Gabriel I of Hispania (baptized as Gabriel Agustin de Labrador y Borbon [Gabriel Agustin of Labrador and Bourbon] born on Feb. 5th, 1945) better known as Gabriel I of Spain, is the reigning Emperor of España y Atlantis. He is the oldest child of the late Agustin, 7th Duke of Labrador and the late Infanta Victoria of Bourbon. He is a grand-nephew of the prior King of Spain, Alfonso XIII who was deposed in 1931.
Gabriel become the President of the Military Junta of España y Atlantis in 1995, in 1999 following the renunciation of the throne by his cousin, Juan Carlos, Count of Barcelona; and his descendants - he was crowned King of Spain at the Almudena Cathedral in the Spanish Capital of Madrid, and was crowned King of Atlanits (Spanish Aelian lands) in Nueva Valencia a short time later. Following the extinction of the legitimist Braganza line Gabriel was crowned King of Portugal in 2001. Deciding to unite the various crowns under one title Gabriel was crowned Imperator toitus Hispania (Emperor of All Iberia) by the Pope in the Almudena Cathedral in 2004, therefore uniting the Crowns of Spain, Portugal and Atlantis under the Labrador-Bourbon dynasty.
Gabriel was born in Madrid, where his father General Agustin, Duke of Labrador; was the Deputy President of the ruling Junta that had taken over Spain following the Spanish Civil War. Born into the priveleged mixed class of Nobility and Military Leadership that constituted the ruling class of Spain begining at the conclusion of the Spanish Civil War - great things were always expected of the young Lord of Labrador, his father privately believing that he could become King. It was during this time that he developed his complete loathing of communism and its policies which had caused the bankrupting of Spain and very nearly led to its destruction. He begun his studies at San Sebastian and finished them shortly after his 16th Birthday at the San Isidro Institute in Madrid. Following a year off in which he spent mostly with his mother's family, the Spanish Royal Family in Exile in Italy, he joined the Spanish Army at the age of 17 entering the Military Academy at Zaragoza. He was graduated top of his class 2 years later due to the 3rd Rif War breaking out in Spanish Morocco in 1964.
Military Career[]
At the outbreak of the 3rd Rif War, His Lordship was commissioned as an Alferez in the Spanish Army and as the honor graduate was given the opportunity to select his branch of service, following the lead of centuries of Labrador men, he selected Cavalry and was assigned to the Regulares de Africa and was placed in command of a cavalry platoon of the Tabores, which traced their lineage back to the Regimento de Cabelleria Vieja de Labrador which was founded by the first Duke of Labrador, and were made up of the best Berber horsemen loyal to Spain. During this time Gabriel was on the front lines for all but 7 months of the 7 years, and was one of the few frontline Cavalry Soldiers to never being seriously wounded in action. During actions in the Battle of El Biutz, despite having all 4 of his horses shot from under him, he received no noticible injuries, and continued leading his company to victory against the forces of the Pasha of Ksar el Souk which outnumbered him nearly 3 to 1. It was during this battle that Berbers on both sides of War marked him as a man of baraka (good luck) and was instrumental in healing the divides between the defeated Moroccans at the conclusion of the Rif War.The Rif War lasted for 7 years and it ended with him being brevetted Coronel (Colonel), decorated with La Cruz Laureada de San Fernando (Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand) at the age of 26, he was temporarily the youngest full Colonel in the history of the Spanish Army, and being created Count of the Rif. With the end of the emergency Count Gabriel reverted to his permanent rank of Comandante (Major) and was reassigned from the Regulares, to the Presidential Guard where he served as second in command during his father's final years (both of life and as President of the Military Junta). It was during this 4 year tenure in Madrid in which he met Lady Judy Dwyer of Powys, and they married in 1974. Following his father's death (Gabriel was 30), he was reassigned to the newly created Tercio Marreucos Duque de Labrador (named for his father) which comprised mostly of Moroccans who had previously fought against Spain in the Rif Wars., promoted to Teniente Coronel (Lt. Col.) and assigned to the Zaire, Congo and Angolan Provinces where a nasty rebellion was mounting against the Spanish State. Under his command at this time was the youngest son of the new Pasha of Ksar el Souk Mohammad VII - Hakeem ibn Fassoud, whom he had met at the deathbed of Hakeem's grandfather. Mohammad VI the 23rd Pasha of Ksar el Souk had been the 2nd in command of rebel forces in Morocco and was defeated by His Excellency Gabriel, Duke of Labrador at the Battle of El Biutz. It was at this moment when HE Gabriel was given the sword - Husam al Fatih (Sword of the Conqueror) which had belonged to the family of the Pasha since the time of the Prophet. It was during the rebellions in Zaire, Congo and Angola Provinces that His Excellency took on a mystique that was far more terrifying then being simply a man of