A Different England

Apparently, not under Francis I. IOTL, Madeleine was made to sign away her rights and those of any children she had... meaning she was eligible to inherit the throne.

Surely that just means that regardless if French law changed to allow women she'd still not be allowed

In fact the salic law was already used to avoid that Claude of France became queen of France, after maybe they made Madeleine sign way her right because the french royalty want to avoid the risk of a new hundred year war in this case i don't think that Francis Ier would accepted this marriage if Madeleine of France refuses to give up the claim to the French throne for herself and her descendants.

Therefore I can assure you that for all the french society her claims are void even if Madeleine of France refuses to give up the claim to the French throne for herself and her descendants. OTL Philip II of Spain attempted to claim the French crown for his daughter Isabella Clara Eugenia and failed miserably
 
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In fact the salic law was already used to avoid that Claude of France became queen of France, after maybe they made Madeleine sign way her right because the french royalty want to avoid the risk of a new hundred year war in this case i don't think that Francis Ier would accepted this marriage if Madeleine of France refuses to give up the claim to the French throne for herself and her descendants.

Therefore I can assure you that even if she for all the french society her claims are void even if Madeleine of France refuses to give up the claim to the French throne for herself and her descendants. OTL Philip II of Spain attempted to claim the French crown for his daughter Isabella Clara Eugenia and failed miserably

Fortunately, Madeleine's issue, if she does have any, will not be making a claim to the throne.
 
Now I want a revolution in England, the king has just BURNED the heirress to the kingdom alive, while THE EXTREMLY POPULAR queen of England (I don't give a damn what they call Anne) is forced to watch.
 
Now I want a revolution in England, the king has just BURNED the heirress to the kingdom alive, while THE EXTREMLY POPULAR queen of England (I don't give a damn what they call Anne) is forced to watch.
The thing is, Mary wasn't the heiress - Prince Henry is the heir, with Elizabeth as Princess Royal next in line. The fate of the Pilgrimage of Grace is likely to give any opponents to the king pause. I can imagine a few plots developing, though...
 
1537
For the year of 1537, England (and the world) is relatively peaceful - with Mary dead, Catherine lingers on for mere weeks, perishing on January 2nd. As she has no issue, all her possessions are seized by the King. Who promptly gives them to Anne. As Catherine dies, Bigod's rebellion occurs.

Once again, Henry is giving no mercy - everyone in Bigod's rebellion is slaughtered by Norfolk. Now, the people of England are learning that their King will not give them mercy if they "offend" him. They have to remain quiet to survive. So they do. Bigod's Rebellion is the last rebellion of Henry VIII's reign.

Henry had been willing to show his now deceased former wife some final kindness and bury her well - Bigod's rebellion, however, has put him in a bad mood, and so, in a last final kick in the teeth to his deceased former wife, Henry has her buried in an unmarked grave in an arrow box; whether she was Arthur's wife or not, she has offended the King - so, she must be punished.

In the King's name, Bridlington Priory, Castle Acre Priory and Valle Crucis Abbey are closed, while the closed Bisham Priory is turned into Bisham Abbey.

In January, the King's Mistress, Jane Seymour, does what Anne has not done yet - conceive.

Francis I, King of France, has reason to celebrate. On the first day of January, his daughter Madeleine is married to the King of Scotland, and in March, the Dauphin's mistress, Madame D'Estranges, announces she is pregnant[1]. Catherine de' Medici, reeling from having lost her half-brother to a distant cousin in January, hopes and prays to God that she is pregnant. She isn't. Her husband is too busy having the humpy-humpy-rumpy-pumpy-fun-times with Diane de Poitiers to bother with her. Diane is older, mature, and has enormously large breasts and a very plump backside - everything that arouses the sixteen year old Duke of Orleans and everything that Catherine de' Medici isn't.

In March, Gregory Cromwell is married to Jane Seymour's sister, Elizabeth Oughtred. She is 19, he is 17. Sex begins in earnest between them, with Gregory Cromwell very excited to get his cock into so beautiful a woman.

