Siegmund I was the second eldest son of Emperor Reinhard I who ascended to the throne following the death of his elder brother, Prince Henry, who had no heirs. He had a slightly younger twin brother, Peter, claimant King of Telamon. Siegmund was actually much better prepared to be Emperor than his elder brother Henry. While Henry was discrete and seldom met with the powerful nobility, even antagonizing them, Siegmund became excellent friends with the Prince of Geharon, the Duke of Halifax, the Prince Laap and the Marquess Bruckenheim, the preeminent aristocratic and conservative leaders of the day.