Space Oddity
Damn that.
Hopefully you haven't lost too much on either this TL or anything else.Thanks for the map. Helps make clear what changes have occurred. Despite his other problems Francis has had some successes in NW Italy.
Steve
"Now Blooms the Tudor Rose."
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Space Oddity
Damn that.
Hopefully you haven't lost too much on either this TL or anything else.Thanks for the map. Helps make clear what changes have occurred. Despite his other problems Francis has had some successes in NW Italy.
Steve
Now then, corrections off the top of my head...
1) The Low Countries and the Free County should be SPANISH, not Austrian.
2) Corsica is under French rule--Genoa is ruled by a French-supported regime.
3) Regardless of where you stand on the color debate, the Schmalkaldic League is actually much larger than this, dominating much of the German north. Further, Brandenburg is a member. (That stated, the loose-knit nature of the league means their ability to use all this theoretical muscle is always debatable.)
"There lies Percy, dead in the soot,
Aimed for the Crown, fell by a foot."
--Popular English Rhyme, often accredited to Arthur Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Sommerset.
1560--Part 2
--Our attention turns to the Schmalkaldic League, and how they are handling the nascent Revolt of the Bishops and the Knights. The answer is 'not very well, at the moment'. While this would look like exactly the sort of affair that the League was created to ensure an optimal result for the Protestants, in truth it's a hideous muddle thanks to the organization's internal politics. Some call for action to support the Bishops and Grumbach, others call for action to support just the Bishops, some want the League to act as a peacebroker, and some have no opinion whatsoever.
John Frederick is naturally for a big show of Protestant unity around the Bishops and Knights, as he's sure that Grumbach's calls for a general revolt are going to take off. And even if they don't, the Elector of Saxony doesn't leave men behind. That's not how the Order of the Rose and Cross rolls! Hail Luther!
Needless to state, the Elector's viewpoint is very popular with many of the younger, more militant members of the League. They are spoiling for a REAL chance to champion the True Faith. Most of them have no actual memory of the First Schmalkaldic War, merely a vague understanding that the League kicked Catholic Imperial ass in it, a feat they feel it's about time to repeat.
Philip of Hesse DOES remember the war, including the not-fun bits of watching his men get cut to pieces, and being captured by Emperor Charles. He does not want to go through all that again, and so he is trying to get the League to simply--settle down and work as a peacebroker between the Emperor and the rebelling bishops. As for Grumbach, as far Philip's concerned, he can go hang himself, though the Duke of Hesse is of course, much, much too polite to say that. Needless to say, running around and trying to get people to see things his way is quite tiring...
Joachim Hohenzollern, the Elector of Brandenburg also remembers the war. That stated, Joachim, like most Hohenzollerns, fancies himself a vir militarus, and thus is perfectly willing to go for another round. (He is also, like most Hohenzollerns, utterly wrong in his belief, despite acquiring the formidable sounding nickname 'Hector' posthumously.) But... there's a problem. The Hohenzollerns have a longstanding rivalry with the Wettins--indeed, it's safe to say that for a long, long time, the politics of both families were pretty much based around outdoing each other. Obviously that's changed now, but Joachim is an old man and he's started to wonder just how it did. When exactly did the Hohenzollerns change from the Wettins' archrivals to their right hands? Joachim's damned if he knows. NOT that he dislikes John Frederick, mind you--oh, no, he has nothing but admiration for the Elector of Saxony. And his late father, too, of course, who was, beyond all doubt, the Greatest Lutheran After Luther. It's just... well, it's rather... unsettling, is all, and it's making him wonder if he should put his family on the line for the Wettins this time.
Frederick von Simmern, Elector-Palinate of the Rhine ALSO remembers the war, even though he really didn't fight in it that much. He just doesn't care. For him, this is mostly about his ongoing program to take over the League--or a large chunk of it--and steer it on the correct and proper path of Reform Lutheranism, under the correct and proper leadership of the von Simmern-Wittlelbachs. At the moment, that means supporting the bishops--one of whom is a relative, after all--but not Wilhelm von Grumbach. While that would seem to put him on Philip of Hesse's side, von Simmern is such a troublemaker that the venerable old bigamist can barely see a difference between him and John Frederick. After all--Philip merely wants John Frederick to calm down and talk with the Emperor. Von Simmern wants the Elector of Saxony to step down as leader of the Schmalkaldic League, and is regularly using the talks to push this agenda, making it next to impossible for Philip to reach a compromise. (Have I mentioned how tiring Philip of Hesse finds this? Because he finds it really, really tiring...)
Von Simmern's cousin, Albert von Wittelsbach of Bavaria's response is complicated. He is after all an Evangelical "True" Lutheran, which would put him on John Frederick's side. But on the other hand, he was also raised Catholic, and is the Emperor's son-in-law. And on the other, other hand, the von Simmerns, once again, are his cousins. And so Albert makes motions to all sides in the dispute while pledging loyalty to none. He's waiting to see where the wind blows, and who can offer him the best deal. It's the Bavarian Wittelsbachs' speciality, after all.
Everyone else roughly follows these camps, which often divide the great families of the League--especially the Guelphs. While John Frederick could probably bring enough people around to his point of view for the League to make a rather impressive stand at this point, he is distracted by his wife's pregnancy, in what will be the couple's second child. Many of the moderates--Philip of Hesse especially--blame Electress Elizabeth for this whole manner, claiming this is all the result of her unnatural ambition for her husband, and that otherwise, John Frederick would be listening to reason. In this, they do her wrong. Oh, Elizabeth Tudor does have an ambition for her husband that would make even him quail if he learnt the full extent of it. But this particular mess is not her fault. She's actually been trying to encourage her husband to throw von Grumbach over, but the Elector won't hear of it. He's fond of the old scoundrel, and it simply doesn't match the Elector of Saxony's self-image to abandon a follower, even if he has become a millstone around his neck. And so the matter sits for most of the year, with everyone debating with everyone else on what's to be done, and not doing anything.
--Two deaths occur which will greatly affect the Livonian War. First, Christian III of Denmark dies.[1] His son, Frederick thus succeeds him to the throne, becoming Frederick II. While this brings little initial change--Frederick was directing the war effort for some time--one little matter involved in it will shortly cause a great deal of trouble.
