Raoul/Katherine Inheritance

Jonathan_S wrote:They had heirs, just not heirs of their body. White Haven could have passed down through William Alexander and his children. So they hardly "required an heir".

I get the impression that while Allison had taken a particular interest in the genetic basis of incompatibility with regeneration (thanks the Honor having it, and slowly getting pieces shot off her) that she was hardly the only geneticist who could have rigged the scales against it when performing an in vitro fertilization. And she definitely wasn't the only one able to carry out a gene scan of a zygote to ensure one bearing that genetic trait wasn't transferred to a uterine replicator.

What she was was the only such person with the personal ties, and general busy-bodyness, to force the awareness of the availability of such techniques on the still somewhat traumatized Emily. Emily was so traumatized by what happened to her than 40 years later she wasn't even really able to articulate why she'd instinctively shied away from having children. So she certainly wasn't ready or able to identify what terrified her and reach out to specialists to find out if her concerns could be mitigated.

Exactly. It took Allie to make Emily look past her own traumas, and realize that she could have a child, without passing on the non-regeneration gene. And she was just the geneticist to make it happen.

munroburton wrote:But yes. Emily&Katherine got the short end of the stick, I won't argue with that.

Thank you.

MC1560 wrote:

munroburton wrote:But yes. Emily&Katherine got the short end of the stick, I won't argue with that.

Thank you.

Had Honor never entered the picture (but the pregnancy still done), Katherine Alexander would have become heir and eventually Countess White Haven. White Haven is an OLD title, one of the original nobles in Manticore history going all the way back to First Landing. Even with Elizabeth Winton's obvious appreciation of Hamish's skill as an Admiral, and her equal appreciation of Willie who she ennobled as a mere Baron, the Alexander family was never going to move any higher in stature & rank.


Compared against the Duchy of Harrington, which is already 2 full ranks higher in nobility, and not even counting the a Steadholder is said to be equal in nobility to a (planetary) Grand-Duke if not an outright head of state (3-4 ranks higher). Potential access to those titles only became accessible to the Alexanders through Honor.


It's a much simpler (and fair) logic that was applied here. Raoul who is of Harrington direct bloodline receives the Harrington titles, while Katherine receives the title of which she is the direct heir of, regardless of who was actually born first. And future generations would simply continue downstream, Raoul being the direct descendant of Honor continues the Harrington heirs, Katherine continues the Alexander/White Haven line.



The one you should be feeling outraged or pity for, is actually the as yet unnamed child that would have been Emily's, but now Honor is having implanted in her for the next year. Raoul is already confirmed as the direct heir to both being future Steadholder and Duke Harrington, Kathering is already confirmed as future Countess White Haven.

Now we have a younger sibling who either gets NOTHING AT ALL, or potentially snags one of Raouls two titles and outranks one or both of the elder siblings? And that's not even touching the giant mess Honor will cause if they decide to try shuffling Steadholder Harrington onto the youngest child, when Raoul has already been presented and accepted as heir to the Harrington Key.

Nice post Somtaaw.

Honestly, I don't feel sorry for any of them. Katherine wouldn't exist if not for Honor's mother, who never would have met Emily and become motivated to help her.

If I feel sorry for Katherine, it's because she's the heir of both worlds when she may not even want it! If she's like Honor! We are assuming Katherine would WANT those titles. Let's face it, Emily was the rock of that family, but everyone looked up to Honor, but Honor. The kids probably all want to be like Honor. If Raoul chooses a naval career, that moves Katherine a half step closer to the titles; in a naval career you have one foot on ship and one in your grave. Having her name up in lights may be nearer than she thinks. Or wants.

The first born simply must be the one who inherits. That is a fair way of doing things that limits favouritism and unfairness. Besides, there is an unspoken sense that hopes the eldest will be more capable of handling the responsibility.

If Raoul doesn't want it, can he pass the title to Katherine? Who may end up managing everything anyway if Raoul is somewhere on a warship trying to be "half the man his mother is." LOL

as seen with Cathy Montigue when she gave up her title as Countess of Tor, it IS possible to renounce your title.

now that was a simple matter with only one title involved.

