Duke of Goldstream
His Grace, the 1st Duke of Goldstream, Stefan Winkler (29 January 1969 - 15 January 2023) was a member of the Peerage of Westarctica and served as Foreign Minister on the Royal Council from February 2018 to February 2021. He was also the Captain of the Goldstream Guards. The Duke's title came from Goldstream Peak in the La Gorce Mountains of Westarctica.
His Grace The 1st Duke of Goldstream | |
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1st Viscount Grier Knight Grand Commander of the Snowflake
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In Office | February 2018 - February 2021 |
Preceded by | Lady Thurston As Minister of Affairs |
Successor | Baron of Dorrel |
His death in 2023 marked only the second passing of a Westarctican peer in the 22 year history of the nation.
Service with German military
His Grace served as a front line officer in the Bosnian and Afghanistan wars and was awarded the Gold Cross of Honour from the German Army, as well the US Army commendation and the US Army achievement medal. He also held the German army achievement medal in gold with 5 successive repeats.
As Foreign Minister
In his capacity as Westarctica's Foreign Minister, the Duke was extremely active and helped inspire the international members of the Honorary Consular Corps. With Royal Decree RD-2021-001, Grand Duke Travis gave the Foreign Minister nearly autonomous authority over his office to help speed activities without waiting for approval from the Crown.
On 11 February 2021, the Duke of Goldstream resigned from his position as Foreign Minister and became a private citizen of Westarctica.
Viscount Grier
On 13 July 2018, the Duke was granted the subordinate title "Viscount Grier" in recognition for his work with the Honorary Consular Corps. It was named for Mount Grier, which is situated directly to the west of Goldstream Peak.
Titles
Upon the duke's passing, both the title of Viscount Grier and Count of Goldstream were placed in abeyance for lack of a suitable legal heir. On 2 November 2023, as part of the Anniversary Honors, Grand Duke Travis bestowed these titles upon two members of Westarctica's diplomatic staff who were especially close with the duke.
Candidate for Prime Minister
The Duke's candidacy for Prime Minister of Westarctica in the 2019 election was announced on 9 January of that year. His Grace received 26.5% of the popular vote.
Awards and honors
- Knight Grand Commander in the Order of the Snowflake, 2020
- Honored Diplomat of Westarctica, 2020
- Knight Commander in the Order of the Snowflake, 2018