The other is Ivan IV's wife, Anastasia Romanova, who perishes, apparently from an illness brought on by a fire in Moscow.[2] The Tsar of All Russias is openly distraught by her demise, and in fact, declares to his intimates that he suspects a poisoning plot. (Not much of a surprise--Ivan suspects poisoning plots when he or a relative gets a chill.) Some of the Boyars also suspect a poisoning plot, though they believe the poisoner is a certain Tsar of All Russias called Ivan. Still all such speculation is... well, speculative--indeed, the poor woman most likely died of her apparent illness--Anastasia's health had been declining for years, and has not been helped by Ivan's habit of the dragging her with him on arduous pilgrimages to various holy shrines to... improve her health. Some consider this the turning point in Ivan's reign--others blame his earlier illness in 1553--and yet others state he was always showed signs of paranoia and megalomania, they simply got worse as the years went by. Even this last group agree that his wife was an important break on him--with her gone, Ivan has lost one of the only restraints he possessed. The late Tsarina is survived by the couple's three sons--Dmitri, Ivan, and Feodor.[3]
As noted, these deaths will both greatly affect the Livonian War. But not now. For now, it continues in the bloody stalemate it's been in since the start of the year. The Poles and the Livonians complain about the Danes not aiding them against the Russians--the Danes insist that they have to secure their position. The Poles, Livonians and the Danes all complain about the Swedes' opportunism--Erik insists that he is merely following his father's scheme to keep the peace in the region. (Admittedly said scheme fell apart as virtually all such schemes fall apart in the Baltics, but, hey--Gustav tossed it out there, so Erik's counting it.) The Russians, meanwhile, are actually trying to get everybody to call a cease-fire for the moment, with Ivan hoping to get the Poles to join him in some Tatar-bashing. (The Tsar tends to operate on the assumption that everyone will automatically forgive him for anything he does.) [4] No, like many great turning points no one realises it has come, until some time after the fact.
--Princess Elizabeth Valois makes her debut to her prospective Spanish subjects, undergoing the laborious rites that will recognise her as Princess of the Asturias. (The Spanish Thrones boast some of the more elaborate rituals in Europe, and the nobility takes a dim view of their being skipped.) The arduous ceremonies take a toll on young Elizabeth's health--she comes down with a case of smallpox and has to retire to the country to recover.[5] Her husband stays by her side throughout, even chasing away Spanish doctors and insisting on French ones. Eventually, the Princess manages a full recovery, at which point it is her turn to nurse Charles, whose task has brought on an attack of his quartain fever. As she is tending to her poor battered husband, Elizabeth realizes that this might just be love.
Whatever the case, when both have made a recovery, they have an important announcement to make--Elizabeth is pregnant. Philip is surprised at his son's... securing the succession so quickly, and though naturally happy, in an abstract sense, sends Charles's a letter wherein he warns him not to overtax his wife in the marital bed, thus fulfilling a long Hapsburg tradition of rather creepy marital advice. Still, these illnesses and the pregnancy give Philip an excuse not to give Charles any land to rule at the moment. He does give the Prince and Princess a hunting lodge to live in located in St. Yuste, feeling that the local climate will be good for their health. Charles dubs it, in a spirit of mild sarcasm, the 'Chateau de Asturias'. Still--both he and Elizabeth rather like the place.
--In Scotland, Robert Stewart proves quite amenable to the entire 'seize the Crown' plan, and agrees to meet with a small party of conspirators in Edinburgh, to begin 'Lords of Congregation II: This Time It's Ecumenical!' Bothwell is suspicious about this--if Robert's proven one thing in the past it's that he, like most of this generation of Stewarts, is a pretty cagy politician who knows the danger of committing himself to anything. Much of his setting himself up as the champion of Scottish Presbytereanism is based on sighing in sympathy at the complaints of the more openly fanatical members at his sister's refusal to let them persecute the Old Faith. Bothwell thus keeps his eyes open, suspecting something is up--this is why he is looking out the window when Robert arrives accompanied by his brother James, and a whole of lot of soldiers. And that is why Bothwell and a few other leaders--among them Huntly's son Sir John Gordon--manage to escape the general arrest the Stewart brothers pull off. Robert, you see, may be ambitious, but he is also fairly clever. He knows his chances of standing against his sister in this affair are ultimately quite low--Mary is popular, and she will ultimately be able to call on the might of England to back her. With the chances of success being so... unpromising, he's decided the best thing he can do in this situation is sell out the rebels, and see what rewards his siblings decide to drop in his lap. The Earl of Huntly is so shocked to be betrayed that he has a heart attack then and there, though plenty of people will mutter that he may have had a little help in his decision to die at that moment.[6]
The rebels are fairly confounded by this. A good chunk of their leadership has just been arrested, and their plan of having a big rising in Edinburgh has been thwarted. That's bad. But it gets worse. Huntly left instructions to Clan Gordon to rise up on the prescribed day, and with him dead, no one thinks to tell them not to. And so by the time they discover that Scotland is not rising as one to overthrow "the English doxy" from Bothwell and Sir John, they're actually sort of committed. And so the rebellion is on, but with no claiment to the throne, and little chance of actually winning. At which point, a claiment to the throne supplies himself. The remnants of the Douglases rise up and back Charles Stuart, Earl of Lennox, for the throne. Of course, young Charles is too young, and frankly too stupid to lead a rebellion--his uncle George Douglas is the actual leader of Douglas forces. However, though he may be young and stupid, Lennox is also domineering and arrogant, and thus insists on being treated as if he was really heading this enterprise. And so his uncle allows "Charles I" to make various speeches, wherein he vows to restore Catholicism to the realm, kick out the English heretics, and then ally with the Catholic Powers to make sure that Scotland never again need slip back into error. He also congratulates the Gordons, thus linking their rebellion with this rebellion. Most of the Gordons shrug, comment that they never really liked that treacherous Protestant bastard Robert Stewart anyway, and sign on with the NEW "Rightful Catholic King of Scotland". The one noteworthy exception to all this cheerful ship-jumping is Bothwell. James Hepburn is, again, a smart, cagy man--and a Catholic moderate who has flirted, on and off, with converting to Protestantism for years. Not only is he aware in what bad shape the rebellion is presently in, he also knows that the entire point of going to Robert was to pick a man who would NOT offend the Protestants. Charles Stuart most certainly does not fit that requirement--and worse, Bothwell actually knows the young Earl, and knows him to be a spoiled, foolish young man under the thumb of his mother--hardly the material for successful rebellions. Of course, most of the senior members of the Rebellion would agree with him--but they're under arrest. And so, James Hepburn finds himself in a position he never saw coming, as the sole voice of sanity in the rebellion. It's not a very comfortable place to be. But Bothwell also knows he's in this thing regardless of what he wants--for now at least...
Henry and Mary both congratulate the Earl of Angus on this mass decapitation of the rebellion--however, both are alarmed when Charles Stuart throws his foppish hat into the ring. And there is other bad news. The Princess Antoinette has vanished, somehow managing to escape her not-quite captivity. Mary is extremely worried about this--Antoinette can not only pull the same "Catholic Monarch of Scotland" card Lennox can, she's also a great deal more likely to get foreign support, the one thing that can turn this rebellion into a real threat.
--As the Austrian House of Hapsburg slides into a war against its sort-of vassals in the Empire, Archduke Ferdinand has more good news--his mistress is pregnant again, meaning yet another adorable illegitimate child. Indeed the Archduke dotes heavily on his illegitimate offspring, especially young Ferdinand of Austria, who gets the best of everything--good clothing, fine food, and a first-rate education. Which is not to say he neglects his legitimate sons, but Ferdinand recieves a sort of hands-on attention that young Albert and Maximillian do not. (This isn't the result of any grudge against his sons, mind you--the Hapsburgs, like many European nobles, simply don't raise their heirs that way.) The Emperor of course, tries to warn his son against this--but even he can't help but smile at his little illegitimate namesake. Ferdinand of Austria is already a charming young boy.