Roul might be able to renounce the White Haven titles in which case Katherine or his eldest child would likely end up with the title.

in theory he could also give up the Harrington Duchy, again going to Katherine or His eldest Child.

not sure if he can give up the Steaderholdership, at a guess if he can it would go to his eldest child or Faith, or maybe a theoretical 4th child if Hamish and Honor have more after Emily's 2nd. key factor for Grayson will likely be Harrington blood, so Katherine and the unnamed 3rd child would not be able to be steadholder.

Somtaaw wrote:It's a much simpler (and fair) logic that was applied here. Raoul who is of Harrington direct bloodline receives the Harrington titles, while Katherine receives the title of which she is the direct heir of, regardless of who was actually born first.

This is wrong. Raoul is both Honor and Hamish's direct heir. Being the heir of one person doesn't cancel out being the heir of another.

Somtaaw wrote:Katherine is already confirmed as future Countess White Haven.

Is she? Provide a quote.

Somtaaw wrote:Now we have a younger sibling who either gets NOTHING AT ALL, or potentially snags one of Raoul's two titles and outranks one or both of the elder siblings? And that's not even touching the giant mess Honor will cause if they decide to try shuffling Steadholder Harrington onto the youngest child, when Raoul has already been presented and accepted as heir to the Harrington Key.

Emily's children are probably ineligible for any of Honor's lands/titles.

Dauntless wrote:As seen with Cathy Montigue when she gave up her title as Countess of Tor, it IS possible to renounce your title.

Now that was a simple matter with only one title involved.

Roul might be able to renounce the White Haven titles in which case Katherine or his eldest child would likely end up with the title.

In theory he could also give up the Harrington Duchy, again going to Katherine or His eldest Child.

Raoul would probably be more likely to redistribute his lands/titles to his children rather than a half-sister.

Dauntless wrote:Not sure if he can give up the Steaderholdership, at a guess if he can it would go to his eldest child or Faith, or maybe a theoretical 4th child if Hamish and Honor have more after Emily's 2nd. key factor for Grayson will likely be Harrington blood, so Katherine and the unnamed 3rd child would not be able to be steadholder.

Katherine and her sibling are only Harringtons in name.

cthia wrote:The first born simply must be the one who inherits. That is a fair way of doing things that limits favoritism and unfairness.

Yes

cthia wrote:trying to be "half the man his mother is."

Raoul will probably be 7ft.

Dauntless wrote:As seen with Cathy Montigue when she gave up her title as Countess of Tor, it IS possible to renounce your title.

Now that was a simple matter with only one title involved.

Roul might be able to renounce the White Haven titles in which case Katherine or his eldest child would likely end up with the title.

In theory he could also give up the Harrington Duchy, again going to Katherine or His eldest Child.

Not sure if he can give up the Steaderholdership, at a guess if he can it would go to his eldest child or Faith, or maybe a theoretical 4th child if Hamish and Honor have more after Emily's 2nd. key factor for Grayson will likely be Harrington blood, so Katherine and the unnamed 3rd child would not be able to be steadholder.

MC1560 wrote:Raoul would probably be more likely to redistribute his lands/titles to his children rather than a half-sister.
Katherine and her sibling are only Harringtons in name.

This depends on how Manticoran inheritance law works and until RFC supplies us with text, we are simply speculating.

The point that we do not know is whether children in a group marriage are considered shared among the parents or not. So it is possible that Katherine is considered a child of both Emily and Honor. You are free to consider this unlikely, but it is within the author's scope to decide.

Also a secondary title could be conferred under the wills of Hamish and Honor to give Katherine a title of her own.

MC1560 wrote:Emily's children are probably ineligible for any of Honor's lands/titles.

Why the hell not? Emily and Honor were legally married, so inheritance should go to their children regardless of who bore them.

Katherine and her sibling are only Harringtons in name.

Indeed. De jure they are Harringtons. Since inheritance is law, that should suffice.