And Down Went James

[Kynan]

The death of the King of Scotland and the Duke of Ross in March of 1498 was such a blow to Anglo-Scottish relations that it would take 50 years before they would once again stabilize. Now, that isn’t to say Henry VII of England had his recent allies killed, but that that narrative would be used by their real killer, their younger brother.

John Stewart, Earl of Mar is a mystery to history prior to this major historical event that thrust him into power, but all evidence points to the murders having been his doing. He stood to inherit the throne, he would actively oppose good relations with England throughout his reign, instilling an anti-English sentiment so effectively that it would take his grandchildren to extend the olive branch. In the letter that most damns him, William Stanley, the man who claimed to have killed the King and his brother, he claimed a “Sir Robert”, not an Englishman, had ordered the killings, and considering the Earl of Mar would sign himself Robert from 1498 forwards, it’s entirely possible he used his future royal name as one to hide his identity.

 

[VVD0D95]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Hopefully the earl of Mar (John II?) marries Charlotte of Naples like the French offered to James IV to prevent an English match. That could be fun...

 

[leopard9]

So what exactly is the POD here? And what are the initial implications? I've no knowledge of the history of Scotland.

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

So what exactly is the POD here? And what are the initial implications? I've no knowledge of the history of Scotland.

Guessing the POD is that James IV is at the fatal dinner after which his mistress (Marian Boyd?) and her sister died, OTL. Dunno why the duke of Ross died, but I guess we'll find out in due course.

 

[Kynan]

The death of James IV of Scotland allowed his 19 year old brother to rise to the throne, and in an act that rocked the political world, he refused to honour his brother’s betrothal to Margaret Tudor, instead beginning negotiations with the Count of Candale for the hand of his daughter, Anne of Foix-Candale. It was a move to renew the Auld Alliance, between Scotland and France, and as a woman closely related to the French royal family, it was the best match possible.

Officially, John Stewart, now formally known as King Robert IV, claimed that he could not, in good faith, marry Margaret Tudor, and to add insult to injury, claimed he, as a King, “should not marry the Earl of Richmond’s daughter by a King’s bastard”. With this, he had begun to shape his reputation as the monarch against the Tudors, and as France was pursuing a similar course, but against the Spanish, it was a good choice. For now.

A wedding by proxy would be celebrated in July, and in late September, the new Queen of Scotland arrived, along with 10 ladies of repute from Navarre and France as her ladies-in-waiting, and a letter from Margaret of York, the Dowager Duchess of Burgundy, in which she thanked him for continuing to support her nephews in England (the Earl of Warwick and Perkin Warbeck, in pretence as Richard of York, as Richard IV of England). It has been suggested that Margaret hoped Robert IV of Scotland might invade England and place either Perkin or, if he was to be set aside, Warwick as King. With the death of her stepdaughter’s husband, Juan of Spain, she even wrote that “I am sad that timing has fallen short, for you might have been my son.”.

The official line on the double homicide of James IV of Scotland and James Stewart, Duke of Ross goes as follows: on the 7th of March, the King and the elder of his brothers went on a hunt, while visiting the King’s mistress, Margaret Drummond, and a female friend, who may or may not have also been the Duke of Ross’ mistress. Regardless, while the women stayed home, the two men went out with a small party of 5, including themselves. The two separated from the group, and were found at least an hour later, throats cut. The culprit was discovered, by the hunting companions, to be two peasant men, presumed to be Englishmen, unnamed in all logs. The hunting party would kill both on sight.

Now, the official line was contradicted by reports made at the time and the damning letter of William Stanley. For one, the original story given was rogue Scottish peasants, while later versions of the story were firm that the men were English in origin. One report, obviously fabricated, claimed it was a move by the French to establish bad faith with the Spanish, and another claimed it was done in the name of the Earl of Warwick, somehow. This, more than anything, seems to have been the thing that made the new King’s own version so plausible, once he established his own version of events and made them known, he did not waver.

As a King, Robert began his reign, outside of domestic policy, but moving to mobilise his country to war. Although he made to official moves to actually instigate war, he did antagonise his neighbours to the North, and with the betrothal of Margaret Tudor to the heir apparent to Denmark, Christian of Denmark. The loss of the Danish alliance with Scotland was something that frustrated King Robert, but with assurances that the Danish King would not interfere with “any issues not pertaining to themselves”, he went ahead with his plans against England.

