Henry the Great.

[Jammy]

Personally, i don't like it that much, it seems to blocked with 4 squares

[Wyboy26]

Is a Brit myself, i've always wondered what the Black and Yellow cross flag is, even the Black and white cross.

Is it Wales or Cornwall?

[Quiet_Man]

Originally Posted by Wyboy26

Is a Brit myself, i've always wondered what the Black and Yellow cross flag is, even the Black and white cross.

Is it Wales or Cornwall?

Black and yellow is the St David cross. (Wales)

Black and white is the flag of Cornwall.

[Quiet_Man]

Originally Posted by Jammy

Personally, i don't like it that much, it seems to blocked with 4 squares

You may be right, how about this design?

[Quiet_Man]

(1638) The new Parliament building now was roofed and Henry ordered the dissolution of the English Parliament and summoning of the British Parliament by election.
Henry asked John Pym to negotiate with Richelieu on the proposed purchase of Nouvelle France.
Following an attempted treatment of Queen Maria Elisabet with ground mummy to cure her bouts of weakness and making her violently ill Henry threatens to revoke the charter of the Royal College of Physicians unless they could prove by efficacy the nature of their cures. Long having been a closed shop, the Physicians were forced to open their doors to scrutiny including the translation into plain English of many of their latinised texts including the London Pharmacoepia. In this Henry was aided and abetted by many young physicians and herbalists including Nicholas Culpeper who despite his belief in astrology believed that medicine was a public asset not a commercial secret, and that nature's medicine was universal and cheap and only physicians' medicines were expensive. He felt the use of Latin and high prices by doctors, lawyers and priests was a conspiracy to keep power and freedom away from the general public, saying "Three kinds of people mainly disease the people - priests, physicians and lawyers - priests disease matters belonging to their souls, physicians disease matters belonging to their bodies, and lawyers disease matters belonging to their estate". Many, Greek, Roman and Arabic texts were obtained and opened to scrutiny to see if the ancient lore could start providing answers. A young Doctor at this time noted that ether could cause drowsiness and sleep if inhaled through a linen pad, though at the time this was thought of no consequence.
The western Kings highway to Cardiff via Bristol and Gloucester is completed along with the southern Highway to Portsmouth.
Henry sends gifts to the Shogunate in Japan as Portugese priests and traders are ousted and Portuguese trading ships are banned from the country. The British and Dutch are allowed to remain to trade so long as they do not bring priests or otherwise proselytise in Japan after a series of revolts by Roman Catholic converts. These gifts include a musket with walnut stock, inlaid with gold and mother of pearl with all metal exposed parts plated in silver, to the Shogun Iemitsu.

Henry decides to use the old Palace of Westminster as a national library “To equal or exceed any other library today or in antiquity.” A team is assembled to sort out any tomes acquired and instructions are given to all trading companies to purchase in the name of the crown any rare or precious books that could be found.

Wilhelm Schickard demonstrates his calculating machine to amazed mathematicians in London.

In Japan A peasant uprising (the Shimabara Uprising), in which Christians take a leading role, takes place on the Shimabara Pensinsula of Kyūshū. It is estimated that of the 37,000 people who took part, only about 100 escaped alive.

The Danish Swedish war is now at a total stalemate, both monarchs accept Henry’s offer to mediate and to abide by his decisions.

A small Dutch colony is set up on Van Diemen's Land (OTL Tasmania) The Dutch are aware of Australia but as yet have not fully mapped it or found any useable harbours.
The Dutch also approach Henry in his dealings with Denmark and Sweden to see if there is any possibility in a mutual defence treaty.

The Franco Spanish war continues to go badly for Spain as French armies lay siege to Turin and defeat a relief force to the city. The only fly in the French ointment is the events unfolding in the HRE, Wallenstein has raised an army and is now moving towards the fortress of Breisach on the Rhine. The intentions of Ferdinand III are not known to Richelieu or indeed Philip of Spain.
Irish immigration to France has now topped 200,000 (over the last 13 years), with Scottish highlander immigration at a modest 8,000.

[DAv]

Things are looking good for Britain at this point. Influence in the baltic, a growing friend in the Japanese and its two greatest enemies tearing themselves apart. With more colonies abroad, it would seem that a strong British Empire is a given...

[Alratan]

Although perhaps a little busy, how about a slight modification of Quiet man's flag, altered for more unity:



or even:



as whilst black and gold are historically St David's colours, their position on the flag seems to be a more modern invention.

[David bar Elias]

Very interesting TL. I'll be interested to see where this goes....

[arctic warrior]

Both Christian IV and Gustav should by now be in a position ready to partake in peace talks. Both Britain and the Dutch wanted free movement in the Baltic considered a "lake" by Denmark. Probably Henry will be able to talk his most loved uncle into letting protestant ships into the Baltic in return for future arbiting by Britain and the Dutch in Scandinavian matters and some naval agreement in the Caribbean. And no rise of Sound Toll accepted! Christian saw himself as the possible replacement of the Catholic Emperor - this stalemate could just have made him make up his mind.

[Quiet_Man]

(1638) Louis XIII has a son, also called Louis.

(1639) Some British army regiments of foot were now being equipped with a lighter musket which did not require the use of a shooting stick.
The British army also adopted from the Swedes the use of the paper cartridge method of reloading their muskets. A musketeer was equipped with a cartridge box that contained pre-made rounds of powder and ball. The musketeer would grab a cartridge from the box, then bite down on the ball and tear the cartridge open. He would pinch off a small amount of powder in the cartridge and pour the remainder into the muzzle of his musket. The remaining powder was placed into the pan. The ball was retrieved from his teeth and placed into the muzzle. Then he rammed the ball down the barrel until it was well seated into the chamber. The musketeer then fired his weapon as before. The Swedish/British combination of lighter, handier muskets, with paper cartridges, and salvo tactics enabled the musketeers to reload at one-minute intervals.
The British army now practiced with a variety of methods of volley fire.

