A Different Henry Dies in 1536?

Basically, Henry VIII dies in 1536 from the jousting accident and Anne Boleyn gives birth to a son in July, who is named Henry.

1536: The great and ambitious King Henry VIII of England dies in an unfortunate jousting accident, causing much panic and fear across the realm. Queen Anne Boleyn immediately rushes to London and sends for her daughter. In the meantime, she orders that Lady Mary Tudor must not be told. She, with the agreement of the privy counsel, in made co-regent with the Duke of Norfolk while her father and brother are given seats on the regency council.

In July the Queen goes into labour and gives birth to the hearty Henry Tudor, born Henry IX of England. He is christened and crowned as soon as possible, with Francis I of France as a godfather and Margaret Tudor: Queen Dowager of Scotland as godmother. His coronation is a short affair compared to most, partially due to lack of funds and also his extreme youth.

As the year progresses and it becomes obvious that certain areas of England see Lady Mary Tudor as the true queen, Queen Anne has the Lady brought to court. When she arrives there, being brought be force, she is given two options. Recognize Anne as Queen-Dowager/Queen-Mother and then be created a duchess in her own right, or be trialed for treason.

When she is later taken to her rooms to await the trail, the Lady Mary Tudor remarks to a man: "It is an awful thing for a Queen to be beheaded, isn't it?"

Charles V hears of his cousins treatment and demands that she, as rightful Queen of England, be released and that Anne Boleyn face a court at Rome to atone for her many sins. He receives word that he has been ignored.

On the 17th of September, after living in a comfortable prison cell for many weeks, Lady Mary Tudor is tried for treason to the King, her brother. She stays on the track that she is the rightful monarch, which is seen as more treason. She is sent back to her rooms.

The year ends with Anne Boleyn showing the English people their King, who is seen as a spritely little red haired angel. His mother is seen as 'The Noble Witch' for her ability to give the realm a son while also being reviled as a whore.

rembrandt_i191.jpg


A sketch of Queen Anne Boleyn and Henry IX
 
Last edited:
Henry's death at 44 would be seen by Rome and other catholics as an act of God against the heretic.

Why would Catherine of Aragon allow her daughter to leave the safety of her loyalty subjects to travel to London, to greet the heretic Queen of England?
 
Why would Catherine of Aragon allow her daughter to leave the safety of her loyalty subjects to travel to London, to greet the heretic Queen of England?

Catherine didn't have a choice at this point. She and Mary had been forcibly separated, and Mary was in Elizabeth's household, which meant Anne would have an easy time bringing her to court.
 
Uh... Katherine was DEAD by this point; January 7th 1536. That's WHY they had the joust - to celebrate. There's not much a dead woman can do.
 
Uh... Katherine was DEAD by this point; January 7th 1536. That's WHY they had the joust - to celebrate. There's not much a dead woman can do.

:eek::eek::eek: oh yer my bad lol. So does this time line see Mary become celebrates as a martyr or does she still become, if not a worse Bloodier Queen after her treatment by the Protestants.
 
1537: Henry IX spends the year mostly sleeping, eating and crying. As he slowly grows older a crop of dark brown, almost black hair starts covering his scalp and the large eyes he possesses lighten to a hazel-blue. Other than this colouring, however, he is seen as having very Henry VIII like features.

In March, a rebellion in the North is started by three women of low birth but high social standing. Janet Smith, Matilda O'Neil and Ethel Myrd incite fiv riots over the course of three weeks, which ends with 73 dead. The three are punished, though how is not made public.

In April, the Lady Mary attempts to escape her velvet prison, which causes her to be sent to worse rooms while Norfolk and Anne Boleyn argue as to how she is to be treated. Anne advocates having her slowly fade from the public view while Norfolk wants a public or private execution for treason.

In July, however, a second riot, this time in London, aims to put Mary on the throne as Mary I of England. However, this isn't a very successful and it instead pushes the privy council towards Norfolk's side.

In August. between the 2nd and the 18th, Mary is executed in a private cell away from London. When the news is released, a third riot is seen throughout London. While still unsuccessful, it does scare the royal family and the Regency has seven men hung as punishment.

In September, England and France sign the Treaty for Naples, which promises that England would send troops in Francis I of France's war for Naples. Princess Elizabeth of England would marry Charles de Valois: Duke of Orleans while Henry IX would marry either the first daughter of Henry: Dauphin of France, the next daughter of Francis I of France, Eleonore d'Este or any other woman acceptable by the treaty.