The court of the new King was described as wild, and skewing young. His brother may have been a young man, but Robert IV was younger, and more brash. It’s said that his court only stopped their fun for church, and that half the time mass was cut early to make way for more fun and games. However, the playful attitude hid a depth for this monarch, and the King’s end goal was to mobilise Scotland into a warring state, a nation ready for battle. He might be having his fun now, but it was a soldier’s fun, partying hard before the work began.

 

[Kynan]

In England, the news surrounding the ascendency of Robert IV of Scotland was shocking and unsettling. After all this time, Henry VII of England was finding his careful planning to receive recognition internationally was on the verge of collapse. Rumours swirled that the Catholic Majesties were having second thought about sending their youngest daughter to marry his son, and with Scotland apparently allying with France to invade, the King of England wanted it all just not to implode. While the betrothal between the Princess Margaret and the Prince of Denmark meant further recognition, it all felt a little off, and when riots began in Northern England in the name of the Earl of Warwick, he knew times were not right to keep the Yorkist Prince alive. Thus, Perkin Warbeck and the Earl of Warwick were executed in May of 1499, and with that, Henry’s main rival in England was dead.

But not forgotten. As news spread about the double execution, where both men were apparently beheaded, reports differed as to the charges. Some suggested the young men had attempted to escape their imprisonment, others that they were plotting treason. One traveller, however, seems to have hit the closest when he wrote to the Count of Foix:

“The men in the tower were behead yesterday, for the crime of living inconveniently.”

Now, this might have been the perfect time to start for war with England, but the Scottish King was not a stupid man. He had no heir yet, his army was still in shambles, and while he did have a successor present in the Duke of Albany, officially welcomed to the Edinburgh court in late May, it was not the right time to attack England. Instead, he privately sent money to the Northern rebels, and when the June Rebellion began, England saw itself beginning to tear apart.

It was rumoured that his new Queen was pregnant immediately after arriving in 1498, but considering that (a) she was very young and (b) no actual records suggest even the possibility of pregnancy until May of 1499, and nothing can be confirmed until June of that year, when Anne was allowed three weeks absence from the court’s activities for “health reasons”. It’s likely that, with the beginning of mourning sickness, the young woman was given leave, and it’s possible her first trimester was difficult, as she would take frequent trips to manors away from Edinburgh, probably to escape the high energy, rambunctious court.

As a young man, it’s no surprise that the King took a mistress, particularly one close to his own age. His wife was a very young woman of good breeding but very young, and despite her position as a soon-to-be mother, the Queen was not treated with much respect as to her maturity. One ambassador to England called her “spoilt and little”, but a less biased gentleman described her position perfectly:

“The Queen Anne is little in stature, little in respect and big in pride. If she was not swollen with child, you’d think her one herself. As it is, the King prefers others much better.”

Anne was thus replaced in her husband’s bed by one Janet Kennedy, a former mistress of the Earl of Angus. While her position was known to those who cared to know, the King’s wife might have not even been aware of her presence. The new mistress was discreet, quiet and, most importantly, respectful of the Queen’s position above her. The Lady Janet might have the King’s loins, but Anne of Foix-Candale had his legitimate child growing in her belly.

The royal position of Anne of Foix-Candale was made much surer by her pregnancy, and if she was still very young and a bit immature, she also was beginning to show some of the traits that were to make her famous. A natural actress, she had a talent for the quiet theatrical, and as her pregnancy went on, she was as having dizzy spells any time it seemed helpful. This included: an angry meeting with the English Ambassador, that her spell allowed her husband to cut short, a time in which it’s suspected she did so to embarrass her husband’s mistress, and a variety of times done to shorten mass.

Amongst the young men at court, one stood by the Queen as a beacon of the French alliance that had brought her there, and that was the Duke of Albany. John Stewart, who at one point had shared a name with the King, was probably the man who escorted the new Queen of Scotland to Edinburgh, although officially he did not join the court until May of 1499, for various political reasons. As the new King’s next in line, Albany was a powerful political player. Very young, he seems not to have had the same mania for blood sport and war as his fellow Scottish courtiers, and for some, it was though he might be the Queen’s lover. However, her pregnancy was a point of proof she slept with the King, and no one truly wanted to anger the King by insulting his bride.

 

[VVD0D95]

Intriguing, the shenanigans continue

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

mourning sickness

Who died?

Also, who's gonna be wedding Wladyslaw of Hungary & Bohemia? Marge of Austria would be fun, but Germaine de Foix was apparently being considered for Jan Olbracht/Wlad.