Francis's daughter, Madeleine, arrives in Scotland with her husband, James, on May 19th; already, Madeleine is three months pregnant, having had maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaany rounds of the (in her own words "excellent") humpy-humpy-rumpy-pumpy-fun-times with her husband on the boat trip across to Scotland. She's showing as they arrive in Scotland[2].

On the evening of May 21st, 1537, Henry VIII gets Anne pregnant again. The following morning, he rides to Brandon House in Bridewell for Eleanor Brandon's marriage to the Earl of Cumberland's son, Henry.

King John II of Portugal has four surviving children - Maria Manuela, heir-to-the-throne Manuel, Philip and newly born John - by the Emperor's sister[3]. Though he and his wife don't know it, there won't be anymore surviving children from the marriage. Portugal will, however, play a role in the fate of the English heirs.

Jane Seymour gives birth on October 12th. A boy. Edward Fitzroy, named after Henry's royal Plantagenet ancestors. Henry is very pleased and makes plans to ennoble his second illegitimate son. And, of course, makes plans to be back in Jane's bed as soon as he can be.

At the same time, Frances Brandon, wife of the Marquess of Dorset, gives birth to a daughter - Jane.

In November, screaming incredibly loudly and threatening to rip his cock off if he comes near her again, the Dauphin's mistress gives birth to a son, whom she and the Dauphin name Francis. Bastard though he may be, the Dauphin's son is christened in December and given the title of Duke of Valois by his grandfather. Hypocritically, to make sure that there are no more illegitimate children from his son, the King has his son betrothed to the Emperor's niece - Elisabeth, daughter of the Emperor's brother, Ferdinand. The marriage is set for 1538, when Elisabeth is twelve and the Dauphin will be twenty[4].

Anne Boleyn spends Christmas in Confinement, Jane Seymour spends it in confinement while waiting to be churched. Henry... spends Christmas eating and getting increasingly fatter.

Finally, as Henry stuffs his increasingly rotund belly, Jane Boleyn, Countess of Richmond, announces something that surprises everyone - she is pregnant.[5]

In France, lonely at Christmas, Catherine de' Medici parts her legs for her father-in-law, King Francis. Her husband is too busy sticking his cock in Diane to notice. Queen Eleanor, the Emperor's sister, is displeased with the revelation of her husband shagging his daughter-in-law.[6]

In Scotland, on Christmas Day, Queen Madeleine of Scotland gives birth to a girl - Madeleine of Scotland, the current heiress to the Scottish Throne.

The King's niece, Margaret Douglas, asks her uncle to let her marry Thomas Howard, brother of the Duke of Norfolk. Henry, in a better mood on a full stomach, is inclined to agree - Thomas Cromwell, however, is not. Thomas Howard is, secretly, poisoned, leaving Margaret Douglas distraught.[7]

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[1] IOTL, by this time the Dauphin was dead, so as you can tell I have butterflied that away.

[2] Madeleine of France did not, ever, have any children at all.

[3] IOTL, historically John and Maria Manuela were the only surviving children from the union - all the others died in Infancy.

[4] Historically Ferdinand's daughter, Elisabeth, married King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland and had no children.

[5] Again, never happened as George was, IOTL, dead.

[6] Also, never happened IOTL.

[7] Historically, Thomas Howard did die; the couple were engaged in late 1535 - Henry discovered this in July, was furious, and threw the couple in the tower. He died there on 31st October 1537. Margaret was released two days before he died.
 
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The thing is, Mary wasn't the heiress - Prince Henry is the heir, with Elizabeth as Princess Royal next in line. The fate of the Pilgrimage of Grace is likely to give any opponents to the king pause. I can imagine a few plots developing, though...

Not quite true - Henry, Prince of Wales, is first; Arthur, Duke of York, is second; Elizabeth, Princess Royal, is third; Margaret Tudor, Dowager Queen of Scotland, Lady Methven, is fourth; James V is fifth; his newborn daughter, Madeleine is sixth; Margaret Douglas is seventh; Henry Brandon is eighth; Frances Brandon is ninth; newborn Jane Grey is tenth; Eleanor Brandon is eleventh.
 
