I find that it helps in my formation of the Imagi- Nation to "flesh out" things by giving the monarch a name and a face and a character. While some people use the standard monarchs from the time period, this is OK but I like my Imagi-Nations to be a bit more flamboyant. See the main thing in my treatments of Imagi-nations is not the army or the military aspect, but the character, eccentricities and likes and dislikes of the rulers. Like Peter Young the characters of the Emperor and Elector are the mainsprings of the action.
For my oldest Imagi-Nation, that of Princess Trixie of Saxe Burlap und Schleswig Beerstein, it's kind of like a very young Christie Brinkley, or Reese Witherspoon, but really it's modeled on a legally blonde Valley Girl.
For the Ruler of Bad Zu Wurst, Faustus the Great, it's the interplay of him and his two borthers. Think of Moe Howard. Somehow the idea of the three stooges in Prussian outfits says it all.
For my latest, the Grand Duke of the Grand Duchy of Gorgonzola it's Jerry Colonna.
One of the great things about the Corel Draw package is I can convert the paintings and the photographs into an acceptable composite.