But that's not all--Ferdinand's brother, the Archduke Charles Francis is now betrothed to the Portuguese Infanta Maria de Guimarães.[7] Maria is a safe match--a proper Catholic princess from one of the right families. Indeed, her family is so right that the Hapsburgs have been raiding them for brides with astonishing regularity over the years, a fact that has not helped either family's gene pool very much. Still, in between this and the Archduke's matching broods of children, there should be PLENTY of Hapsburgs bouncing around the Empire in the years to come.
--In Orleans, France's Estates-General meet for the first time in decades, in hopes of taking care of the itty-bitty problem of France's finances, which, as opposed the Spanish Thrones, are still in an utter mess after finishing that last Italian war. Little progress is made on this front--indeed, Henri II Valois essentially turns the Estates General into a bitchfest, wherein he whines about how awful Scotland and England have been to him. Oh, and the nation. That too. He even starts hinting that he thinks it might be a good idea to make nice with Spain, and then launch a joint invasion of the "Protestant Isles" (a term, which having thus been invented, proceeds to remain in circulation for a long, long time). Most of the deputies cough politely and try to steer the King back onto the important subject of not going broke. The notable exceptions are the Duke of Aumale, and his brother Rene, there to "assist" their young nephew, Henri de Guise, who say often and passionately that they think the King is on to something here. Henri de Guise--says nothing on the matter.
The young Duke of Guise is in fact one of the marvels of the Estates of Orleans. While he of course takes little part in the going-ons, being strictly there to observe, all who encounter young Henri de Guise marvel at his grace, physical prowess, and intelligence. The King of France is especially charmed, commenting loudly and often how he wish he had a son like that. And yet for all that people marvel on him, few come out of the Estates with any idea of where Henri de Guise stands on anything. Despite the fact that his uncles are two of the leading Catholic reactionaries among the French noblility--and the fact that his father is the closest thing to a martyr such people have--Henri's stance on the church is hard to pin down. (After all, it mustn't be forgotten that one of his maternal uncles is... Pope Pius.) Even at this early age, de Guise has mastered the art of making his true intentions impossible to determine. "He has his father's courage, and my wit," says a half-admiring, half-wary Cardinal de Lorraine.
The other great marvel occurs just as the meeting is ending--King Henri produces young Princess Antoinette Stuart, who pleads before the Estates-General that she be accepted as a refugee from the horrible malice of her evil sister, and said sister's equally evil new husband, who she is certain wants her dead, dead, DEAD, for espousing the True Faith. The assembled worthies all grudgingly agree, though quite a few think the King is playing with fire here. Rumors circulate that he plans to recognize her as the rightful Queen of Scotland--indeed, some even think he is planning to marry her to the Dauphin. This last rumor is thankfully quashed when Henri reveals his son's new engagement to the Princess Renatta de Lorraine, a much less dangerous choice, albeit one that requires Papal approval. (Renatta and Francois are after all, in-laws.) [8] Pius gives it readily, partially to mend bridges, and partially to remind Emperor Ferdinand that the Pope can swap alliances as needed. The knowledge that Henri Valois isn't planning anything too insane calms people down. Still, everyone is worried where this will go. They're also wondering where the hell the French King got Antoinette from in the first place. While it's hard to be certain, most historians wind up noting that the notorious Catherine Howard shows up in Nice shortly thereafter, throwing money around like it's nobody's business for several months, then flees one night disguised as a wine merchant to avoid creditors. While she never names names, in her memoirs, Catherine tells a story of helping a 'lady of renown' escape her jailors by disguising herself as a Jesuit, then smuggling the captive out in a specially made coffin. It's an exciting tale, those as many note, like much of what Catherine says it must be taken with a grain of salt.
Finally though it's not quite part of the Estates of Orlean, de Villegaigon returns from Bermuda to spread the word that France now has a colony in the New World. The Spanish Ambassador hears of this, and sends word back to his master. Philip is somewhat put out. Despite the whole 'potential Protestant Powerhouse' thing, Henry and Mary's marriage has largely been the gift that keeps on giving from his point of view. Henri Valois has suddenly started to make nice, meaning that Philip is now poised to play France against England/Scotland, and England/Scotland against France. But this... this is a quiet threat to Spain's overseas Empire, and he is virtually required to do SOMETHING. Of course, Philip being Philip, he quietly begins to debate just what that something should be.
--News of the rebellion of Scotland has spread over the border into England, where it reaches the ears of a young man who is desperately looking to make a name for himself. Young Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland is a proudly unrepentant Catholic who has managed to avoid getting arrested based on two factors--being too young to have taken part in one of the previous Catholic uprisings, and being the nephew of Anne Boleyn's first love, Henry Percy, a romance that Cardinal Wolsley scotched in one of the most bitterly ironic acts of self-destruction of all time. That little bit of sentiment has been a significant factor in Anne's viewing Northumberland as a harmless naif, and convincing Henry to see him as one as well. The other significant factor is that the young Earl really is quite naive and inept as a plotter--indeed Paulet has been known to remark that Northumberland is one of the most useful tools they have for keeping track of the few remaining Catholic rebels up north. And so he has been left undisturbed, plotting to restore the True Faith to England, after nearly thirty years of Protestant supremacy. Naturally, when he hears that Scottish rebels have crowned a Catholic King--Percy grasp of the actual details of the rebellion are sketchy, to put it mildly--he springs into action. He calls together his friends, breaks out the banners he's been storing for just such an occasion, sends a letter to Charles Stuart bidding him to take his lawful throne as the true Catholic monarch of England, and then--IT'S PILGRAMAGE OF THE FAITHFUL TIME! Percy's plan is simple--he and his merry band will set out, picking up followers on the way, apprehend the apostate King and his Scottish Whore at York, where they are even now squatting in terror as God's rightful judgement finally catches up with them.
It is a simple plan. But not a good plan. First of all, as the Nevilles could tell Percy, if they weren't all living in exile, Henry IX keeps quite a few spies on the payroll to keep track of rebellious Catholics. Indeed, many of Northumberland's dear friends are in fact agents of the Crown who are selling him out. So, shortly after he starts out, Henry and Mary get news of this latest effort at Catholic rebellion in York, where they are most definitely NOT squatting in terror--the King and Queen of England and Scotland don't do terror, nor do they squat if they can help it. Instead, after a bit of muttering, they hand the job to the Duke of Richmond, who has been assembling a small force to head into Scotland and help end THAT rebellion. Arthur Fitzroy, likewise annoyed, starts preparing his men to nip this rebellion in the bud when events make that more or less irrelevant.
