A son, not a daughter for the King of Scots. A timeline from 1542

[pipisme]

Mary of Guise gave birth to a healthy baby boy at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland, on 8 December 1542. She and her husband, James V, named their son, James. Five days later, James V died and baby James became James VI, King of Scots. James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, appointed himself regent for the infant king.

Henry VIII of England had hoped that a girl, not a boy, would be born to James V. She would marry his son, Prince Edward. He wanted to annex Scotland, and such a marriage would be a way of uniting the kingdoms of England and Scotland, with England as the senior partner. However there was Henry's younger daughter, Elizabeth. But she was nine years and three months older than her cousin, James VI. Would the age difference between them be acceptable? If they got married she would be 24 or 25, at the youngest, before she had any children. However she was illegitimate and barred from succession to the English throne. In June 1543, the English Parliament reinstated Elizabeth, and her older sister, Mary, to the English succession, but did not make them legitimate. It was unlikely that she would ever become Queen of England, but now it was at least a possibility.

Neither Francis I of France, nor Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, had a suitable daughter for James. But what would be the benefits to England and to Scotland in James marrying Elizabeth? There was the precedent of the marriage of Henry VII's older daughter, Margaret, to James IV, king of Scots. In accordance with that precedent, if Elizabeth married James she would go and live in Scotland. James had a claim to the English throne because he was the great grandson of Henry IV. He was crowned king of Scots in Edinburgh, when he was nine months old on 9 September 1543.

I have not decided yet if Elizabeth and James will be betrothed. I would welcome any comments on this timeline.

 

[VVD0D95]

I think Henry will be loathe to send a daughter northwards, and rhe Scot’s won’t be so inclined to the marriage either. James could be betrothed to Elisabeth of Valois in a renewal of the Anglo French alliance.

 

[FalconHonour]

I think Henry will be loathe to send a daughter northwards, and rhe Scot’s won’t be so inclined to the marriage either. James could be betrothed to Elisabeth of Valois in a renewal of the Anglo French alliance.

This. James might not have a French bride available yet, but there are at least three arriving in the next nine years, two of whom will be much closer in age to him than Elizabeth. He's probably going to end up married to Elisabeth or Claude de Valois rather than his illegitimate cousin.

 

[VVD0D95]

This. James might not have a French bride available yet, but there are at least three arriving in the next nine years, two of whom will be much closer in age to him than Elizabeth. He's probably going to end up married to Elisabeth or Claude de Valois rather than his illegitimate cousin.

Agreed, and this time he won’t face half as many issues as Mary queen of Scot’s did. Growing up in Scotland itself rather than France

 

[ordinarylittleme]

James had a claim to the English throne because he was the great grandson of Henry IV.

*VII
But it doesn't really matter, since his Tudor cousins are all ahead

 

[pipisme]

James VI and Elizabeth were not betrothed. Instead he and Elisabeth of Valois (born 2 April 1545) were betrothed in July 1548. She was the eldest daughter of Henry, Dauphin of France, and Catherine de Medici. James was a grandson of Claude of Guise, his mother's father.

There was no English invasion of Scotland, known as the 'Rough Wooing' with all the destruction in the south of Scotland involved, and no English invasion of France and capture and loss of Boulogne.

Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547, and Prince Edward became king of England and Ireland as Edward VI. His reign was as in OTL until January 1553 when he did not become ill. He did not die on 6 July 1553. John Dudley, first Duke of Northumberland continued as regent until Edward reached the age of eighteen on 12 October 1555, when he ruled in his own right.

 

[isabella]

James VI and Elizabeth were not betrothed. Instead he and Elisabeth of Valois (born 2 April 1545) were betrothed in July 1548. She was the eldest daughter of Henry, Dauphin of France, and Catherine de Medici. James was a grandson of Claude of Guise, his mother's father.

There was no English invasion of Scotland, known as the 'Rough Wooing' with all
the destruction in the south of Scotland involved, and no English invasion of France and capture and loss of Boulogne.

Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547, and Prince Edward became king of England and Ireland as Edward VI. His reign was as in OTL until January 1553 when he did not become ill. He did not die on 6 July 1553. John Dudley, first Duke of Northumberland continued as regent until Edward reached the age of eighteen on 12 October 1555, when he ruled in his own right.

Elisabeth of France will NOT be engaged or married in Scotland as Edward VI would be a much better match for her

 

[Victoria]

There are plenty of brides for James VI that are more likely than Elizabeth. Claude of Valois was already mentioned and Charles V could offer one of Ferdinand's younger daughters. There's also Renata and Dorothea of Lorraine.

 

[pipisme]

James VI was betrothed to Renata of Lorraine (born 20 April 1544) in July 1548. Edward VI married Elisabeth of Valois in Westminster Abbey on 3 August 1553. Though being only eight years old she was too young to consomate her marriage.

Here is an informative biography of Edward VI: http://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/8522.

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Here is an informative biography of Edward VI: http://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780.

Threadmark your posts that are telling the story please

 

[pipisme]

What sort of ruler Edward VI would turn to be was unknown. He was his mother's son as well as his father's son, People remembered the great promise of the early years of Henry's reign. Edward was serious minded, and well educated with a keen intelligence. He might have had a nearly photographic memory. He had a real interest in cartography and geography. Sebastian Cabot's new world map showing the north-west passage was hung at Whitehall.