 

[Kynan]

The birth of a Duke of Rothesay in late February seems to have come prematurely, but regardless, the child lived. Little Robert Stewart, heir to Scotland was born not in Edinburgh, but in a manor outside the city, after his mother had moved from the bustle of her husband’s court in the last months of her pregnancy. It seems the plan had been to return, probably in March, for a public lying in, but even then, the royal couple seems to have been at least a month off the conception date regardless. But with an heir, the King of Scotland was emboldened. And, writing to his closest ally, the Dowager Duchess of Burgundy, he proved he had plans.

England, weakened by months of spreading unrest, was ill equipped when, shortly after the birth of the Duke of Rothesay, Robert IV of Scotland began a slow and deliberate march into England, backed by thousands of men. While still not a match for England in terms of numbers, Robert brought an army of men almost two years into training, ready for battle. The results were, initially, disastrous for England.

While the King of England rose to battle once again, nominally leaving his son in the Regency seat, with Margaret Beaufort in the actual power, his wife left the court with the three younger children: the Duke of York, Henry Tudor, the Princess Mary and the Duke of Somerset, Edmund Tudor. The decision to split the royal family in two seem to have come from the Queen. Simply put, she wanted the ability to easily escape if England fell to the Scots, and unlike her mother, she was unwilling to escape to Sanctuary if she could leave elsewhere. With two of her sisters there to act as support, she was willing to do what it took to save at least the younger children. Margaret Tudor had to be left to act as Lady to the Court, and Elizabeth easily claimed illness kept her and the children in the country.

Meanwhile, Anne of Foix-Candale struggled herself, although not with the fear that she might lose her child. In fact, her biggest problem was that she was trapped with hers. If her visits to the country manors had been meant to keep the quiet away, living with the Duke of Rothesay even for the first few months of his life were a trial she was not apt to enjoy. Neither she nor the Prince were strong, and thus, while they both recovered from the ordeal of childbirth, Anne was forced into closer confines with her child than she might have otherwise enjoyed. Now, this isn’t to say the Queen wasn’t grateful to have a living son, or that she wasn’t maternal toward little Robert. But for a young woman, desperate to rest after giving birth, the noise of a baby crying led to her to decry children altogether in a letter to her brother, and several after him.

But the worries of a sick woman wasn’t the major issue for Scotland, as by August, it seemed they were winning the war. Each battle took more and more land, and, perhaps in haste, Robert IV of Scotland declared himself to have won England. However, the man seems to have shied away from claiming England in his own right, instead looking for a potential puppet, naming Edmund de la Pole as the “True King” of England. Given that de le Pole was the Earl of Suffolk and had, at least nominally, accepted the Tudors as the true dynasty was irrelevant to the Scottish King’s plans.

 

[Kynan]

The arrival of Catalina of Aragon had been planned for 1501, but as the date for her departure drew closer, the likelihood for the Princess of Aragon and Castile leaving for a war torn England seemed less and less likely. Simply put, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain weren’t of the mind to put their daughter in danger in the hands of a King currently losing a war for his own country. They didn’t necessarily end the betrothal, but it’s important to note that, for the first time in years, they were considering elsewhere for their youngest daughter, even to the point where there was talk of her taking over the Prince of Denmark, which would doubly act as a blow to England.

Henry VII of England, meanwhile, wasn’t enjoying the world falling apart around him. His youngest son was still ill from an illness the previous year, the eldest was writing letters begging him to join the war against Scotland, and if he didn’t do something quick, he was going to lose his crown and his probably his life. Thus, he wrote to the Queen, with instructions that, should the war fall not in England’s favour, she was to take the younger children to Navarre, then travel to the court of the Spanish, where he hoped they might find an ally.

Speaking of Navarre, there was an offer made from the King of Hungary and Bohemia for the hand of Germaine de Foix or the Princess Anne of Navarre, although it was heavily inferred the elder Germaine was the preferred bride. The Queen of Navarre wasn’t against the match, particularly since the Count of Étampes, son of the man who had claimed her throne, would have to pay the dowry. Thus, she graciously allowed Germaine de Foix to become Queen of Hungary. The King of Hungary, happy to finally have a bride he was sure would produce a son, agreed to pay for her travels to Buda, where he was currently residing.

In Scotland, the Queen had set about reforming the court while her husband warred. At 17, she had a heightened sense of propriety that may have come from her sudden realisation that her husband had a mistress in the form of Janet Kennedy. Granted, this knowledge didn’t change much in theory, but for the young woman, it meant she became increasingly prickly about her position. Thus, the Queen of Scotland created “the First Chamber”, which formalised who had access to her at any time. In short, it only allowed married courtiers of ancient noble blood to visit her during certain times, although even she added a clause that allowed others to enter during most of the day. Now, this couldn’t be put into effect without the consent of the King, but at the very least, the Queen was using this useless rule to begin to isolate her husband’s mistress while she was alone in Edinburgh.

