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Princess Liùsaidh gives up royal title to marry commoner, leaving royal family
Written by Slàine MacSeumas | 09 March 2026
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Princess Liùsaidh of Cairness waves to the public for the last time at the Palace of Hainelet - Image credits: Sìneag MacFhairste, Crown Reporting Office
LEOTHAN, COUNTY STÒRNAGH | Princess Liùsaidh of Cairness, the youngest daughter of Queen Helena II and Prince Emanuel, formally departed the Royal House of Connacht today following her final public appearance in Leothan at the Palace of Hainelet. Born on 18 May 1989, the Princess had stood sixth in the line of succession as the youngest member of the royal family. She oversaw four charitable organisations and held the titles Princess of Cairness, Duchess of Machanan, and Baroness of Swandon.

Her departure follows her decision to relinquish all royal titles and privileges in order to marry the businessman and former lawyer Frangais MacComte, a commoner. The marriage had previously been opposed by the Queen. As part of the arrangement, Princess Liùsaidh surrendered her place in the line of succession, her entitlement to royal immunity, and her right to reside in royal estates. The decision was finalised following a private meeting with Queen Helena II at the Palace of Hainelet. With her withdrawal from royal duties, the line of succession adjusts accordingly, placing her younger brother, Prince Guillaime, sixth in line to the throne. Her charitable patronages will be transferred to her elder sister, Princess Màiri of Gaileann, and to her aunt, Duchess Floireans Maudall of Àdin. Liùsaidh will reside with her husband at Tudfair House in Leothan, a privately owned property belonging to the royal family. Widely regarded as a popular public figure, the Princess’s farewell address was broadcast earlier today by RTF and reportedly drew more than 80 million viewers worldwide.

“It has been an honour to serve the Fiannach public as a member of the royal family for the past several years. However, it is with deep sorrow that I must declare that, from today, I will no longer be part of the reigning Royal House of Connacht as a princess. I have always prioritised charitable work and my contributions to the Church of Fianna, yet certain misalliances in personal matters have led me to take this decision.” she stated, “I intend to continue working on public projects as a private citizen, albeit without title or tiara. I thank the public for deeming me worthy of my duties over the past decade, and I hope to continue serving society in the years ahead.”

Her departure has prompted renewed public discussion regarding long-standing royal traditions, including the requirement that the reigning monarch approve royal marriages and the limited avenues through which commoners may enter the royal household by marriage. As of this writing, Her Majesty the Queen has not issued a public statement. However, a number of Fiann commentators online have expressed dissatisfaction, with some describing the situation as a “mistreatment” of the widely admired princess. Princess Liùsaidh is the first member of the royal family to voluntarily relinquish her titles since King Tàmhas III in 1962.
 
CBC NEWS

Voldemar G. Tamm announces resignation as Prime Minister and leader of the Union Party

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Meridia, CT -- In a shock to the political sphere and to the nation at large, Prime Minister Voldemar G. Tamm has announced his intention to resign as leader of the Union Party and Prime Minister after nine years in office in an emotional press conference.

Announcement
"Thank you all for coming! A little while ago I notified the Union Party Chief Whip, and asked him to convene a meeting of the Union Party party room before the end of the week, because I intend to resign as the leader of the Union Party. I've got to a juncture where I believe it is now time. I believe it is time to transition to a new leader. Having been in this office for nine years, there has been no greater honour in my life. To serve the people of Scalvia and the people of my electorate of Maarjamäe has been the greatest honour of my life. But I am buggered. I'm buggered and I've had enough. To lead this great party would be the wrong thing for me to do. I love the Union Party, I grew up in it. I'll bleed red and blue 'til the day I die, I love it. It would be wrong for me, however, to say that I am the right person to continue to lead. That's tough for me to say. I think someone can do it better, because I don't have the energy. I'm out on my feet and I'm done. But I'm proud of what I've done as leader and as Prime Minister. I'm proud of us recapturing our identity, for what we are and what we stand for. For the forgotten Scalvian who represents the backbone of our great country, who doesn't get a voice in here unless someone's got the guts to do it. I did as Prime Minister. The government I led delivered three budget surpluses and four balanced budgets. We delivered record breaking homebuilding, and we made massive investments into infrastructure. We modernised nineteen regional airports, built another ten. We strengthened the backbone of our interstate highway network, conducting, together with the states, key repairs and expansions. We saw crime reduced to historic lows, and educational results reach historic heights. We reduced unemployment from 6.3% to 3.8%. So I could not be prouder of our record in government, but I'm tired. I don't intend to retire from Parliament, I love the people of Maarjamäe, and if they'll have me back I will stay on as their MP. While it wouldn't be right for me to stay on as the leader of the Union Party because I don't have the energy, it would also be wrong to stay on because I don't have the energy to represent them properly as the leader of the Union Party. I take this job incredibly seriously, which is why I must also recognise that the time has come, and that it is time to hand over the baton. I've been very fortunate, and I've loved every moment of it, but you've got to be honest with yourself when you can't keep going, and so I am prepared to do that for the greater good. But I am not giving up Maarjamäe. I love Maarjamäe and the people of Kariste, and I'll serve my great party any way they want me to, but this is my time over as the leader. I've done all I can do, and all I want to do. It's time for me to feel normal again. It's been a pretty rough road at times, but I know that I have done everything I could for this great party, and I leave us well placed to fight and win the 2027 General Election to continue delivering for the people of Scalvia. On a personal level I want to be able to come back to Parliament as I did when I first got into Parliament; with a pep in my step, and the excitement of coming here. I haven't had that for a while. If I can't do that, I'm not gonna be at my best, so Kariste misses out. I'd like to thank my staff, and I don't want to go too much here because I've already had a few tears with them earlier... loyal people. Really loyal people. So look, thank you. I'm proud of all I've done, I'm proud of all I've achieved, but it's time for the baton to be passed on. The legacy I leave is one that someone can take on and build from. That's leadership, and I want to be judged on not just what I've achieved, but how I lead as a member of the Union Party as a team member. That's what it means to be a Unionist. To believe in your cause, to believe in your people, and no matter your position you're gonna be there for them. So my position's changing, but my passion isn't. I will stick around as Prime Minister and leader of the party until a new leader's been chosen later this week. Thank you."

