WI: Mary Tudor's French match succeeds?
- Thread starter ranichi17
- Start date
A better French match could be arranged a few years later.
In the later half of 1520s Cardinal Wolsey, Henry's chief adviser, resumed marriage negotiations with the French, and Henry suggested that Mary marry the Dauphin's father, King Francis I himself, who was eager for an alliance with England.
A marriage treaty was signed which provided that Mary marry either widowed Francis I (Claude of France diedin 1524) or his second son Henry, Duke of Orleans, but Wolsey secured an alliance with France without the marriage.
So in 1530, 14 year old, Mary marries 11 year old, Prince Henry, Duke of Orleans.
She gives him an heir and spares, ranging from 1535, up until his death in 1559.
With the son being any age up to 24 years old, Mary could play a big influence in his life and depending on how the rest of Henry VIII of England's reign goes, you could see a union of the two kingdoms.
In the later half of 1520s Cardinal Wolsey, Henry's chief adviser, resumed marriage negotiations with the French, and Henry suggested that Mary marry the Dauphin's father, King Francis I himself, who was eager for an alliance with England.
A marriage treaty was signed which provided that Mary marry either widowed Francis I (Claude of France diedin 1524) or his second son Henry, Duke of Orleans, but Wolsey secured an alliance with France without the marriage.
So in 1530, 14 year old, Mary marries 11 year old, Prince Henry, Duke of Orleans.
She gives him an heir and spares, ranging from 1535, up until his death in 1559.
With the son being any age up to 24 years old, Mary could play a big influence in his life and depending on how the rest of Henry VIII of England's reign goes, you could see a union of the two kingdoms.
Francis I could marry Mary instead of Eleanor of Austria, what needs to happen is that Francis needs to support Henry VIII against Charles V so that Henry VIII can get the divorce for himself and have Mary Tudor swear off her claims to the English throne.
Union of the two kingdoms during both countries' religious wars wouldn't be a very good omen, I mean, look at the St Barthelemy massacre... It could only get worse.
If you get a Frenglish PU, then Scotland is completely screwed short-term. North America will be totally under their control, so a massive source of power. The Italian Wars might even last longer than OTL.
Mary would never swear off her claim and even if she was forced to, the Catholics in England, would still fight to have their "rightful" queen on the throne.
But in the mind of these two monarchs, they are the true leaders of their faith and need to control their countries under the Catholic faith. Look at OTL Mary I when she had during her five-year reign, over 280 religious dissenters burned at the stake.
The TL would see the united French and English Catholics, even stronger.
But if Mary marries Francis I, it would mean that he would support the divorce of Catherine to Henry VIII and a remarriage and divorce would happen for Henry VIII and Mary would be sidelined taking care of her children..unless the children of Claude still die in male line like in OTL.
Why does Mary marrying Francis I, mean he has to support the divorce?
Doesn't a king marrying Mary, enforce that he believes in her legitimacy?
Having children, does not mean that, Queen Mary, can't claim the English throne, if anything, she would fight more, for her son Henri's right to her father's country.
1518: Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales is born.
1530: Mary Tudor marries Francis III of Brittany, the Dauphin of France.
1534: The 16 year old Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales, dies of an unknown illness.
1535: Mary Tudor becomes pregnant for the first time and gives birth to Catherine de Valois.
1536: Catherine of Aragon dies at the age of 50. Soon after, her daughter is made a widow as the Duke of Brittany dies of a mysterious illness. This causes her to suffer a miscarriage of her second child, which the midwives said would have been a son and heir. Her daughter, Catherine de Valois, is now Catherine I of Brittany. Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset dies, unmarried.
1537: Henry VIII of England marries the Infanta Maria of Portugal.
1539: Henry VIII of England and Maria of Portugal welcome their first child, Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales.
1540: Henry VIII of England welcomes a second son, named Edmund Tudor and he is created the Duke of York.
1541: Mary Tudor accepts independently, the proposal of Luis, Duke of Beja in Portugal. She travels without her daughter to meet with her new husband and would enjoy her third child, giving birth to a son named Duarte of Beja.
1543: Maria of Portugal becomes pregnant for a third and final time, giving birth to a third, short-lived son named Henry Tudor, who before his death in December, is made the Duke of Clarence.
1546: Mary Tudor gives birth for a final time, this time with a daughter, named Isabella Magdalena of Beja.
1547: Henry VIII dies at the age of 55, leaving a widow with 2 sons.
1550: Mary Tudor dies at the age of 34.
