AHC: Bourbon Sweden or Denmark

This seems to be a subject that you are quite interested in. Found a couple of threads involving a Bourbon in one form or another inheriting the throne of Sweden.

Are you thinking of a particular branch or will any do?
 
My knowledge of the French is not necessarily up to par. However, in what reading I have done, it seems that the Bourbons and their cadet branches have remained in predominantly Catholic regions. An easy route would be to keep either Sweden or Denmark as a Catholic state and go from there. A problem that may arise though is a possible upset in the balance of power. I am confident that neither the Hapsburgs nor whoever is ruler of the other European powers would be too keen on the Bourbons getting a hold of more territory.

It's an interesting thought though. I'll have to invest more time in coming up with something remotely plausible without making it ASB.
 
I think the best way of accomplishing this would be by going back to before Henri IV, when the Bourbons were feuding with the Guise family and the Wars of Religion were going on in France. I couldn't tell you the specifics, but I would look at that time to solve the challenge :)
 
I think the best way of accomplishing this would be by going back to before Henri IV, when the Bourbons were feuding with the Guise family and the Wars of Religion were going on in France. I couldn't tell you the specifics, but I would look at that time to solve the challenge :)

What about having the male line of a Danish or Swedish royal house die off and have their queen marry a Bourbon? Would that work for this?
The scenario I'm toying with is to have a more secure Valois succession, leading to OTL's Henry IV not needing to worry about controlling France and taking for his second wife Catherine daughter of Charles IX of Sweden. Or maybe he has a son earlier in life who marries Catherine. Either way, the Bourbons of Navarre end up in position to inherit Sweden if the male Vasa line dies out as IOTL. Though it doesn't feel likely to me that the Swedish monarchy would so sacrifice an opportunity to build another marriage alliance with the Wittelsbachs without a good reason.
 
I'm trying to think of a way with not just Sweden but with Denmark as well. It wouldn't necessarily involve a royal house dying off since that would involve a lot of deaths for no reason. One has to remember that the Vasas were not exclusive to just Sweden and Sigismund III Vasa was the king of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and the king of Sweden all at once for a period of time. That could also be a potential route if he were to decide to go for a Bourbon bride instead of a Hapsburg one.
 
Inspired by Kynan's post in the DBWI thread of Henry VIII splitting from Rome where it mentions that the house of Lorraine now rules Denmark-Norway:

Kristina of Denmark's son, Charles III, duke of Lorraine, was offered the Danish throne

Christina, Dorothea's sister, was recognized as queen, as well as for her rights, also because her eldest son has declined the offer of the crown made to him by the national Councils because subject to the waiver of his Duchy of Lorraine. Charles of Lorraine was more committed about the chimera of the crown of France[1] than about the certitude of the crowns of the Union, as we shall see.
Charles of Lorraine was the most handsome prince of his age. «God gave him this beauty and fresh air worthy of the sovereign power, and if he was not sovereign for birth, he would have been for his good looks. Countless people went to Paris to court him or for the pleasure of seeing him. All the princes of Europe wanted to have his portrait, also Murad III, Emperor of the Turks, wanted to bring one every year».
From which she was departed, on learning the death of his sister Dorothea, for Denmark with a luxury and spectacular cortege to meet her brother-in-law John at Hansborg Castle, Haderslev. With his death, she became finally Queen as «Chrétienne, par la Grace de Dieu, Royne de Dennemarck, Suede, Norwegen» (her motto was «Without me, everything perishes»). She was reached a few years later by her younger daughter Dorothea, widowed of the German prince Eric II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

[1] At this time, the civil war became a war of succession. Henry III was the last male living of his House. Louise Vaudémont had not given him a child and the branch of the Valois was soon to die. What would be the heir? The first prince of the blood was now Henri de Bourbon, King of Navarre. But he was a Calvinist, and it was wondered if his kinship that made him descend to twenty-two degrees by St. Louis, was sufficient, since he would have to primarily defender the Catholic faith. Was it not necessary to overshoot this outdated and very questionable rights? Was there not, apart from the leader of the Huguenots, other heir to whom confer the best interests of the national religion? Some said that this prince so desirable was in the House of Lorraine, others saw this in Spain where the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of Philip II, has had for mother Elisabeth of France, daughter Henry II. Catherine de' Medici had supported the rights of his grandson, born of the union of his daughter Claude and Charles III of Lorraine.

