15 Wilted Roses: The Lives and Deaths of the Wives of King Henry VIII

This is literally the same name, babe.


Where did they get that name that doesn't exist in either of their family trees
Yeah I worried that was the case but wasn't 100% sure, just changed Isabelle to Margaret. As for Amelia, I struggled to find other recent female names on either side, so I just picked one that existed in European royalty at the time if not their families specifically. She is 6th born, after all, hereditary names get less and less frequent the more children monarchs have.
 
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Yeah I worried that was the case but wasn't 100%, just changed Isabelle to Margaret. As for Amelia, I struggled to find other recent female names on either side, so I just picked one that existed in European royalty at the time if not their families specifically. She is 6th born, after all, hereditary names get less and less frequent the more children monarchs have.

Amelia/Amalia was exclusively a German nobility name until the Hanovers took the throne. If anyone would have a daughter with Henry bearing the name, it'll most likely be Anna of Cleves.

Maybe Bridget? Could also be Cecily.
 
Amelia/Amalia was exclusively a German nobility name until the Hanovers took the throne. If anyone would have a daughter with Henry bearing the name, it'll most likely be Anna of Cleves.

Maybe Bridget? Could also be Cecily.
I see, Cecily it is :)
 
For those casting doubt on the validity of the war itself, it literally happened in our timeline. All I changed was it's happening 2 years early, and England is brought in. Every other power really did get involved, and for the reasons stated.
No, I cast doubt on the behading of a valuable bargaining chip.
 
No, I cast doubt on the behading of a valuable bargaining chip.
What could they hope to bargain, though? They won the war, taking England's last city in the continent in Calais. And I don't think I was referring to your comment, someone did cast doubt on the war's plausibility.
 
What could they hope to bargain, though? They won the war, taking England's last city in the continent in Calais. And I don't think I was referring to your comment, someone did cast doubt on the war's plausibility.
The pr nightmare that marguerite's death would bring is gigantic.
 
What could they hope to bargain, though? They won the war, taking England's last city in the continent in Calais. And I don't think I was referring to your comment, someone did cast doubt on the war's plausibility.
Money? Non aggression treaty? Keep england heirless for a while? Avoid what Pandizzy says, a PR nightmare? They did not behaded the enemy queen at that time, however. Have her die in mysterious circumstances if you want but execution is impossible.
 
A lot of very valid points said, however I think a number of them are putting far too much of our modern sensibilities onto the past.

In our world (albeit after Henry's older brothers death, though I plan to tackle his life in either the next chapter or one after) in 1508, Henry VII was in serious talks with Maximilian to wed Eleanor to Henry. At that time Eleanor was 9 and Henry was 17, even more eyebrow raising than what I propose here. Ultimately Henry VII would die within a year and the 8th would decide against Eleanor in favour of her aunt, but it was a very likely scenario for a time. And as for the 'no marraige before 12' business, there are countless examples where this was conveniently ignored throughout history.
Marriage and consumation aren't the same thing, specially when it comes to noble and royal weddings. Eleanor being married at 10 is not impossible but there would be no possibility of it being consumated until she was at least 14 or 15. Just because a girl was married young doesn't mean her husband immediately slept with her. And as others have said, medieval and Renaissance people would be horrified by an eleven year old being pregnant, that's not bringing modern sensibilities.
 
If I may make a suggestion: I think you should switch Catherine and Eleanor in the order of Henry’s wives. I’m not sure what plans you may have for Henry and Catherine’s 3/4 oldest daughters but I would suggest shifting them around so that eleanor has her eldest child in 1513/1514, which is far more plausible imho (especially given as you moved up her birth date ITTL)

actually, now that I think about it, ITTL Eleanor could reasonably have her first kid in 1510, though twins at 15 years old and then another kid a year after is going to be rough (and will no doubt hasten her death)
 
Chapter Five: Equine Error
Chapter Five: Equine Error

Following Catherine's death, during Henry's search for another wife, he would successfully father his first son. Unfortunately for him, he was illegitimate.

