A Second Zapolya Queen

I found an interesting tidbit of information when looking up Maximiliana Maria of Bavaria's possible marriage to D. Sebastiao of Portugal. Namely that her sister, Maria Anna, was, at a stage, courted by Janos II Zsigmond Zapolya, king of Hungary and Prince of Transylvania. And from what I could make out, the negotiations were rather serious (or at least the duke was attempting to make them seem so, since it was as a result of them that Archduke Karl proposed). Naturally, I found this interesting because a surviving Zapolya line would/could be first in line amongst possible successors to the throne of Poland when his uncle kicks without issue.

What does everyone else think?
 
I think you dont really 'need' that POD if you want a personal union between Tranylvania and Poland. Not much later: Stephen Báthory. This POD would only make it happen earlier and make it a bit bigger - Janos Zapolya ruled a bit more of Hungary than Báthory.
 
I found an interesting tidbit of information when looking up Maximiliana Maria of Bavaria's possible marriage to D. Sebastiao of Portugal. Namely that her sister, Maria Anna, was, at a stage, courted by Janos II Zsigmond Zapolya, king of Hungary and Prince of Transylvania. And from what I could make out, the negotiations were rather serious (or at least the duke was attempting to make them seem so, since it was as a result of them that Archduke Karl proposed). Naturally, I found this interesting because a surviving Zapolya line would/could be first in line amongst possible successors to the throne of Poland when his uncle kicks without issue.

What does everyone else think?
Knowing Zapolya's tendency to religious experiments... If they stayed Catholic they would be in line, in another cases, unless Poland goes protestant it's rather unlikely-John of Sweden, brother in law of Sigismund Augustus was rejected because of his Lutheran faith.
 
Reviving an old thread of mine because I feel there’s no point to start a new one to continue discussing the same topic.

I realize that as a king of a sort of rump state in Hungary, that not even all of Europe is willing to acknowledge him as ruler of, Janos II Zapolya doesn’t sound like a very attractive candidate for Maximiliana, especially when one takes into account that supposedly Felipe II was considering marrying her himself if D. Carlos married Anna of Austria or for D. Sebastião of Portugal once he married Anna, himself.

However, Janos II, had he lived, was Sigismund II of Poland’s first choice of an heir (as well as being Sigismund I’s senior heir, through his mother, Isabella). Now, if Janos survives to become king of Poland and Lithuanian Grand Duke, as well as perhaps remaining Prince of Transylvania, we most likely get a Commonwealth that’s focus is southward and eastward rather than towards the Baltic. Plus, surely the Habsburgs might not baulk at having a good Catholic princess for queen rather than some “heretic” as the Polish king’s wife? Especially considering that Janos II had some…interesting ideas, about freedom of religion and whatnot.

So, here’s my proposal, Janos lives, succeeding Sigismund (does the Union of Lublin still get formed with Sigismund having a dynastic successor? I realize Sigismund III was also a dynastic successor, but that was after all the electing Henryk Valezy and Stefan Batori shenanigans). How does this impact the PLC? Europe? And does it make him a better suit for Maximiliana’s hand than as mere Prince of Transylvania?
 
This is an interesting concept. I have a few questions for you before I can post my thoughts on the matter...

1.) Does the changes with his religious affiliation occur as in OTL prior to Sigismund II's death?
2.) What is the situation with his claim on Hungary?
3.) How are the relations between him and the Hapsburgs? The Ottomans?
4.) More details about Maximiliana Maria? The information that I have been able to find is, unfortunately, quite limited.
 
From what I can find, Maximiliana Maria never seemed to marry, so her marrying Janos after his ascent to the Polish Throne is a definite possibility. Here's my idea:

1571-1572: Janos Sigismund, Prince of Transylvania and Lord of Parts of the Kingdom of Hungary, quite ill and not likely to live, manages to pull through his current illness and in December arrives in Poland, to be greeted by his cousin, the King Sigismund II Augustus. They discuss much and by March it is agreed that Janos is the heir to Poland, should Sigismund not remarry and sire and heir, which is an unlikely possibility. This unlikeliness goes to impossible with his death and Janos rises to Poland's Throne as John II of Poland.

