History Characters / HonorHarrington

* RefugeInAudacity: She turned up in Manticoran space, unannounced, at midnight, after their home system had just been disastrously attacked, and screened Queen Elizabeth, saying simply, "I think we need to talk." The sheer ''guts'' that must have taken is simply unbelievable -- she knew very well she might be shot out of the sky with no warning, but she thought it was worth the risk to finally end the fighting. ''And it worked''.

Ruthless politician and political rival to Eloise Pritchart, though nowhere near her league either as a politician or a human being. A former apparatchik in the People's Republic, he ran against Pritchart and came a distant second in the Presidential poll – in an attempt to build a broader coalition for her new regime she offered him the post of Secretary of State, but this didn’t stop him from plotting against her.

* RefugeInAudacity: She turned up in Manticoran space, unannounced, in the middle of the night, after their home system had just been catastrophically attacked, and screened Queen Elizabeth, saying simply, "I think we need to talk." The sheer ''guts'' that must have taken is simply unbelievable -- she knew very well she might be shot out of the sky with no warning, but she thought it was worth the risk to finally end the fighting. ''And it worked''.

* RefugeInAudacity: She turned up in the Manticore System, unannounced, in the middle of the night, after that system had just been catastrophically attacked, and screened Queen Elizabeth, saying simply, "I think we need to talk." The sheer ''guts'' that must have taken is simply unbelievable -- she knew very well she might be shot out of the sky with no warning, but she thought it was worth the risk to finally end the fighting. ''And it worked''.

* CigarChomper: Subverted initially. He hated the things, but they were part of his public persona. By mid-series he admits to himself that he really doesn't hate 'em anymore, as he has become addicted. His treecat bodyguard, Lurks in Branches, expresses his disapproval by sealing his skinsuit helmet whenever Tourville whips one out.

-->'''Theisman''': Live or die, [Pritchart] and Giscard would fight to the last ditch together.

-->'''Theisman''': Live or die, she and Giscard would fight to the last ditch together.

One of Haven's best commanding officers during the Manticoran Wars, and the third of Haven's three heavyweight fleet commanders, alongside Theisman and Tourville. Also like Theisman and Tourville, his loyalty was not to the Committee or the Legislaturalists, but to the ancient, long-ignored Constitution of the Republic. After the Committee's rise to power, he was assigned a Political Officer, as per PRN custom. His turned out to be Eloise Pritchart, with whom he began a love affair which blazed for over a decade and which the two miraculously [[SecretRelationship kept hidden]] throughout the duration of StateSec's brutality. He and Pritchart later joined forces with Thomas Theisman and a select handful of others to overthrow the Committee, thereafter restoring the true Republic of Haven, for which Giscard became Fleet Admiral. [[TearJerker/HonorHarrington He was killed at the Battle of Lovat, during Admiral Harrington's raid on the system]]. Even long after his death, Eloise still grieved him intensely.

* KnightInSourArmor: Though bitterly disillusioned over the excesses of the Committee, he never gave up believing in the true Republic, and was instrumental in bringing it back.

* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Giscard never considered defecting as Caslet and Yu had done, but he was determined to bring back the true Republic.

Another [[OfficerAndAGentleman aristocratic officer]], and, as mentioned above, one of the ''very'' few non-stupid and generally competent [[StrawmanPolitical conservatives]] in the series. He's the distant nephew of the [[SleazyPolitician Baron High Ridge]], whom he resembles greatly, but, being an accomplished man by himself, utterly despises that branch of the family as useless self-important toads who do nothing except protecting that self-importance. Noted as the best system-defence CO in the Navy, despite his relatively junior rank. Currently stationed in the Talbott Quadrant, he is commanding officer of Battlecruiser Squadron 108 under Tenth Fleet commander Michelle Henke.

Another [[OfficerAndAGentleman aristocratic officer]], and, as mentioned above, one of the ''very'' few non-stupid and generally competent [[StrawmanPolitical conservatives]] in the series. He's the distant nephew of the [[SleazyPolitician Baron High Ridge]], whom he resembles greatly, but, being an accomplished man by himself, utterly despises that branch of the family as useless self-important toads who do nothing except protecting that self-importance. Noted as the best system-defence CO in the Navy, despite his relatively junior rank. Currently commanding officer of Battlecruiser Squadron 108, under Tenth Fleet commander Michelle Henke, whom he enjoys riling up and with whom he has a friendly rivalry of political opinion.