Henry VIII of England (b.1491: d.1547) m. Catherine of Aragon (b.1485: d.1536) (a), Maria of Portugal (b.1521: d.1555) (b)
1530: Mary Tudor marries Francis III of Brittany, the Dauphin of France.
1534: The 16 year old Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales, dies of an unknown illness.
1535: Mary Tudor becomes pregnant for the first time and gives birth to Catherine de Valois.
1536: Catherine of Aragon dies at the age of 50. Soon after, her daughter is made a widow as the Duke of Brittany dies of a mysterious illness. This causes her to suffer a miscarriage of her second child, which the midwives said would have been a son and heir. Her daughter, Catherine de Valois, is now Catherine I of Brittany. Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset dies, unmarried.
1537: Henry VIII of England marries the Infanta Maria of Portugal.
1539: Henry VIII of England and Maria of Portugal welcome their first child, Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales.
1540: Henry VIII of England welcomes a second son, named Edmund Tudor and he is created the Duke of York.
1541: Mary Tudor accepts independently, the proposal of Luis, Duke of Beja in Portugal. She travels without her daughter to meet with her new husband and would enjoy her third child, giving birth to a son named Duarte of Beja.
1543: Maria of Portugal becomes pregnant for a third and final time, giving birth to a third, short-lived son named Henry Tudor, who before his death in December, is made the Duke of Clarence.
1546: Mary Tudor gives birth for a final time, this time with a daughter, named Isabella Magdalena of Beja.
1547: Henry VIII dies at the age of 55, leaving a widow with 2 sons.
1550: Mary Tudor dies at the age of 34.
Henry VIII of England (b.1491: d.1547) m. Catherine of Aragon (b.1485: d.1536) (a), Maria of Portugal (b.1521: d.1555) (b)
1a) Stillborn Girl (c.1510)
2a) Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales (b.1511: d.1511)
3a) Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales (b.1513: d.1513)
4a) Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales (b.1515: d.1515)
5a) Mary Tudor (b.1516) m. Francis III of Brittany, Dauphin of France (b.1518: d.1536) (a), Luis of Portugal, Duke of Beja (b.1506: d.1555) (b)
6a) Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales (b.1518: d.1514)
7b) Edward VI of England (b.1539) m. Elisabeth de Valois (b.1545)
8b) Edmund Tudor, Duke of York (b.1540) m. Renata of Lorraine (b.1544) (a)
9b) Henry Tudor, Duke of Clarence (b.1543: d.1543)
2a) Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales (b.1511: d.1511)
3a) Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales (b.1513: d.1513)
4a) Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales (b.1515: d.1515)
5a) Mary Tudor (b.1516) m. Francis III of Brittany, Dauphin of France (b.1518: d.1536) (a), Luis of Portugal, Duke of Beja (b.1506: d.1555) (b)
1a) Catherine de Valois, I of Brittany (b.1534)
2a) Miscarriage (c.1536)
3a) Duarte of Beja (b.1541)
4a) Isabella Magdalena of Beja (b.1546)
2a) Miscarriage (c.1536)
3a) Duarte of Beja (b.1541)
4a) Isabella Magdalena of Beja (b.1546)
6a) Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales (b.1518: d.1514)
7b) Edward VI of England (b.1539) m. Elisabeth de Valois (b.1545)
1a) Miscarriage (c.1562)
2a) Mary Tudor (b.1564)
3a) Elizabeth Tudor (b.1566)
4a) Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales (b.1570)
2a) Mary Tudor (b.1564)
3a) Elizabeth Tudor (b.1566)
4a) Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales (b.1570)
8b) Edmund Tudor, Duke of York (b.1540) m. Renata of Lorraine (b.1544) (a)
1a) Thomas of York (b.1569: d.1570)
2a) Eleanor of York (b.1572)
3a) Margaret of York (b.1574)
4a) Henry of York (b.1575)
5a) Catherine of York (b.1576)
7a) Stillborn Girl (c.1580)
8a) Edward of York (b.1581)
2a) Eleanor of York (b.1572)
3a) Margaret of York (b.1574)
4a) Henry of York (b.1575)
5a) Catherine of York (b.1576)
7a) Stillborn Girl (c.1580)
8a) Edward of York (b.1581)
9b) Henry Tudor, Duke of Clarence (b.1543: d.1543)
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The Portuguese version of Edward is Duarte.
This is actually right, since no king would willingly marry someone declared a bastard.
Supposing Mary actually does marry Francois Ier and not his heir, there would be no union of crowns should Mary's brother dies without issue, since any child of Mary's by Francis would be at the tail-end of the French succession, Francis having sons prior to this marriage.