A Britain of Panthers and Lions: House of Oldenburg Britain

So, any suggestions for marriage partners for Gustav of Sweden and his sisters would be much appreciated :)
For Sophia of Sweden we already planned future Michael II of Russia, IIRC (with her being infertile due to being a descendant of a number of first cousin matches).
 
Interesting set of chapters there.

Nice work by King George.

How's the Timeline doing at preventing the French and American Revolutions?
 

VVD0D95

Banned
Interesting set of chapters there.

Nice work by King George.

How's the Timeline doing at preventing the French and American Revolutions?
At the moment? Fairly decent, no reason for complaint for the colonials just yet. As for France, she’s doing pretty okay financially,
 
Chapter 312: Flanders

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Chapter 312: Flanders



September, 1753




“The Estates continue to act like little children.” Leopold Charles, Archduke of Flanders said.

“What are they complaining about now?” His wife Mary Anne asked.

“The fact that taxation has had to be increased to face a potential threat.” Leopold replied.

“What exactly are their complaints?” Mary Anne asked.

“The threat is a potential one not a live one and therefore they do not understand why they have to keep paying the amount that has been set.” Leopold replied.

“And the threat is a serious one is it not?” Mary Anne asked.

“Yes, very much so.” Leopold replied. “The French are training troops right near the border.”

“And the Estates know this?” Mary Anne asked.

“They do.” Leopold replied.

“Then they are being foolish, or someone is trying to gain something.” Mary Anne said.

“How do you figure that?” Leopold asked.

“Well, you yourself have mentioned before how the increase in taxation is needed for defence in the fact of a potential French incursion, which with the French training troops near the border would seem logical. The men of the Estates are not complete fools, therefore, someone must be trying to gain something by making them complain.” Mary Anne said.

“You think the French may have someone on the inside doing this?” Leopold asked. It wouldn’t be so farfetched, after all, where they were was right in land that the French had been claiming for centuries.

“I don’t think it is beyond the realms of possibility.” Mary Anne replied.

Leopold nodded, he agreed with his wife, there definitely was a chance the French had had a hand in this, why he hadn’t thought of this sooner he didn’t know. He took a breath and then said. “Well, I will just need to find a way to overrule those with the issue.”

“Indeed.” Mary Anne replied.

“There was another issue I wished to talk with you about though.” Leopold said.

“The issue of our children’s marriages?” Mary Anne asked.

“Yes.” Leopold replied.

“I believe marrying Maria Anna to the heir to Mantua would make sense.” Mary Anne said. “Especially as the Duke has promised us access to his Duchy’s internal market.”

“Agreed.” Leopold said. “That will keep some of the estate members happy.” They had been hankering for a leg into Mantua for years now.

“As for Karl, perhaps a French marriage?” Mary Anne suggested.

“Perhaps, it may help quell some of the French King’s attempts at sowing discord here.” Leopold said, though he wasn’t completely sure about that.

“Agreed.” Mary Anne said. “What about the younger children?”

Leopold shook his head. “We’ll think about them next year, for now let us focus on Karl and Maria Anna.” His wife nodded, though he knew this conversation was not done yet.
 
Ah, the game of spy’s and agitators.

Perhaps a chapter from the ‘little people’s’ view of ongoing events/marriages/deaths etc?
 
Chapter 313: Sweden's Conflicts

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Banned
Chapter 313: Sweden’s Conflicts



January, 1754


Karl looked at his wife and sighed. “Anne are you really still angry about this marriage?”

His wife, Anne, nodded. “Yes.”

“Why?” Karl demanded. “They’ve been married for almost a year now.”

“Because it is too convenient.” Anne said.

“What do you mean too convenient?” Karl demanded. “We both know this is one way of keeping the peace.”

“You’ve denied Gustav what you promised him.” Anne said.

“I made no such promise.” Karl replied, fully aware that whilst he had agreed to their eldest son’s marriage to that Oxenstierna woman, it had been on the condition that it was morganatic, and as such he could understand why Gustav might have thought he was in line for the throne.

“When Karl was denied access to the Royal Box at the opera during his marriage to that harlot, you made it quite clear.” Anne said.

“Times have changed.” Karl replied. “That woman is dead.”

“And so now a Danish whore sits where she once sat, and Gustav is denied his place as your heir.” Anne said.

“Gustav was never my heir, Anne, he was the spare. Karl was always my heir.” Karl said.

“You could have fooled me.” Anne said.

“Enough!” Karl replied. “What is done is done.”

“So, who will Gustav marry now?” Anne demanded.

“I don’t know.” Karl said.

“You don’t know?” Anne replied shocked.

“Yes.” Karl said.

“That’s completely not like you. Usually, you know everything you’re going to do for the next five years.” Anne said.

“Well this time I don’t.” Karl said.

“Why?” Anne demanded.