You see, John Hooper, Archbishop of York, has ALSO heard of the uprising. Now, if there's one thing the Archbishop Hooper likes, it's a bit of Protestant rabble-rousing, and the Earl of Northumberland's uprising gives him a handy pretext. And so, as Northumberland heads towards York with what even he admits is a rather lackluster pilgrimage, he runs into Archbishop's mob of Protestants. And it is a large, large mob--the number of Protestants in England has been growing over the years, even as the number of Catholics diminish. The growing realization that this particular pilgrimage is NOT going to collect an awesome throng of recruits and strike panic into the heart of the establishment has been making many members lose heart--the sudden realization that they are going to get the hell beaten out of them, and quite possibly killed makes them start to panic. Northumberland attempts to rally them ends badly when his pistol discharges prematurely, the ball lodging in his foot. The sight of their fearless leader writhing in agony on the ground and of the charging horde of angry Protestants causes this batch of Pilgrims to give up the fight. Sadly, this comes a bit too late for many of them, who still get their heads smashed by Hooper's mob, who then go out for a merry bit of an iconoclastic spree before calling it a day. King Henry and Queen Mary take this sudden squashing of the rebellion in their stride, though they are also somewhat alarmed by the mob's rather... fervant actions. (Especially Mary, who was, you will recall, technically a Catholic a short while ago.) Still, on the whole, this is good news. The English rebellion has been good and quashed. The Scottish rebellion will shortly follow. Northumberland has saved them the trouble of trying him by dying in captivity And, in other good news, Mary is pregnant, which--God willing--means that this little diplomatic coup of theirs might just stick.
Oh, and Gregory Cromwell is swearing that he has things under control in Ireland. So really everythings going just loverly.
-----------------------------------
[1] He died in 1559 OTL. Obviously butterflies, though as noted this means that Frederick has become King of Denmark AFTER Erik becomes King of Sweden.
[2] She died at this time OTL. As I note below, Anastasia's death has quite a few underlying reasons that are fairly butterfly resistant--Ivan really was a terrible husband.
[3] IOTL, Dmitri was already dead by this time.
[4] Ivan was trying the same thing IOTL where he could at least count on the fact that the Poles weren't at war with him yet. The fact that he was asking them to simply allow him to become a major threat to their nation so that they could attack his enemies doesn't appear to have registered with Ivan.
[5] Something similar happened to her IOTL.
[6] IOTL, he died of apoplexy after the rebellion he was leading there failed.
[7] IOTL, she married Alessandre Farnese.
[8] IOTL, she married William V of Bavaria in 1568
Aimed for the Crown, fell by a foot."
--Popular English Rhyme, often accredited to Arthur Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Sommerset.
1560--Part 2
--Our attention turns to the Schmalkaldic League, and how they are handling the nascent Revolt of the Bishops and the Knights. The answer is 'not very well, at the moment'. While this would look like exactly the sort of affair that the League was created to ensure an optimal result for the Protestants, in truth it's a hideous muddle thanks to the organization's internal politics. Some call for action to support the Bishops and Grumbach, others call for action to support just the Bishops, some want the League to act as a peacebroker, and some have no opinion whatsoever.
John Frederick is naturally for a big show of Protestant unity around the Bishops and Knights, as he's sure that Grumbach's calls for a general revolt are going to take off. And even if they don't, the Elector of Saxony doesn't leave men behind. That's not how the Order of the Rose and Cross rolls! Hail Luther!
Needless to state, the Elector's viewpoint is very popular with many of the younger, more militant members of the League. They are spoiling for a REAL chance to champion the True Faith. Most of them have no actual memory of the First Schmalkaldic War, merely a vague understanding that the League kicked Catholic Imperial ass in it, a feat they feel it's about time to repeat.
Philip of Hesse DOES remember the war, including the not-fun bits of watching his men get cut to pieces, and being captured by Emperor Charles. He does not want to go through all that again, and so he is trying to get the League to simply--settle down and work as a peacebroker between the Emperor and the rebelling bishops. As for Grumbach, as far Philip's concerned, he can go hang himself, though the Duke of Hesse is of course, much, much too polite to say that. Needless to say, running around and trying to get people to see things his way is quite tiring...
Joachim Hohenzollern, the Elector of Brandenburg also remembers the war. That stated, Joachim, like most Hohenzollerns, fancies himself a vir militarus, and thus is perfectly willing to go for another round. (He is also, like most Hohenzollerns, utterly wrong in his belief, despite acquiring the formidable sounding nickname 'Hector' posthumously.) But... there's a problem. The Hohenzollerns have a longstanding rivalry with the Wettins--indeed, it's safe to say that for a long, long time, the politics of both families were pretty much based around outdoing each other. Obviously that's changed now, but Joachim is an old man and he's started to wonder just how it did. When exactly did the Hohenzollerns change from the Wettins' archrivals to their right hands? Joachim's damned if he knows. NOT that he dislikes John Frederick, mind you--oh, no, he has nothing but admiration for the Elector of Saxony. And his late father, too, of course, who was, beyond all doubt, the Greatest Lutheran After Luther. It's just... well, it's rather... unsettling, is all, and it's making him wonder if he should put his family on the line for the Wettins this time.
Frederick von Simmern, Elector-Palinate of the Rhine ALSO remembers the war, even though he really didn't fight in it that much. He just doesn't care. For him, this is mostly about his ongoing program to take over the League--or a large chunk of it--and steer it on the correct and proper path of Reform Lutheranism, under the correct and proper leadership of the von Simmern-Wittlelbachs. At the moment, that means supporting the bishops--one of whom is a relative, after all--but not Wilhelm von Grumbach. While that would seem to put him on Philip of Hesse's side, von Simmern is such a troublemaker that the venerable old bigamist can barely see a difference between him and John Frederick. After all--Philip merely wants John Frederick to calm down and talk with the Emperor. Von Simmern wants the Elector of Saxony to step down as leader of the Schmalkaldic League, and is regularly using the talks to push this agenda, making it next to impossible for Philip to reach a compromise. (Have I mentioned how tiring Philip of Hesse finds this? Because he finds it really, really tiring...)
Von Simmern's cousin, Albert von Wittelsbach of Bavaria's response is complicated. He is after all an Evangelical "True" Lutheran, which would put him on John Frederick's side. But on the other hand, he was also raised Catholic, and is the Emperor's son-in-law. And on the other, other hand, the von Simmerns, once again, are his cousins. And so Albert makes motions to all sides in the dispute while pledging loyalty to none. He's waiting to see where the wind blows, and who can offer him the best deal. It's the Bavarian Wittelsbachs' speciality, after all.
Everyone else roughly follows these camps, which often divide the great families of the League--especially the Guelphs. While John Frederick could probably bring enough people around to his point of view for the League to make a rather impressive stand at this point, he is distracted by his wife's pregnancy, in what will be the couple's second child. Many of the moderates--Philip of Hesse especially--blame Electress Elizabeth for this whole manner, claiming this is all the result of her unnatural ambition for her husband, and that otherwise, John Frederick would be listening to reason. In this, they do her wrong. Oh, Elizabeth Tudor does have an ambition for her husband that would make even him quail if he learnt the full extent of it. But this particular mess is not her fault. She's actually been trying to encourage her husband to throw von Grumbach over, but the Elector won't hear of it. He's fond of the old scoundrel, and it simply doesn't match the Elector of Saxony's self-image to abandon a follower, even if he has become a millstone around his neck. And so the matter sits for most of the year, with everyone debating with everyone else on what's to be done, and not doing anything.
--Two deaths occur which will greatly affect the Livonian War. First, Christian III of Denmark dies.[1] His son, Frederick thus succeeds him to the throne, becoming Frederick II. While this brings little initial change--Frederick was directing the war effort for some time--one little matter involved in it will shortly cause a great deal of trouble.
