AHC/WI: UK-Netherlands circlejerk

Morty Vicar

Banned
Basically the challenge is to make the UK and Netherlands BFF's, as far back as possible, and lasting as long as possible.
 
POD 1650: William II of Holland doesn't die of smallpox. He and Mary, Charles I's eldest daughter, produce several siblings after William III. Mary is considered a bit more popular, at least, and she ends up going to London for the coronation of Charles II but then returns to Holland to be with her husband, so she doesn't die of smallpox.

Court intrigue causes James to marry someone else, and they have no children. William of Orange succeeds more seamlessly tot he throne and the House of Orange rules both nations, with several Orange members in reserve should something happen to the children of William and whatever Protestant pricess he marries.

At elast point, William and that woman's child will be expected to marry an English noble and be raised English, but this will only be a minor bump, much like when George I became king despite being German. Together, the English and Dutch work to combat the Catholic powers in Europe (or support France when it's against the Hapsburgs).

Not sure on more specifics but it seems rather easy, given a common enemy and closely related royals.
 

Driftless

Donor
1650ish - who's going to challenge them on the seas? The two largest navies of Europe.

Of course, that idea alone might scare the bejeebers out of some of their neighbors.....
 
Have Mary I and Philip II have a child. According to the marriage treaty any son would inherit England and the Seventeen Provinces (aka the modern low countries and parts of France).
 
That would be a fun and very volatile timeline, since that son would be catholic, and most of his subjects... not so much :D
 
Have Elizabeth I accept the crown of the Protestants rebellion against the Spaniards:confused:
This would in theory the best solution. The problem though is that the support the English send was less than helpful. It caused more problems than it solved, especialy that idiot Leicester. Ok that is not entirely true. It actualy did help the Netherlands. It basicly united the Netherlands to get rid of him and the English influences in the Netherlands. It was a crucial point in the creation of the Dutch nation.

Anyhow, what is needed would actualy be Elizabeth becoming queen of the Netherlands and actualy sending competent help to the Netherlands. Or just sending money, weapons and maybe soldiers that the Dutch can use the way that they want.

That said, maybe a later POD could work. A better relationship between Cromwell and the Dutch Republic, avoiding the first Anglo-Dutch war?

Or even better, make Charles II (and maybe James II) a Dutchophile* instead of a Francophile, avoiding the second and third Anglo-Dutch war. Maybe it would help if Willem II would die as young as he did, thus avoiding the first Stadholderless age and Willem II turning the stadholdership in a defacto kingship.


*is that actualy a word? Well you know what I mean.
 

Morty Vicar

Banned
IOTL there's sort of a Royal wank between the UK and Germanic States, namely Hanover and Prussia. If this could be transferred to the House of Orange-Nassau, possibly through William III or maybe Victoria and Prince Alexander of the Netherlands it might help (although the Royal ties didn't prevent two World wars between the UK and Germany). This TL would probably need to butterfly away the annexation of the Transvaal, Cape Colony and Orange Free State, or at least make the Boer Wars less vicious and controversial in Europe.
 
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