In 1589 Charles III of Lorraine had succumbed to the long pressures of mother Christina, and he went in Copenhagen. Queen Christina was sick and felt next her end.
The national Councils asked the certainty of an heir. An heir who resided in the country, who knew him, that it would help the peace and prosperity, and that, therefore, was not involved in the government of a foreign country, or worse, involved in a war of succession to get another crown.
Charles III would have to choose: either the chimera of the French Crown, or the certainty of the Crowns of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
If Charles had refused, the national Councils were ready to turn to Charles' sister, Dorothea, widow of the Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg-Calenberg.
Charles broke any hesitation and he departed for Denmark.
Already before the events of Blois and the assassination of Henry III he has understood the ambitions of the Duke of Mayenne and the son of «Le Balafré».
He cooled toward the League, placed himself on the reserve and confined himself to defend its borders, leaving his son to follow the destiny of the Duchy of Lorraine.
When the Cardinal de Bourbon, who had been proclaimed king by the name of Charles X, had died on 9 May 1590, and that the issue of succession to the throne was brought in front at the Estates General of Paris, Charles III thought seriously assert the rights of his house, but does, however, only weakly. His agent, Christophe de Bassompierre, presented at basis of this claim, a memoir written by Thierry Alix, sire de Vroncourt, where were exposed the titles of the house of Lorraine. This document reflected the arguments of genealogists tracing the origin of the dukes of Lorraine, some from Clodio, other from Charlemagne.
Henry of Lorraine, son of Charles III of Lorraine, still Marquis of Pont-à-Mousson, heir of the duchy but already, in effect, reigning duke, had as the mother Claude of France, Henry II's daughter, sister of the last three kings, and he will undoubtedly was the heir of blood to most close at Henri III. That which was opposed to the Prince of Lorraine was only a strict application of the monarchical law, that is to say, the Salic law.
No doubt that the Estates General, the ultimate purpose of which were the interests of the kingdom, would probably have selected the candidate that would bring the most determined benefits to the country. Even if the higher principle of the sovereignty of the nation (as we profess today) would have been recognized in the sixteenth century, the problem was not resolved by a kind of conclusion of inadmissibility of this candidature. It would not have escaped, infact, at the assembly that the advent of a Prince of Lorraine as King of France would provide a considerable territorial expansion, since, in the wish of Charles III, the choise of his son should lead at the crown the annexation of a great province, inhabited by a first-class military race, and hopefully closer to the limit of the Rhine, towards which tended French national policy.
The House of Lorraine could have reign over a France closer to reach its natural borders with the eldest son of Charles III, Duke of Lorraine, and over the three Scandinavian kingdoms and their growing wealth and power with one of the minor children.
However, that the Estates General had not even considered the candidature of Henry of Lorraine. The compelling and legitimate concern of the moment was indeed to put an end to the civil wars and operate the appeasement of the spirits. Henry of Navarre was been seen as the only one that, if he abjured his Protestant heretical faith to embrace the True Faith (in reality it was hoped in a freedom of beliefs and cults), could have restore into the State the peace, desirable and definitive solution
The House of Lorraine appeared to have been too engaged in the League for to offer the same guarantees.
Charles, now King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and his son Henry, did not insist and recognized the Bourbon king.
But they tried to gain some advantage of peace.
Thus, if somehow, Denmark-Norway gets Charles III of Lorraine as king, then a Bourbon match might not be so difficult. How to get Charles III as Carl I of Denmark IDK, but considering that his eldest son had only daughters, one could very easily marry a Bourbon prince. As to getting Sweden, it might have to wait awhile, although there was a plan to marry Kristina, the Girl King, to Valdemar of Denmark - son of Christian IV and Kristin Munck.
 