* VitriolicBestBuds: He bickers constantly with Michelle Henke, but obviously respects her and has no qualms about following her wherever she may lead, however lunatic her plan may seem at the time. In turn, she enjoys thoroughly humiliating him in simulations, but clearly respects his judgment as both a man and as an officer.

Mike's new flag lieutenant after being a Havenite POW and then being set free. One of the recent wave of the ''non-[[UpperClassTwit twit]]'' sympathetic aristocratic characters like Oversteegen and Terekhov. Noted for his habitual cheer, and equally habitual keenness of thought -- his deceptively sunny disposition hides an incredibly sharp mind.

* AristocratsAreEvil: Quite averted, but knowing that a woman he was interested in ''strongly'' held this viewpoint was part of the reason he made a point of not telling her that one of his cousins is Queen Elizabeth III of Manticore. Of course, another reason was that he found the common Aristocrat practice of name-dropping powerful relatives to be distasteful.

* OfficerAndAGentleman: Distant relative of Queen Elisabeth, with perfect manticoran upper-class manners.

Michelle Henke is an officer in the Royal Manticoran Navy, a titled peer of the Manticoran aristocracy and Queen Elizabeth III's first cousin through their mutual grandmother. Mike was Honor Harrington's roommate at the Saganami Naval Academy, helped her pass higher-dimensional mathematics, and is her oldest and best friend. She was first introduced as Honor's executive officer in ''The Short Victorious War'', when Honor took command of the battlecruiser ''Nike''. Later, she became Countess Gold Peak when her father, Earl Gold Peak, and her older brother, Calvin, are killed during the Peep/Masadan assassination attempt on Protector Benjamin and Queen Elizabeth. As a Rear Admiral, she was assigned to Eighth Fleet as the commander of the 81st Battlecruiser Squadron when her flagship was damaged and captured at the Battle of Solon. She was later released as President Pritchart's messenger to Queen Elizabeth. Afterward she was assigned to the Talbott Quadrant, where her actions have initiated a state of war between Manticore and the Solarian League.

Michelle Henke is an officer in the Royal Manticoran Navy, a titled peer of the Manticoran aristocracy and Queen Elizabeth III's first cousin through their mutual grandmother. Mike was Honor Harrington's roommate at the Saganami Naval Academy, helped her pass higher-dimensional mathematics, and is her oldest and best friend. She was first introduced as Honor's executive officer on the battlecruiser ''Nike'' in ''The Short Victorious War''. Later, She became Countess Gold Peak when her father, Earl Gold Peak, and her older brother, Calvin, are killed during the Peep/Masadan assassination attempt on Protector Benjamin and Queen Elizabeth. Recently she was a Rear Admiral assigned to Eighth Fleet as the commander of the 81st Battlecruiser Squadron when her flagship was damaged and captured at the Battle of Solon. She was later released as President Pritchart's messenger to Queen Elizabeth. Afterward she was assigned to the Talbott Quadrant, where her actions have initiated a state of war between Manticore and the Solarian League.

Queen Elizabeth III is the current ruling monarch of the Star Kingdom of Manticore. She ascended to the throne in 1883 PD (3986 AD), seventeen years prior to the events of ''On Basilisk Station.'' Unlike many modern monarchs, the Manticoran Constitution gives her [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething some limited actual executive power]]. She is often described as being both straightforward and honourable. Unfortunately, she holds grudges for so long that they die of old age; then she has them stuffed and mounted. She also has a hatred of the (People's) Republic of Haven that borders on fanaticism. Which isn't too surprising when you consider that the People's Republic was responsible for the assassination of her father, her Prime Minister and best friend, her uncle, and her cousin.

Michelle Henke is an officer in the Royal Manticoran Navy, a titled peer of the Manticoran aristocracy and Queen Elizabeth III's first cousin through their mutual grandmother. Mike was Honor Harrington's roommate at the Saganami Naval Academy, helped her pass higher-dimensional mathematics, and is her oldest friend. She was first introduced as Honor's executive officer on the battlecruiser ''Nike''. Later, She became Countess Gold Peak when her father, Earl Gold Peak, and her older brother, Calvin, are killed during the Peep/Masadan assassination attempt on Protector Benjamin and Queen Elizabeth. Recently she was a Rear Admiral assigned to Eighth Fleet as the commander of the 81st Battlecruiser Squadron when her flagship was damaged and captured at the Battle of Solon. She was later released as President Pritchart's messenger to Queen Elizabeth. Since then she was assigned to the Talbott Quadrant where her actions have initiated a state of war between Manticore and the Solarian League.

