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Minister of Home | |
| Predecessor: | Sir Blau Wolfe (in 1746) |
| Successor: | Lady Samantha Merian |
| King: | Alexander I of Switzerland |
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Duchess of Sardinia | |
| Predecessor: | Lord Gustav Dreadre |
| Successor: | Lord Sam Merian |
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Personal Life | |
| Born: | 21 August 1719 (aged 40) |
| Nationality: | Swiss |
| Spouse: | Lord Gustav Dreadre (Div.) |
| Alma mater: | University of Paris |
| Profession: | Noblewoman, socialite, politician |
| Religion: | Roman Catholicism |
Darby Merian of Jura (21 August 1719) was the Duchess of Sardinia, as well as Minister of Home in the Cabinet of Prince Ryan Kroshbon. She was a respected noblewoman, who eventually rose to the highest echelons of government, becoming the first female Swiss minister in history.
Her contributions to the Ministry of Home established it as one of the most important ministries, as well as the largest. Successive Ministers and Directors with internal affairs would often times refer to the prescedents that Darby had established in her time as Minister, and continued several of the programs and management techniques that she had introduced.
Early Life[]
Darby was born as the eldest daughter of Sir Michelo Merian, the founder of the House of Merian. She received extensive education, as the eldest child of the Count, and would be sent to Paris where she would study at the esteemed University of Paris, one of the oldest schools in Europe. Of her family, Darby was closest with her second sister, Lady Samantha Merian, despite the recognizable differences between the two.
Upon the completion of her studies at the University of Paris, in 1739, she returned to Olba-Tempio, only three months prior to the outbreak of the Paradoxian War and the Spanish invasion of France. Her father, who planned to improve family fortunes by acquiring a powerful groom for his eldest daughter, presented her, famously, to King William, for her hand in marriage to the King's eldest son, Prince Benjamin Kroshbon. She was also presented to Prince Jacques Louis Goldtimbers of France, later Louis XV. She was denied to both due to her social standing as minor nobility, compared to the Royal houses of Europe. Her father finally would settle on a powerful, but unknown nobleman, Lord Gustav Dreadre, Duke of Jura.
Marriage[]
Lady Darby emerged as one of the most important officials in governing the region of Jura. Despite her husband's vast ambitions, however, she was noted by contemporaries in being content with her current life as Duchess of one of the most beautiful regions in the Kingdom. Faithful to her husband, however, when he moved to Berne to pursue a larger calling in the national government, she accompanied him. It is noted she caught the eye of many in the capital, namely Lord Grey, the British Ambassador, and Prince Ezequiel Clemente of Spain. She would continue to run her husband's household, and would soon become a recognizable face in the court of King Alexander. Rumours abounded of infidelity to her husband, however these were seen as baseless by the general Swiss public.
Rumours also abounded in court that Lord Dreadre, a known alcoholic, had exposed his young wife to harsh brutality, that led to a souring in their relationship over the years.
Appointment to the Cabinet[]
Eventually, following the falling out between King Alexander and Lord Dreadre, who was Minister of State (and also de-facto Prime Minister) and candidate in the annual election for Premiership, Darby was faced with a decision whether to remain loyal to her husband, or her country. When it emerged that Lord Dreadre had fled the capital already alongside Princess Sarah Kroshbon, daughter of Prince Benjamin Kroshbon, and a leading admiral in the Swiss navy, Darby elected to remain in Switzerland.
She was tapped early on by Prince Ryan to serve on his upcoming Cabinet, and was made Minister of Home when the King formally appointed Ryan's cabinet nominations. She set out on a reformation project, completely overwriting the lethargic Ministry of Home, which had earned a knack for ineffectiveness under the inept administration of Prince Richard Kroshbon, the King's brother.
Her initiatives turned the Ministry into the largest, and most organized of the four central cabinet portfolios. Her standing greatly increased with this, and by March 1751, she was regarded as the most popular Swiss oficial within government. She worked tirelessly with her sister, Lady Samantha Merian, to eagerly reformulate internal affairs from the top down, scrubbing the ministry of its past corruption and its fruitless work habits. She became such a paramount part of government, that even Prince Ryan is rumoured to once have remarked that Darby alone, was twice as valuable as the other two ministers combined. Her most important feat is generally considered to be the establishment of "The Swissies", a national and comedic skit and award ceremony, that allowed the Swiss public to assign humourous titles to multiple different government officials.
Resignation[]
In May of 1751, fifteen days after assisting Lord Azreel Wolfe in his 29th of April Coup, Darby submitted her resignation to the new Prime Minister, citing her fatigue with her duties. It was rumoured for some time amongst social circles throughout Europe that she was forced into retirement by her rivals on the Cabinet, which severely hindered the initiatives set under Lord Wolf Kroshbon to repair the damage done by the foreign policies of Ryan Kroshbon, with several European nations declining to reopen ties until a solid explanation for the Minister's departure were explaned.
Following her resignation, she would take up residence on her home island of Sardinia, specifically the city of Cagliari. She would continue for some time to remain a significant insider and critiqued the policies of many European nations in her numerous journals and writings.