At the end of the year, Henry IX and the Regency are formally excommunicated and James V of Scotland is named the true Catholic heir of England. But, without the support of France (the proposed marriage between Madeleine de Valois and James V fell through towards the end of the previous year), James V proposed marriage to Maria of Portugal, who refused for the duration of the year, despite the pressure that Charles V began to put on her to accept so that they might invade England and place a Hapsburg (by blood at least) on the hopefully fully British Throne.
 
Few thoughts on this

Factions that existed at the point of Henry's death are not necessarily going to continue given the changed circumstances and much will depend on how quickly people act.
If the new regime can survive until Anne is delivered of a healthy male child then I think it is fairly secure.
1) The First Act of Succession (1534) - is still in force and makes Elizabeth the heir unless or until Anne Boleyn delivers a male child. (It is usual that you can't have a "death in the crown" the king is dead long live the king etc - there is no English precedent for this. The likely solution is the privy council will attempt to govern until the Queen is delivered - but they will be on pretty weak ground.
2) English Queen Consorts and Dowager Queens were politically powerless - Anne Boleyn - like her husband's grandmother Elizabeth Woodville - is in a worse position because she is English-born and can bring no great wealth or connections to her cause. It is inconceivable that the council would name her regent - ignoring her sex her pregnancy is going to make it impractical and all the council's hopes are going to depend on her being safely brought to bed of a son.
Previous minorities in England had varied but the usual winner (RIII excepted) was the council of the late King governing with power split between male relatives of the monarch - in these circumstances I would expect no regent (there is no male heir to the throne for a start) - the council as constituted continuing to govern. The Queen Mother will have influence of course but it is going to be circumscribed.
3) Much will depend on how quickly the varying sides move to gain or continue their grasp on power - Mary Tudor was at Hunsdon House after her mother's death on 7th January - seizing control of the Lady Mary before anyone else can get to her and attempt to proclaim her Queen is vital.
I also think treating her relatively well at least until the Queen is delivered of her child is a priority. It would not look good domestically or internationally to try a teenage girl on dubious treason charges - keeping her in comfortable conditions is sensible.
4) Parliament will as usual rubber stamp whoever the clear victor is - they usually bowed to the inevitable to protect their own positions.
5) Anne and her friends can count on a great deal of support in the short-term - the late King's council and much of the household. There is more to be gained by a long minority for most of them than placing the Lady Mary on the throne.
6) Even those who dislike Anne on a personal and political level have more to gain by waiting - once her son is born - she becomes much less important and can by a clever council be manipulated out of power and influence as Katherine of Valois was for example.
7) Foreign Affairs - Mary even at this period is going to obviously be thought to favour the Emperor, Anne was known as pro-French (for obvious reasons) and it would be in France's short-term interests to support the widowed Queen and her offspring rather than the Lady Mary (irrespective of the religious rights and wrongs of the the case). James V in 1536 was still locked in negotiations about his marriage - the death of his uncle will open up a fresh opportunity for him (and this POD predates his meeting with Francis I and his passion for Madeleine de Valois) - and as has been pointed out he may well attempt to try and marry Mary himself and unite the two crowns (his mother Margaret was still living and in the midst of the collapse of her third marriage and may well push James towards Mary given her desire for a better relationship between England and Scotland).
8) The problem with any opposition is that Henry's undoubted son (despite arguements to his legitimacy) is going to count for far more than the claims of anyone else including his half sister Mary.
9) On religion - Henry's death and the accession of a new born baby will give both Spain and the Papacy a change for a rapprochment (Clement and his successor Paul both delayed quite a bit in excommunicating Henry the 1535 bull wasn't published fully until 1538 for example) I can't see a child being excommunicated and i suspect with Catherine of Aragon dead, Mary treated well and the child on the throne - it is the perfect time for an easing of relations between London and Rome.
 
At the end of the year, Henry IX and the Regency are formally excommunicated and James V of Scotland is named the true Catholic heir of England. But, without the support of France (the proposed marriage between Madeleine de Valois and James V fell through towards the end of the previous year), James V proposed marriage to Maria of Portugal, who refused for the duration of the year, despite the pressure that Charles V began to put on her to accept so that they might invade England and place a Hapsburg (by blood at least) on the hopefully fully British Throne.

That could mean trouble for England.
 
Top