GC, 1st Duke of Cypress Hollow

This is official Palmshire biography of GC. For official Active Worlds biography of GC, please see GC

His Grace
The Duke of Cypress Hollow
Prime Minister of Palmshire
In office
22 January 2011 - 28 March 2011
Monarch	The Duke of Rockford
Preceded by	The Duke of Rockford
Succeeded by	The Viscount Metaville

GC, 1st Duke of Cypress Hollow is a Palmshire Whig Party politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2010. He served as the Prime Minister of Palmshire in 2011. His tenure ended in March 2011, when he lost vote of confidence in the Parliament following defeat of his Government's budget. He was in the Duchess of Rochester's Cabinet as the Lord President of the Council and the Leader of the House of Lords prior to his dismissal.

Business career

Cypress Hollow owns and is the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of GCTV, one of the powerful media companies in Palmshire with reportedly undue influence over many aspects of the Palmshire society. He sat on board of directors of now-defunct Saint Mark's Plaza Hotel Company and was its Chairman prior to his resignation. Later, he took a seat on board of directors for East Winter Company.

Military career

The Duke of Cypress Hollow was appointed the Captain-General of the 1st Regiment of Foot in the Palmshire Army on 14 December 2010.

Political career

Cypress Hollow first made his name in 7 June 2005 as precinct manager and later Mayor of Cypress Hollow. He first entered Palmshire politics when he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Palmshire on 7 October 2009 only to be dismissed in disgrace on 3 December 2009. He was later recalled as Deputy Prime Minister on 17 January 2010. He was created the Duke of Cypress Hollow on 1 September 2010 and took up his seat on Parliament on 13 November.

Prime Minister of Palmshire

The Duke of Cypress Hollow was appointed Prime Minister on 22 January 2011. As he was heading a minority government in the Parliament, he was dependent on confidence of the monarch to remain in office. This dependence was to prove his downfall, as difficulties arose between the Prime Minister and the monarch.

His tenure saw a riot broke out in Rockford as result of King Legion I's refusal to receive the petitioners demanding that Palmshire declare war on Iceman Empire, which the monarch claimed would give undue recognition to "vicious barbarian state" and refused. The absence of Prime Minister during this time of emergency left the government paralyzed in its response to rioting that went on for several days before the monarch took charge and ordered troops to open fire on rioters, restoring the order in Rockford.

Cypress Hollow had increasingly strained relations with his colleagues and the King, latter favoring Tories strongly. Trouble started on 6 February when the Duke of Cypress Hollow wanted to take office of Deputy Prime Minister in addition to the office he already held for himself, which had at best lukewarm support from Lord Dublin and strong opposition from the monarch. Legion later appointed Lord Weald, a Tory, as Deputy Prime Minister on 10 February without consulting the Prime Minister, forcing another Tory into his administration. This action caused instability in the Duke of Cypress Hollow's ministry.

Another source of difficulties occurred on 6 February, when Legion I proposed creating peerage for Lord Raleighston. Cypress Hollow allegedly disparaged Lord Raleighston as a "noob tourist", furthering a rift between King and the Prime Minister. He finally advised the monarch two days later to create peerage for Lord Raleighston but the professional relationship was never the same.

This situation was not helped by the fact the Prime Minister also leaked unsavory rumors on 27 January about the Duke of Stirling and Princess shli. Those leaks has made Prime Minister even more unpopular in the Parliament.

Parliament defeated his budget bill he proposed on 20 March, which meant he lost vote on motion of confidence. He was required to resign his office, by convention, as result of this but he refused to do so. This precipitated a constitutional crisis. Finally, he was dismissed by Legion I on 28 March and replaced by Lord Metaville who served as caretaker Prime Minister until the Duchess of Rochester won election and was appointed Prime Minister on 5 April.

After being Prime Minister

Cypress Hollow returned to the Opposition and became its leader during the interim between his dismissal and appointment of Rochester as Prime Minister. His party, the Whig party, threw its support behind candidacy of Rochester for Prime Minister during balloting for Prime Minister in April. Following Rochester's appointment as Prime Minister, the Whigs and the Tories formed coalition supporting Rochester's government and he was appointed as the Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords. As the Leader of the House of Lords, he oversaw and ensured passage of Rochester's budget bill in the Parliament on 21 April, passage of which allowed Rochester and her government to remain in office beyond that date.

Cypress-Hollow was later dismissed from those two positions he held in the Cabinet after political disagreement with Rochester on 23 June.

Palmshire royalty
Preceded by Nibbles, Duchess of Rochester	Line of succession to the Palmshire throne 2nd position	Succeeded by griffinpage, Duke of Stirling
Peerage of Palmshire
Preceded by New creation	Duke of Cypress Hollow 1 September 2010-present	Incumbent Heir apparent: Not named yet
Party political offices
First None recognized before	Leader of the Whig Party 2010-present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by The Duke of Rockford	Prime Minister of Palmshire 2011	Succeeded by The Viscount Metaville
Preceded by The Duke of Rockford	Chancellor of the Exchequer 2011	Succeeded by The Viscount Metaville
Preceded by The Earl of Weald	Lord President of the Council 2011-present	Succeeded by The Duke of Cambria
Preceded by The Viscount Metaville	Leader of the House of Lords 2011-present	Succeeded by The Duke of Cambria