Really enjoying this - please keep it coming! Horrified that poor Mary was burned though. Hopefully the consequences for Henry will be severe!
 
Wow, how dysfunctionial France are...Would Francis really bed his daughter in law?? I mean, he liked sex, but I think that is a step to far.
 
Tree of the Tudors, c. Jan 1, 1538
Descendants of Henry VII, King of England (b. 28 Jan 1457 - d. 21 April 1509) and Elizabeth of York, Queen of England (b. 11 February 1466 - d. 11 February 1503)
c. January 1st, 1538
  1. Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales (b. 20 September 1485 - d. 2 April 1502) m. Catherine of Aragon
  2. Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland, Countess of Angus, Lady Methven (b. 28 November 1489 - ) m.
    1. James Stewart IV, King of Scotland (b. 17 March 1473 - d. 9 September 1513)
      1. James Stewart V, King of Scotland (b. 10 April 1512 - ) m. Madeleine of France (b. 10 August 1520 - )
        1. Madeleine of Scotland (b. 25 December 1537 - )
    2. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus (b. 1489 - )
      1. Margaret Douglas (b. 8 October 1515 - )
    3. Henry Stewart, Lord Methven (b. 1495 - )
      1. Dorothea Stewart (b.&d. 1528)
  3. Henry VIII, King of England (b. 28 June 1491 - ) m.
    1. Catherine of Aragon, Dowager Princess of Wales (b. 16 December 1485 - d. 7 January 1537)
      1. Mary Tudor (b. 18 Feb 1516 - 18 November 1536)
    2. Anne Boleyn, Queen of England (b. 1501 - )
      1. Elizabeth Tudor, Princess Royal (b. 7 September 1533 - )
      2. Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales (b. 8 August 1534 - )
      3. Arthur Tudor, Duke of York (b. 14 July 1536 - )
    3. Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount (b. 1502 - )
      1. Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, Earl of Nottingham (b. 15 June 1519 - ) m.
        1. Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond and Somerset, Countess of Nottingham (b. 1519 - )
          1. Henry Fitzroy, Earl of Birmingham and Nottingham (b. 21 June 1536)
    4. Jane Seymour (b. 1507 - )
      1. Edward Fitzroy (b. 12 October 1537 - )
  4. Elizabeth Tudor (b. 2 July 1492 - d. 14 September 1495)
  5. Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk (b. 18 March 1496 - d. 25 June 1533) m.
    1. Louis XII, King of France (b. 27 June 1462 – 1 January 1515)
    2. Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk (b. 1484 - )
      1. Henry Brandon (b. 11 March 1516 - d. 1522)
      2. Frances Brandon, Marchioness of Dorset (b. 16 July 1517 - ) m.
        1. Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset (b. 17 January 1517 - )
          1. Jane Grey (b. 12 October 1537 - )
      3. Eleanor Brandon (b. 1519 - ) m.
        1. Henry Clifford (b. 1517 - )
      4. Henry Brandon, Earl of Lincoln and Kendal (b. 1523 - )
  6. Edward Tudor (b. 1498 - d. 1499)
  7. Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset (b. 21 February 1499 - d. 19 June 1500)
  8. Katherine Tudor (b. 2 February 1503 - 10 February 1503)
 
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1538

Scotland begins the year of 1538 with a very near miss. In confinement and waiting to be churched, Madeleine of France's health takes a nose dive after the birth of her daughter but (after being threatened with the removal of some very required lower parts and everything attached by King James), the physicians manage to save her. For Scotland, there's no death...

For France, however, there definitely is. Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henry, Duke of Orleans, is found shortly after Christmas. Dead[1]. Bile spilling from her throat. "Poisoned!" screams the Duke of Orleans. He's right, though he doesn't know it. On receiving the news of Diane's death, Catherine de' Medici -- having done the actual dead of poisoning Diane - cackles with laughter for two straight days before putting on a suitable mask of mourning when Henry finally decides that, since his mistress is dead, he may as well return to fucking his wife.

