His Royal Highness Prince Shawn is the current reigning monarch of the Principality of Woodlandia.

Pre-Woodlandia

Ardania

The history of the monarchy and the crown of the Principality of Woodlandia extends as far back as the late 1990's. In 1999, HRH Prince Shawn had gained enough support to create and establish the Kingdom of Ardania. Ardania, presently known as "Liberty", is now an extended addition, and one of three boroughs that form the Principality of Woodlandia.

Shortly after it's claim of independence, HRH Prince Shawn was proclaimed as the first Governor of the Kingdom of Ardania, while King Kenneth (Prince Shawn's maternal grandfather) was proclaimed as the first King of the Kingdom of Ardania.

Principality of Woodlandia

The Prince/Princess's Coronation Oath

The Prince/Princess having returned to his/her Chair, (his/her Royal highness having already on the day prior, in the presence of the government officials, made and signed the Declaration prescribed by Act of Government), the High Priest/Priestess standing before him/her shall administer the Coronation Oath, first asking The Prince/Princess:

Sir/Madam, is your Royal highness willing to take the Oath?

And The Prince/Princess answering: I am willing.

The High Priest/Priestess shall minister these questions; and the Prince/Princess, having a sacred object in his/her hands, shall answer each question severally as follows:

The High Priest/Priestess: Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the Principality of Woodlandia, and of your Possessions and the other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?

The Prince/Princess: I solemnly promise so to do.

The High Priest/Priestess: Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgements?

The Prince/Princess: I will.

The High Priest/Priestess: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws and the true profession of the God? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the Principality of Woodlandia, the Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in Woodlandia? And will you preserve unto the Priest and Priestess and Clergy of Woodlandia, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?

The Prince/Princess: I will.

Coronation Oath Act

The Coronation Oath Act 2019 is an Act of the Parliament of the Principality of Woodlandia. It was passed in 2019. The preamble noted that "by the Law and Ancient Usage of this Realm" the monarchs of Woodlandia take a solemn oath at their coronation to maintain the statute laws and customs of the country and of its inhabitants. The text of this oath had established a single uniform oath to be taken by future monarchs at their coronation, and also established that this oath was to be taken by Prince Shawn himself when he was crowned. The oath is fundamentally different from most traditional coronation oaths. It not only recognizes laws as being the grant of the Sovereign Prince/Princess, the oath also aims to bind the Sovereign Prince/Princess to rule according to the law agreed in parliament.

The Claim of Right Act 2019 states that the monarch cannot "exercise the regall power untill he or she swear the Coronation Oath."

In the Principality of Woodlandia an order of succession or right of succession is the sequence of those entitled to hold a high office such as head of state or an honor such as a title of nobility in the order in which they are guaranteed in line when it becomes vacated. This sequence is regulated through a hereditary right or by the constitution. Order of succession determines who becomes the new monarch when the incumbent sovereign dies or otherwise vacates the throne. Such orders of succession, derived from rules established by law and tradition, and usually specify an order of seniority, which is applied to indicate which relative of the previous monarch, or other person, has the strongest claim to assume the throne when the vacancy occurs. This process is by primogeniture (usually male primogeniture), in which the monarch's eldest son and his descendants take precedence over his siblings and their descendants. Elder sons take precedence over younger sons, but all sons take precedence over daughters. Children represent their deceased ancestors, and the senior line of descent always takes precedence over the junior line, within each gender. The right of succession belongs to the eldest son of the reigning sovereign (heir apparent), and next to the eldest son of the eldest son.

Fiefs or nobility titles granted to "heirs" generally follow this system for sons, but daughters are considered equal co-heirs to each other. This can result in the condition known as abeyance.

In rare circumstances the order of succession can be superseded or reinforced by the coronation of a selected heir as co-monarch during the life of the reigning monarch.

The first three individuals in the line of succession who are over 21, and the sovereign's consort, may be appointed Counsellors of State. Counsellors of State perform some of the sovereign's duties in the Principality of Woodlandia while he or she is out of the country or temporarily incapacitated. Otherwise, individuals in the line of succession need not have specific legal or official roles.

Often, the line of succession is restricted to persons of the blood royal who are legally recognized as born into or descended from the reigning dynasty or a previous sovereign. The persons in line to succeed to the throne are called "dynasts". Constitutions, statutes, and laws may regulate the sequence and eligibility of potential successors to the throne.

