Hamish Alexander

Honorverse Character


name= Hamish Alexander-Harrington
race= Human
gender= Male
born=
homeworld= Manticore
occupation=
relatives= Emily Alexander, Honor Harrington ("wives"), William Alexander ("brother")
affiliation= Star Kingdom of Manticore
position= Earl of White Haven
First Lord of the Admiralty
rank= Admiral of the Green ("retired")

Admiral of the Green Hamish Alexander-Harrington, Thirteenth Earl of White Haven, is a fictional character in the Honorverse, a series of military science fiction novels written by David Weber.

Born to a noble family, Hamish Alexander is a renowned officer of the Royal Manticoran Navy (RMN), the spacefaring military forces of the Star Kingdom of Manticore. During his career, he has proven to be an excellent tactician and strategist, and also became the leading voice of the traditionalist school of military tactics in the RMN, which advocated the continuing value of conventional naval tactics; his long-time rival in the strategic discussion arena is Admiral Sonja "Horrible" Hemphill, who argued that technology breakthroughs made conventional tactics irrelevant in the battlefield.

He has garnered the friendship and respect of many of his fellow officers, such as Admirals James Webster and Raoul Courvosier, but also the rivalry of others such as Thomas Caparelli and the outright hatred of Edward Janacek. On both of Janacek's terms as First Lord of the Admiralty (the civilian head of the navy), Hamish Alexander was placed in "half-pay" (removed from active duty).

At various times, he has commanded Home Fleet, Sixth Fleet, and Eighth Fleet and been both a Space Lord of the Admiralty and a Lord of the Admiralty. As of "At All Costs", he serves as First Lord of the Admiralty. He is approximately 100 T-years old.

He is married to Emily Alexander, an actress who became a triplegic (she has the use of one arm) as the result of an air car accident 60 years before the first war with Haven. Her treecat name is "Sees Clearly". His younger brother William served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Duke Cromarty, leader of the Opposition during the High Ridge Government, and is now the Prime Minister of Manticore and Baron Grantville.

The Earl was a friend and contemporary of Honor Harrington's Academy instructor and mentor Raoul Courvosier. After Courvosier died at Yeltsin's Star, he took on the role of Honor's mentor and Naval sponsor. Before the beginning of the second war with Haven, he was adopted by Samantha, a treecat and the mate of Honor's companion, Nimitz. His treecat name is "Strong Heart".

During the Baron High Ridge government, he and Honor begin working together more frequently, allowing their enemies to launch a slander campaign about an affair between the two. The two, despite having feelings for one another, had not acted on them. A few months after the media storm died down, Honor and Hamish actually begin an 'affair', with the blessing of Emily. When Honor became pregnant as a result of their relationship, political expediency and intervention from both the Archbishop of Manticore and Reverend Sullivan of Grayson allowed him and Emily to bring Honor into their marriage. Because Grayson law gives Honor's family name precedence as Steadholder, their family name became Alexander-Harrington.

Shortly thereafter, he conceives a child with Emily. He and Honor have a son named Raoul Alfred Alister. He and Emily have a daughter named Katherine Allison Miranda. It is unclear if Raoul will accede to both his mother and father's titles or if he will only take his mother's title as Steadholder and Duke Harrington and Katherine will ascend as Countess White Haven.