The other is Ivan IV's wife, Anastasia Romanova, who perishes, apparently from an illness brought on by a fire in Moscow.[2] The Tsar of All Russias is openly distraught by her demise, and in fact, declares to his intimates that he suspects a poisoning plot. (Not much of a surprise--Ivan suspects poisoning plots when he or a relative gets a chill.) Some of the Boyars also suspect a poisoning plot, though they believe the poisoner is a certain Tsar of All Russias called Ivan. Still all such speculation is... well, speculative--indeed, the poor woman most likely died of her apparent illness--Anastasia's health had been declining for years, and has not been helped by Ivan's habit of the dragging her with him on arduous pilgrimages to various holy shrines to... improve her health. Some consider this the turning point in Ivan's reign--others blame his earlier illness in 1553--and yet others state he was always showed signs of paranoia and megalomania, they simply got worse as the years went by. Even this last group agree that his wife was an important break on him--with her gone, Ivan has lost one of the only restraints he possessed. The late Tsarina is survived by the couple's three sons--Dmitri, Ivan, and Feodor.[3]
As noted, these deaths will both greatly affect the Livonian War. But not now. For now, it continues in the bloody stalemate it's been in since the start of the year. The Poles and the Livonians complain about the Danes not aiding them against the Russians--the Danes insist that they have to secure their position. The Poles, Livonians and the Danes all complain about the Swedes' opportunism--Erik insists that he is merely following his father's scheme to keep the peace in the region. (Admittedly said scheme fell apart as virtually all such schemes fall apart in the Baltics, but, hey--Gustav tossed it out there, so Erik's counting it.) The Russians, meanwhile, are actually trying to get everybody to call a cease-fire for the moment, with Ivan hoping to get the Poles to join him in some Tatar-bashing. (The Tsar tends to operate on the assumption that everyone will automatically forgive him for anything he does.) [4] No, like many great turning points no one realises it has come, until some time after the fact.
--Princess Elizabeth Valois makes her debut to her prospective Spanish subjects, undergoing the laborious rites that will recognise her as Princess of the Asturias. (The Spanish Thrones boast some of the more elaborate rituals in Europe, and the nobility takes a dim view of their being skipped.) The arduous ceremonies take a toll on young Elizabeth's health--she comes down with a case of smallpox and has to retire to the country to recover.[5] Her husband stays by her side throughout, even chasing away Spanish doctors and insisting on French ones. Eventually, the Princess manages a full recovery, at which point it is her turn to nurse Charles, whose task has brought on an attack of his quartain fever. As she is tending to her poor battered husband, Elizabeth realizes that this might just be love.
Whatever the case, when both have made a recovery, they have an important announcement to make--Elizabeth is pregnant. Philip is surprised at his son's... securing the succession so quickly, and though naturally happy, in an abstract sense, sends Charles's a letter wherein he warns him not to overtax his wife in the marital bed, thus fulfilling a long Hapsburg tradition of rather creepy marital advice. Still, these illnesses and the pregnancy give Philip an excuse not to give Charles any land to rule at the moment. He does give the Prince and Princess a hunting lodge to live in located in St. Yuste, feeling that the local climate will be good for their health. Charles dubs it, in a spirit of mild sarcasm, the 'Chateau de Asturias'. Still--both he and Elizabeth rather like the place.
--In Scotland, Robert Stewart proves quite amenable to the entire 'seize the Crown' plan, and agrees to meet with a small party of conspirators in Edinburgh, to begin 'Lords of Congregation II: This Time It's Ecumenical!' Bothwell is suspicious about this--if Robert's proven one thing in the past it's that he, like most of this generation of Stewarts, is a pretty cagy politician who knows the danger of committing himself to anything. Much of his setting himself up as the champion of Scottish Presbytereanism is based on sighing in sympathy at the complaints of the more openly fanatical members at his sister's refusal to let them persecute the Old Faith. Bothwell thus keeps his eyes open, suspecting something is up--this is why he is looking out the window when Robert arrives accompanied by his brother James, and a whole of lot of soldiers. And that is why Bothwell and a few other leaders--among them Huntly's son Sir John Gordon--manage to escape the general arrest the Stewart brothers pull off. Robert, you see, may be ambitious, but he is also fairly clever. He knows his chances of standing against his sister in this affair are ultimately quite low--Mary is popular, and she will ultimately be able to call on the might of England to back her. With the chances of success being so... unpromising, he's decided the best thing he can do in this situation is sell out the rebels, and see what rewards his siblings decide to drop in his lap. The Earl of Huntly is so shocked to be betrayed that he has a heart attack then and there, though plenty of people will mutter that he may have had a little help in his decision to die at that moment.[6]
The rebels are fairly confounded by this. A good chunk of their leadership has just been arrested, and their plan of having a big rising in Edinburgh has been thwarted. That's bad. But it gets worse. Huntly left instructions to Clan Gordon to rise up on the prescribed day, and with him dead, no one thinks to tell them not to. And so by the time they discover that Scotland is not rising as one to overthrow "the English doxy" from Bothwell and Sir John, they're actually sort of committed. And so the rebellion is on, but with no claiment to the throne, and little chance of actually winning. At which point, a claiment to the throne supplies himself. The remnants of the Douglases rise up and back Charles Stuart, Earl of Lennox, for the throne. Of course, young Charles is too young, and frankly too stupid to lead a rebellion--his uncle George Douglas is the actual leader of Douglas forces. However, though he may be young and stupid, Lennox is also domineering and arrogant, and thus insists on being treated as if he was really heading this enterprise. And so his uncle allows "Charles I" to make various speeches, wherein he vows to restore Catholicism to the realm, kick out the English heretics, and then ally with the Catholic Powers to make sure that Scotland never again need slip back into error. He also congratulates the Gordons, thus linking their rebellion with this rebellion. Most of the Gordons shrug, comment that they never really liked that treacherous Protestant bastard Robert Stewart anyway, and sign on with the NEW "Rightful Catholic King of Scotland". The one noteworthy exception to all this cheerful ship-jumping is Bothwell. James Hepburn is, again, a smart, cagy man--and a Catholic moderate who has flirted, on and off, with converting to Protestantism for years. Not only is he aware in what bad shape the rebellion is presently in, he also knows that the entire point of going to Robert was to pick a man who would NOT offend the Protestants. Charles Stuart most certainly does not fit that requirement--and worse, Bothwell actually knows the young Earl, and knows him to be a spoiled, foolish young man under the thumb of his mother--hardly the material for successful rebellions. Of course, most of the senior members of the Rebellion would agree with him--but they're under arrest. And so, James Hepburn finds himself in a position he never saw coming, as the sole voice of sanity in the rebellion. It's not a very comfortable place to be. But Bothwell also knows he's in this thing regardless of what he wants--for now at least...
