Recent content by ArchMonarchist

The first of three entries for 1554-1556, this one for Mary stuart: Mary Stuart’s disembarkment on French soil proved the celebrity event of the year. Her progress southward attracted throngs of attendees, desperate to see the new Queen of France. Virtually every observer who met her...

This one is a major context-providing entry where the chronological timeline doesn't move very far, but trends that will endure for decades emerge. Two TL;DRs for those disinclined to read all the way through. The English Interregnum of 1554: TL;DR If you've been thinking "even for a wank...

A first draft painting of Marie-Marguerite. The lips, eyes, and eyebrows are all too small. But it's good enough for you to get a general idea.

The second regency p. II: (1553- 1554). The young queen Mary, never sheltered from political reality, breaks down into sobs, understanding (excellently for her 10 years, competently for an adult) the brutal economic and demographic toll the war will have on her kingdom. Another announcement...

Thank you so much! Please, feel free to let me know if you have any feedback!

The Second Regency, p. 1. (1551 - 1553) Marie-Marguerite takes up negotiations for the marriage between Edward VI and Mary in thickly-veiled bad faith, a relative rarity for her given her general and somewhat atypical honesty. She asked Somerset for his terms, and his response was a dead...

I went back, did the most cursory research, and - of course - you both are entirely correct. I incorrectly extrapolated from Cecil's quote given in the1580s. My bad on that one!

Pardon me. I didn't express what I meant to say clearly at all. To be clear I most certainly believe that Mary Stuart will get married. However, I just believe that she is going to negotiate her marriage to death, seeking to secure the best possible terms since she no longer has a meddlesome...

Thank you! I'm glad you like it! Let me know if you have any feedback or criticisms. When you refer to "the future Queen of England" do you mean Mary Stuart, Mary Tudor, Marie-Marguerite, or Elizabeth I? In any case, ALL of them are going to have a very interesting ride even if they don't all...

I love this subject! I'm actually writing a Stuart-wank TL now, so this has been on my mind a lot lately. IMO, Mary Stuart's foreign policy is going to be pro-French but hemmed in by religious and political realities. By the 1560s, England is firmly majority protestant, but it still has a...

Hey, all. My apologies for the gap in posting. I developed not-so-lovely codependency between alcohol consumption and writing, and I had to take a step back from it to get some things in order. I'm returning with another installment! This one is long, and I'm also taking a break from the yearly...

Wait, losing kids ISN'T hard? Damn. I don't know whether to be shocked, admiring, or horrified. And yes, you're right. Ultimately, the marriage is a long shot for any number of political, religious, and person reasons. However, negotiations get dragged on long enough to have some VERY...

BTW, excellent timeline and contributions all around. Followed!

Hm, I can see the logic of this, but do you think you might be overestimating the charity of the post-revolutionary French people? The monarchy was unpopular, the people were hungry, Louis XVII is half-Austrian, the Bourbons have been humiliated in several wars (and the ones that didn't...

FYI, Scottish politics is NEXT LEVEL chaotic and this is also the part where a bunch of timeline changes come in, so be prepared to work those eyeballs or just skip to the end of each year for TL;DRs. 1543: A bitter winter descended on Scotland as the reign of King James VI began following a...