Part of the famous [[OddCouple Spook Duo]], Zilwicki is also a one more proof that appearances can be deceiving. A short, but ''extremely'' stocky and broad man, he's so extravagantly muscled that it's visible even when he's in uniform, with comparisons to dwarven kings routinely made ''in-universe''. He is, nevertheless, [[GeniusBruiser one of the finest intelligence agents]] in TheEmpire -- and hotly contests the position of the best hacker in the series with Chief Harkness. While very serious and negative, even dour man, he somehow struck the odd friendship with Victor Cachat (even if they're technically [[EnemyMine still enemies]]), and is hardly seen apart from him, making [[AdayInTheLimelight their books]] a sort of [[BuddyCopShow buddy cop subseries]].

James "Mac" [=MacGuiness=] is Honor's Steward (and Major Domo while on Grayson). Retired following Honor's "execution" but retook the post when Honor turned up alive (apparently without re-enlisting). Something of an honorary father figure to Honor, who regularly refers to him (like her Armsmen) as one of her "Keepers".

* YouFailYourMedicalBoardsForever: Allison Harrington is the size of an elementary schoolgirl and her second generation prolong lengthens her pregnancies to nearly a year. Her children have genetic modifications that significantly increase their required food intake. Despite twin pregnancies being inherently high-risk for ''normal size women'', she nevertheless decides to gestate her ''unadapted'' children on the DeathWorld of Grayson when the Honorverse has working artificial wombs. Somewhat justified by the fact that having children naturally is something of a [[HonorBeforeReason honor point]] for the First Families on Beowulf, so, as a scion of not one but ''three'' of such families, Allison, being Beowulfan through and through, just couldn't go for the easy way, but it still feels rather irresponsible. Possibly not an issue due to further medical technology making it far safer, but that's not discussed

Honor's father, one more in the almost endless line of biologist and physician Harringtons, Alfred is a no less famous in medicine than his wife, but doesn't have the same impact on the story. A top-notch neurosurgeon, his main occupation in the series seems to be patching Honor up after her more demanding adventures and providing some domestic air for the family with his [[SupremeChef cooking]].

Petty Officer Harkness was first introduced when Honor asked for any members of the crew who might be familiar with smuggling tricks, no questions asked. One of her older crew members, his career had stalled due to the fact that, while he is one of the best at what he does, what he does also includes smuggling goods on board ship and picking fights with marines. The latter consider his hostility to be a show of respect, not without reason. He later sorta "reforms" [[note]]His marriage to Iris Babcock, a Marine of all people, seems to have a lot to do with it.[[/note]] and gets his career back on track, becoming in essence a Scotty's staff engineer, despite [[BavarianFireDrill still being a warrant officer]] -- he just happens to be a [[GeniusBruiser genius grav tech and one of the]] ''two'' [[PlayfulHacker best hackers]] in the whole franchise.

A longtime Honor's student and protege, Scotty, as he is universally known, is a recurring secondary character and in many ways, a ''reader's'' stand-in. Introduced in the very first novel of the series, ''On Basilisk Station'', as an extremely green EnsignNewbie fresh out of [[MilitaryAcademy Saganami Island]], he then followed Honor wherever she went.

First introduced as Honor's sparring partner, Babcock is a veteran marine. Having received first-generation prolong, she appears to be in late middle age. Her unarmed combat skills put Honor to shame at first but the latter learns quickly.

Mike's new flag lieutenant after being a Havenite POW and then being set free. One of the recent wave of the ''non-[[UpperClassTwit twit]]'' sympathetic aristocratic characters like Oversteegen and Terekhov.

9th Baron of High Ridge and leader of Manticore's Conservative Association, a coalition of Members of the House of Lords who exist as a party solely to preserve and expand the privilege of Manticore's nobility. After the Centrists lose control of the House of Lords in the wake of the Duke of Cromarty's assassination, he becomes the Prime Minster of Manticore in ''Ashes of Victory''.

Countess New Kiev is the leader of Manticore's Liberal Party, and is infamous for a "holier-than-thou" moral certainty behind her beliefs. Under the High Ridge government, she was Chancellor of the Exchequer, until her resignation from politics when the war restarted.]]

