An Unexpected Prince

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Prince The Accident

VVD0D95

Banned
An Unexpected Prince



June, 1688



James was happy, his dynasty was secure, and he knew that with his son having just been born, he could rest easy. Oh, he knew there were those who would grumble and plot, but as long as he kept true, God would make sure that they didn’t do anything too rash or foolish. And so, he continued as he was. He had decided to go riding today for the simple reason that he needed the air. After spending the past two days with his wife, and ensuring that his daughter Anne had been present at the birth, and the stress that had come from that, he felt he needed it. He needed that break.

James looked at John Churchill, the man who had become like a younger brother to him and smiled. They were riding through the park, and he knew that perhaps the time would come to return to Whitehall. St James, he’d chosen as the place for his son to be born because it held significance, and he knew it would be harder for Anne to beg off, as she might have done had he chosen Whitehall. That made him then turn to Churchill and ask. “How is your son, doing, John?” Churchill had had a son two years ago, named after himself, James thought it hilarious, no doubt it had been meant to fulfil his own ego. He thought that when the time was right the boy would be added to his son’s household.

Churchill smiled. “He is well, Sire. He has begun talking somewhat properly, and is walking everywhere. We’ve had to ensure that some of our more delicate items are kept hidden away so he does not break them.”

James laughed. “Oh, yes, they are wont to do that. We remember when Anne was a little girl, she was constantly roaming around picking things up and testing them. Half the time we were convinced she wanted to eat them.”

John laughed. “Ah, so not much has changed then?”

James snorted at that. It was true, his daughter had started eating a lot more as of late. He was beginning to wonder if perhaps she was with child. That might be a good thing. “So, tell us John, your wife is friends with our daughter. do you think she is with child?”

The question seemed to throw John off for a moment, but then he said. “I think so, Sire. I think she and the Duke of Cumberland are waiting to see what happens in the next few months before they decide on a complete course of action.”

James nodded, and felt a slight jolt as his horse went over a mole hill. “Of course, a smart decision.” His horse went another hill and he felt his shoulder jar. He groaned slightly.

“Are you well, Sire?” John asked coming up near him.

James waved him off. “We are fine, thank you, John. There are a lot of mole hills here, we will need to ask the keeper of the park to deal with them.”

“Yes, quite right, Sire.” John said.

They fell silent for a moment then, as they continued riding. James knew that he needed to have his son baptised into the true faith soon, of course cousin Louis would stand as a godfather, he might well ask John to stand as well, though perhaps a move to make peace between them, he should ask his nephew William to stand as a godfather also. Mary would like that. She was always going on about how he needed to do more to make amends with his nephew and son by marriage. William, Prince of Orange and the hope of the Dutch Republic.

“Say, John,” James began, but before he could finish that sentence, his horse raised itself up quite high and came down with quite the thump. He groaned in pain as his already injured shoulder came out again, and then his horse went over another mole hill, or something worse, and as he leaned forward to calm it down, the horse went down. It happened too quickly for him to do anything about it. one moment he was trying to soothe his horse, the next he felt the complete weight of his horse on top of him.

“Sire!” John cried out. He saw him try and come to aid him, but to no avail. Others came and they tried, but James could feel the horse pressing against him, he was in a lot of pain. Something sharp was pressing against his neck as well. He tried to move but couldn’t instead, he decided to close his eyes and see if that would ease the pain.

He’d close his eyes and the in the morning speak with his son.
 
Last edited:
James dies, thanks to the little gentleman in black velvet.

He leaves an infant son. And Anne is pregnant, though that was not unusual. Perhaps this will be a living, healthy boy? The eponymous "Unexpected Prince"?

In the meantime, who is regent for young James? Not his mother, she is Catholic and foreign. Probably Anne. The question of what faith the boy is to be raised in arises. Aside from his mother, who is there to insist that he be raised Catholic? (With the political juice to make it stick; there were some prominent Catholics who had been appointed to high office by James, but with him gone, IMO they have nothing.)

Am I in the right territory?
 

VVD0D95

Banned
James dies, thanks to the little gentleman in black velvet.