baraka. Leading his men on lightning raids and midnight assaults against rebel strongholds - the allied Berbers (Moroccans) and the rebellious Muslims and Vodun practitioners of the region gave him the nicknames Iblis, Shaitan and Kalfou respectively. In the 8 years that these several rebellions were quashed and His Excellency was promoted steadily reaching the rank of General de Division (Major General) in 1980 when he was named Military Governor of Zaire, Congo and Zaire. When in 1983 a final peace agreement was reached and the remaining Rebel leaders were executed, His Excellency was promoted to Teniente General (Lieutenant General) and was reassigned to Aels to take command of the Nutkian problems plaguing the border regions, and the following military units were officially placed under his command - the Spanish African Army (Tercio Marruecos, Regulares and Spanish Legion), the Spanish Army of Atlantis the Spanish, the Tercio Viejas del Mar de Napoles (2 divisions of Spanish Marines), Atlantic Naval Command, Spanish Eastern Air Force and the Spanish African Air Force - the first time in recent Spanish history that an Army General had direct command of Land, Air and Sea units. With a massive show of force utilizing the battle hardened veterans of the Spanish African Army the Nutkian uprisings were rapidly eradicated and forced into hiding deeper into the 'anarchic' situation of Nutkenheim, it was during this 8 month period that Spanish dominion over Nutkia and Sigalle were first exercised with them becoming Spanish Dominions subject to the Duchy of Nueva Atlantis. The end of the Nutkian campaign was the last time His Excellency was in direct control of front line troops and in 1984 he was transferred back to Madrid to assume the duties of Assistant to the President of the Junta a position he would serve in until 1990 when he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army and Commandant of the Marine Corps and promoted to General de Ejercito (4-star General). As Chief of Staff of the Army he began a vast reorganization of the Spanish Army focusing primarily on modernization and advanced training camps. The effectiveness/professionalism of the Spanish Army was therefore maximized to the whole of the army and not just those few regiments and divisions that had a dynamic leader in command. Seeing the progress he had with the Spanish Army, His Excellency was appointed as Secretary of Defense in 1993 and the improvements he made with the army began to be applied to the Air Force and Navy as well. The charisma and hard work that His Excellency brought to his political positions led to his being selected as President of the Junta - whereupon he appointed himself General Mariscal (General Field Marshal) a previously non-existing rank (5-star General).
Military Philosophy[]
The future Emperor, who, as a general, was above all things astute and patient, could, and habitually did, display the most reckless personal daring. He would go into a fight as if he loved it, and having a shrewd sense and a reputation for intrepidity, a free-handed profusion, and the personal magnificence which strikes the eye, he would secure the devotion of his soldiers. For as long as His Excellency commanded troops he always strove to lead from as close to the action as he deemed prudent - which was several times much closer to the action then his staff and/or superiors felt was appropriate for a senior officer. Several times after he was promoted to General de Brigada (Brigadier General) he was both officially and unofficially reprimanded for commanding from the front lines. This only made him even more popular with the soldiers under his command and produced great respect among his enemies which allowed for many of them (primarily Moroccans and Berbers) to upon the conclusion of rebellions to swear allegiance to Spain - although it was primarily to His Excellency.
Presidency[]
In 1995 His Excellency became President of the Junta and Regent of Spain (from 1942 until 1999 Spain had a vacant royal throne with the President of the Junta ruling on behalf of the King), and instituted several minor reforms primarily regarding Nuclear Power in which power plants were authorized to be constructed and have developed into the primary source of power for Spain (Iberian Peninsula, Aels and North Africa are nearly exclusively powered this way), the official declaration of the Spanish State as a nuclear armed state, and the expansion of the nuclear arsenal and the reinstitution of compulsory military service. His Excellency also recreated the Cortes Generales (Legislature), allowing a semblance of democracy back into the Spanish State. The Cortes would serve as a means to give advice to the President and the Junta and would later allow His Excellency to be proclaimed King. The greatest mission that His Excellency undertook was negotiating with the Infante Juan Carlos of Bourbon - who was the King of Spain in Exile. The Infante and His Excellency where decent friends and in 1998 Juan Carlos officially renounced his claim to the Spanish Throne leaving no obstacle for His Excellency to restore the monarchy under himself, Gabriel I would upon his anointing as King of Spain grant his cousin and his issue the title of Count of Barcelona in perpetuity.
