The thing was Arran was married to one Margaret Douglas (not, Margaret Douglas, Niece to Henry VIII and Aunt to little John II, but Margaret Douglas daughter of James Douglas, Earl of Morton) and she was insane. With Henry VIII personally interceding [1] Arran was granted his divorce. He would then remarry Margaret Douglas (The King’s Niece and King’s Aunt, Margaret Douglas).

Oh dear.



With this tie to the English Royal Family, and assurances of at least one royal betrothal, the English through their weight behind James Hamilton, Earl of Arran.
Henry involving himself once more into Scottish politics.
That will go well.. :rolleyes:
 
Chapter 20 - In which betrothals are considered
“In the end, James Hamilton Earl of Arran would be regent for little King John II. Additionally, he and his new bride would take custody of the two princesses: Princess Margaret at age five and newborn Princess Isabella. Lady Arran, Margaret Douglas the King’s Aunt, would take the two princesses to the Isle of Arran where they would be raised with her step children.

Dowager Queen Christina would remain in court where she would have some measure of control of her son’s education.”
Christina of Denmark by Helen Olsen​


“Initially, it looks like Arran may have tried to weasel out of granting any betrothals to the English. He would refuse to betrothal King John to Princess Cecily. But after some rather dramatic posturing by both sides, little Princess Margaret was betrothed to Prince Edward.”
The Tudor Rose Garden by Gerald Wells​


“Marriage arrangements for the younger two Royals weren’t so quickly resolved. Queen Christina preferred one of the French princesses for her son (though there were complications there [1]) and either an Italian Duke or German Prince for her daughter.

On the other hand, James Hamilton, Regent of King Jon was reaching out to King Christian III of Denmark (as this was the son of the man who dethroned her father, Queen Christina was rather cross) offering Princess Isabel for his heir Prince Frederick. For King John, Lord James was courting the Swedish who had two princesses, one two years older the other three. (Since King Gustave of Sweden had also benefited from her father’s dethronement, Queen Christina was really cross).”
The Tudors: A Real Life Soup Opera​


[1] The only non-problematic princess, Princess Marie Claude, was six years older than King Jon, and her parents weren’t really fond of having to wait that long. The younger two: Princess Diane de Valois de Orléans and Marie de Valois de Angoulême were both merely two years older, but both of their mothers’ were problematic.
 
I'd hoped to see France, - I am so impatient to see which bride you have picked for Charles! -but this was a lovely glimpse of Scotland. Thank you 😊
 
Christina would hate it but, unless Scotland had intention to try to take Denmark, a wedding between her daughter and the future King of Denmark is the smarter solution for bringing back her father’s bloodline on the Danish throne and ending that conflict. And marrying her son to a Swedish princess also is a good move for maintaining friendships with both Denmark and Sweden and preventing to be entangled in their conflicts...

I want to know what bride you have picked for Charles and at the same time I feel the need to point who Diane still belonged to the higher ranks of French nobility and what really made her wedding really scandalous was the fact who she was a widow twenty years older that her husband who was his mistress. While her wedding was a scandal is unlikely who her children by Orleans would be seen as problematic matches or passed over as not good enough for their mother‘s birth and blood (as Diane‘s blood was more-or-less at the level of that of her second cousin and OTL rival or to the one of their maternal great aunt)
 
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Christina may have lost the regency but it's good that she gets to remain close with her son. Also, I have to agree that the French princesses would be more likely for young John than a Swedish princess. Especially if his sister is marrying into Denmark, which really should be the priority at this point.
 