He leaves an infant son. And Anne is pregnant, though that was not unusual. Perhaps this will be a living, healthy boy? The eponymous "Unexpected Prince"?

In the meantime, who is regent for young James? Not his mother, she is Catholic and foreign. Probably Anne. The question of what faith the boy is to be raised in arises. Aside from his mother, who is there to insist that he be raised Catholic? (With the political juice to make it stick; there were some prominent Catholics who had been appointed to high office by James, but with him gone, IMO they have nothing.)

Am I in the right territory?
Close enough ;)
 
So James II dies early. If his son is raised Catholic, perhaps there's a War of English Succession. Dialogue's a bit modern in places, but this is an interesting set up.
 

VVD0D95

Banned
So James II dies early. If his son is raised Catholic, perhaps there's a War of English Succession. Dialogue's a bit modern in places, but this is an interesting set up.
Not sure who’s raise him Catholic here. And ah mind saying where so o know what to avoid next time
 
Is the warming pan baby rumour still out of the bag here? Or did Anne's presence at the birth change things?
 

VVD0D95

Banned
Is the warming pan baby rumour still out of the bag here? Or did Anne's presence at the birth change things?

I think with Anne being present at the birth, the warming pan baby and the changeling thing won't likely be there, that or the fact James II is dead, means there's a far bigger opportunity for Parliament now
 

VVD0D95

Banned
Anyone who has suggestions for who James should marry when the time comes, please feel free to suggest :)
 
“Are you okay, Sire?” John asked coming up near him.
I'm not a native speaker, but this seems to me as a modernish dialogue bit, okay did not enter the language until 1890ies.

As for the matches - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrika_Eleonora,_Queen_of_Sweden
Maria Amalia of Nassau-Dietz (a cousin of William III)
Or even https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Dorothea_of_Hanover (though rather unlikely if Anne is the regent, as she hated the Hanoverians, it would not be unsupported)
 

VVD0D95

Banned
I'm not a native speaker, but this seems to me as a modernish dialogue bit, okay did not enter the language until 1890ies.

As for the matches - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrika_Eleonora,_Queen_of_Sweden
Maria Amalia of Nassau-Dietz (a cousin of William III)
Or even https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Dorothea_of_Hanover (though rather unlikely if Anne is the regent, as she hated the Hanoverians, it would not be unsupported)

Ahhh, perhaps are you well?

Hmm interesting Maria Amalia could be quite good, as could Sophia Dorothea. Would a Brunswick Wolfenbuttel girl be considerd?
 
Can protestants stand as godfather to a catholic child - was James' idea about baptising into the "true faith" a misguided one with two protestant "godparents". I know they can be witnesses now but was it the same then?
 

VVD0D95

Banned
Can protestants stand as godfather to a catholic child - was James' idea about baptising into the "true faith" a misguided one with two protestant "godparents". I know they can be witnesses now but was it the same then?

Unsure, though doesn't likely matter now, with James dead aha
 
Ahhh, perhaps are you well?
That seems fine with me.

And yes, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick may well be considered.

Sophia Dorothea going to London (though unlikely due to Anna's personality) may mean that Ulrika Eleonora ends up in Berlin.
 

VVD0D95

Banned
That seems fine with me.

And yes, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick may well be considered.

Sophia Dorothea going to London (though unlikely due to Anna's personality) may mean that Ulrika Eleonora ends up in Berlin.

Oh that could be interesting, and agreed. It's going to set things up quite nicely I think for what's to come
 
Can protestants stand as godfather to a catholic child - was James' idea about baptising into the "true faith" a misguided one with two protestant "godparents". I know they can be witnesses now but was it the same then?

As a lapsed Catholic, from what I remember, you have to have at least one Catholic Godparent, but the others can be of any faith or none, so if Louis is the Catholic godparent, James would have been able to get away with the others... not that it matters now, mind...
 

VVD0D95

Banned
As a lapsed Catholic, from what I remember, you have to have at least one Catholic Godparent, but the others can be of any faith or none, so if Louis is the Catholic godparent, James would have been able to get away with the others... not that it matters now, mind...

That does make me wonder who James III's godparents will be now though aha
 
Top