Richard I

Archduke Thomas Edward Richard von Lexington was the son of Grand Duke Henry Augustus, and cousin of King James I of America. As a result of the guidance from Franklin D. Roosevelt, Thomas was appointed as Prince Regent of Sequoyah upon his graduation from the American Royal Naval Academy in 1934, alleviating much of the stress and duties of James.

In an attempt to cement the alliance between America and the German Empire, Thomas married Princess Cecilie, daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm III, in 1938

With the onset of the World War against Great Britain and the Empire of Japan, Thomas volunteered for military service. He gained a supporting role as an officer in the preparation of the Battle of Bermuda. Though inexperienced in combat, he led Marines in the capture of the Bermuda airfield, where he was granted the Medal of Valor.

Thomas attempted to broker a deal with the Republic of Ireland, though the Irish were uninterested. Instead, Thomas and his Marine company were reassigned to the Pacific Theater against Japan. Thomas fought valiantly in Papua, where his Marines earned a reputation for bravery in the face of battle. The Papuan Campaign ended in an American and German victory, earning Thomas the Order of the Black Eagle from his father-in-law. Thomas helped broker a deal between the coalition and Java, wherein the East Indies would fall under Javan control in exchange for military and industrial support in the region, much to the dismay of German diplomats.

Being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and granted command of a Marine Corps battalion, he clashed with the ideology of General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur viewed the Asian nations as "child-like" destined to become a series of Anglo-Saxon colonies, while Thomas had the approach similar to his handling of the Five Tribes. Thomas supported the East Indies uniting into a single nation, though under western influences. While MacArthur led the forces in the Pacific, Thomas used his connection to James to garner support for his plan.

After solidifying the surrender of Japan, Thomas attempted to retire, but was called back into diplomatic services. He recieved a notice the Republic of Australia was searching for a candidate for a possible monarch, and that he was considered a candidate. His cousin and Chancellor Hull supported this, and Thomas was elected as King of Australia as Richard I in 1952.

Richard recieved considerable push back from indigenous groups. New Zealand, before being conquered, had treaties with the Maori people that Australia did not wish to recognize. As a means to bridge the gap, Richard recieved Koroki, the Maori king, into the royal court, recognizing him as the King of all Maori, in 1953. This backfired in many of the southern Maori iwi, who did not recognize the standing of Koroki and instead desired their own autonomy. The move also saw criticism from many Australian conservatives, with one stating the move was "a crown bowing to a canoe". Richard convinced the Australian Parliament to recognize New Zealand's treaty, but asserted the Maori must do so collectively. As a result, he pressured many of the abstaining iwi to recognize the Kingitanga, but many still refused to do so.

The move also angered many Aboriginal Australian groups, who had no standing treaties with the Australian government. The Australians, as opposed to New Zealand, had attempted an approach of forced assimilation. Richard, desiring cooperation, sought to have similar treaties with the Aboriginals, but found their organization to be even more decentralized. Seeking the leadership from the Aboriginal tribes, Richard found the situation difficult to navigate. He called for the creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs in 1955, seeking to send delegates to all major Aboriginal groups in the Australian states.