Christina may have lost the regency but it's good that she gets to remain close with her son. Also, I have to agree that the French princesses would be more likely for young John than a Swedish princess. Especially if his sister is marrying into Denmark, which really should be the priority at this point.
A wedding in Sweden and one in Denmark would be the better solution for preventing entanglements in their conflicts while a match between Frederick and Isabella would be priority for Denmark not Scotland. In any case as Scotland is still Catholic, I believe Christine’s plan is much more logical and easier to actuate than Arran’s Protestant allliances. Only thing I believe who Christine would be interested more in Helena or Joanna of Austria as future daughter-in-law than princess Diane d’Orleans (who is a match perfectly suitable for countries like Scotland, Navarre and Lorraine)
 
I want to know what bride you have picked for Charles and at the same time I feel the need to point who Diane still belonged to the higher ranks of French nobility and what really made her wedding really scandalous was the fact who she was a widow twenty years older that her husband who was his mistress. While her wedding was a scandal is unlikely who her children by Orleans would be seen as problematic matches or passed over as not good enough for their mother‘s birth and blood (as Diane‘s blood was more-or-less at the level of that of her second cousin and OTL rival or to the one of their maternal great aunt)

Oh, you're completely correct. Little Diane de Valois is actually a very good potential bride for King John linage wise, the issue is her parents are currently still on the outs with Francis I, so she's not quite the political tie Arran wants. Now that could change, but he's leery of taking the risk.
 
Oh, you're completely correct. Little Diane de Valois is actually a very good potential bride for King John linage wise, the issue is her parents are currently still on the outs with Francis I, so she's not quite the political tie Arran wants. Now that could change, but he's leery of taking the risk.
Francis had not yet forgiven them? Then Scotland need to wait for the approval of the French King. If the Dauphin has no daughter of the right age then Francis himself will be forced to offer the little Mademoiselle d’Orleans for the young Scottish King (and he would be stupid to not do it as France need to prevent another Imperial or English match for Scotland)
 
Francis had not yet forgiven them? Then Scotland need to wait for the approval of the French King. If the Dauphin has no daughter of the right age then Francis himself will be forced to offer the little Mademoiselle d’Orleans for the young Scottish King (and he would be stupid to not do it as France need to prevent another Imperial or English match for Scotland)

Yep, and while they are pretty sure Francis I will forgive them just so he can marry off their children, it hasn't happened yet. Dowager Queen Christina wants to wait and Arran doesn't want to risk it. Hence the disagreement.
 
Chapter 21 - In which another French prince elopes
“Just picture it: the year is fifteen thirty-seven and Francis and Charles have decided that maybe, just maybe they should try and get along. So, offers are sent back and forth and a general plan starts to take form: The Duchy of Savoy will be given to one of Francis’s younger sons [1] who will be betrothed to Charles’s infant niece. [2]

Now this pleased absolutely no one, which is how you know it was a good deal. See, Francis wanted Savoy to be part of France, not just a friendly neighbor. And Charles didn’t want more land going to any of Francis’s ilk. But there they were.

At least until Prince Charles, Francis’s youngest son disappeared.”
Elopements Through History by Jonas Welsingham​

[1] Initially, Charles suggested Prince Henri but, Francis still wasn’t happy with Henri due to an earlier elopement, so it was just left sort of nebulous.

[2] Charles didn’t have any legitimate daughters at this point



“The disappearance of King Francis’s favorite child was something of a damper on the peace talks. France began gearing up for war when news came that Emperor Charles was also missing a child: his widowed bastard daughter Margaret. It was then that Prince Charles’s note [1] was found by his father’s men and the Emperor found the priest that performed the marriage. [2]

While this served to stall actual fighting, it did ratchet up tension. It would be another year before an official peace was achieved.”
The Love Matches of the Children of Francis I by Nance Lawrence​

[1] A simple note that stated he could not bear a betrothal to a child when he loved her elder cousin.

[2] What exactly was done to the priest isn’t known, but he was never heard from again.



“But even as posturing and demands resumed [1] the question remained: just where had the lovebirds gone?”
Elopements Through History by Jonas Welsingham​

[1] Francis swung from demanding Prince Charles receive Savoy—after all he did marry the Emperor’s daughter—to refusing to acknowledge his youngest son. And Emperor Charles was just feeling contrary—why did his family have to get caught up in the Valois’s elopements?
 
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