Elizabeth III of Manticore

Queen Elizabeth III is a leading character, the reigning monarch of the Star Kingdom of Manticore, in the fictional Honorverse stories and novels originally by David Weber. A member of the House of Winton (the first and only royal house of Manticore), she ascended to the throne in 3986 AD (1883 PD), seventeen years prior to "On Basilisk Station". The Manticoran Constitution gives her some limited actual executive power.

She is straightforward, unduplicitous and honourable. This sets her apart from many of her aristocratic contemporaries. Treecats, including her personal companion Ariel, refer to her as "Soul of Steel".

She is the daughter of King Roger III and Queen Angelique. She, like the entire House of Winton before her, is by appearance of African descent, though her genome is actually quite mixed racially. The genetic lines of the different portions of the Terran genome have been blended for many centuries creating a genetic 'mish mash.'

Quirk: She is said to keep her grudges for so long that they die of old age; then she has them stuffed and mounted. It is said that even elephants admit they can be forgetful compared to her when it comes to tenacious memory of slight and opposition. Particularly, she hates the People's Republic of Haven, as the People's Republic was responsible for the assassination of her father, the death of a great many of her subjects, and her Prime Minister, uncle, and cousin. Her father was killed in a grav-skiing 'accident', which was orchestrated by some Manticoran politicians who disagreed with his military policies and who were influence by Havenite agents or paid directly by them. The apparent plan had been to put a weak, teenaged Heir onto the throne and to influence Star Kingdom policies (specifically the military buildup in anticipation of war with the PRH. They were, however, faced instead with Queen Elizabeth Winton III.

Elizabeth III, like seven of the previous nine Manticoran monarchs, has been adopted by a Sphinxian treecat. She has named him Ariel. Treecats have named her Soul of Steel. Her consort, Prince Justin, is also an adoptee, having been adopted by her father's treecat, Monroe, after the late King's assassination. The Royal Couple also have two children, Crown Prince Roger, and Princess Joanna.

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