1573: Now a King, negotiations for the hand of Maximiliana Maria of Bavaria renewed, although there is talk of another match with Dorothea of Lorraine, which faltered when they could not assure the Polish King she could provide him with an heir. Eventually, the match was settled, despite word from England that Elizabeth I of England might hope to have him as a possible husband (yet another opportunity for Europe to dance for her hand), to which he requested the hand of the imprisoned Scottish Queen's hand as a way of annoying her. A cruel joke on the entrapped woman, Mary was said to have wept at the news she'd soon be free and remarried, but it was for naught as the negotiations, as predicted, failed, and in December the Bavarian girl began her trip to Poland.

1574: Joined by his Queen, the celebrations were massive and done under the Unitarian ways, this being part of the marriage deal. However, his bride, as promised, was free to worship in her own, Catholic manner. Whatever their religious differences (of which there were little to no quarrels about), the two were well suited and Maximiliana Maria was said to have caressed her husband almost indecently in front of the French ambassador. But, for all the hopes, they did not have an heir within a year and the Christmas celebrations were hopeful that soon a Prince would be born.

1575: Their second year of marriage was as both blissful as their first, while also as painfully barren. The King signed a treaty with Henri III of France, with Queen Maximiliana Maria and Queen Louise, and both made pledges to name their first daughters after each other, with a correspondence that lasted for many years.

1576: This year was the year that both Poland and France celebrated the births of heirs. In France, Louise of Lorraine struggled through what would be her only pregnancy, giving birth to the Dauphin Henri de Valois. In Poland, Maximiliana Maria of Bavaria announced her pregnancy in May, giving birth to Sigismund of Poland on the 2nd of December.

1577-1579: The birth of an heir to John II of Poland allows him to feel quite vindicated in his pushing of Unitarianism, even gaining the support of his Queen, who converts soon after the birth of Sigismund. He also continues his alliance with France, beginning a war with the Hapsburg Family by declaring he is, in fact, the King of Hungary. Eventually he agrees to end his fight for the Throne of Hungary again with a marriage alliance between the two families with his son and his cousin, Anna of Austria.

1580: The birth of a second child, this time a daughter, was a boon to the Polish royal family. Knowing his French alliance had weakened with the betrothal of his son to Anna of Austria, John II of Poland named his daughter for the French Queen, Louise of Lorraine, and agreed to a betrothal between his daughter and the Dauphin.

1581-1584: With their two children, John II of Poland and Maximiliana Maria of Bavaria begin to fall into the patterns of a happy royal family. A trip for 1585 is planned for France, with the intention of leaving the Princess Louise to grow up with her future husband. Along with this, the Archduchess Anna of Austria arrives in early 1582, meeting her husband-to-be and soon becoming quite a favourite of her aunt and future mother-in-law. A miscarriage in 1583, a mere week before the December celebrations for the Prince's birthday, begin what will be a bad year for the royal family. The loss of what would have been his third child is hard on the King, who confesses to friends that this might be the end of his love for the Queen. To add to their misery, in May of 1584, the Archduchess Anna finds herself ill, and in June is laid to rest. With that miserable business done with, the King begins to look for a new bride for his growing son, only to find his headaches, always a minor issue, becoming worse by the day and in September he takes to his bed completely. His Queen stays by his side every moment she can and is there at his death, on the 17th of November, 1584. Thus, after a short period of planning, Maximiliana sees her son's coronation as King Sigismund III of Poland on the 3rd of December, 1584, aged 8.

1585-1589: Having found that her son's position is not fully safe, Maximiliana Maria instead sends her daughter away alone to France as had been intended, with only mourning clothes and the promise of money. Having arrived in France, Louise of Lorraine takes it upon herself to coddle her namesake, referring to the Polish Princess as her daughter and having her mourning clothes changed in September to a series of blue and purple dresses, which she felt more suited the girl. Despite this, a portrait sent to her mother in 1586 showed the future Dauphine dressed in her mourning, with a headdress Maximiliana Maria had sent her daughter during Christmas.

27acea73dc022ec5c0c824ed4e6f03de.jpg


In Poland, the new King relied heavily on his mother, who relied heavily on his advisors and those who had advised her husband. The push for Unitarialism to be widespread was halted and in the coming months after her husband's death, without his constant influence, the Queen returned to Catholicism, particularly because her daughter was also Catholic and had been since birth (due to her betrothal to the Dauphin). In 1589 the King of Poland was betrothed to Anna of Prussia and Jülich-Cleves-Berg, who's portrait was placed in his room.