Karl felt his temper rise. “I don’t bloody know. Maybe it’s because I’ve had an entire Kingdom to run, an Empire to maintain and bloody Russians to fend off! Karl’s wife is already pregnant, and with luck the child will carry to term.”

“So, Gustav is meant to just what? Simply accept that he won’t be getting married as well?” Anne demanded.

“Well, if you want him to get married why don’t you look for a bride for him? Maybe if you do, he’ll stop moving around with that stupid actress.” Karl snapped.

“I will.” Anne snarled.

“Good.” Karl said. He got up then and poured himself a cup of wine and brought one for his wife as well. He handed her cup to her and downed his own, then he sat down and sighed. “We have to keep a united front, Anne. We cannot allow the Danes to see any weakness.”

“Why do you think they will try something?” Anne asked.

Karl snorted. “I know they will, they want Scania back, and we want Norway. War is bound to happen.”

“So why marry Karl to the Danish whore?” Anne demanded.

“We need to maintain the mirage of peace for the moment.” Karl said.

“And who would our allies be in any war?” Anne asked.

“The Dutch, they don’t want the Danes gaining control over the North Sea, Britannia will remain neutral. The Prussians may get involved if they think the Danes are being too aggressive towards the Dukes of Oldenburg.” Karl said, thanking the Lord that the Dukes of Oldenburg had finally used their brains and decided against taking an aggressive stance toward Prussia.

“Britannia will remain neutral, if I know my brother.” Anne said.

“Which is a good thing.” Karl replied, he didn’t want to think about where the Britannic Navy might be used and the damage it would do.

“Very well.” Anne replied.

Karl nodded, but said nothing, allowing the silence to stretch on for a period.
 
“The Dutch, they don’t want the Danes gaining control over the North Sea, Britannia will remain neutral. The Prussians may get involved if they think the Danes are being too aggressive towards the Dukes of Oldenburg.” Karl said, thanking the Lord that the Dukes of Oldenburg had finally used their brains and decided against taking an aggressive stance toward Prussia.
Aren't the Danish kings still also counts of Oldenburg at this point? Or was this changed ttl?
 
Chapter 314: Prussian Grenades

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Chapter 314: Prussian Grenades



April, 1754


“You’re telling us that the Danish King and his Oldenburger cousin are coming close to fighting again, over a dispute that was sorted fifty years ago?” Frederick asked.

“Unfortunately, yes, Sire.” His chief minister Heinrich von Podewils replied. “It appears that the King of Denmark has taken a rather unfavourable view of the terms of that agreement.”

“Why now?” Frederick demanded.

“It seems he is not happy with the growing closeness between the Duke of Oldenburg and the King of Sweden, and I believe he is being pressured by the King of Britannia to prevent Oldenburg falling into the French orbit also.” Podewils replied.

“And is there any actual evidence to suggest that that is the case?” Frederick asked.

“Not that I have been able to find, Sire.” Podewils replied.

“So, there is a whole lot of fuss being created for no real reason.” Frederick surmised.

“It would appear so, Sire.” Podewils said.

“Well, we shall let the Danish King deal with his familial grudge, we have other things we wish to focus on.” Frederick stated.

“Of course, Sire.” Podewils said. “I have met with the Polish ambassador as well as the Russian ambassador, both of them assure me that their sovereigns fully support Your Majesty’s proposals for Sweden.”

“Are they willing to commit men?” Frederick asked. Words were wind, as his son had become fond of saying, action was the real test of commitment.

“I believe Russia is, Sire. The Tsar is desperate to achieve what his father could not and take Estonia.” Podewils said.

“And Poland?” Frederick asked.

“The King of Poland has offered diplomatic support but nothing more, Sire. Indeed, I believe the King of Poland is still trying to prevent a war breaking out within his own Kingdom.” Podewils said.

“It has gotten that bad?” Frederick asked. He had been aware of some tension in the Kingdom of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but he had never imagined it might break out into war.

“That is what our spies are reporting, Sire.” Podewils said.

“Very well.” Frederick said. “So, Russia will commit, Denmark likely will as well if Oldenburg formally allies with Sweden, that leaves the Kingdom surrounded.”

“Unless Britannia decides to get involved. The King of Britannia’s sister is Queen of Sweden whilst his daughter is Queen of Denmark.” Podewils said.

“We have a way of keeping them out for good.” Frederick said, he had thought about this long and hard, and was finally convinced that this was the right approach.

“Sire?” Podewils asked.

“We shall offer our son’s hand in marriage for the King’s niece, Princess Caroline of Cambridge. The chance of making her a Queen will sit well with her father and thus with the King.” Frederick said, hoping the intelligence his ambassador in London had gathered was correct.

Podewils looked contemplative, then eventually said. “Very well, Sire.” Frederick nodded and considered the matter closed.
 
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