In Poland, much to their joy, John Albert I of Poland and his Queen, Helena of Moscow, were able to announce a pregnancy of their own early in the year, and in September, their first and only child, Casimir Jagiellon, was born. With a son finally born, the two made generous donations to the Church, and the Prince of Poland was greeted warmly by most, although the King’s brothers were not necessarily happy for him. In fact, his younger brother Alexander went and got married, to prove his own fertility. Granted it was also a political move, as he married Maria Evdochia, a daughter of the Prince of Moldavia, possibly illegitimate. In addition, Alexander Jagiellon brought his younger sister Elizabeth Jagiellon to marry a son of the Moldavian Prince, Mircea, apparently secreting her out from Poland, where she had come to join her brother John Albert. Regardless, the plan was to displace the King of Poland and put Alexander on the throne, gifting large swatches of land to Stephen III of Moldavia.

In England, Robert IV of Scotland found himself stuck. He’d taken most of Northern England, but his army was thinning and growing wary of marching. Even success can’t feed an army, and thus, he did not know what to do. 18 months into the war, he suddenly saw the tide threaten to turn from him. And thus, he demanded a truce. He wanted England to kneel to him, but knew that he might have to try again later. He would receive an incredibly large chunk of Northern England, and in return, he promised at least 10 years of peace. That would have to be enough for now.

 

[Kynan]

The death of Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, in early 1502 has been put down to tuberculosis, and with him, the Spanish match died too. So soon after losing as much of his country as he had, Henry VII of England was distraught. He may have two sons still living, but if Arthur could die, so could Henry or Edmund. And thus, once it was clear that Catalina of Aragon would never marry the new Prince of Wales, the King saw that he needed a new bride for his new Prince of Wales. While the Duke of Burgundy seemed outwardly eager to marry his daughter to the future King of England, he also demanded the stability of the country before he even considered it, and in 1502, England was not a stable place. The country blamed it’s King for losing so much land, and when Edmund de le Pole fled the country, he claimed the King wanted him dead. Which was true, but Henry VII of England wasn’t planning on assassinating the Earl of Suffolk, but taking his head for treason.

De la Pole would arrive in Edinburgh with his wife in tow, welcomed by the King of Scotland. The Lady Margaret, his wife, joined the Queen of Scotland as her guest, and Robert IV would announce them to the court as “King and Queen of England, Lord and Lady of Ireland”. While he did promise to set them up with a court of their own while Scotland prepared for the next war with England, he did suggest that they travel to France, to request the aid of the French King. It was a ploy to get out of paying for a second court, but it also had the effect of placing pressure on the French King to ensure that he had support to attack England again.

In Spain, with the plans for England dead and gone, the Catholic Monarchs overrode the English King and, in August, Catalina of Aragon was married, by proxy, to Christian of Denmark. Once again, Margaret Tudor had been stilted, and Catalina would travel to meet her husband as the year ended, taking on the new name “Katharine of Aragon”, in an attempt to integrate herself to her new people. Young, pretty and pious, the new Princess managed to integrate herself well with her new family, finding that her 21 year old husband found his 17 year old bride delightful. Katharine, meanwhile, began the process of learning Danish, hoping to impress.

England was in a state of minor crisis. Margaret Tudor, yet again jilted, was now offered once again to any major royal in Europe, with very few answers even suggesting positivity. It’s not that people weren’t interested in a match with England, but that there wasn’t many major royals available. Margaret was offered as a bride for the Count of Angouleme, which was considered, but until the French King had a son, he was wary of marrying his heir to anyone but his young daughter, Claude of France. Spain had no sons, as neither did Portugal, and it seemed hopeless. However, as the Queen of England would remind her husband, their daughter was young, and there was plenty of time to find her a husband.

In Scotland, the Duke of Rothesay was having less trouble on the marriage market, as the King looked for the best possible option internationally. While his goal was for Claude of France or a potential sister, that was one of many potential wives for his son, and Robert was shown to be particularly interested in French heiress Anne de La Tour d’Auvergne, if not for his son, then for his cousin, the Duke of Albany. Another young Princess considered for the Prince of Scotland was a Princess of Navarre, possibly either the Princess Catherine or the Princess Quiteria.

