Britannian Imperial Family

The Holy Empire of Britannia is ruled by the Imperial family, descended from the British Royal Family, which holds the highest positions within its government and military. The prince and princesses are ordered by number, which is determined by the status of their mothers, the imperial consorts. For example, Clovis is the Third Prince while Lelouch is (or was formerly) only the Eleventh Prince. The numbering of the Imperial princes and princesses is sorted by gender. For example, Euphemia is the Third Princess and Clovis is the Third Prince. The princes and princesses use the same surname prefix as their mother. The princesses are able to elect a personal guardian called a "Knight", who are given authority and placed directly under their command, with their own unit. Cornelia's Knight is Guilford who, along with her, commands a unit of Gloucesters. The princes are never shown to do the same.

Charles Di Britannia
Charles Di Britannia (シャルル・ジ・ブリタニア, Sharuru ji Buritania) is Lelouch's father and the 98th Emperor of the Britannian Empire. A strong proponent of Social Darwinism, he views equality as an evil that must be dispelled, and encourages class conflict and military expansionism so as to maintain social evolution and progress. He has 108 different consorts. He is more than willing to use his children to accomplish his goals, such as sending Lelouch and Nunnally to Japan as political hostages during the sakuradite conflict. He also installs his children in important positions throughout the Empire to test their abilities.

The Emperor possesses the power of Geass, given to him by his fraternal twin V.V. His Geass allows him to freely suppress memories and create false ones through eye contact. The same process also allows him to suppress the Geass power of another person, even if it is permanently active. He and V.V. are working together to wage war against the gods. When Cornelia doubts the existence of gods, V.V. clarifies that these gods, as opposed to more traditional portrayals of deities (wings, long beards, etc.), are those who cause humans to fight among themselves. They have built the Sword of Akasha, a floating temple, as a weapon to destroy them. General Bartley suspects that the Emperor's actions might cause the end of the world.

Marianne Vi Britannia
Marianne Vi Britannia (マリアンヌ・ヴィ・ブリタニア, Mariannu vi Buritania) is the fifth wife of the Emperor of Britannia and the mother of Lelouch and Nunnally. Her maiden name, assumed by Lelouch, is Lamperouge. She is nicknamed "Marianne the Flash" for her piloting skills, having been the test pilot for the Ganymede Knightmare Frame with the support of the Ashford Foundation, then a contender in the development of the first Knightmare Frame prototypes. She was assassinated in the Imperial Palace in broad daylight, purportedly by terrorists, and the culprits were never found. The nigh-impenetrable security of the palace is what convinced Lelouch that her murder was no random act of terrorism.

The Code Geass side materials portray Marianne as a sweet, kind-hearted woman with a rebellious spirit and a deep protective instinct towards her children. Lelouch gives two examples of this: in one she rode a horse into the palace's great hall and in the other she picked a fight with several of the Emperor's other wives all at once. In a flashback from one of the novels, she uses the Ganymede to intimidate a fellow consort who had been harassing Lelouch and Nunnally — all the while maintaining her friendly disposition.

Despite her rank as a Knight of Honor, Marianne's commoner status by birth caused her to earn the jealousy of other imperial wives and nobles, which Lelouch suspects had resulted in her murder. However, several members of the Imperial House not related to her by blood are shown to have respected and admired her, including Clovis, Euphemia, Jeremiah (his first posting was as one of her bodyguards), and in particular Cornelia, who commanded Marianne's personal guard and put much fruitless effort into investigating the assassination. Under the influence of Lelouch's Geass, Cornelia notes that Marianne had ordered her personal guard to leave on the day of her attack, implying that she knew it was going to happen. Her assassination also resulted in the disgrace of the Ashford Foundation, another suspected motive.

Curiously, C.C. seems to be able to speak with Marianne herself via an unknown method, though the viewer only hears C.C.'s side of the conversation. The full conversation is scripted out by the staff, and revealed in the Nintendo DS game. Marianne seems to enjoy teasing C.C. when the immortal girl tries to deny any sort of attachment to Lelouch.