Henry FitzRoy was born on the 15th of January, 1517; his mother being Elizabeth Blount, an English noblewoman fairly low on the totem pole. While the young Henry was illegitimate, it did confirm to his father that he was capable of having male children, spurring him on even more to do so again.

Eventually, after around a year of searching, Henry decided on a match. He would wed his fourth wife on the 18th of April, 1517.

BonaSforza.png

Bona, Duchess of Bari, born 1494, married 1517, died 1519

Bona Sforza, Duchess of Bari was a powerful woman in her own right, if not on the monarchical level. Throughout her life she had received numerous marriage proposals from men higher than herself, though all had been refused. When Henry opened a line of communication, most would have simply laughed and assumed he would be tossed aside the quickest of bunch given his growing reputation.

This, however, was not the case. Through his notable charm (his Kingly status notwithstanding) he was able to win Bona over when no one else had, and the two quickly eloped.

On the 18th of January, 1518, the two would welcome their first child, Helen. On the 13th of July the following year, she would be joined by a sister, Maude. Though, as was becoming routine, something would go awry.

On the 19th of November, 1519, both Bona and Henry went out for the day as part of a hunting party. Bona, having learned to ride as a child, rode beside Henry on her own horse, seemingly completely comfortable with her surroundings.

Despite this, something happened either to spook her horse, or she may have mistakenly caused her steed to trip over something on the trail. Whatever the case, Bona was thrown from her horse and suffered major physical injuries. Conflicting accounts state that she either died there on the trail, or shortly after being rushed home for medical attention.

Legally Bona's holdings would pass to her eldest daughter, Helen. This gave the house of Tudor a foothold in Italy, however Henry faced considerable pressure from both Spain and Naples to relinquish the territories. Seeing no use in stretching himself thin to keep them as part of England, and the other potential of having Bona's mother act as regent doing nothing to prevent foreign annexation, Henry would proceed to sell the territories to Spain for a comfortable sum.

Although the term didn't exist at the time, Henry in his writings makes it clear he felt an uncomfortable dose of déjà vu upon once again opening talks for a foreign marriage.

Issue:

With Eleanor of Austria

1. Mary, born 1507
With Catherine of Aragon
2. Margaret, born 1510
3. Elizabeth, born 1510
4. Anne, born 1511
5. Catherine, born 1513
6. Cecily, born 1514
7. Joan, born 1516
With Bona, Duchess of Bari
8. Helen, born 1518
9. Maude, born 1519
 
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Issue:

With Eleanor of Austria

1. Mary, born 1507
With Catherine of Aragon
2. Margaret, born 1510
3. Elizabeth, born 1510
4. Anne, born 1511
5. Catherine, born 1513
6. Cecily, born 1514
7. Joan, born 1516
With Bona, Duchess of Bari
8. Helen, born 1518
9. Maude, born 1519
Let's throw in some short-lived legitimate sons while we're at it. Really stir in the chaos
 
Let's throw in some short-lived legitimate sons while we're at it. Really stir in the chaos
Oh don't worry, were coming up to that ;) gotta make him doubt the potential of sons with having a bunch of girls, then prove to him that he can in fact have them without the example proving beneficial, tease him with yet more girls and finally give him some sons (for a time...)

It's make believe, therefore I'm not evil 😌
 
and the two quickly eloped.
no way in Hell. Where would Henry be close to Bona (who IIRC was living in Italy with her mom at the time) to do this? Specifically when her mom was angling for one of Emperor Maximilian's grandsons at the time. What benefit does England bring to the table?

@Jan Olbracht



also, your war of the Cleves succession happened a century later not i 2 or 3 years
 
With Bona, Duchess of Bari​
8. Helen, born 1518
9. Maude, born 1519
The names are a tad bit unrealistic, they were rarely or not at all used by royalty at this point and don’t figure among the names of their most recent ancestors. I would go with Isabella for the firstborn, after Bona’s mom, and maybe Bona/Bianca for the second? But after so many daughters, whatever suits Henry best.

Also, how long will take for European princesses to start believing Henry is cursed and refuse him their hand in marriage? Will he start marrying English noblewomen then? I hope he stays clear of Anne Boleyn.
 
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