The Woodlandia monarchy uses a variety of methods and algorithms to derive the order of succession among possible candidates related by blood or marriage. An advantage of employing such rules is that dynasts may, from early youth, receive grooming, education, protection, resources and retainers suitable for the future dignity and responsibilities associated with the crown. In theory enhancing political stability by establishing clear, public expectations about the sequence of rulers, potentially reducing competition and channeling themselves into other roles or endeavors.

Regency

The Regency Acts allow for regencies in the event of a monarch who is a minor or who is physically or mentally incapacitated. When a regency is necessary, the next qualified individual in the line of succession automatically becomes regent, unless they themselves are a minor or incapacitated. Special provisions can be made for the spouse of the Sovereign, according to the Regency Act, which states that the wife/or husband) could act as regent in these circumstances.

During a temporary physical infirmity or an absence from the kingdom, the sovereign may temporarily delegate some of his or her functions to Counsellors of State, the monarch's spouse and the first three adults in the line of succession.

*See: Line of Succession to the Woodlandia Throne

The finances of the Woodlandia royal family come from a number of sources. The Woodlandia government supports the monarch and some other members of the House of Stoner financially by means of the Sovereign Grant, a percentage of the annual profits of the Crown Estate which is intended to meet the costs of the sovereign's official expenditures. This includes the costs of the upkeep of the various royal residences, staffing, travel and state visits, public engagements, and official entertainment. Other sources of income include revenues from the Duchies of Freedom and Liberty, a parliamentary annuity, and income from private investments. The Keeper of the Privy Purse is Head of the Privy Purse and Treasury Office and has overall responsibility for the management of the sovereign's financial affairs.

Income

Sovereign Grant

The Sovereign Grant Act 2019 is the Act of the Government of the Principality of Woodlandia which introduced the Sovereign Grant, the payment which is paid annually to the monarch by the government in order to fund the monarch's official duties.

The Act came into force on 2020, the start of the financial year, and proclaimed the arrangements for the funding of the Prince’s official duties. The Act includes all sovereign funding sources into a single payment, called the Sovereign Grant.

The Sovereign Grant is paid annually by H.R.H. Treasury at a value indexed as a percentage of the revenues from the Crown Estate and other revenues in the financial year earlier and is reviewed every five years by the Royal Trustees (President Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Keeper of the Privy Purse).

Any unspent Sovereign Grant is put into a reserve fund. The level of the Sovereign Grant is protected by law from decreasing as a result of falling Crown Estate revenues. In addition, the act requires that the Sovereign Grant shall not rise to such a level that the Reserve Fund becomes more than half the level of annual expenditure. Annual financial accounts are published by the Keeper of the Privy Purse, making the Sovereign Grant more accountable than similar systems within other monarchies. Funding to the Royal Household is treated similarly to funding for other government departments.

Parliamentary annuities

Members of the Woodlandia royal family are entitled to receive funding in the form of parliamentary annuities. The Act provides for allowances to the Prince's closest family members. The Act allows for certain members of the royal family to be added to the annuity list. Sometimes the the Prince will choose to voluntarily refunded the cost of some annuities to the Treasury. Often, the living costs of the members of the royal family who carry out official duties, have mainly been met through the Prince's income from the Duchy of Freedom and the Earldom of Olympia.

Taxation

The Crown has a legal tax-exempt status because certain Acts of Parliament do not apply to it. Crown bodies such as The Duchy of Liberty are not subject to legislation concerning income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax. Furthermore, the Sovereign has no legal liability to pay such taxes. The Duchy of Freedom has a Crown exemption and the Prince is not legally liable to pay income tax on Duchy revenues.

The "Memorandum on Royal Taxation" states specifically the intent of the arrangements in the memorandum, to be followed by the next monarch. The memorandum describes the arrangements by which the Prince of Woodlandia and other members of the Woodlandia Royal Family make voluntary payments to various government departments in lieu of tax to compensate for their tax exemption. The details of the payments are private. The Prince voluntarily pays a sum equivalent to an income tax on his private income and income from the Privy Purse (which includes the Duchy of Freedom) that is not used for official purposes. The Sovereign Grant is exempted. A sum equivalent to capital gains tax is voluntarily paid on any gains from the disposal of private assets made after 2020. Many of the Sovereign's assets were acquired earlier than this date but payment is only made on the gains made afterwards. Arrangements also exist for a sum in lieu of inheritance tax to be voluntarily paid on some of the Prince's private assets. Property passing from monarch to monarch is exempted, as is property passing from the consort of a former monarch to the current monarch.