Shock
The announcement of Tamm's resignation has been met with wide surprise and shock. According to CBC's Chief Political Editor Anthony Green, the resignation was unprompted: "I've asked around, and by all indications Tamm wasn't losing the numbers, he wasn't losing control of the party, so nobody forced him into the decision to resign, it seems entirely his own."
President Simon Karalius spoke briefly to the media: “Tamm is a good friend of mine and has been a fantastic servant for Scalvia. I am sad to see him go, but I wish him and his family nothing but success as he returns to the backbenches.”
The Leader of the Official Opposition Roderick Petrauskas thanked Tamm for his service: “I have disagreed with Tamm on numerous occasions, but nobody can debate his patriotism and his passion for public service. I wish him nothing but the best in his endeavours in the future.”

Who next?
The Union Party party room is set to convene later this week, and there are a number of frontrunners for the Union Party leadership:
Status Quo: Adrianna Hume. Adrianna Hume is the current Foreign Secretary and considered a leading member of the Union Party’s Centre-Right faction, currently led by the outgoing Prime Minister. Hume is generally considered politically similar to Tamm, though it is noted that she generally lies on the left of the faction. It is generally understood that Hume would govern much like Tamm has. Notably she would become the first female Prime Minister of Scalvia if elected.

The Moderate: Vera Kalnina. Kalnina presently serves as Tamm’s Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister, serving in the position since 2024. She has generally been seen as an effective cabinet minister, and has broadly been popular due to her sound budgets. She lies to the left of Tamm and is broadly considered the leading figure of the Union Party’s Moderate faction. The Moderates are generally more socially liberal than the other factions, and MPs of the faction have also historically been more open to deeper public spending. It is expected that Kalnina would govern as a Moderate, with Kalnina expected to be more tolerant of social reform. Kalnina would also become the first female Prime Minister if elected.

The Conservative: Tan Kok Soon. Tan, currently the Secretary of Defence and also a Deputy Prime Minister represents the Hard Right faction of the Union Party. Tan is a noted social conservative, and is generally considered to be more open to rolling back reforms initiated by the previous FLS-CCF government, including the Gender Identification Act 2007. Fiscally the Hard Right is considered a middle ground between the Centre-Right and the Moderates, with Tan noted to be more open to deeper public spending, though not quite to the same degree as Kalnina and the Moderates. Tan would become the first Sinnitic Prime Minister of Scalvia

The Rising Star: Johannes Jaanovits. Johannes Jaanovits presently serves as Secretary of Culture, and is somewhat famous outside of Scalvia for penning an article as a backbencher critiquing the current place of conservatism. Tamm brought him into cabinet last year where he has generally been considered effective. Although generally considered a member of the Centre-Right faction, Jaanovits is often seen as a firebrand who can’t quite be categorised in any of the factions. He will likely push the Union Party in a new fourth direction if elected. Jaanovits, at 36, would become the youngest Prime Minister of Scalvia in over 200 years if the party room chooses him.

Although there are other notable candidates, these are the four frontrunners who are the most likely to win over the party room.

Tamm’s legacy
Voldemar Georg Tamm is without doubt one of the more consequential Prime Ministers in Scalvian history. After nine years in office off the back of four years of Union Party governance, he was able to win a nearly unprecedented supermajority in the Chamber of Representatives in the Union Party’s fourth election in power. The last time a long term government won a supermajority was under Leonard Karl Juur nearly a century ago.
Tamm’s governance record is more divisive. Broadly a conservative, Tamm maintained Scalvia’s public finances at a very healthy level, and gave considerable support to Scalvia’s small and medium enterprises, and cut taxes on the middle class. Additionally, he oversaw the considerable expansion of Scalvia’s military and intelligence community in a time of increasing global uncertainty. His foreign policy was sound, if very unrevolutionary. Traditional ties with South Ethia, Goyanes, Andrenne, and Hexastalia were strengthened, but other partnerships were strengthened too, such as with Prydania and Lyvenntia. In what may be his biggest foreign policy failure, he was unable to complete a thaw between Meridia and Eamont, a consistent sore spot for both. Nevertheless, his record on foreign policy is broadly a positive one. He also, however, governed during what many have termed the “Healthcare crisis”. Healthcare unaffordability remains a persistent issue that his government struggled to tackle, with an estimated 3.7 million Scalvians owing more than $250 due to medical costs. A heavy stain on the record of one of Scalvia’s more extraordinary Prime Ministers.
 
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