Henry and Mary both congratulate the Earl of Angus on this mass decapitation of the rebellion--however, both are alarmed when Charles Stuart throws his foppish hat into the ring. And there is other bad news. The Princess Antoinette has vanished, somehow managing to escape her not-quite captivity. Mary is extremely worried about this--Antoinette can not only pull the same "Catholic Monarch of Scotland" card Lennox can, she's also a great deal more likely to get foreign support, the one thing that can turn this rebellion into a real threat.
--As the Austrian House of Hapsburg slides into a war against its sort-of vassals in the Empire, Archduke Ferdinand has more good news--his mistress is pregnant again, meaning yet another adorable illegitimate child. Indeed the Archduke dotes heavily on his illegitimate offspring, especially young Ferdinand of Austria, who gets the best of everything--good clothing, fine food, and a first-rate education. Which is not to say he neglects his legitimate sons, but Ferdinand recieves a sort of hands-on attention that young Albert and Maximillian do not. (This isn't the result of any grudge against his sons, mind you--the Hapsburgs, like many European nobles, simply don't raise their heirs that way.) The Emperor of course, tries to warn his son against this--but even he can't help but smile at his little illegitimate namesake. Ferdinand of Austria is already a charming young boy.
But that's not all--Ferdinand's brother, the Archduke Charles Francis is now betrothed to the Portuguese Infanta Maria de Guimarães.[7] Maria is a safe match--a proper Catholic princess from one of the right families. Indeed, her family is so right that the Hapsburgs have been raiding them for brides with astonishing regularity over the years, a fact that has not helped either family's gene pool very much. Still, in between this and the Archduke's matching broods of children, there should be PLENTY of Hapsburgs bouncing around the Empire in the years to come.
--In Orleans, France's Estates-General meet for the first time in decades, in hopes of taking care of the itty-bitty problem of France's finances, which, as opposed the Spanish Thrones, are still in an utter mess after finishing that last Italian war. Little progress is made on this front--indeed, Henri II Valois essentially turns the Estates General into a bitchfest, wherein he whines about how awful Scotland and England have been to him. Oh, and the nation. That too. He even starts hinting that he thinks it might be a good idea to make nice with Spain, and then launch a joint invasion of the "Protestant Isles" (a term, which having thus been invented, proceeds to remain in circulation for a long, long time). Most of the deputies cough politely and try to steer the King back onto the important subject of not going broke. The notable exceptions are the Duke of Aumale, and his brother Rene, there to "assist" their young nephew, Henri de Guise, who say often and passionately that they think the King is on to something here. Henri de Guise--says nothing on the matter.
The young Duke of Guise is in fact one of the marvels of the Estates of Orleans. While he of course takes little part in the going-ons, being strictly there to observe, all who encounter young Henri de Guise marvel at his grace, physical prowess, and intelligence. The King of France is especially charmed, commenting loudly and often how he wish he had a son like that. And yet for all that people marvel on him, few come out of the Estates with any idea of where Henri de Guise stands on anything. Despite the fact that his uncles are two of the leading Catholic reactionaries among the French noblility--and the fact that his father is the closest thing to a martyr such people have--Henri's stance on the church is hard to pin down. (After all, it mustn't be forgotten that one of his maternal uncles is... Pope Pius.) Even at this early age, de Guise has mastered the art of making his true intentions impossible to determine. "He has his father's courage, and my wit," says a half-admiring, half-wary Cardinal de Lorraine.
The other great marvel occurs just as the meeting is ending--King Henri produces young Princess Antoinette Stuart, who pleads before the Estates-General that she be accepted as a refugee from the horrible malice of her evil sister, and said sister's equally evil new husband, who she is certain wants her dead, dead, DEAD, for espousing the True Faith. The assembled worthies all grudgingly agree, though quite a few think the King is playing with fire here. Rumors circulate that he plans to recognize her as the rightful Queen of Scotland--indeed, some even think he is planning to marry her to the Dauphin. This last rumor is thankfully quashed when Henri reveals his son's new engagement to the Princess Renatta de Lorraine, a much less dangerous choice, albeit one that requires Papal approval. (Renatta and Francois are after all, in-laws.) [8] Pius gives it readily, partially to mend bridges, and partially to remind Emperor Ferdinand that the Pope can swap alliances as needed. The knowledge that Henri Valois isn't planning anything too insane calms people down. Still, everyone is worried where this will go. They're also wondering where the hell the French King got Antoinette from in the first place. While it's hard to be certain, most historians wind up noting that the notorious Catherine Howard shows up in Nice shortly thereafter, throwing money around like it's nobody's business for several months, then flees one night disguised as a wine merchant to avoid creditors. While she never names names, in her memoirs, Catherine tells a story of helping a 'lady of renown' escape her jailors by disguising herself as a Jesuit, then smuggling the captive out in a specially made coffin. It's an exciting tale, those as many note, like much of what Catherine says it must be taken with a grain of salt.
Finally though it's not quite part of the Estates of Orlean, de Villegaigon returns from Bermuda to spread the word that France now has a colony in the New World. The Spanish Ambassador hears of this, and sends word back to his master. Philip is somewhat put out. Despite the whole 'potential Protestant Powerhouse' thing, Henry and Mary's marriage has largely been the gift that keeps on giving from his point of view. Henri Valois has suddenly started to make nice, meaning that Philip is now poised to play France against England/Scotland, and England/Scotland against France. But this... this is a quiet threat to Spain's overseas Empire, and he is virtually required to do SOMETHING. Of course, Philip being Philip, he quietly begins to debate just what that something should be.
--News of the rebellion of Scotland has spread over the border into England, where it reaches the ears of a young man who is desperately looking to make a name for himself. Young Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland is a proudly unrepentant Catholic who has managed to avoid getting arrested based on two factors--being too young to have taken part in one of the previous Catholic uprisings, and being the nephew of Anne Boleyn's first love, Henry Percy, a romance that Cardinal Wolsley scotched in one of the most bitterly ironic acts of self-destruction of all time. That little bit of sentiment has been a significant factor in Anne's viewing Northumberland as a harmless naif, and convincing Henry to see him as one as well. The other significant factor is that the young Earl really is quite naive and inept as a plotter--indeed Paulet has been known to remark that Northumberland is one of the most useful tools they have for keeping track of the few remaining Catholic rebels up north. And so he has been left undisturbed, plotting to restore the True Faith to England, after nearly thirty years of Protestant supremacy. Naturally, when he hears that Scottish rebels have crowned a Catholic King--Percy grasp of the actual details of the rebellion are sketchy, to put it mildly--he springs into action. He calls together his friends, breaks out the banners he's been storing for just such an occasion, sends a letter to Charles Stuart bidding him to take his lawful throne as the true Catholic monarch of England, and then--IT'S PILGRAMAGE OF THE FAITHFUL TIME! Percy's plan is simple--he and his merry band will set out, picking up followers on the way, apprehend the apostate King and his Scottish Whore at York, where they are even now squatting in terror as God's rightful judgement finally catches up with them.