The Polish/Moldavian War began as the year ended, and to the surprise of John Albert, his brother in Hungary soon joined, on his side. While Vladislaus II of Hungry and Bohemia might not have been fully over his brother’s attempt to steal his Kingdom, they both agreed that Alexander was being ridiculous. The King of Hungary left his new wife in Buda, where she sat, hopefully pregnant.

 

[Kynan]

The Moldavian War was bloody, and it was probably the war that ended Moldavia as it had been known. Where Stephen VIII of Moldavia could easily defeat the powers of the King of Poland, who struggled to control his own country, the triple power of John Albert Jaigellon, Vladislaus Jaigellon and Sigismund Jaigellon, who was voted in as Grand Duke of Lithuania in lieu of Alexander, meant that even Stephen’s previously successful strategies were unable to match the sheer numbers. And thus, when he was betrayed by his only legitimate son, Bodgan. Bodgan managed to split the already small army in two, and in August of 1503, he surrendered on the condition that Poland, Lithuania and Hungary support his accession to the throne. It was readily accepted and, on the 18th of November, 1503, Stephen VIII of Moldavia was defeated completely and imprisoned by the King of Poland, along with Alexander Jaigellon, who was officially stripped of any titles he might still have had, and Mircea of Moldavia, who was to die shortly after capture, leaving Elisabeth Jaigellon wedded but not bedded, and thus, as a reward for turning to them, Bodgan was allowed to marry his brother’s widow.

Each of the remaining Jaigellon brothers would return home to various good news. The King of Hungary and Bohemia’s wife had, while he had been gone, given birth to a daughter, named Elisabeth, after his mother. Sigismund found himself now able to fully enjoy his position as Grand Duke of Lithuania, and in an effort to make himself better liked by the Lithuanian peoples, he married Anna Žygimantaitis, granddaughter of Michael Žygimantaitis, possibly illegitimate. The match, however, had the desired effect, and even if he looked to bring a distinctly foreign influence into the country, it wasn’t one that was unheard of for the Lithuanian people. For John Albert, the good news was that, not only was his son doing well, but he also had a new found respect amongst those who had once doubted him. It wasn’t enough to make him beloved, but the King was now, suddenly, taken seriously. Even Alexander, having lost everything on a gamble, found his new situation somewhat enjoyable. His wife, while no longer bringing him the alliance he had wanted, would give birth to a daughter named Maria, before travelling with her to Poland, where she begged to be installed with her husband. The request was granted, and the three would create an almost idyllic state in their gilded prison.

In Scotland, life was not nearly as clean cut. While war had officially ended with England, they had welcomed the Earl of Suffolk with open arms, and as he returned from France, empty handed and asking about that court Robert had promised, the King of Scotland suddenly seemed to realise that, yes, he had promised to pay this man’s way through the rest of his life. As a fellow King.

His Queen, meanwhile, found herself equally annoyed at the situation, although for completely different reasons. If Robert had to pay financially, Anne of Foix-Candale paid with her ears. For Margaret de la Pole, feeling herself the Frenchborn Princess’ social peer, felt the need to talk endlessly, and to painstakingly discuss the minute details of each day. Granted, she wasn’t rude, and seemed fully aware that, while theoretically she was at the same level as the Queen, in practicality she was a hanger on, she refused to allow that to ruin her days in Edinburgh. And thus, in May, the “English Court” was formed and sent away to Perth, where the King of Scotland gave them a castle, and a note not to spend too much. And remember, when de la Pole was King, he must pay back every bit of this. During this time, the Queen of Scotland laboured through a particulary difficult pregnancy, giving birth on the 7th of September. The birth of a second son to the Scottish royal family, named James Stewart, was celebrated happily by the King.

However, if Robert was annoyed he had to deal with the Earl of Suffolk, Henry VII was furious that the twat was still alive, much less returned from a trip to France. While he knew France was not in alliance with Scotland and thus nominally in support of de la Pole, he saw no reason why they couldn’t simply send the bastard home. Granted, he had been in the same position in France prior to taking the throne, but this was different. It wasn’t him. And, to top it off, his attempts to bring along the betrothal between Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales and Eleanor of Burgundy were falling short. The King of England was on thin ice in terms of England, and even if he righted it, his son might too lose his balance. Granted, there was still time, but he to deal with his fears for the future, Henry VII of England needed someone on his side. And the perfect opportunity arose when the Duke of Savoy died, and his brother thus ascended to the ducal throne. Young, unattached and eager for a bride, the King of England, in an uncharacteristic move, eagerly put his daughter forward for his bride. And, since marrying a pretty girl with a fat dowry was appealing, he accepted. The terms were still being drawn out as the year ended, but it at least now, England was getting somewhere.