This is inspired by the one episode"Reign" I actually watched. Say that João III and Katharina of Austria's son, João Manoel, dies in infancy, however, they have another son, *António (b.1540/1541). Said son is too young to wed Juana of Spain (b.1535 - she'd be 5-6years older than him). So of course, things go more or less as OTL until 1558. António is betrothed to one of Ferdinand I's daughters (say Johanna (OTL grand duchess of Tuscany)).
Suddenly, fhe queen of Scots becomes available (François II dies - Henri II should too, since otherwise Mary will just be engaged to Charles IX). She's pretty and vivacious - compared to Johanna who has scoliosis (IIRC) and poor health. In fact, Johanna's health is SO poor, that she dies c.1558-60. Felipe II of Spain remarries to his French wife at this point, and since OTL they offered Margot for D. Sebastião and Felipe offered D. Carlos or Archduke Karl of Steyr for Mary, I could see them using Mary as a proxy princess or António as a proxy prince.
And, tbf, António meets Mary's specifications - he's a king, he's Catholic and he'd be rich as Croesus (not one of her specifications, but hardly something she'd sniff at).
So, Mary-António wed in 1561/1562. Could it work? How would it work (Mary spends her time in Lisbon, Scotland governed by regents?)? And what happens to the English Succession if Elizabeth still goes her OTL route? Would Elizabeth do so?
@mcdnab @VVD0D95 @Olena @Kynan @isabella
Suddenly, fhe queen of Scots becomes available (François II dies - Henri II should too, since otherwise Mary will just be engaged to Charles IX). She's pretty and vivacious - compared to Johanna who has scoliosis (IIRC) and poor health. In fact, Johanna's health is SO poor, that she dies c.1558-60. Felipe II of Spain remarries to his French wife at this point, and since OTL they offered Margot for D. Sebastião and Felipe offered D. Carlos or Archduke Karl of Steyr for Mary, I could see them using Mary as a proxy princess or António as a proxy prince.
And, tbf, António meets Mary's specifications - he's a king, he's Catholic and he'd be rich as Croesus (not one of her specifications, but hardly something she'd sniff at).
So, Mary-António wed in 1561/1562. Could it work? How would it work (Mary spends her time in Lisbon, Scotland governed by regents?)? And what happens to the English Succession if Elizabeth still goes her OTL route? Would Elizabeth do so?
@mcdnab @VVD0D95 @Olena @Kynan @isabella