AHC: More Royalty Descended from D. Antonio I/Prior of Crato

In the European royal families of today, the claimed king of Portugal, Antonio has no descendants (ironic when you consider that he actually left a son that married and left ten children, versus various Renaissance popes who have heirs among various Catholic (and some Protestant) European royal families today). His battle was a constant uphill one - whether in proving his legitimacy or proving his right to the kingship. From what I can make out, D. Felipe II of Spain had the bulk of the aristocracy either well-bribed or well disposed to an Iberian Union, making Antonio's position more difficult. But, on the other hand, he had the support of England, France (and basically anyone who had a bone to pick with Spain) from time to time, yet still he failed.

His son, Manuel (II) married Emilia of Orange (sister of Maurits, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands), and had ten children by her - including two sons - Manuel (III) and Luiz Guilherme, Duke of Guarda e Trancoso. However, as mentioned above, not even in the Portuguese royal family (which does descend from Pope Alexander VI) does he have descent. So, the challenge, is to make that his daughters - there were eight of them: Maria Belgica (1599-1647), Emilia Luiza (1605-1670), Ana Frisia (1606-1669), Juliana Caterina (1607-1680), Mauricia Leonor (1609-1674) and Sabina Delfica (1610-1670) (of whom Maria Emilia and Ana all married to unknown individuals, while Mauricia married in 1647 to the Count of Nassau-Siegen) - or his two sons (both of whom left children - Manuel (III) left four daughters, of whom two survived infancy, while Luiz left two sons, one of whom became an archbishop in the Spanish Netherlands.

Now while Antonio/Manuel (II) himself was a bastard, Portugal had accepted a bastard king before (Joao I), and Manuel had a legitimate marriage (although IDK about Emilia's religion being accepted in Portugal), so even his kids were to marry at the bottom of the totem pole (ironically, Alexander VI's royal descent (excepting those descending from Lucrezia), is either via his son, Juan, duke of Gandia or his daughter, Isabella (b.1471) who married a Pietro Matuzzi - and through him became the ancestress of the Mazarinettes; Cesare, the most famous child, has only in the last century found a royal descent in the current Carlist duke of Parma, who counts a Princess of Bourbon-Busset as a grandmother), they can still, via a circuitous route make their way into the royal bloodlines of Europe.
 
The problem with Antonio Prior do Crato is that he was an illegitimate son of the Duke of Beja, making his claim to the throne very tenuous to the nobility. Granted the Aviz Dynasty was started by an illegitimate son of the king, but it seems that by the 16th century most countries in Europe shunned illegitimate lines.

In reality, according to the laws of succession of the kingdom, on 31 January 1580 upon the death of the Cardinal King, the heirs to the throne were as follows:

These are limited to the living descendants of King Manuel I of Portugal. According to male-preference primogeniture the Farnese and along with the Braganzas have a stronger claim to the throne, with the Habsburgs coming in thereafter.

1. Ranuccio Farnese 1569-1622
2. Odoardo Farnese 1573-1626
3. Margherita Farnese 1567-1643
4. Infanta Catherine of Guimarães, Duchess of Braganza
5. Teodosio of Braganza 1568-1630
6. Alexandre of Braganza c1570-?
7. Maria of Braganza 1565-?
8. Serafina of Braganza, later Marquesa of Villena 1566-1604
9. Angelica of Braganza 1573-1576
10. Isabella of Braganza 1578-1582
11. King Philip II of Spain 1527-1598
12. Diego, Prince of Asturias 1575-1582
13. Infante Philip of Spain (future Philip III) 1578-1521
14. Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain 1566-1633
15. Infanta Catalina Micaela of Spain 1567-1597
16. Archduchess Maria of Austria, Dowager Empress 1528-1603
17. Archduchess Anne of Austria, Queen of Spain 1549-1580
18. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor 1552-1612
19. Archduke Ernest of Austria 1553-1595
20. Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, Dowager Queen of France 1554-1592
21. Archduke Matthias of Austria 1557-1619
22. Archduke Maximilian of Austria 1558-1619
23. Albert of Austria 1559-1621
24. Archduchess Margaret of Austria 1567-1633
25. Archduchess Eleanor of Austria 1568-1580
 
Part of the problem is that we're talking about the illegitimate children of an illegitimate pretender who never reigned. Aside from an initial burst of support, the Prior had little chance of gaining and retaining the throne. Antonio and his descendants brought nothing to the table, so there was no incentive for any reigning house to marry into that line. They didn't bring dowries, didn't bring a real, undisputed claim to the Portuguese throne, didn't bring any alliances and finally no threat to the Habsburgs.
Unlike the children of the Popes, there was no advantages to such matches. So you basically need a way to make Antonio and his heirs attractive marriage prospects.
 