Odysseus U Britannia
Odysseus U Britannia (オデュッセウス・ウ・ブリタニア|\, Odyusseusu u Buritania) is the First Prince of the Britannian Imperial Family. Though in theory he is the Crown Prince and first-in-line to succeed the throne, his performance in many areas is quite plebeian compared to that of his younger brother, Schneizel. He also appears to be fairly indecisive, unable to figure out what to do in the face of the Black Knights' open rebellion in Area 11; Schneizel eventually has to step forward and volunteer to aid Cornelia's forces. In the second season, he is engaged to the Empress of the Chinese Federation in a marriage of political convenience, orchestrated by Schneizel in order to peacefully seize the Federation's territory. When the marriage fails as a result of a coup d'etat instigated by Li Xingke and furthered by the Black Knights, Odysseus does not mind and is not offended by the broken engagement; instead, he shows more concern regarding the continuing war with the E.U.

Guinevere Britannia
Guinevere Britannia (ギネヴィア・ブリタニア, Ginevia Buritania) is the First Princess of the Britannian Imperial Family. She likes to spend her wealth on extravagant monuments and buildings. She has a tattoo above her left breast.

Schneizel El Britannia
Schneizel El Britannia (シュナイゼル・エル・ブリタニア, Shunaizeru eru Buritania) is the Second Prince of the Britannian Imperial Family and the Prime Minister of the Holy Britannian Empire. He is a strategist on par with Lelouch, and the only person Lelouch was unable to beat in chess as a child. Schneizel is ruthless and cold as a strategist, but is extremely charismatic and caring toward his subordinates. He seems to show disdain for force when it's unnecessary, such as negotiating a peace treaty with the Euro Universe despite dominating them militarily in every engagement.

Schneizel has ambitions for the throne, a fact which the Emperor is aware of but does not seemed concerned by. He also seems to have been involved in the murder of Marianne vi Britannia. When questioned by Lelouch, Clovis suggests that Schneizel knows the truth behind Marianne's murder, and Cornelia likewise notes that it was Schneizel who carried the body out under the Emperor's orders.

Schneizel sponsors a number of experimental projects throughout the series. He is the patron of Lloyd Asplund, developer of the Lancelot, funded the construction of the Gawain, and takes possession of one of the Thought Elevators in Japan to study it. In the second season, Schneizel commands of the Britannian forces attempting to conquer the E.U.-controlled North Africa, ending with a peace treaty despite repeated victories. As he explains to Nina, he did this because nothing but conquest invites defeat since it destroys hope. He also attempts to bribe the High Eunuchs of the Chinese Federation into trading much of their land in exchange for being made nobility in Britannia. After the fact is exposed and the people rebel against the Eunuchs, he decides to give up on his plan, noting that leaders who do not have the support of their people cannot be called leaders at all. After the fall of the Eunuchs, Schneizel begins efforts to annex the Federation's fragmented territories.

Cornelia Li Britannia
Cornelia Li Britannia (コーネリア・リ・ブリタニア, Kōneria ri Buritania) is the Second Princess of the Britannian Imperial Family and General-in-Chief of the Imperial Army. Extremely skilled in Knightmare Frame combat, she establishes Britannian rule in the Middle Eastern Area 18 shortly before her appointment as Viceroy of Area 11 following Clovis's death. She has a strong distrust of foreigners, even those with Honorary Britannian status, and prefers to win without their help. Though she is decisive and straightforward in most situations, she has a soft spot for her sister Euphemia, such that she prioritizes Euphemia's safety over the completion of her objectives. Her personal Knight is Gilbert G.P. Guilford, who commands the Glaston Knights.

Upon arriving in Area 11, Cornelia launches a military campaign against Zero's Black Knights and the other rebel factions, crushing all but the Black Knights. Cornelia is injured during the Black Rebellion and disappears from public view, leaving Britannia in the dark about her fate. In the second season, she has gone rogue in order to locate and expose the Geass Directorate, which will clear Euphemia's name. She joins forces with Bartley Asprius, who fears that the Emperor's plans could mean the end of the world, but is captured by V.V. During the Black Knights' assault on the Directorate, she escapes and uses a damaged Akatsuki to attack V.V.'s Siegfried, damaging it and allowing her to deliver the finishing blow in tandem with Lelouch.

