Each country have their own monarch file. This can be found in .\db\monarchs\monarchs.xxx, where "xxx" is the country tag. It is important that the file is stored under that exact name. If saving from e.g. Notepad you might get the file saved as monarchs.xxx.txt - this will not work! To avoid this use quotation marks when entering the file name ("monarchs.xxx").

Each file contain all the possible monarchs of a country, each monarch defined in a special way. An example:

historicalmonarch = {
	id = { type = 6 id = 06307 }
	startdate = {
		year = 1611
		month = october
		day = 31
	}
	deathdate = {
		year = 1632
		month = november
		day = 6
	}
	name = "Gustav II Adolf"
	DIP = 9
	ADM = 9
	MIL = 9
	dormant = no
	remark = "Died in battle."
}

This is the monarch definition of king Gustav II Adolf of Sweden.

Alternate monarch files

It is possible to specify other monarch files to use by a country. See Scenario Editing - the Country file.

Compulsory commands

Every monarch definition must have these commands:

It should be noted that when a new monarch is available, either because the startdate is reached or the monarch is woken with an event during the defined lifespan, this new monarch will become ruler. The previous ruler will die. As such, deathdate is not used by the game: If there are no new monarch to take over after the death date of the last monarch, he will continue the reign until the end of the game.

If a country is annexed and then becomes independent again, either as a released vassal or again through a revolt, the new country will always follow the monarch list from the monarch file, ignoring any sleeping/waking done prior to the annexation.

Monarch abilities

The monarch abilities, DIP, ADM and MIL, give the rulers a rating within the areas of Diplomacy (DIP), Administration (ADM) and Military (MIL). The grades rate from 0 to 9.

Most average competent monarchs have ranges in the area 3-7. Some historic really amazing military monarchs range in the 8-9 area, like Gustav II Adolf of Sweden (above) at 9/9/9. Most monarchs with one grade in this range were usually average in others, like Karl XII of Sweden at 4/6/9.

Optional commands

Changing dynasties

One of the possibilities we have in EU2 is to use events to change entire ruling dynasties. The default dynasty is tagged dormant = no, while the alternate dynasty is tagged dormant = yes. The dynasty can then be changed by an event (see more about event scripting here). As England you can get the Stuarts back on the trone through a Jacobite rebellion. This event command looks like this:

	action_b ={			#The Stuarts take back the throne!#
		name = "ACTIONNAME3043B"
		command = { type = wakemonarch which = 00002 }
		command = { type = wakemonarch which = 00003 }
		command = { type = wakemonarch which = 00004 }
		command = { type = wakemonarch which = 00005 }
		command = { type = revoltrisk which = 60 value = 3 }
		command = { type = relation which = FRA value = 150 }
		command = { type = stability value = -1 }
	}

This will wake the Stuart dynasty (monarchs 00002-5) and bring them to the throne. In the same manner old dynasties can be deactivated using the sleepmonarch command.