Restoration of the Monarchy[]
After the Infante Juan Carlos renounced his claim to the Spanish Throne, Gabriel I quickly instituted reforms to the great displeasure of Falangist and Military elements when he announced the dissolution of the Military Junta following a proclamation of the Cortes Generales stating that His Excellency Gabriel Duke of Labrador, Count of Zamora, Lord of Fermoselle, was the sole claimant to the Spanish Throne and thus entitled to be anointed King of Spain, this was followed rapidly by the Asemblea General de Atlantis proclaiming that His Excellency was also the legitimate King of Atlantis. On the 5th of February in 1999 as part of his 54th Birthday, His Excellency Gabriel, Duke of Labrador was anointed King of Spain at the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. This began a 3 month tour of all Spanish lands which would culminate in Nueva Valencia and the anointing of His Majesty Gabriel I of Spain as King of Atlantis in the San Jeronimo Church in Nueva Valencia. In 2000 the main branch of the Braganza line which were the historical kings of Portugal died out, and the Assamblea da Republica (Portuguese regional legislature) solemnly proclaimed Gabriel I as King of Portugal, on February 5, 2001, the King's 56th Birthday he was anointed as King of Portugal in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa in Lisbon. This brought the 3 principle Kingdoms in España y Atlantis under the personal union of His Majesty Gabriel I.
Attempted Coup d'etat[]
After his ascension to the Spanish Throne, His Majesty declared that he would be creating a new Constitution that would formalize the role of the Cortes (parliament for the whole of Spanish dominions) and the role of the various regional legislatures. This appeared to be a slap in the face of the falangists and some far-right military leaders who believed that the strength of Spain had rested solely in the hands of the military junta. In late November 2000, an unlikely alliance of Falangists, Anarchists and Communists joined forces in attempting to overthrow the King. On November 23rd members of the Guardia Civil and militias of the three main groups seized the parliamentary chambers and arrested the President of the Cortes, Felipe Gonzalez, the Deputy President, Jose Maria Aznar and the acting Secretary of Defense Pasha Mohammad VI of Marakesh. It was an attempt to create a power vacuum by removing the executive and legislative powers so as to create a new political power. Shortly after being notified of Parliament being captured, the Captain General of the III Military Region (Valencia) General Jaime Milans rose up in Valencia put tanks on the streets and began a march to Madrid to capture and arrest the King. After Milans began his march on Madrid, Lt. General Torres Rojas attempted to supplant his immediate Superior General Juste in the Brunete division which guarded access to Madrid. His Majesty was warned of these events and was advised to evacuate Madrid to safety in the Palacio del Capitan Grande in Zaragoza where he could wait out the events, in typical fashion His Majesty declined this opportunity, sending a regiment of the Royal Guard to Zaragoza with his family under the command of Colonel Milan Astray for safety. With a regiment of the Spanish Legion, and a Tabor of the Regulares - His Majesty went to Brunete to assume command of the approach to Madrid in order to personally confront General Milans. With Torres Rojas under arrest, Milans was unaware of the changed situation - instead of entering Madrid unopposed before him stood a 7 regiments of Royalist troops under direct command of the King vs. 2 regiments under the command of Milans. When confronted by the King - General Milans forces turned against him, and he surrendered peacefully and joined Torres Rojas under
arrest. The King then went on television in full uniform as the Captain General of the Armed Forces and condemned the attempted coup and demanded the full surrender of all participants. When the Kings proclamation was read all but 10 of the 200 men commanded by Lt. Col. Tejero Molino switched sides and freed the various deputies that had been kidnapped by the Guardia Civil. The 11 members of the Guardia that did not switch sides were arrested and were presented to elements of the Spanish Legion who arrived at the Cortes to stabilize the situation. All in all 45 military, and 32 civilians were convicted of treason with sentences ranging from Death (for Torres Rojas, Milans, Tejero Molino and other senior officers involved) to as little as 2 years in prison (for the Non-Commissioned Officers who stood by their superiors). The most immediate consequence of the coup was that the monarchy emerged powerfully reinforced by political resources across the spectrum and the public at large.
Rise of an Empire[]
Starting in 2002, His Majesty started a vast reorganization of the Spanish State, as it currently stood it was comprised of Spain, Portugal, Atlantis the various Spanish Dominions which extended throughout most of Northwest Africa, West Africa, Central Africa and Southwestern Africa, and parts of Latin America, and finally the Atlantean Dominions in Aels. To show that his commitment to democracy was not simply limited to the Iberian Peninsula - he changed the political status of the dominions from dominions to Kingdoms, Principalities, Duchies and Provinces subservient to the Spanish Crown, culminating in the transformation of Spain into an Empire and Gabriel's coronation in 2004 as Imperator toitus Hispania by the Pope in the Almudena Cathedral.
Family and Private Life[]
Gabriel I was married in Madrid at the San Jeronimo el Real Church on 12 April 1974, to Her Grace the Lady Judy Dwyer of Powys, daughter of His Excellency the Honorable Johnathon Dwyer Baron Dwyer of Powys Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Spanish State of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. They have 3 daughters, Infanta Christina (born 1975), Infanta Victoria (born 1979) and Infanta Anna (born 1983), and a son, the heir apparent, Gabriel (born 1987).