This time ended in 1589 with the death of Henri III of France, leaving his son, the 13 year old Dauphin, as Henri IV of France. His betrothal with Louise of Poland rock solid, he promised to keep the "most ancient alliance between our two great nations". His mother took her place as regent and attempted to, as his sister-Queen Maximiliana Maria had done, keep the peace in all matters of religion.

1590-1595: The marriage between the Prussian Girl and the Polish King took place in 1593, when both parties had properly reached puberty. With her son now set to begin procreating, Maximiliana Maria of Bavaria begun planning a trip to France, to witness her daughter's marriage in 1594. Never a glamorous woman, a portrait from 1593 shows the widowed Queen Dowager of Poland as a somewhat dumpy woman now, preferring a sack-like gown to the defined waistlines of the popular fashions.

Scipione_Pulzone_-_Portrait_of_a_Lady_-_Walters_37605.jpg


Her arrival in France was met with respect and a tearful reunion between her and her daughter, who had grown into a minor beauty, although one man in 1600 would describe her as "totally too short and too red to be pretty." Due to this ruddy complexion, she followed the trend begun in England and took to wearing lead based white makeup to seem paler. She had also begun to wear darker colours again, much to the disappointment of her mother-in-law, who would continue to send her bolts of blue silk for the next few years.

de7fac2d4f83ed9f654d493e7f2d75c0.jpg


The marriage proved unsuited. Louise of Poland and Henri IV of Poland were as different in all things as could be. Her husband, Henri de Valois, was a delicate young man who hated everything that didn't fit into his view of the world. He preferred his François Annibal d'Estrées, the brother of Henri III of Navarre's mistress Gabrielle d'Estrées, to his wife quite blatantly and his other lover, a cousin named Marie de Lorraine. On top of the two people above her in her husbands affections (made even stranger by Henri IV's insistence his lovers marry in 1595 and that they have a child, named Henri after the King and also made Count of Maine), she was both much shorter than her husband and much fatter. Despite this, they proved a good match genetically and after a year of marriage, in October of 1595, Marie Louise de Valois was born.

Now I'm tired, so here's a family tree:

John II of Poland, Prince of Transylvania (b.1540: d.1584) m. Maximiliana Maria of Bavaria (b.1553: d.1614) (a)

1a) Sigismund III of Poland (b.1576: d.1630) m. Anna of Prussia and Jülich-Cleves-Berg (b.1576: d.1625) (a)

1a) Sigismund IV of Poland (b.1599)

2a) Miscarriage (c.1601)

3a) Stillborn Son (c.1602)

4a) Isabella of Poland (b.1604: d.1608)

5a) John of Poland (b.1607)

6a) Miscarriage (c.1609)​

2a) Louise of Poland (b.1580) m. Henri IV of France (b.1576: d.1604) (a)

1a) Marie Louise de Valois (b.1595)

2a) Henri de Valois, Dauphin of France (b.1598: d.1603)

3a) Miscarriage (c.1600)

4a) Francis III of France (b.1603)​

3a) Miscarriage (c.1583)​
 
This is an interesting concept. I have a few questions for you before I can post my thoughts on the matter...

1.) Does the changes with his religious affiliation occur as in OTL prior to Sigismund II's death?
2.) What is the situation with his claim on Hungary?
3.) How are the relations between him and the Hapsburgs? The Ottomans?
4.) More details about Maximiliana Maria? The information that I have been able to find is, unfortunately, quite limited.

1) About Janos' religious affiliation, I was thinking he can remain outwardly Catholic at least, especially if it's sort of clear he's the king of Poland's heir presumptive.
2) AFAIK he renounced his rights to Hungary in favorof the HRE in 1570. He might not do so here, but this would definitely impair relationships with Vienna and Istanbul.
3) AIUI the Ottomans preferred him as a loyal vassal king in Hungary to the Habsburg conglomerate with the HRE included. I think this would change if he gets the Polish crown too.

Another thing I wonder is if there would be a refusal of the Polish and Hungarian nobles to allow a revival of Lajos I's empire, and thus enforcing a partition a la Jadwyga and Maria of Anjou.
 
Reviving an old thread of mine because I feel there’s no point to start a new one to continue discussing the same topic.