Another [[OfficerAndAGentleman aristocratic officer]], and, as mentioned above, one of the ''very'' few non-stupid and generally competent [[StrawmanPolitical conservatives]] in the series. He's the distant nephew of the [[SleazyPolitician Baron High Ridge]], whom he resembles greatly, but, being an accomplished man by himself, utterly despises that branch of the family as useless self-important toads who do nothing except protecting that self-importance.

Another career diplomat in Manticoran service, Baroness Medusa (then just Dame Estelle Matsuko) served as a Special Commissioner for the natives' rights in the very first book of the series, ''On Basilisk Station'', for which she was apparently made a peer, and, supposedly, in other diplomatic roles during the 14-years stretch between OBS and the ''Shadow Of Saganami''. There she was a special envoy of the Crown representing the Manticore's interests during the Talbott Cluster Constitutional Convention that developed the terms and conditions of Talbott's annexation into the Star Kingdom. Later on, when that long-winded and complicated process finally ended, she was made the first Governor of the newly formed Talbott Quadrant of the Star Empire of Manticore.

An incredibly handsome electronic warfare specialist, assigned to ''Hexapuma'' for his midshipman cruise. Promoted after the Battle of Monica. Was born as a Mesan pleasure slave, although he was rescued as an infant, and grew up in Manticore.

Benjamin Mayhew IX is the hereditary head of state of the Protectorate of Grayson and the liege lord of the planet's feudal system of government. Educated in the Solarian League (at Harvard University no less) he is often portrayed as an extremely intelligent and shrewd politician. During his reign he advocated for and later successfully reformed and liberalized Grayson society and oversaw the modernization of its industrial base. He also entered into a military alliance with the Star Kingdom of Manticore against the People's Republic of Haven. He is based very heavily on Japan's Meiji Emperor and Grayson in turn is based largely on [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Meiji-era Japan.]]

The first native-born female officer in the Grayson Space Navy, Abigail is the daughter of Steadholder Owens, a stalwart progressive and longtime ally of Benjamin Mayhew's. An incredibly gifted tactician -- she graduated fourteenth in her class overall and sixth in the tactical curriculum under Admiral Honor Harrington -- she is currently serving aboard Manticoran warships, so she can get more experience and seniority in a navy that is used to female officers before returning to Grayson service. She is a major character in the ''Saganami Island'' series, and as of ''Shadow of Freedom'' holds the post of Tactical Officer aboard the destroyer HMS ''Tristram''. One of the best tactical minds of her generation, she is generally considered to be Honor's protege.

One of Haven's best commanding officers during the Manticoran Wars, Giscard was the third of Haven's three heavyweight fleet commanders, alongside Theisman and Tourville. Also like Theisman and Tourville, his loyalty was not to the Committee or the Legislaturalists, but to the ancient, long-ignored Constitution of the Republic. After the Committee's rise to power, he was assigned a Political Officer, as per PRN custom. His happened to be Eloise Pritchart, with whom he began a love affair which blazed for over a decade and which the two miraculously [[SecretRelationship kept hidden]] throughout the duration of StateSec's brutality. He and Pritchart later joined forces with Thomas Theisman and a select handful of others to overthrow the Committee, thereafter restoring the true Republic of Haven, for which Giscard became Fleet Admiral. [[TearJerker/HonorHarrington He was killed at the Battle of Lovat, during Admiral Harrington's raid on the system]]. Even long after his death, Eloise still grieved him intensely.

First elected president of the Republic of Haven following the Committee of Public Safety's regime. She was originally an Aprilist, one of the many rebel groups opposing the Legislaturists, after losing her sister to street violence. When the Committee of Public Safety came into power, she became one of StateSec's People's Commissioners, playing watchdog to Javier Giscard. The two appeared highly antagonistic to each other in public, but unbeknownst to StateSec, they had in fact fallen in love and become romantically involved. When Thomas Theisman overthrew the last remnants of the Committee, Pritchart became acting head of state and later elected President. She has worked tirelessly to find a way to end the conflict between her nation and Manticore; though she prefers to do so peacefully, if peace isn't an option she won't hesitate use force. Very much a counterpart to Queen Elizabeth.

* DatingCatwoman: Falling in love with one's People's Commissioner was not exactly the most politically sound maneuver. That commissioner doing likewise only complicated matters, but they wouldn't give each other up for anything, and so they got very, ''very'' good at lying.