In 1972 and 1976, Gabriel a keen equestrian represented Spain in the Individual and Team Dressage and the Individual and Team Eventing, although he did not medal at either Olympiad. In the summer months His Imperial Majesty and his family normally vacation in Morocco - near Ksar el Souk, where he usually partakes in Polo matches or other equestrian events with the local Berbers. In the winter, the Imperial Family usually go skiing in Baqueira-Beret and Candanchu (Pyrenees), where the Emperor has occasionally ended with a broken leg.
Gabriel and Judy are fluent in several languages. They both speak Spanish, English and French. The King also speaks fluent Italian and Portuguese. Unlike the Queen he does not speak German or her native tongue, Welsh, a fact he regrets.
His fondness of incognito motorbike riding has raised urban legends of people finding him on lonely roads.
Titles, Styles, Honours and arms[]
Arms of the Emperor of Spain
[]
The current Spanish constitution refers to the monarchy as "the Crown of Spain" and the constitutional title of the monarch is simply Emperador/Emperatriz de España: that is, "emperor/empress of Spain". However, the constitution allows for the use of
other historic titles pertaining to the Spanish monarchy, without specifying them. His Imperial Majesty has stated that all documents issued on behalf of the Emperor personally shall include the full titulary, however documents and other official materials issued on behalf of the state shall be simply on behalf of the Crown of Spain.
Titles in Official Use[]
Imperator toitus Hispania (Emperor of all Iberia);
King of Spain, of Portugal, of Morocco of Castile, of León, of Aragon, of the Two Sicilies, of Jerusalem, of Navarre, of Granada, of Toledo, of Valencia, of Galicia, of Majorca, of Seville, of Sardinia, of Cordoba, of Corsica, of Murcia, of Menorca, of Jaen, of the Algarves, of Algeciras, of Gibraltar, of the Canary Islands, of Algarves, of the Spanish East and West Indies and of the Islands and Mainland of the Ocean Sea;
Archduke of Austria and of Central Africa;
Duke of Congo, of Zaire, of Niger, of Mali, of Burgundy, of Brabant, of Milan and of Neopatria;
Count of Hapsburg, of Flanders, of Tyrol, of Rousillon, of Barcelona and of Boulogne;
Lord of Biscay, of Molina and of Guinea.
Military Ranks[]
Capitan General of the Imperial Spanish Armed Forces and its Supreme Commander 5 Feb 1999 -
General Mariscal (General Field Marshal) 1995 - 1999
General de Ejercito (General) 1990 - 1995
Teniente General (Lieutenant General) 1984 - 1990
General de Division (Major General) 1980 - 1984
General de Brigada (Brigadier General) 1978 - 1980
Sovereign Grand Master of the Illustrious Royal Order of the Golden Fleece
Grand Master of the Royal & Distinguished Order of Charles III
Grand Master of the Royal Order of Isabel
the Catholic
Grand Master of the Royal & Military Order of St. Hermenegildo
Grand Master of the Royal & Military Order of St. Fernando
Grand Master of the Order of Montesa
Grand Master of the Order of Alcántara
Grand Master of the Order of Calatrava
Grand Master of the Order of Santiago
Grand Master of the Order of Maria Luisa
Military Decorations[]
Cruz Laureada de San Fernando (Equivalent to Medal of Honor)
Ordem Militar da Torre e Espada do Valor, Lealdade e Merito (Equivalent to Medal of Honor)
Gran Cruz de Guerra (Equivalent to Distinguished Service Cross) 3 awards
Medalla del Ejercito (Equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal) 2 awards
Medalla Militar (Equivalent to Silver Star) 5 awards
Real y Militar Orden de San Hermenegildo (Equivalent to Legion of Merit) 4 awards
Orden del Merito Militar (Equivalent to Bronze Star) 7 awards
Cruz a la Constancia Militar en Oro (For 35+ years of military service)
Medalla de Sufrimientos por la Patria (Equivalent to Purple Heart) 2 awards
Foreign Honours[]
Belgium - Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
Czech Republic - First Class Star of the Order of the White Lion
Denmark - Knight of the Order of the Elephant
Finland - Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose
France - Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit
Germany - Grand Cross, Special Class Class Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Greece - Grand Cross Order of the Redeemer
Italy - Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
House of Savoy (Vacant') - Knight of the Order of Annunziata
Royal House of the Two Sicilies (Vacant) - Knight of the Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Januarius, Bailiff Grand Cross of Justice with Collar of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George
Jamaica - Knight of the Order of the Nation
Japan - Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
Lithuania - Golden Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great
Mexico - Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
The Netherlands - Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Norway - Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
Order of Malta - Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Order of Malta
Poland - Knight of the Order of the White Eagle
Romania - Sash rank of the Order of the Star of Romania
Sweden - Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim
Thailand - Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn
United Kingdom - Knight of the Order of the Garter