Now, where does one get poison in France, you may ask? Surprisingly, from the Spanish Queen of France. Eleanor wants Catherine out of her husband's bed -- Catherine only went there for the poison anyway, so is more than willing to leave -- and to be in it herself and Catherine wants the poison. The twosome come to an agreement. Catherine will influence King Francis to bed Eleanor... and Eleanor will get Catherine some of the Mercury used to treat Francis's syphilis; at this point it's currently on the less potent side of things and, provided the King can stop himself from having all of the sex with all of the ladies of France, it might remain that way!

Inviting Diane de Poitiers to visit her, Catherine drugs her wine and watches as Diane chokes to death. For the Medici woman, it's victory. For the Spanish woman, it is too. Francis comes to her bed on some words by his daughter-in-law, whom he actually favours a lot: The Emperor can't try and annul his sister's marriage and place her somewhere more powerful if she's pregnant or has a child...

This works. For Francis, who wants to lord one over on Charles, having the... ahem... sexy-times... with Eleanor isn't a problem and, much to Eleanor's delight and France's surprise, his wife is pregnant within months, announcing the news in the middle of March.[2]

Speaking of Spaniards - or, one of them anyway - Ferdinand, King of Hungary through his wife, Anna, makes peace with someone with an incredibly weird name - John Zápolya, the other King of Hungary. On February 24th, the two of them agree on the Treaty of Nagyvárad: Ferdinand recognises Zápolya as John I, King of Hungary and ruler of two-thirds of the Kingdom, while Zápolya concedes the rule of Ferdinand over Western Hungary, and recognises him as heir to the Hungarian throne, since Zápolya is childless. Ferdinand, victorious where Hungary is concerned, says goodbye to his daughter, Elisabeth of Austria, in July as the frail and epileptic twelve year old Princess is shipped off to France to marry the twenty year old Dauphin.[3]

As for Emperor Charles, he and Francis declare peace in the Truce of Nice in June, finally ending the Italian War of 1536-1538.

England, on the other hand, has a mainly quiet and peaceful year. Sort of. Technically. Maybe?

Thomas Boleyn, Duke of Wiltshire and Ormond dies on January fifth, three days after his horse loses a shoe and crushes him[4]. His son, George, succeeds him, aged almost thirty four, as Duke of Wiltshire and Ormond. Though Anne, Mary and George will never (publicly) admit it, they're glad he's dead - he can't tear them apart anymore. With his father exerting less pressure on him for a son - no pressure, in fact, as he's dead - George's relationship with his wife begins improving as her belly begins bulging with their child.

Edward Fitzroy, Henry's illegitimate son with Jane, is created Viscount Beauchamp of Hache on February 12th and given the Manor of Bisham after the Abbey is closed down[5] - Anne, at the news, goes into labour two weeks early. Princess Anne of England is born at three in the morning on February 13th. She will be the couple's last child.

Henry Fitzroy's wife, Mary, announces her second pregnancy in March. William Stafford tells his wife Mary that he's surprised Richmond took so long to get his wife pregnant again - while he may look like his father, Richmond has one enormous difference: his father is enormously fat and he isn't - his father can barely get it up, Richmond doesn't have that problem; the only things that grow for Richmond are his muscles, his cock at the sight of his wife, and his family. Well, and his wealth too, as Richmond is, after the King, the richest Duke in the Kingdom.

In April, Gregory Cromwell and his wife arrive at Lewes, in Sussex, with a large retinue and set up house in the former Cluniac Priory of St. Pancras, which has been recently obtained by his father. A week after arrival his wife, Elizabeth Seymour, gives birth to a son - Henry, named after the King.[6]

Then, things change drastically in England -- King Henry suffers a health scare after the ulcers caused by his jousting injury tear open and start oozing everywhere. Already unable to exercise and growing steadily in poundage, the ulcers confine the King to bed for months and, when he emerges in August, he's hardly recognisable - blown up like a balloon and waddling, the King is enormously fat... and probably addicted to food as well. One thing is obvious - there'll be no more children from his marriage to Anne or any future relationship - not at his size and weight.