I realize that as a king of a sort of rump state in Hungary, that not even all of Europe is willing to acknowledge him as ruler of, Janos II Zapolya doesn’t sound like a very attractive candidate for Maximiliana, especially when one takes into account that supposedly Felipe II was considering marrying her himself if D. Carlos married Anna of Austria or for D. Sebastião of Portugal once he married Anna, himself.

However, Janos II, had he lived, was Sigismund II of Poland’s first choice of an heir (as well as being Sigismund I’s senior heir, through his mother, Isabella). Now, if Janos survives to become king of Poland and Lithuanian Grand Duke, as well as perhaps remaining Prince of Transylvania, we most likely get a Commonwealth that’s focus is southward and eastward rather than towards the Baltic. Plus, surely the Habsburgs might not baulk at having a good Catholic princess for queen rather than some “heretic” as the Polish king’s wife? Especially considering that Janos II had some…interesting ideas, about freedom of religion and whatnot.

So, here’s my proposal, Janos lives, succeeding Sigismund (does the Union of Lublin still get formed with Sigismund having a dynastic successor? I realize Sigismund III was also a dynastic successor, but that was after all the electing Henryk Valezy and Stefan Batori shenanigans). How does this impact the PLC? Europe? And does it make him a better suit for Maximiliana’s hand than as mere Prince of Transylvania?
My knowledge of Poland and of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is limited but based upon your response, I suppose that I will take a shot at this...

Lithuania was appealing to Poland prior to the Union of Lublin and did not want to get absorbed by Russia. The szlachta did not want to just allow a union without getting something from it. Nihil novi sub sole (1505) and, further down the line, liberum veto, gave the Sejm a significant amount of power. Unfortunately, and quite a few people may agree, that these two contributed to the downfall of the PLC. The death of Sigismund II was, in fact, opportune in regard to the election of kings in the Commonwealth. However, I digress... There will still be a personal union in this situation and, if there is something in it for the Polish nobility, then the Commonwealth may still be formed but the terms of the Union of Lublin ITTL may be modified depending on Janos.

If Janos still is a Catholic then he will definitely have more clout at King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Prince of Transylvania. The main concern in regard to children may not necessarily be with Maximiliana but with Janos. Janos, as you have mentioned, is connected to the Jagiellons through his mother.If I recall correctly, the Jagiellon males (historically) had worse luck than the females in regard to producing children. The future of the PLC will be affected either way but Janos having an heir will definitely shake things up. He did not have any kids in OTL but died young so, in my opinion, there is a possibility that children can result from the marriage.

As far as a revival of Lajos I's empire, I am not sure about that and would have to allow someone else to speak on that matter.
 
Was John Sigismund ever a realistic suitor for Elizabeth I?

Quite frankly, no. She never seemed to try for him and he never did try for her. In my scenario he did make a quick play, but ultimately even if he did want to he was ill-placed to succeed, even if he was made King of Poland.
 
Was John Sigismund ever a realistic suitor for Elizabeth I?

Nope, but Sigismund II made overtures relatively early on (1530s) to marry either Mary I or Lady Frances/Elinor Brandon, and before he married his 3rd wife, he enquired about the possibility of him marrying Liz.

But, on the subject of Sigismund, in a textbook I had a few years ago, it said that he was actually toying with the idea of going Henry VIII to divorce wife no. 3, by claiming the marriage was canonically unsound since wives 1&3 were sisters PLUS wife 3 had been another man's wife. Apparently the only reason he didn't was because his Katherine had the good sense to die before shit got real. Can you imagine the fustercluck Janos would be walking into if Sigismund had started breaking with Rome, declared himself head of the Polish church and then kicked off? (actually, on further thought, it could make an interesting TL, if Sigismund lives as long as his dad, and actually marries his Polish Jane Seymour as wife no 4)
 
Quite frankly, no. She never seemed to try for him and he never did try for her. In my scenario he did make a quick play, but ultimately even if he did want to he was ill-placed to succeed, even if he was made King of Poland.
There's just something interesting in that possibility had it actually existed.
 
There's just something interesting in that possibility had it actually existed.

As I pointed out, Sigismund DID attempt for an English wife, however London didn't seem TOO interested.

