The Principality of Island

Welcome to this site dedicated to the history of the transport network of the Principality of Island! On this entry, you will find a short history of our nation up until the year 1852, when the first railway was opened in the Principality. We hope that you enjoy the ride you are about to take with us, through the contemporary history of this little anglo-saxon nation.

First official map of the Principality of Island after the National Rebellion

The Principality of Island is a nation in the North Sea, between southern England and the Netherlands. It consists of a huge main island and many surrounding little isles. The current regional division dates back to the year 1848, when a revolution forced the aristocarcy to give up feudalism and embrace a moden constitution.

This revolution, nicknamed the 'National Rebellion', founded the Principality as the modern nation-state that we know today. The main reasons behind the uprising, mainly orchestrated by the local burgueoise, were the lack of industrial development compared to their neighbouring countries (mainly Great Britain) and the still-in-place feudal aristocracy that made the country economics rely only in fishing and agricultural activities.

History of Island

The main events in the Principality of Island, up until 1850, are what follows:

• 5th century: following the German invasions, the first settlers arrive. They establish the Saxon kingdom of Wessex on the western part of the main island.
• 9th century: First clashes between the Saxons and the Scottish fishermen that start to sail to the island.
• 10th century: Scottish colonists arrive and settled on Bromwitch, east of the Jerall mountains. They establish a fiefdom as vassals of the Scottish kings.
• 9th-10th century: Permanent war between the Saxons and the northmen.
• mid-11th century: A branch of the Norman expedition to England settles in Lytham and prepares the invasion of the main island.
• late-11th century: Norman armies seize control of the South Channel and conquer Wessex and the Midlands. All land is now part of the Kingdom of England, except the North and Sandbach, that remains vassals of the Kingdom of Scotland.
• 12th century (1157): Malcolm IV of Scotland lose the North to Henry II of England. The English seat of power is moved from Mablethorpe to Bromwitch, and Henry of England is crowned as the first Prince of Island. The Principality is now united and officially founded.
• 13th century-18th century: English history applies.
• 17th century: Without resources to sail to America, poorer English settlers arrive in the English Isles.
• 18th century (1714): Queen Anne of Great Britain die childless. On the Principality, the strong power of the North, culturally Scottish and faithfully Catholics, quickly moves to support James Stuart as its successor. Local nobles quickly overthrow the English viceroy and awaits for the Stuart pretendent.
• 18th century (1715): James Francis Edward Stuart is crowned Prince of Island as James III. After his defeat in Great Britain and Ireland, the victorious George I never claimed back the Principality, and so, the Principality of Island became independent fort the first time since the Kingdom of Wessex under the rule of the Stuarts.
• 19th century (1807): The Royal Stuart line become extinct after the death of Henry VIII (IX of England as a claimant to the British throne). The crown passes to Charles of Sardinia applying male-preference primogeniture unaltered by the English Act of Settlement of 1701. He is crowned as Charles IV of Island on July 31st of 1817, at the historic St. Annes cathedral.
• 19th century (1848): The National Rebellion. Pushed by a series of revolutions across Europe, the people of Island revolts against his anochronistic feudal regime that has made the nation poorer and poorer since mid-18th century. The feudal parliament is dissolved by force and aristocrats are executed by their own militias. Prince Francis I quickly takes the side of the revolutionaries. With the help of the Royal Guard, the Rebellion is able to finally crush the nobles resistance in Wessex and seize control of Cockermouth the 8th of October. The next day, Francis I signs the first Constitution of the Principality of Island.
• 19th century (1852): The first railway is established between the Woldshire cities of Stow-on-the-Wold and Yeovil.

Francis I, the first constitutional Prince of Island

Regions of the Principality of Island

English Isles

The westermost part of our country. An almost virgin land until the 17th century, when modern english settlers established there, hence the region's name. Fishing is their main industry, but they also enjoy commerce with their ancestors in England. Widnes is its main and only settlement, but there are a lot of cottages on the countryside.

Lytham

The eastermost part of our country. Lytham is a land of stonemasters, as is reflected on St. Annes cathedral, the main temple of the Principality. Lytham was the first place conquered during the norman invasion in the 11th century.

Midlands

The Midlands are lands of craftsmen, artists and intellectuals. The first -and only- university of the Principality is in this region, on the town of Cambridge, which is connected via the Academy Road and the Prince's Way to Kington, capital of the region and historical fortress, because it is located on the north side of the neck that connects the main island to Peninsula.

The North

Where the historical power resides. The North was the second land colonized in the Principality, and that was done by fishermen of the early scottish kingdom on the 10th century, that settled in Maltby (the northermost inhabited point of our country) and Bromwitch, which eventually grew to become our capital.

The city of Bromwitch and its surroundings, the year 1850

Up until the National Rebellion, the region was much bigger, including all Woldshire and the island of Sandbach. Everything was Prince's land, except Sandbach, which belonged to the crown's heir. After the revolution, however, this area of influence was divided to ensure that royal power never grew too much again, and all the resources on Woldshire were privatized.

The northmen are people very proud of their scottish heritage, and they put great effort in the preservation of their culture, rendering them quite different from the rest of the Principality's citizens.

Peninsula

The Peninsula is the southernmost region of the Principality, and it's connected to the main island through Kington's Neck. Their inhabitants enjoy long-time commerce relationships with continental Europe, and that paved the way for this region to become one of the first industrialized areas on our country. This land was mostly untouched by the National Rebellion, because the principles behind the revolution were already in place there. Its capital is the harbour city of Portsmouth.

Sandbach

An island on the northeastern coast of the Principality, Sandbach was historically the dominion of the royal heir. Its main attraction is Sandbach castle, located on the only settlement that the region has.

South Channel

A sea region south of the main island, the South Channel main economic power is commerce. Numerous harbours dot their coasts and an always-flourishing shipping industry connects its towns. Arundel is its capital.

Wessex

An old kingdom and the first colonized land of the Principality. Its green pastures and fertile land were perfect for the Saxons to settle during the German invasions of the Roman Empire, during the 5th century. Much like the North, the people of Wessex are prideful, and the relations between this two regions are often harsh. In fact, between the 9th century (when Scottish fishermen started to sail to the Island) and the 12th century (the unification after the Norman conquest), they lived in a state of permanent war.

Despite being almost as large as all the other regions combined, Wessex is also the poorest of all, due to their hieratic feudal society that has remained almost the same for a millennia. The National Rebellion, in fact, failed on Wessex, and only its victory in all the other regions allowed the revolutionaries to triumph. Therefore, the principles of this uprising has barely scratched the surface of the power and economics relations on the area. Mablethorpe is its historic capital, but the main regional authorities were moved after the revolution to Cockermouth.

Woldshire

The home of the bourgeoisie, Woldshire is a region with accute cultural differences within. The area surrounding Loch Yeovil is strongly Scottish-flavored, but its south is mild like the Midlands. Woldshire is called to be the industrial powerhouse of the Principality, and manufactures are already florishing in its wide countryside.

Stow-on-the-Wold is its capital and most populous city. In fact, some progressive politicians are already claiming that Stow should be the nation's capital, in an effort to fully de-feudalize the Principality, taking the power away the old seat of Bromwitch.