Inspired by Kynan's post in the DBWI thread of Henry VIII splitting from Rome where it mentions that the house of Lorraine now rules Denmark-Norway:

Kristina of Denmark's son, Charles III, duke of Lorraine, was offered the Danish throne

Christina, Dorothea's sister, was recognized as queen, as well as for her rights, also because her eldest son has declined the offer of the crown made to him by the national Councils because subject to the waiver of his Duchy of Lorraine. Charles of Lorraine was more committed about the chimera of the crown of France[1] than about the certitude of the crowns of the Union, as we shall see.
Charles of Lorraine was the most handsome prince of his age. «God gave him this beauty and fresh air worthy of the sovereign power, and if he was not sovereign for birth, he would have been for his good looks. Countless people went to Paris to court him or for the pleasure of seeing him. All the princes of Europe wanted to have his portrait, also Murad III, Emperor of the Turks, wanted to bring one every year».
From which she was departed, on learning the death of his sister Dorothea, for Denmark with a luxury and spectacular cortege to meet her brother-in-law John at Hansborg Castle, Haderslev. With his death, she became finally Queen as «Chrétienne, par la Grace de Dieu, Royne de Dennemarck, Suede, Norwegen» (her motto was «Without me, everything perishes»). She was reached a few years later by her younger daughter Dorothea, widowed of the German prince Eric II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

[1] At this time, the civil war became a war of succession. Henry III was the last male living of his House. Louise Vaudémont had not given him a child and the branch of the Valois was soon to die. What would be the heir? The first prince of the blood was now Henri de Bourbon, King of Navarre. But he was a Calvinist, and it was wondered if his kinship that made him descend to twenty-two degrees by St. Louis, was sufficient, since he would have to primarily defender the Catholic faith. Was it not necessary to overshoot this outdated and very questionable rights? Was there not, apart from the leader of the Huguenots, other heir to whom confer the best interests of the national religion? Some said that this prince so desirable was in the House of Lorraine, others saw this in Spain where the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of Philip II, has had for mother Elisabeth of France, daughter Henry II. Catherine de' Medici had supported the rights of his grandson, born of the union of his daughter Claude and Charles III of Lorraine.