How might a Zapolya PLC impact the rest of Europe. For instance, Zykmund Vasa is born and probably still raised as Catholic, which means how might his rule in Sweden go without Poland to distract him?
 
The Lutheran Church was established in Sweden under Gustav I. A stronger focus can help Sigismund in Sweden but, if I recall correctly, the country was predominantly Protestant. His Catholic upbringing may end up being his undoing unless there is an earlier POD.
 
John II of Poland, Prince of Transylvania (b.1540: d.1584) m. Maximiliana Maria of Bavaria (b.1553: d.1614) (a)

1a) Sigismund III of Poland (b.1576: d.1630) m. Anna of Prussia and Jülich-Cleves-Berg (b.1576: d.1625) (a)

1a) Sigismund IV of Poland (b.1599) m. Claudia de' Medici (b.1604) (a)

1a) Anna Hedwig of Poland (b.1627)

2a) John III of Poland (b.1630)

3a) Ferdinand of Poland (b.1632: d.1633)

4a) Casimir of Poland (b.1634: d.1635)

5a) Stillborn Daughter (c.1637)

6a) Michael Augustus of Poland (b.1640)​

2a) Miscarriage (c.1601)

3a) Stillborn Son (c.1602)

4a) Isabella of Poland (b.1604: d.1608)

5a) John of Poland (b.1607: d.1659)

6a) Miscarriage (c.1609)​

2a) Louise of Poland (b.1580) m. Henri IV of France (b.1576: d.1604) (a)

1a) Marie Louise de Valois (b.1595) m. Leopold V, Archduke of Austria (b.1586: d.1632) (a)

1a) Francis, Archduke of Austria (b.1614)

2a) Maximilian, Archduke of Austria (b.1618)

3a) Eleanor of Austria (b.1620)

4a) Miscarriage (c.1623)

5a) Charles of Austria (b.1625: d.1626)

6a) Sigismund, Archduke of Austria (b.1627)

7a) Michelle Renata of Austria (b.1630)

8a) Miscarriage (c.1632)​

2a) Henri de Valois, Dauphin of France (b.1598: d.1603)

3a) Miscarriage (c.1600)

4a) Francis III of France (b.1603) m. Anne of Austria (b.1601: d.1666) (a)

1a) Miscarriage (c.1620)

2a) Louis XIII of France (b.1623)

3a) Miscarriage (c.1627)

4a) Philippe, Duke of Orleans (b.1630: d.1635)

5a) Marie Anne de Valois (b.1632)

6a) Miscarriage (c.1635)

7a) Charles, Duke of Orleans (b.1638)

8a) Margaret de Valois (b.1640)​

3a) Miscarriage (c.1583)​
 
The Lutheran Church was established in Sweden under Gustav I. A stronger focus can help Sigismund in Sweden but, if I recall correctly, the country was predominantly Protestant. His Catholic upbringing may end up being his undoing unless there is an earlier POD.

Well, I don't know about an earlier POD, but perhaps the mere fact that an Austrian archduchess is unavailable/unnecessary (yeah, she's Catholic, but Karl V showed exactly what the Habsburgs were willing to do for the Nordic kingdoms) candidate, means that he is to marry Christine of Holstein instead of his uncle. Christine seemed to be a rather shrewd operator from what I can make out, and plus, a king having OTL Wladyslaw IV's wiles and OTL Gustaf II's stubborness/bravery, could be cool. Or maybe he's still deposed, but due to Carl IX only having daughters, he and Christine's son and Carl IX's daughter are betrothed to keep things in the family. I mean, this isn't like with Erik XIV son, Gustaf, or Johan III's younger son where one could argue that they were born of a morganatic marriage (despite, IIRC, the concept didn't exist in Sweden at the time). Their mother is a bona fide princess who has connections to the Danish and several other royal families. So, most likely, even if they still depose Zykmund, they'll keep his son in place on the throne, and ensure he's raised Protestant. And as regent, a better bet would be his already Protestant sister, Anna, if she's still unmarried - OTL she considered a duke of Pomerania and was proposed to by the duke of Prussia and the elector of Brandenburg.

Though one wonders who Carl IX may marry in a situation where his OTL second wife is taken.
 
Carl IX certainly did not have a problem marrying women who were quite a bit younger than he was and I would suspect that this would still be the case ITTL. I'll have to do a bit of reading into it to come up with possibilities.
 
Top