Aedanicus VIII

King Aedanicus VIII (Aedanicus Julius Velucianus Carolinicus; 1 February 1822 - 21 December 1889), known as Aedanicus the Great, was Apostolic King of Urcea from 1841 until his death in 1889. His 48 years on the throne is the second longest in Urcean history, and during his time on the throne Urcea became culturally and militarily ascendant, ushering in a period known as the Aedanicad. His reign also saw considerable development of the Constitution of Urcea as the King focused more on military matters, such as the Third Caroline War, architectural concerns, such as rebuilding the Julian Palace and construction of the Carolina-Grand Canal as well as cultural matters, such as the Tria nomina movement, than on political matters, although he did issue sweeping legal reforms with the publication of the Consolidated Laws in 1885. Much of his reign was characterized by the enmity between Urcea and its neighbors in the Holy Levantine Empire, and his reign constitutes the majority of the period referred to by historians as the Recess of the Julii. His failure to reign in the ascendant political power of the Royal Army lead to the rise of Gréagóir FitzRex and the Red Interregnum, tarnishing the King's memory for the generations immediately following his reign. Given high praise by 21st century and contemporary historians, the King's legacy was maligned in the early 20th century but was rehabilitated following further scholarship and historical revisionism. Scholars consistently rank him as among the top five Kings of Urcea.

Early life
Born the grandson of King Niall V, whose reign was characterized by reform, the young Prince Aedanicus idolized his grandfather as the model ruler throughout his life. Aedanicus's youth was spent preparing for the throne, but the relative youth of his father - King Patrick II, who was 37 upon his ascension in 1837 - meant that many considered Aedanicus's reign far in the future. The young Prince spent much of his time in his studies and was considered by contemporaries to be an able polymath, abilities which were greatly enhanced by propaganda. Aedanicus had a falling out with his father in early 1840 over the Prince joining the so-called "war party" in the court, which advocated for immediate hostilities to reclaim the Grand Duchy of Carolina. King Patrick II was hesitant to go to war, and losing the confidence of his heir greatly offended him. In political exile, the sudden death of his father four years into his reign propelled Aedanicus back into the center of Urcean politics. Coronated in St. Peter's Archbasilica in 1841, the newly minted King Aedanicus spent the first two years of his reign preparing for war. Almost exactly on the second anniversary of his ascension, in April 1843, the opportunity finally came and Urcea invaded Carolina, beginning the Third Caroline War.