It is a simple plan. But not a good plan. First of all, as the Nevilles could tell Percy, if they weren't all living in exile, Henry IX keeps quite a few spies on the payroll to keep track of rebellious Catholics. Indeed, many of Northumberland's dear friends are in fact agents of the Crown who are selling him out. So, shortly after he starts out, Henry and Mary get news of this latest effort at Catholic rebellion in York, where they are most definitely NOT squatting in terror--the King and Queen of England and Scotland don't do terror, nor do they squat if they can help it. Instead, after a bit of muttering, they hand the job to the Duke of Richmond, who has been assembling a small force to head into Scotland and help end THAT rebellion. Arthur Fitzroy, likewise annoyed, starts preparing his men to nip this rebellion in the bud when events make that more or less irrelevant.
You see, John Hooper, Archbishop of York, has ALSO heard of the uprising. Now, if there's one thing the Archbishop Hooper likes, it's a bit of Protestant rabble-rousing, and the Earl of Northumberland's uprising gives him a handy pretext. And so, as Northumberland heads towards York with what even he admits is a rather lackluster pilgrimage, he runs into Archbishop's mob of Protestants. And it is a large, large mob--the number of Protestants in England has been growing over the years, even as the number of Catholics diminish. The growing realization that this particular pilgrimage is NOT going to collect an awesome throng of recruits and strike panic into the heart of the establishment has been making many members lose heart--the sudden realization that they are going to get the hell beaten out of them, and quite possibly killed makes them start to panic. Northumberland attempts to rally them ends badly when his pistol discharges prematurely, the ball lodging in his foot. The sight of their fearless leader writhing in agony on the ground and of the charging horde of angry Protestants causes this batch of Pilgrims to give up the fight. Sadly, this comes a bit too late for many of them, who still get their heads smashed by Hooper's mob, who then go out for a merry bit of an iconoclastic spree before calling it a day. King Henry and Queen Mary take this sudden squashing of the rebellion in their stride, though they are also somewhat alarmed by the mob's rather... fervant actions. (Especially Mary, who was, you will recall, technically a Catholic a short while ago.) Still, on the whole, this is good news. The English rebellion has been good and quashed. The Scottish rebellion will shortly follow. Northumberland has saved them the trouble of trying him by dying in captivity And, in other good news, Mary is pregnant, which--God willing--means that this little diplomatic coup of theirs might just stick.
Oh, and Gregory Cromwell is swearing that he has things under control in Ireland. So really everythings going just loverly.
-----------------------------------
[1] He died in 1559 OTL. Obviously butterflies, though as noted this means that Frederick has become King of Denmark AFTER Erik becomes King of Sweden.
[2] She died at this time OTL. As I note below, Anastasia's death has quite a few underlying reasons that are fairly butterfly resistant--Ivan really was a terrible husband.
[3] IOTL, Dmitri was already dead by this time.
[4] Ivan was trying the same thing IOTL where he could at least count on the fact that the Poles weren't at war with him yet. The fact that he was asking them to simply allow him to become a major threat to their nation so that they could attack his enemies doesn't appear to have registered with Ivan.
[5] Something similar happened to her IOTL.
[6] IOTL, he died of apoplexy after the rebellion he was leading there failed.
[7] IOTL, she married Alessandre Farnese.
[8] IOTL, she married William V of Bavaria in 1568
Great to see one of my favourite tl's back, congrats on the update as always entertaining and amusing. One quick question just how many wars do you intend to have going on at one time, because none of the current one's look like ending anytime soon and both Ireland and Germany look likely to blow up in the near future.
So here we are in the new year, and we're finally bringing an end to the old one!
Besides, even that one didn't have much luck with the peacekeeper routine; I think it's safe to say that the one from the warmongering 16th century certainly won't have much luck, either!
They both deserve it, too. At least they have each other through the tough trials ahead.
Great to see another update! It's been a while, but I'm glad you didn't sacrifice quality for quantity. As always, I await next year
Arthur is shaping up to be the Churchill of his day, isn't he? Every remotely clever quip is always attributed to him.
Wrong LeagueSpace Oddity said:
Besides, even that one didn't have much luck with the peacekeeper routine; I think it's safe to say that the one from the warmongering 16th century certainly won't have much luck, either!AwwwSpace Oddity said:
They both deserve it, too. At least they have each other through the tough trials ahead.They sure don't waste any time, those two! Great news, of course. Some fresh blood from the Valois and De Medici lines would certainly benefit any children of theirs, given their horribly inbred father. And amusingly, Philip's warning is the exact same piece of advice given by Henry VIII to Fitzroy. Autocratic monarchs think alike?Space Oddity said:
Though your reasoning makes a great deal of sense, it's still so alien to see British royal families getting along. Don't get me wrong; it's wonderful to see, and knowing you, it probably won't last, but it's just so unusual.Space Oddity said:
We know for a fact that this movement was not successful, given Lennox's quote in 1568, at which point he was described as merely the Earl of Lennox. Still, it should be a lot of fun to see the little brat crash and burn.Space Oddity said:
I'm noticing a theme here... It seems that every movement in Europe has one and only one sane man as a part of it.Space Oddity said:
Indeed, it's been three-quarters of a century - they last convened in 1484! But they're still meeting on schedule. Nice to see that the continuing reign of Henry II hasn't thwarted them. I look forward to seeing whether they'll make the follow-up trip to Pontoise next year.Space Oddity said:
Well, at least there's one familial relationship among British royals that remains antagonistic.Space Oddity said:
I hope she has a lot of white in her wardrobe.Space Oddity said:
She's like the annoying neighbour in a sitcom - just when you think you're finally rid of her, there she is, barging in again.Space Oddity said:
Do the historians actually count this one with the rest? And how many have there been so far, anyway? I've lost countSpace Oddity said:
I double-checked, and Hooper is the Puritan. And with his mob of no doubt like-minded individuals alarming our broadly Libertine King and Queen, I suspect we're seeing the seeds being planted for... THE DISPUTE OF THE HYMNALS! Or, at the very least, the crystallization of our joint monarchs' theological positions. After all, Avowed Libertine is still quite a ways from de-facto-Libertine-by-default.Space Oddity said:
The first of their many children, including several boys, most of whom survive to adulthood, begetting the long line of Tudors who continue to reign to this very day! (I would go on, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself.)Space Oddity said:
Famous last words...Space Oddity said:
Great to see another update! It's been a while, but I'm glad you didn't sacrifice quality for quantity. As always, I await next year
wolf_brother
Banned
A family tree of all the European royals is going to be needed fairly soon actually, just to keep track of who is whom.
Great update, looking forward to more.
Great update, looking forward to more.
Lycaon pictus
Donor
Better? Close enough for government work? (I left the rivers in because I need those as frames of reference.)
I can also do the family tree if you want.
Oh, and I can't wait to hear about the ambitions of Elizabeth (the English one, not the French) for J. F. of Saxony.
I can also do the family tree if you want.
Oh, and I can't wait to hear about the ambitions of Elizabeth (the English one, not the French) for J. F. of Saxony.
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Delighted to see this continued.
Except for little Antoinette, it does seem like a temporary outbreak of sanity...
Except for little Antoinette, it does seem like a temporary outbreak of sanity...
Space Oddity
Sorry about the late reply as I've been away but great to see another update. Chaos continues as usual, a little muted in some cases but with worrying tremors in many of the cases that seem calm.