A prominent economist with a Liberal party affiliation and political ambitions. Send as second ranking delegation member to Grayson and tried to order Honor and her ships to abandon the Graysons and take the Delegation (or rather ''him'') to safety after the First Battle of Yeltsin. This display of cowardice led Honor to strike him, ruining his diplomatic career and making him an enemy for life. Became Second Lord of the Admirality during High Ride's Premiership.

* ObstructiveBureaucrat: During his time as Second Lord of the Admirality, he was responsible for budget cuts and the like which would later hamper the Navy during the Second Havenite War.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Attempts to use this to bully both Honor and Ambassador Langtry into going along with his corwardism. [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom It didn't work.]]
* TalkingTheMonsterToDeath: Advises this to the Graysons in regards to [[TheFundamentalist]]. Both them and his own delegation consider him TooDumbToLive for it.

A prominent economist who had a political career until Honor beat the snot out of him for being a coward. Honor's career survived just fine. His didn't.

A prominent economist who had a political career until Honor beat the snot out of him for being a coward.

One of Haven's best commanding officers during the Manticoran Wars, Giscard was the third of Haven's three heavyweight fleet commanders, alongside Theisman and Tourville. Also like Theisman and Tourville, his loyalty was not to the Committee or the Legislaturalists, but to the ancient, long-ignored Constitution of the Republic. After the Committee's rise to power, he was assigned a Political Officer, as per PRN custom. His happened to be Eloise Pritchart, with whom he began a love affair which blazed for over a decade and which the two miraculously [[SecretRelationship kept hidden]] throughout the duration of StateSec's brutality. He and Pritchart later joined forces with Thomas Theisman and a select handful of others to overthrow the Committee, thereafter restoring the true Republic of Haven, for which Giscard became Fleet Admiral. [[TearJerker/HonorHarrington He was killed at the Battle of Lovat, during Admiral Harrington's raid on the system]]. Even long after his death, Eloise still grieved him intensely.

* IndifferentBeauty: Thomas Theisman even calls her the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, and of course Giscard is absolutely besotted, but she never even seems to notice it.

First elected president of the Republic of Haven following the Committee of Public Safety's regime. She was originally an Aprilist, one of the many rebel groups opposing the Legislaturists, after losing her sister to street violence. When the Committee of Public Safety came into power, she became one of StateSec's People's Commissioners, playing watchdog to Javier Giscard. The two appeared highly antagonistic to each other in public, but were in fact in a romantic relationship. When Thomas Theisman overthrew the last remnants of the Committee, Pritchart became acting head of state and later elected President. Has worked tirelessly to find a way to end the conflict between her nation and Manticore. She prefers to do so peacefully, but if peace isn't an option she won't hesitate use force. Very much a counterpart to Queen Elizabeth.

One of Haven's best commanding officers during the Manticoran Wars, Giscard was the third of Haven's three heavyweight fleet commanders, alongside Theisman and Tourville. Also like Theisman and Tourville, his loyalty was not to the Committee or the Legislaturalists, but to the ancient, long-ignored Constitution of the Republic. After the Committee's rise to power, he was assigned a Political Officer, as per PRN custom. His happened to be Eloise Pritchart, with whom he began a love affair which blazed for nearly ten years and which the two miraculously [[SecretRelationship kept hidden]] throughout the duration of StateSec's brutality. He and Pritchart later joined forces with Thomas Theisman and a select handful of others to overthrow the Committee, thereafter restoring the true Republic of Haven, for which Giscard became Fleet Admiral. [[TearJerker/HonorHarrington He was killed at the Battle of Lovat, during Admiral Harrington's raid on the system]]. Even long after his death, Eloise still grieved him intensely.

* [[BadassArmy Badass Navy]]: There are two reasons Haven has been able to very nearly keep pace with Manticore and Grayson for two decades, despite inferior technology. One is [[GadgeteerGenius Shannon Foraker]]. The other is that, despite the best efforts of the Legislaturists and later StateSec, it is ''badass''. And its badassitude increases exponentially after Thomas Theisman restores the old Republic.

* LovedINotHonorMore: Both she and Giscard unflinchingly accept that their duty to cause and country must come first, which only serves to make the moments where they ''can'' be together all the more poignant. This is also implied to be what keeps Eloise from giving in to grief after Javier is killed; she [[HerHeartWillGoOn will always grieve him]], but she has a star nation to live for, and she will do her duty not only for that star nation, but for the man who died in its service.