A New Princess of the Asturias

Okay, so my question is about the much-oft-discussed Baltasar Carlos, prince of the Asturias, son of Felipe IV.

A question on another thread was, what if Mariana of Austria (his TTL wife) was widowed after birthing only a daughter. My question is to flip that. What if Mariana dies in childbed, leaving Baltasar a "poor, disconsolate widower" - say after birthing a son (Felipe Fernand) and heir in 1655/1657 (but, like OTL Felipe Prosper, he's sickly, epileptic and not likely to live long).

Who might be a good replacement wife for Baltasar?
 
Maybe a double French marriage will be performed - Louis XIV marries to Maria-Theresa and Baltasar Carlos marries to OTL Grand Duchess of Tuscany (or even her elder half-sister).
 
In Velasco's thread, Prospero's Prosperity, he proposes an interesting alternative. A match between the recently widowed Felipe IV (Mariana dies after OTL Carlos II is born) and Luise Marie of the Palatinate (OTL Princess of Salm) who's aunts and cousin are Polish queen and Holy Roman Empress, and who's mother is an intimate of Queen Anne of Austria. Charles II bumps Edward to Duke of Cumberland, and offers a large dowry. It might be seen as the way to least upset the balance of power in Europe. Thoughts?
 
The part with that particular title makes no sense - Edward's older brother was the Duke since 1640ies and to give the title to Edward Charles will have to revoke the titles from Rupert.
As to match itself, I'm iffy. Habsburgs were all about pedigree, and a cadet branch of Palatinate/House of Nevers with no solid claims to anything is OOC for him. Double French match is more plausible and was done before with marriages of Louis XIII and Elisabeth of France respectively.
 
The part with that particular title makes no sense - Edward's older brother was the Duke since 1640ies and to give the title to Edward Charles will have to revoke the titles from Rupert.
As to match itself, I'm iffy. Habsburgs were all about pedigree, and a cadet branch of Palatinate/House of Nevers with no solid claims to anything is OOC for him. Double French match is more plausible and was done before with marriages of Louis XIII and Elisabeth of France respectively.

Well I remember reading that the Cumberland title was reconfirmed after the Restoration so maybe was still up in the air until then. But I agree marriage-wise. This is the Spanish Habsburgs we're talking about. Every female royal who married into their house under their era was either a Austrian Habsburg, a Portuguese Aviz or a French Royal. Sense Austria has no available bride, Spain would turn to France. So either La Grande Mademoiselle or a Princesse du Sang (looking at the dates any children from Gaston d'Orléans second marriage would be to young). After that, maybe an Italian Princess. Princesses Margaret Yolande and Henriette Adelaide of Savoy or Isabella d'Este of Modena would be the most likely choices (Parma and Tuscany didn't have any available princesses)
 
Princess of Salm was of the same age that the eldest of half-sisters of Le Grande Mademoiselle, so given the choice between the two, the Spaniards will prefer a girl with pedigree to a relative nobody.
In fact the most realistic is the double marriage with Louis XIV marrying to Maria-Theresa and Le Grande Mademoiselle marrying to Baltasar Carlos, to signify the eternal peace with Spain and blah-blah-blah.
 
Sorry, I misquoted. It was Cambridge not Cumberland.

Parma did have one or two princesses born in the late 1630s. AFAIK they both took the veil.

And in Velasco's tl Charles II also offers to marry Margarita Teresa and to marry Minette to HRE Leopold I in exchange. Though at this point, this is still before the Restoration, so the Stuarts are kings with no crown...
 
A brief aside: is there any chance that Baltasar Carlos and Mariana would produce a monstrosity like Carlos II? Because they were further related than Louis XIV and Maria Teresa (who were double-first cousins). Or is the possibility still there further down the line?
 
A brief aside: is there any chance that Baltasar Carlos and Mariana would produce a monstrosity like Carlos II? Because they were further related than Louis XIV and Maria Teresa (who were double-first cousins). Or is the possibility still there further down the line?

Well they're still first cousins but I'm not sure. Maybe one kid would be Carlos II style but not all of them.
 
A brief aside: is there any chance that Baltasar Carlos and Mariana would produce a monstrosity like Carlos II? Because they were further related than Louis XIV and Maria Teresa (who were double-first cousins). Or is the possibility still there further down the line?

It is possible but with genetics is is always a possible random. It is a shame more royals did not have knowledge of simple inbreeding consequences.
 
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