In this challenge you have to make Charles de Bourbon King Charles X of France in 1584. What it would take for Cardinal de Bourbon to become the "undisputed" King of France? Or is it ASB?
Don_Giorgio said:In this challenge you have to make Charles de Bourbon King Charles X of France in 1584. What it would take for Cardinal de Bourbon to become the "undisputed" King of France? Or is it ASB?
Lastly, the Cardinal of Bourbon ruling as Charles X of France is only a way to stall for time: he is already 61 by 1584 and, as an Archbishop, unmarried. There are few chances he will have time to quit the chuch's ranks, marry and sire a son. And in this case, his heir is Prince of Condé who was Protestant. There may be another Catholic Bourbon down the road but I think the Ligue will still try to get rid of Salic Law to have a Catholic King crowned.
There are few chances he will have time to quit the chuch's ranks, marry and sire a son. And in this case, his heir is Prince of Condé who was Protestant. There may be another Catholic Bourbon down the road but I think the Ligue will still try to get rid of Salic Law to have a Catholic King crowned.
Technically, considering you propose 1585, the Pope would rather be Sixtus V: Gregory XIII died on April 10, 1585. But I'm not sure wether or not the Pope granting a dispensation would count: Charles of Bourbon is already in his 60s and he died in 1590 OTL. He has few chances on siring an offspring in such a short amount of time.Don_Giorgio said:The main question here is: Would the Pope (Gregory XIII at the time) granted him a dispensation in order to get marry and have an heir or we would have the same situation as in Portugal with an elderly unmarried Cardinal as King?
That's a possibility but I wouldn't count on it. The Estates General were already reluctant to have the King of Spain choose the next King of France OTL... Plus, I don't think Sixtus V would be all that happy about Isabella winning the French throne: Sixtus hated Protestantism of course, but he viewed the growing power of Philip II of Spain as a threat. He probably would prefer Henri II of Lorraine over Isabella, despite Henri II's claim being weaker.Don_Giorgio said:Also any chances that Catholic League would succeed in repealing Salic Law and inviting Isabelle (daughter of Philippe II of Spain) as the closest relative of Henry II?
Maybe. I think this scenario has chances of prolongating the Religious War for a bit, which would leave France a bit weaker than OTL. It has also chances of butterflying the Edict of Nantes: Protestantism would not be allowed in those conditions. Most of the Bourbons supported OTL Henri IV but I'm not sure they would go as far as he went regarding Protestantism.Vitruvius said:Though I'm not sure what all of this accomplishes since France ended up with a Catholic king anyways. I guess maybe it would be a weaker monarchy?
But even with that, I'm not sure that would work because the accession of Charles of Bourbon as King Charles X means Salic Law is still applied and that there was a dynastic change : the Valois made way for the Bourbon. This could weaken the need for abrogating Salic Law and thus the rights of the Valois-related candidates. Getting rid of Condé to pave the way for a Catholic Bourbon seems easier than abrogating Salic Law. Plus, OTL, the Catholic League calmed down after Henri IV's conversion: so they prbably just want a Catholic King, be it Bourbon or not.