Edward was a staunch Protestant, though not particularly devout. His confiscations of episcopal estates continued after 1553. The Reformatio Legum (Reformation of Laws), the replacement of medieval Canon Law on Protestant principles, came into effect in 1554.

 

[pipisme]

Stephen Gardiner, the former Catholic bishop of Winchester, died in the Tower of London, on 12 November 1555. His successor at Winchester from 1551, John Ponet, died in August 1556. Edward VI appointed Matthew Parker in his place.

Mary Tudor died on 17 November 1558 at Kenninghall House in Norfolk. (1) The cause of death was most probably ovarian or uterine cancer. She bore her final illness with fortitude and patience.

She is regarded as a tragic, but sympathetic figure. She was humilated and ostracised by her father, who refused to allow her to see her mother, and she was deemed to be illegitimate. She never became queen of England, never married and never gave birth. She was most disappointed that she did not see the Catholic Church restored in England.

She was a devout Catholic and passionately committed to her faith. There have been campaigns to for to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church. Her cause for canonisation is currently languishing in the Vatican. Though while she is regarded to be a holy and virtuous person, the general opinion is that she did not reach the level of heroic virtue required for canonisation.

In the absence of Mary Tudor being queen there were no Protestant martyrs, so no Foxe's Book of Martyrs, and no Martyrs Memorial in Oxford.

(1) For Kenninghall see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenninghall.

 

[piratedude]

Interesting implications

In the absence of Mary Tudor being queen there were no Protestant martyrs, so no Foxe's Book of Martyrs, and no Martyrs Memorial in Oxford.

It also means that John Knox would likely stay in England unless/until things take a protestant turn back in Scotland.

No Mary also butterflies the OTL Spanish armada, though an invasion might be attempted under different circumstances, such as an intervention in the Dutch revolt

 

[pipisme]

Also there was no Wyatt rebellion, and no loss of Calais to France in January 1558 because Mary I went against France in support of France in 1557 in OTL. Though Calais would almost certainly be lost sooner or later.

Elizabeth Tudor was highly intelligent and well educated. She read and wrote Greek and Latin, and was fluent in French and Italian. She also wrote poetry. She lived at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, about thirty miles north of London. She also attended the court of her brother, Edward VI. Because she was second in line to the throne, first after her sister Mary died in 1558, she was expected to get married. Several suitors were suggested to her including the Earl of Pembroke and Prince Frederick of Denmark. Edward Courtney, Earl of Devonshire, wanted to marry her.

Elizabeth and Robert Dudley, the fifth son of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland from 1551, had known each other since 1541 when she was eight years. According to his entry in Wikipedia he was born on 24 June 1532, which meant he was about 15 months older than Elizabeth. Lisa Hilton in her book Elizabeth I Renaissance Prince: A biography , London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson 2014, states that he was three months older than her. He married Amy Robsart on 4 June 1550. Elizabeth and Robert were recorded as being at court at the same time on at least two occasions in 1549 and 1550. He was MP for Norfolk in 1551-52, and from March 1553. Elizabeth and Robert were lovers. though whether or not their relationship was sexual is not known.

Lady Jane Grey gave birth to a baby boy on 18 February 1554. She and her husband, Guildford Dudley, named him Thomas. After a miscarriage in 1556, she gave birth to a daughter on 12 April 1556. She and her husband named her Margaret.

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Earl of Pembroke

Who? That's her mother's title...

 

[Major Major]

The son will die young, and violently, leaving behind one surviving legitimate child, and a flock of bastards. There will be a succession of Regents of Scotland, all of whom will discover that holding that position is a capital offense.

 

[pipisme]

Who? That's her mother's title...

The Earl of Pembroke is the person named in Elizabeth I Renaissance Prince by Lisa Hilton. He was William Herbert, first Earl of Pembroke.

 

[pipisme]

Thomas Cranmer continued in office as Archbishop of Canterbury until his death in July 1560. He was succeeded at Canterbury by Thomas Young, the Archbishop of York. Although the Catholic Mass was banned in England and Wales, it was still said in secret. Historians have estimated that the majority of people in England and Wales were Catholics. The Act of Uniformity 1552 made the 1552 Book of Common Prayer the only permitted liturgy and imposed prison sentences for attending or celebrating services where it was not used. (1)

In June 1553 John Knox was one of six royal chaplains to Edward VI and was preaching in Buckinghamshire. He had refused appointment as Bishop of Rochester. (2) He did not go into exile on the continent and stayed in England as an intinerent preacher.

(1) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Uniformity_1552.

(2) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Knox.

 

[pipisme]

Philip II of Spain married Anna Jagiellon of Poland in April 1554. (1) Elisabeth of Valois, the wife of Edward VI, gave birth to a daughter on 2 May 1562. She and Edward named her Mary.

Henry II of France was not wounded in a tournament on 30 June 1559, so he did not die then. His son, Francis, the Dauphin, did not become King of France. He died on 5 December 1560 as in OTL.

(1) For Anna see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Jagiellon.

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Philip II of Spain married Anna Jagiellon of Poland in April 1554.

Why?