In 1589 Charles III of Lorraine had succumbed to the long pressures of mother Christina, and he went in Copenhagen. Queen Christina was sick and felt next her end.
The national Councils asked the certainty of an heir. An heir who resided in the country, who knew him, that it would help the peace and prosperity, and that, therefore, was not involved in the government of a foreign country, or worse, involved in a war of succession to get another crown.
Charles III would have to choose: either the chimera of the French Crown, or the certainty of the Crowns of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
If Charles had refused, the national Councils were ready to turn to Charles' sister, Dorothea, widow of the Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg-Calenberg.
Charles broke any hesitation and he departed for Denmark.
Already before the events of Blois and the assassination of Henry III he has understood the ambitions of the Duke of Mayenne and the son of «Le Balafré».
He cooled toward the League, placed himself on the reserve and confined himself to defend its borders, leaving his son to follow the destiny of the Duchy of Lorraine.
When the Cardinal de Bourbon, who had been proclaimed king by the name of Charles X, had died on 9 May 1590, and that the issue of succession to the throne was brought in front at the Estates General of Paris, Charles III thought seriously assert the rights of his house, but does, however, only weakly. His agent, Christophe de Bassompierre, presented at basis of this claim, a memoir written by Thierry Alix, sire de Vroncourt, where were exposed the titles of the house of Lorraine. This document reflected the arguments of genealogists tracing the origin of the dukes of Lorraine, some from Clodio, other from Charlemagne.
Henry of Lorraine, son of Charles III of Lorraine, still Marquis of Pont-à-Mousson, heir of the duchy but already, in effect, reigning duke, had as the mother Claude of France, Henry II's daughter, sister of the last three kings, and he will undoubtedly was the heir of blood to most close at Henri III. That which was opposed to the Prince of Lorraine was only a strict application of the monarchical law, that is to say, the Salic law.
No doubt that the Estates General, the ultimate purpose of which were the interests of the kingdom, would probably have selected the candidate that would bring the most determined benefits to the country. Even if the higher principle of the sovereignty of the nation (as we profess today) would have been recognized in the sixteenth century, the problem was not resolved by a kind of conclusion of inadmissibility of this candidature. It would not have escaped, infact, at the assembly that the advent of a Prince of Lorraine as King of France would provide a considerable territorial expansion, since, in the wish of Charles III, the choise of his son should lead at the crown the annexation of a great province, inhabited by a first-class military race, and hopefully closer to the limit of the Rhine, towards which tended French national policy.
The House of Lorraine could have reign over a France closer to reach its natural borders with the eldest son of Charles III, Duke of Lorraine, and over the three Scandinavian kingdoms and their growing wealth and power with one of the minor children.
However, that the Estates General had not even considered the candidature of Henry of Lorraine. The compelling and legitimate concern of the moment was indeed to put an end to the civil wars and operate the appeasement of the spirits. Henry of Navarre was been seen as the only one that, if he abjured his Protestant heretical faith to embrace the True Faith (in reality it was hoped in a freedom of beliefs and cults), could have restore into the State the peace, desirable and definitive solution
The House of Lorraine appeared to have been too engaged in the League for to offer the same guarantees.
Charles, now King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and his son Henry, did not insist and recognized the Bourbon king.
But they tried to gain some advantage of peace.
Thus, if somehow, Denmark-Norway gets Charles III of Lorraine as king, then a Bourbon match might not be so difficult. How to get Charles III as Carl I of Denmark IDK, but considering that his eldest son had only daughters, one could very easily marry a Bourbon prince. As to getting Sweden, it might have to wait awhile, although there was a plan to marry Kristina, the Girl King, to Valdemar of Denmark - son of Christian IV and Kristin Munck.
 

Redbeard

Banned
Well, the present Queen Margrethe II is married to a French Nobleman (Henri de Monpezat - Henrik), who has publicly stated that in these times of equality between the sexes he shouldn't just be Prince Consort but actually King! I can't say he has so far been particularly successful, but let me introduce two PoDs:

1. We actually take that about equality between the sexes serious and call the Prince Consort King.
2. We go back and have Margrethe marry a different Frenchman, but one with Bourbon ancestry - or we find out that Henrik actually is a Bourbon.

Voila! :)
 
Inspired by Kynan's post in the DBWI thread of Henry VIII splitting from Rome where it mentions that the house of Lorraine now rules Denmark-Norway:

Kristina of Denmark's son, Charles III, duke of Lorraine, was offered the Danish throne


Thus, if somehow, Denmark-Norway gets Charles III of Lorraine as king, then a Bourbon match might not be so difficult. How to get Charles III as Carl I of Denmark IDK, but considering that his eldest son had only daughters, one could very easily marry a Bourbon prince. As to getting Sweden, it might have to wait awhile, although there was a plan to marry Kristina, the Girl King, to Valdemar of Denmark - son of Christian IV and Kristin Munck.
I was thinking about going with the Lorraine option as well but with Renata of Lorraine instead of Charles. Renata was planned to be married to Frederick II of Denmark in 1561 and there were negotiations with Erik XIV of Sweden between 1565 and 1567. Renata also had a connection to the Bourbon-Montpensier branch through her grandmother IIRC.

At least from what I see, the proposed options in the thread thus far involving a Lorraine match make it easier to get a Bourbon on the throne of either Denmark or Sweden.
 
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