Part of the problem is that we're talking about the illegitimate children of an illegitimate pretender who never reigned. Aside from an initial burst of support, the Prior had little chance of gaining and retaining the throne. Antonio and his descendants brought nothing to the table, so there was no incentive for any reigning house to marry into that line. They didn't bring dowries, didn't bring a real, undisputed claim to the Portuguese throne, didn't bring any alliances and finally no threat to the Habsburgs.
Unlike the children of the Popes, there was no advantages to such matches. So you basically need a way to make Antonio and his heirs attractive marriage prospects.

Well, I figure that they might factor in more for a Catholic power seeking an alliance with the Dutch than anything else, after all, the wife of Manuel (II) is a Dutch princess. And even with the popes, the advantages of such an alliance was usually only temporary. I mean, the marriage of the duc d'Orléans and Caterina de Medici was not exactly profitable, since even some of her jewels weren't the pope's to give (and if not for her inheritance from her maternal side), François complained on Clement VII's death, "the girl has come to me stark naked!"
 
Well, I figure that they might factor in more for a Catholic power seeking an alliance with the Dutch than anything else, after all, the wife of Manuel (II) is a Dutch princess. And even with the popes, the advantages of such an alliance was usually only temporary. I mean, the marriage of the duc d'Orléans and Caterina de Medici was not exactly profitable, since even some of her jewels weren't the pope's to give (and if not for her inheritance from her maternal side), François complained on Clement VII's death, "the girl has come to me stark naked!"

The only Catholic nation that allied with the Dutch Republic was France and the Bourbons wouldn't deign to marry into a line of elected officials who didn't have sovereignty. Maybe if the Prior converted and made a legitimate marriage things would be different. Hm, just a more or less ASB thought but a marriage between the Prior and Queen Elizabeth could be very cool! But in all seriousness, the Priors descendants lacked the clout to be considered royal marriage partners. Perhaps if they had a following in Portugal that made them a potential ally, not unlike say the Stuarts and Jacobites....
 
The only Catholic nation that allied with the Dutch Republic was France and the Bourbons wouldn't deign to marry into a line of elected officials who didn't have sovereignty. Maybe if the Prior converted and made a legitimate marriage things would be different. Hm, just a more or less ASB thought but a marriage between the Prior and Queen Elizabeth could be very cool! But in all seriousness, the Priors descendants lacked the clout to be considered royal marriage partners. Perhaps if they had a following in Portugal that made them a potential ally, not unlike say the Stuarts and Jacobites....

Fair enough. But there is the case to be made for the few marriages between Hanau-Münzenburg(?) and Nassau-Siegen and the Prior's descendants. They weren't important players on the European scene, sure, but there was the case of the Hanauisch-Indien (which was a madcap scheme in and of itself), however, via his daughter who married the landgrave of Hesse, the last Count of Hanau is the ancestor of the royal houses of Bavaria, Mecklenburg, Prussia, Saxe-Weimar, Battenberg and Spain, so maybe the daughter who married the Count of Nassau-Siegen marries him before menopause hits, produces a daughter or two, and things spread out from there?

Or perhaps, one of Manuel (III)'s daughters marries the Spanish prime minister, Emanuel Joaquin, Marques de Flexilla y Xarandilla, who was named First Prince of the Blood in Portugal, or even is produced as a match for Pedro II during his brother's reign by the Count of Castelo Melhor. It kills two birds with one stone - Pedro gets a wife who's likely to produce more than one child (Isabel Maria, Manuel (III)'s oldest daughter, had nine children OTL), plus he's unavailable when Maria Francisca starts annulment procedings.
 
Far simpler to have Luis, Duke of Beja get married and produce some legitimate heirs.

Or, let Luiz live as long as his cardinal brother, or let Sebastiao be stillborn or die young, so that Luiz ascends the throne, and though he marries, he can't have surviving children with his wife, so he names Antonio as his successor?
 
To put Antonio on the throne, you have to overcome the deep pockets of Philip II. He didn't pay out bribes for fun. I also wonder how important or significant was it that Antonio's mother was presumed to be Jewish.
Bear in mind, the "Spanish" crown had been pursuing the Portuguese succession for a generation or two. Letting it slip away isn't a serious option.
 
It's easy: just make Mauritia and the count of Nassau-Siegen have children, and have them marry and have descendents among the noble house of the HRE. IOTL his sister Elisabeth married the count Christian von Waldeck. He had a great granddaughter who married into the Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld family, that in 19th century were married into all European royal dynasties.
So, it's not unlikely that one of their descendents would have being married to lesser branch of a dynastical family that eventually becomes important due to Salic Law (look at the Wittelsbachs inheritances) or by some luck are connected to the heir of some royal family.
 