Clovis La Britannia
Clovis La Britannia, (クロヴィス・ラ・ブリタニア, Kurovisu ra Buritania) is the Third Prince of the Britannian Imperial Family and former Viceroy of Area 11. He is timid and narcissistic, as well as unaccustomed to failure. He and Lelouch would often play chess during their childhood; despite consistently losing, Clovis viewed Lelouch as a rival, and his fond memories of the time spent at the Imperial Villa led him to model the garden on top of the government complex after it. He is a talented artist and designer, having planned the whole Clovis Amusement Park and left a large amount of artwork behind.

Clovis was apparently involved in the research on C.C. and those like her, and feared that his involvement could have gotten him disowned were it made public. When C.C.'s capsule is stolen by Japanese resistance fighters under the mistaken belief that it contains poison gas, Clovis is quick to order the eradication of the Shinjuku ghetto to disguise his secret project. Once Lelouch is given the power of Geass, he organizes the resistance to defeat Clovis's forces and confront his brother, killing him after extracting what little information Clovis has on his mother's death. Clovis has the distinction of being both the first to learn that Lelouch is alive and the first to become a casualty of his revenge.

Clovis's mother is Gabriella la Britannia, (ガブリエッラ・ラ・ブリタニア, Gaburierra Ra Buritania), who fell psychologically ill after Clovis's death and currently resides in Warrick Palace.

Euphemia Li Britannia
Euphemia Li Britannia (ユーフェミア・リ・ブリタニア, Yūfemia ri Buritania) is Lelouch's half-sister and the Third Princess of the Britannian Imperial Family; she is the sibling Lelouch cares most about after Nunnally. She is a kindhearted and open-minded woman who despises conflict in any form.

Euphemia joins her older sister Cornelia in governing Area 11, becoming the Sub-Viceroy. She develops a relationship with Suzaku Kururugi, whose views reflect her own, and eventually appoints him as her personal Knight. Toward the end of the first season, she announces her intent to form the Special Administrative Zone of Japan in the region under Mount Fuji, giving the Japanese people their name and country back. During the administration changeover ceremony, she falls under the accidental influence of Lelouch's Geass and is compelled to kill the Elevens. She is shot by Zero to stop the ensuing chaos and dies from her injuries, sparking the Black Rebellion. In supplementary materials, it is revealed that Britannia officially declared Euphemia responsible for the massacre, and that she had been deprived of royal status and executed by the Britannian Army following the rebellion. She comes to be known as the "Massacre Princess" (虐殺皇女, Gyakusatsu Koujo) to the general public.

Carine Le Britannia
Carine le Britannia (カリーヌ・レ・ブリタニア, Karīnu re Buritania) is the Fifth Princess of the Britannian Imperial Family and the same age as Nunnally. Her personality is the exact opposite of Nunnally's, deriving pleasure from war and violence. She appears to dislike Nunnally for her pacifist stance.

Lelouch Vi Britannia
Formerly Eleventh prince of the Empire and son of Charles and Marianne, Lelouch Vi Britannia was exiled after arguing with his father following his mother's assassination. He was then sent with Nunally to Japan as a political hostage, where after the Invasion of Japan, he changed his surname to Lamperouge to avoid identification, and live secretly under the protection of the Ashford family, which his mother belonged too. He now wages war against his Empire and Family anonymously using his Zero guise. He guards his identity carefully, as it is likely he would lose the support of his followers if his lineage was known.

The majority of the Imperial Family beleive that Lelouch died in the invasion, except the Emperor, who rewrote the captured Zero's memories, and seems intent of preserving Zero for some later use.

Nunnally Vi Britannia
Nunnally Vi Britannia is Lelouch's blind, crippled sister, who barley survived her Mother assassination and now lives her life in a wheelchair. Initially, she was sent to Japan along with Lelouch, and also survived the invasion, changing her last name to Lamperouge. In the second season, after the failure of the Black Rebellion and her kidnapping by V.V., she returns as an Imperial princess and Vicroy of Area 11, apparently a move against Zero, who fights against Britannia for her sake.