The Royal canal is finally finished; British shipping can now dock at Avonmouth and unload cargoes for London onto barges towed by horse. This greatly reduces the risk to merchant shipping from piracy as it no longer has to traverse the English Channel which despite the efforts of the British navy is still troubled by such incidents.

Henry resolves the Danish Swedish war in a satisfactory way to both parties. The Danes had taken severe casualties in southern Sweden and the Swedes were trapped in Poland by Danish warships. The peace Henry proposed was a return to a state of status quo ante bellum, with Sweden guaranteeing the integrity of the Danish/Norwegian holdings in return for Denmark forgoing the Sound toll to Swedish shipping. Henry also requested that all four leaders of the Protestant North gather in Oslo to discuss mutual concerns regarding France, Spain and the HRE. Henry after representations by Gustav of Sweden about New World colonies was blunt in that he intended to see North America as a British fief. He did however offer to Gustav the location of OTL Sydney Australia, this was accepted and Gustav his Kingdom now at peace arranged for a colonial fleet to set forth for “New Sweden.”

British negotiations with France for the sale of Nouvelle France are successful, for the paltry sum of £300,000 Britain now controls the eastern seaboard of northern America with the sole exception of Florida. The war between England and France is ended at the same time, though not the constant privateering of British vessels against French merchantmen.

Representatives from some of the larger settlements in North America approach the regional governors to request the redrawing of colony boundaries in that proper representation of local governance can be achieved.

The Japanese Shogun sends gifts to Henry in thanks and hopes of a more tranquil relationship between their nations. One of these gifts is a samurai sword which impresses Henry immensely as it’s superiority to western swords is plainly obvious. Henry contacts the traders involved and asks that they attempt to purchase more if possible for use by his cavalry.

In Sheffield a local metalsmith attaches a series of bellows connected to “branca” turbines onto a smelter, the iron produced as a result of the higher temperatures involved is of a far higher quality than had previously been produced.

The Dutch continue to expand into the Spanish Netherlands settling on a border of the Maas and Scheldt rivers. The French inform them, “this far and no further!”

Denmark freed from its involvement with Sweden expands its holdings in the Caribbean and also founds some outposts on the Gold Coast mostly to acquire slaves for sugar plantations.

A large colonial fleet from Sweden sets out for New Sweden, The British navy escorts them through the English Channel and south past Portugal.

The Franco Spanish war bogs down again, with many French regiments being diverted north to cover the HRE army massing on the Rhine. The Spanish manage a minor breakthrough in Northern Italy to relieve the siege of Turin, though not enough to drive the French away from the area.

[pompejus]

Originally Posted by Quiet_Man

The Dutch continue to expand into the Spanish Netherlands settling on a border of the Maas and Scheldt rivers. The French inform them, “this far and no further!”

I don't realy understand this comment as both river run more or less from south to the north. Are you saying that all of the southern Netherlands are now Dutch except Flanders? is the meuse river the eastern border? Or is it another western border with all of Guelders and Limburg now Dutch?

[Quiet_Man]

Originally Posted by pompejus

I don't realy understand this comment as both river run more or less from south to the north. Are you saying that all of the southern Netherlands are now Dutch except Flanders? is the meuse river the eastern border? Or is it another western border with all of Guelders and Limburg now Dutch?

Pretty much so yes, if you look on a map you'll see the rivers curve in an east west alignment as they head towards their source, that's the new border. Red Line marks the border.

[Jammy]

Originally Posted by Quiet_Man

The Japanese Shogun sends gifts to Henry in thanks and hopes of a more tranquil relationship between their nations. One of these gifts is a samurai sword which impresses Henry immensely as it’s superiority to western swords is plainly obvious. Henry contacts the traders involved and asks that they attempt to purchase more if possible for use by his cavalry.

interesting, i wonder who that will develop . . .

[Quiet_Man]

Territory map North America Circa 1638 Henry's timeline

[pompejus]

Originally Posted by Quiet_Man

Pretty much so yes, if you look on a map you'll see the rivers curve in an east west alignment as they head towards their source, that's the new border. Red Line marks the border.

Does that mean they also advanced into the neutral bishopric of Liege?

[Quiet_Man]

Originally Posted by pompejus

Does that mean they also advanced into the neutral bishopric of Liege?

Yes, the Dutch have just fought a long defensive battle against the Spanish and are looking to expand a little from their old lines. This will lead to trouble at some stage which is why they are trying to get the British, Danish and Swedes interested in a defensive alliance.

[DAv]

I'm looking forward to when Henry hears about Ninjas. HMS RNS (Royal Ninja Squad).

[Quiet_Man]

Originally Posted by DAv

I'm looking forward to when Henry hears about Ninjas. HMS RNS (Royal Ninja Squad).

Interesting If it wasn't for the current Japanese ban on any Japanese citizen leaving the Home islands I'd think a little cross cultural pollination would be seriously weird.

[Quiet_Man]

Originally Posted by Alratan

Although perhaps a little busy, how about a slight modification of Quiet man's flag, altered for more unity:



or even:



as whilst black and gold are historically St David's colours, their position on the flag seems to be a more modern invention.

I'm thinking of using this one

[Jammy]

Originally Posted by Quiet_Man

I'm thinking of using this one

I like that actually, looking like that its quite nice