I've been looking at the prior's descent some more today and Manuel III's daughter, Elisabeth/Isabel Maria wed the baron de Gendt, and had 9 kids (three of whom were boys, but the only dates I can find are for the 2e and 3e daughters, Egeria Adriana Sibylle and Antoinette Albertine). Both those girls married well, Egeria into the Rhenish aristocratic Hompesch family and Antoinette first to the baron de Villandry and then the later mayor of the Hague, Willem Anthonie Pietersen. Both their kids and grandkids seem to have married in, not only amongst the Flemish and Rhenish nobility, but the French and British aristocracy (Antoinette's son married a member of the Herbert family, for instance). I figure, that to echo what @Gonzaga said above, the Empress Elisabeth's paternal grandmother was a member of the Arenberg family, while D. Miguel's wife came from a morganatically descending sideline of the Wittelsbachs; and there are other Flemish/Belgian noble families (de Croy, Salm, Hoorne, Egmond etc) who have made matches with royalty (or at least quasi-royalty - Croy's seen matches to Lorraine, Cleves and Habsburg; Salm to Lorraine, Hohenzollern and Habsburg; Egmond to Brunswick and Nassau; the last Hoorne comte de Baucignies had a queen of England for a granddaughter (admittedly he also had a Scotswoman for a wife), so is it possible for one of these descendants to marry into the Netherlandish aristocracy and get their bloodline onto a throne that way?
 
I think I may have a solution to the problem, although I beg the indulgence of the Dutch members of the board if I may have my facts somewhat awry (although this comes from a Dutch source).

Apparently, when Maria Belgica (second daughter of Manuel III and Emilia of Nassau was residing in Geneva, the margrave of Baden came a courting (and Maria Belgica was rather smitten. The article mentions her being around 26/27yo, which would put this in 1625. It also narrows down the Badener margrave, since Wilhelm of Baden-Baden was married the year before, while his brother, Hermann Fortunat was only wed in 1627; Friedrich V of Durlach was only widowed in 1627 and all other Badener princes are too young). Maria Belgica's mother was eager for the match to happen, and Catholic Baden-Baden wanted an alliance with the Netherlands. I can't make out what/if Maurits was involved in all of this, he thought. But considering he died in April 1625, I'm not sure it was really on the table. However, the following doesn't show the Nassaus in the best light. In a similar fashion to how Maria, countess of Hohenlohe had been her full brother (Filips Willem)'s staunchest supporter and been disliked by Maurits for this; so history repeated since Emilia was left a somewhat large inheritance from Maurits, as his only surviving full sibling. In order to get his hands on this inheritance, Frederik Hendrik summoned Emilia to the Hague and offered that he would grant permission for his niece to marry IF Emilia turned over the inheritance to him. But he insisted she sign it away on behalf of ALL her children, and she refused. Whether Baden was simply naked fortune hunting or he was turned away by Frederik Hendrik, he dropped his suit. Then the inheritance issue crops up again wben Maria Belgica marries the baron van Croll later. AGAIN Frederik insists that Maria Belgica renounce her inheritance on behalf of herself and any issue she may have.

Either way, this points to the fact that despite being the bastard of a bastard the Cratos were neither poor (I'm not sure if what Maurits left Emilia was money, land or stuff) nor disregarded by Europe's OTHER noble families. And either Baden boy could have interesting effects (Hermann Fortunat's OTL daughters wed into the Nassau-Siegen and Hohenzollern families, and Friedrich V of Durlach or Wilhelm of Baden-Baden (if the dates are wrong) both became ancestors of most modern European royalty (Wilhelm through his great-granddaughter, Auguste, duchesse d'Orléans; Friedrich V through various descendants is ancestor of, among others, the king of the Belgians, Sweden, Romania and the German and Russian emperors, etc)
 
A revival inspired by me musing on the Palatinate (or some other German state) inheriting the Dutch Stadtholderate - yes, I know it wasn't transmissable down the female line (in theory) - and Nassau possessions in the Netherlands.

Willem de Zwijger had fifteen legitimate children - mostly daughters, and only three surviving sons (only one of whom left legitimate issue). So, in a scenario where Frederik Hendrik is killed fighting the Spanish, and Filips Willem is bypassed in favour of Maurits (something I figure would've happened even if he had had kids). Maurits only has his bastards - who he might be forced to legitimate - while Emilia, married to Manuel (III) of Portugal is the eldest surviving daughter with issue - her oldest half-sister, Maria, had died without issue; as had her older sister, Anna, Countess of Dillenburg.

As to Manuel's religion I'm not entirely sure. Maurits had objections to his sister wedding a Catholic, but AFAIK, Emilia left her husband and took her daughters to live in Geneva (the centre of Reformed theology outside the Netherlands), so clearly she stayed Protestant. But, I think it'd be cool (if somewhat unlikely - it would need a sort of perfect storm of events) to see an "Aviz" ruled Netherlands. It would/could actually add a veneer of legitimacy to the Dutch seizure of former Portuguese colonies in Brasil and Ceylon (now that I think about it). And Emilia has two sons, which means that one could convert to rule the Dutch inheritance, and the other could remain Catholic to rule Portugal (eventually).
 
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