Richmond becomes the most handsome man in the English Court, much to his wife's annoyance as she was happy to have him all to herself.

Days after the King emerges in August, Jane Boleyn goes into labour. It's not a son - Lady Jane Boleyn and Lady Eleanor Boleyn are born on August 18th[7]. Jane's labour means that she is unable to attend Princess Anne's christening on August 25th. The King's damaged legs means that he has to sit, rather than stand, at the Christening.

As a "reward" for his services with the dissolution of the Monasteries, Thomas Cromwell is made Duke of Essex and Earl of Wimbledon - a title which his son, Gregory, uses - on October 12th[8]; at the same time, in Scotland, Queen Madeleine announces that she is, once again, with child. Scotland prays for a boy.

On December 17th, Henry is finally excommunicated from the Catholic Church. For the King, who's enormously fat, addicted to food, and has bad legs, it's the final injustice. But, with his enormously bloated and swollen physique, there's little he can do.

When Princess Madeleine of Scotland turns one year old, Mary Fitzroy goes into labour and, in the evening of December 25th, Thomas Fitzroy is born. Six days later, Prince Edouard of France, son of Francis and Eleanor, is born - mere hours before the year ends.

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[1] - Much earlier than history.

[2] - Never occurred in history. There were, historically, no children from the marriage.

[3] - Never occurred in history. She married the King of Poland instead and died childless.

[4] - Slightly earlier than on history and more violent.

[5] - This, as you can probably tell, is the OTL Edward VI - in this case, I gave him his uncle OTL title.

[6] - Both of these things did happen in 1538, but I don't know what order they occurred in.

[7] - Don't be disappointed, please!

[8] - Historically, it was Earl of Essex and Baron Cromwell of Wimbledon. I just upgraded them a little.
 
1539

1539 starts off in a weird way - Spain and France are not fighting each other - there's no war. In fact, they're making treaties - The Treaty of Toledo in this case - against England, because Henry has been excommunicated from Rome. Two days later, Spain annexes Cuba.

In January, Princess Elisabeth of Austria arrives in France and is married to the Dauphin.

Princess Elisabeth of Hesse is born on February 13th - the fourth daughter and seventh child of the Landravine of Hesse and his wife, Christine of Saxony - she's a Protestant Princess... stuck smack bang in the middle of the Holy Roman Emperor. Yikes. Poor her.

At the end of February the very first horse race ever is held at Chester Racecourse, the oldest in use in England and England ruins another religious place as Canterbury Cathedral surrenders in March, and reverts to its previous status of 'a college of secular canons'.

Lord Edmund Howard dies on March 19th. A month later, in April, so does the Earl of Bath, who is succeeded by his son, John. The new Earl of Bath's cousin, Anne Stanhope, is the second wife of Edward Seymour; the new Earl's stepmother is also the aunt of Edward himself.

Then, of course, Reginald Pole does something incredibly stupid. He publishes Pro ecclesiasticae unitatis defensione - he's been asked Questions by Cromwell, Tunstall and Starkey on behalf of Henry. His response, sending a copy of the thing he's published to Henry, is a terrible idea. Besides being a theological reply to the questions, it's also a strong denunciation of the king's policies that denies Henry's position on the marriage of a brother's wife - meaning that Henry burned a Princess alive, not a traitorous bastard - and denies the Royal Supremacy; Pole also urges the Princes of Europe to depose Henry immediately. Henry writes to the Countess of Salisbury, who in turn sends her son a letter reproving him for his "folly."

