‘Oldest Roman library Discovered Beneath German City’

[Nick Harbud]

More like one of these gentlemen. Personally my money (!) is on Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia. He is descended from the kings of Greece who IMHO had the most legitimate claim to be successors of the Byzantine Emperors who themselves were the successors of the Roman Emperors. I need to find out Alex's attitude towards library fines.

Edit: a little digging reveals that the Greek royal family goes back by direct male descent to Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor. So that clinches it.

Well, that makes it so much easier.  King Charles III is descended from the Greek and Danish royal families through his father, the late Phillip Mountbatten.  Doubtless His Majesty has someone to advise him on the correct level of library fines.

[Ian61]

Most European royal families can trace back to Charlemagne who must trump a mere Holy Roman Emperor?

I thought we all were descended from Charlemagne these days. Does that mean we all get a split of the fine?

[Mark G]

Ultimately, if HM owes a library fine and pays, we will foot the bill somehow.

It's good to be king

[Erpingham]

I think we may have taken a wrong turn somewhere.  Wouldn't a public library in Roman Cologne belong to the civitas, rather than the Emperor? Their legal descendant would be Cologne City Council, the Kölner Stadtrat.

[Imperial Dave]

yes b ut there's always an imperial 'cut' of the action