Wondering what Philip's response to Bermuda will be? Easy to forget that at this point the America's were virtually an Iberian monopoly and viewed as such by those monarchs.
I was rather expecting Antoinette was going to end up with Charles 'the Brainless' in his revolt but probably two such large egos can't stay that closely together without serious pressure being applied. Have a feeling its still going to happen as it would make sense for any external Catholic intervention. Charles is the 'leader' of the Catholic forces and Antoinette can add a closer blood link to the 'correct' dynasty.
Sounds like Ivan's going to go off the deep end as per OTL, but don't know enough about the history of the region to know what effect Christian's earlier death will have but suspect that a) I'll find out and b) it will be nasty for a lot of people.
The Schmalkaldic League sounds like a disaster and could actually see an Austrian resurgence, given how divided its opponents are. Although in a generation's time I can see a hell of a lot of conflict inside the family between Ferdinand's children. Joachim does remember what happened to the legendary Hector? Especially since this was award posthumously that doesn't sound too promising for Prussia. I feel more sympathy for Philip of Hesse as I suspect he's fighting a lost cause, at least at the moment.
Like other's there was an ahhh moment on hearing how Charles and Elizabeth were getting on in Spain, although their respective fathers can probably still foul things up for them.
Presuming Mary [of Scotland] provides a healthy [preferably male] heir and survives herself that could strengthen the 'union' at least in the near turn. Percy's infantile revolt will probably help as it gives them an extra reason to unite their countries and make the Catholics seen like a common threat. Could also mean that Scottish loyalists will feel more friendly to English intervention to help put down the rebellion, if those troops actually get there.
Probably more significantly the revolts, the actions of her 'beloved' sister and possibly foreign intervention on her behave could well see Mary moving off the fence on the question of religion.
With Henri de Guise, isn't he, like the king's least favourite son, a closet Protestant? Sounds like a very skilful player, although he could have some difficult hand to play.
Again some classic lines:
a) Oh, Elizabeth Tudor does have an ambition for her husband that would make even him quail if he learnt the full extent of it. - She may not be our Liz, who was considerably more cautious, but definitely can tell who her parents are.
b) As she is tending to her poor battered husband, Elizabeth realizes that this might just be love. - Given how nasty smallpox was at the time this is a major commitment by Charles not to mention the insisting on allowing French doctors in.
c) thus fulfilling a long Hapsburg tradition of rather creepy marital advice. - Philip being Philip.
d) James Hepburn finds himself in a position he never saw coming, as the sole voice of sanity in the rebellion - A bloody big WHOOPS! This can not end well for the Scottish Catholics unless a hell of a lot of things go wrong for Henry and Mary. On the other hand, internal schism in England, the time-bomb that is Ireland and possible Franco-Spanish intervention. It might happen but still seems unlikely that the rebels will come out on top. We know from the exchange between Charles and his 'loving' wife that he comes out alive but I suspect many of his followers won't.
e) Still, in between this and the Archduke's matching broods of children, there should be PLENTY of Hapsburgs bouncing around the Empire in the years to come. - Why am I reminded that you can have too much of a good, or bad, thing.
f) who she is certain wants her dead, dead, DEAD, for espousing the True Faith. - I think a lot of people want Antoinette dead for being Antoinette, i.e. a poisonous viper. I fear the numbers thinking such will increase substantially but for the moment at least they will be frustrated.
g) Oh, and Gregory Cromwell is swearing that he has things under control in Ireland. So really everythings going just loverly. - Oh s**t!
Steve
Sorry about the late reply as I've been away but great to see another update. Chaos continues as usual, a little muted in some cases but with worrying tremors in many of the cases that seem calm.
Wondering what Philip's response to Bermuda will be? Easy to forget that at this point the America's were virtually an Iberian monopoly and viewed as such by those monarchs.
I was rather expecting Antoinette was going to end up with Charles 'the Brainless' in his revolt but probably two such large egos can't stay that closely together without serious pressure being applied. Have a feeling its still going to happen as it would make sense for any external Catholic intervention. Charles is the 'leader' of the Catholic forces and Antoinette can add a closer blood link to the 'correct' dynasty.
Sounds like Ivan's going to go off the deep end as per OTL, but don't know enough about the history of the region to know what effect Christian's earlier death will have but suspect that a) I'll find out and b) it will be nasty for a lot of people.
The Schmalkaldic League sounds like a disaster and could actually see an Austrian resurgence, given how divided its opponents are. Although in a generation's time I can see a hell of a lot of conflict inside the family between Ferdinand's children. Joachim does remember what happened to the legendary Hector? Especially since this was award posthumously that doesn't sound too promising for Prussia. I feel more sympathy for Philip of Hesse as I suspect he's fighting a lost cause, at least at the moment.
Like other's there was an ahhh moment on hearing how Charles and Elizabeth were getting on in Spain, although their respective fathers can probably still foul things up for them.
Presuming Mary [of Scotland] provides a healthy [preferably male] heir and survives herself that could strengthen the 'union' at least in the near turn. Percy's infantile revolt will probably help as it gives them an extra reason to unite their countries and make the Catholics seen like a common threat. Could also mean that Scottish loyalists will feel more friendly to English intervention to help put down the rebellion, if those troops actually get there.
Probably more significantly the revolts, the actions of her 'beloved' sister and possibly foreign intervention on her behave could well see Mary moving off the fence on the question of religion.
With Henri de Guise, isn't he, like the king's least favourite son, a closet Protestant? Sounds like a very skilful player, although he could have some difficult hand to play.
Again some classic lines:
a) Oh, Elizabeth Tudor does have an ambition for her husband that would make even him quail if he learnt the full extent of it. - She may not be our Liz, who was considerably more cautious, but definitely can tell who her parents are.
b) As she is tending to her poor battered husband, Elizabeth realizes that this might just be love.
- Given how nasty smallpox was at the time this is a major commitment by Charles not to mention the insisting on allowing French doctors in.c) thus fulfilling a long Hapsburg tradition of rather creepy marital advice. - Philip being Philip.
d) James Hepburn finds himself in a position he never saw coming, as the sole voice of sanity in the rebellion - A bloody big WHOOPS!
This can not end well for the Scottish Catholics unless a hell of a lot of things go wrong for Henry and Mary. On the other hand, internal schism in England, the time-bomb that is Ireland and possible Franco-Spanish intervention. It might happen but still seems unlikely that the rebels will come out on top. We know from the exchange between Charles and his 'loving' wife that he comes out alive but I suspect many of his followers won't.e) Still, in between this and the Archduke's matching broods of children, there should be PLENTY of Hapsburgs bouncing around the Empire in the years to come. - Why am I reminded that you can have too much of a good, or bad, thing.
f) who she is certain wants her dead, dead, DEAD, for espousing the True Faith. - I think a lot of people want Antoinette dead for being Antoinette, i.e. a poisonous viper. I fear the numbers thinking such will increase substantially but for the moment at least they will be frustrated.
g) Oh, and Gregory Cromwell is swearing that he has things under control in Ireland. So really everythings going just loverly. - Oh s**t!
Steve
First off I love this TL. Its 1st class work when do you think the next update will be.
keep up the good work
keep up the good work
- Status