Reginald writing to his family leads to an enormous disaster - The Exeter Conspiracy. It's not actually a rebellion at all, but Cromwell plays it up around the King and the Courtenays and Poles are arrested and thrown in the tower, awaiting trial. Within days of their arrest, an Act of Attainder is brought to Parliament. As part of the evidence given in support of the Bill of Attainder, Cromwell produces a tunic bearing the Five Wound of Christ, symbolising Lady Salisbury's support of Roman Catholicism and the rule of Reginald and Mary, the King's traitor daughter.

This is enough for the King - they're all attained, except for Sir Geoffrey Pole who snitches on his family and is allowed to live, so everyone loses their lands and titles - mostly in the South of England, conveniently located to assist any invasion – and those in the Tower are also sentenced to death, so can be executed at the King's will. The King is also feeling mean too; there's no languishing in the tower and every Pole and Courtenay arrested - which is all of them except Geoffrey - are sentenced to die in June.

In May, the Six Articles, an Act of Parliament of England, reaffirms certain Catholic Principles in Henry VIII's Church of England. The new Dauphine of France announces she's pregnant as well, having conceived on April 6th; for France, it will be a Christmas baby. Empress Isabella, wife of King Charles V, dies from a combination of pregnancy and fever.

On June 15th, everyone confined to the tower is executed - Courtenay and his wife; Margaret Pole, her son Montagu, Montagu's wife Jane Neville and her uncle, Edward Neville, are also executed. People are furious at the execution of innocents and, when they kick up a fuss, the King sends Norfolk and Suffolk to kill them all. Thousands die at Norfolk's hand. Montagu's son and Courtenay's son are found guilty, but left to languish in the Tower. Cromwell begins devising a plan to make sure that they never rebel again, even if they are released.

The King, for his part, is evil in his thinking: his illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, is given the titles of Marquess of Exeter and Earl of Salisbury and the lands that belonged to the Poles and Courtenays. His bastard son is loyal, so he may as well be rewarded for it.

He's not the only one to be rewarded: Henry's nephew, Henry Brandon, Earl of Lincoln and Kendal, now sixteen and rather handsome if the drooling of some of the young ladies at court is any indication, is raised to the title of Marquess of Montagu for his father's actions in dealing with the rebellions of the last few years. Unfortunately for the young ladies, he is soon to be engaged - the King has given permission for him to be married. In this case, he is to be married to Queen Anne's sixteen year old cousin - Catherine Howard. Truthfully, the King things his nephew can do better, but to placate the Howards while he secretly looks for a new wife for his nephew, has agreed.

Could be worse, I suppose. You could be speaking Latin in France...

Before we get on to that topic, however - Queen Madeleine goes into labour on the day that the Poles, Nevilles and Courtenays are executed. The Princesses of Scotland - Margaret and Frances - are born in the early hours of June 16th. Two years of marriage has left King James with three daughters now. At the moment, Princess Madeleine is his heiress presumptive.

Now, at last, to France! As Princess Elisabeth of Austria, Dauphine of France, bulges fatter and fatter with child, on August 15th, King Francis I of France issues the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêt, which places the whole of France under the jurisdiction of the royal law courts, and makes French the language of those courts and the official language of legal discourse. Latin speaking and writing is now illegal.

Some of the last of the Abbeys - Beaulieu Abbey, Bolton Abbey, Colchester Abbey, Newstead Abbey, St Albans Abbey, St Mary's Abbey, York and Hartland Abbey - fall prey to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England and the first edition of the Calvinist Genevan Psalter is published.

France ends the year in blood. Princess Elisabeth of France is born to the Dauphin and Dauphine of France. It's a long labour that lasts three days, beginning on December 28th. While the Princess is born healthy and alive on December 31st, her mother dies - always weak and frail, the Labour finally ends the Dauphine, who is buried the next month with full honours befitting a Princess of France and Spain. Now, the Dauphin has an illegitimate son and a newborn daughter - both of which are completely and utterly useless to the succession to the crown in all and every way.
 
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I shall be updating 1540 and 1541 later in the week. I have been busy with work and shall, finally, get some time off to finish the parts...
 
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