The Prince of Woodlandia voluntarily pays a sum equivalent to income tax on that part of his income from the Duchy of Freedom that is in excess of what is needed to meet official expenditure. From 2019 he made voluntary tax payments of 50% of the profits, but this reduced to 25% in 2020 when the act was established. The income of the Prince from sources other than the Duchy of Freedom, the Earldom of Olympia, and the Duchy of Liberty is subject to tax in the normal way.

Assets

Private wealth of the Prince

The Prince has a private income from his personal investment portfolio, though his personal wealth and income are not known.

Crown Estate

The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings within the Principality of Woodlandia, representing the legal embodiment of the state, and belonging to the Woodlandia monarch as a corporation sole, making it "the sovereign's public estate", which is neither government property nor part of the monarch's private estate. It cannot be sold or owned by the sovereign in a private capacity, nor do any revenues, or debts, from the estate accrue to him/her. The sovereign is not involved with the management or administration of the estate, and exercises only very limited control of its affairs. Instead, the estate's extensive portfolio is overseen by a semi-independent, incorporated public body headed by the Crown Estate Commissioners, who exercise "the powers of ownership" of the estate, although they are not "owners in their own right". The revenues from these hereditary possessions have been placed by the monarch at the disposition of His Royal Highness's Government in exchange for relief from the responsibility to fund the certain areas of government. The Crown Estate is the largest producer of shirleys (dollars) for the Royal Treasury. These revenues thus proceed directly to Royal Highness's Treasury, for the benefit of the Woodlandia nation. The Crown Estate is formally accountable to the Parliament of the Principality of Woodlandia, where it is legally mandated to make an annual report to the sovereign, a copy of which is forwarded to the government.

The Crown Estate is the largest property managers in the Principality of Woodlandia, with both rural and urban properties (commercial and residential) representing the majority of the estate by value. These include many properties in central Freedom, but the estate also controls many acres of agricultural land and forest, and retains various other traditional holdings and rights, including the Woodlandia National Wildlife Park/Reserve. Naturally occurring gold and silver in Principality, collectively known as "Mines Royal", are managed by the Crown Estate and leased to mining operators.

Crown Estate properties are administered by the reigning monarch to help fund the business of governing the country. A new monarch immediately receives an annual grant upon his or her accession for life. However, under the terms of the Sovereign Grant Act, the monarch is provided with a stable source of revenue indexed to a percentage of the Crown Estate's annual net revenue (currently set at between 15-25%). The act does not imply any legal change in the nature of the estate's ownership, but is simply a benchmark by which the sovereign grant is set as a grant by Parliament.

Assets held in trust

A number of State possessions are held in trust by the Sovereign.

• The Royal Collection is the art collection of the Woodlandia royal family. It is one of the largest and most important art collections of the North, containing numerous paintings, watercolours and drawings, old prints, historical photographs, tapestries, furniture, ceramics, books, gold and silver plate, arms and armour, jewellery and other works of art. The collection includes the Crown Jewels (including the crown, orb and sceptre). Occasionally it is physically dispersed between various Royal corporations and former residences across Woodlandia. Although the collection belongs to the sovereign, it is not the personal property of the Prince/Princess as a private individual. Instead the collection is held in trust by the Prince/Princess for his/her successors and the nation. The Treasury says these assets are "vested in the sovereign and cannot be alienated". Income is generated by the collection from public admissions and other sources. This income is received by the Royal Collection Trust, the collection's management charity, and not by the Prince.

• The occupied royal castles in the Principality of Woodlandia such as Stoner Castle and Liberty Castle are held in trust by the sovereign. The Royal Household is expected to use the Sovereign Grant to maintain the Castles. The Prince may request extra annually from the government to carry out a backlog of repairs to the Castles. The monarch is also responsible for using the Sovereign Grant to pay the wages of all of the Royal Household staff.