,000-160,000 € on average.