An Unsuspected Pregnancy- A Plantagenet TL

Well he never actually gabe up his claim from the 1st time, he just reaffirmed it. Trust me, he will act on England but I dont want to spoil much about that.

It OTL Scotland actually started to feel like the lesser member of the Auld Alliance and grew to resent that. Then as the Burgundian civil war opened Edward was using Neutrality so Jame chose to act and invade on a very weak claim. Edward eventually got involved to help the French and James fled back to Scotland, still claiming the French throne even though on faulty grounds. The French and English fought etc. etc.

He has no base to his claim but 1/2 of France was in turmoil and wanted a monarch (as Edward was at the time rescuing because of Queen Mary) and James wanted land so he accepted, failed, fled, and claimed the throne. Its kind've like how England claimed the French throne until George III, i believe.

Except that the Kings of England do have a claim - via Edward III's mother

By primogeniture, Edward III and his successors are the rightful kings of France.

James . . . pulled this out of his ass.
 
Except that the Kings of England do have a claim - via Edward III's mother

By primogeniture, Edward III and his successors are the rightful kings of France.

James . . . pulled this out of his ass.

Yeah seconded. I don't think that any French princesses married into the Scottish Royal house until the 1500's.
 
I'm trying to work out how Edward is a descendant of Casimir III...

Love the timeline, subbed!

Casimir III's daughter Elizabeth married Bogislav V of Pommerania.

Bogislav's daughter Elizabeth married Charles IV of the Holy Roman Empire/King of Bohemia.

Anne, daughter of Charles, married Richard II.

Richard's son is . . .

It's not a particularly good claim, however.
 
I usually prefer the house of Valois-Burgundy a bit better.;) But maybe Philip can now focus on the Low Countries. IOTL the Low Countries, so both Belgium and the Netherlands owe a lot to OTL Philip the Good, since he played an important role in the unification of the region. (King of Burgundy, Lotharingia, Frisia or maybe even Brabant could be a consolation price (especially since it will be as a vassal of the HRE);):p.)

Furthermore I agree with Elfwine that burning Paris seems a bit excessive, however the claim of Edward III becomes weaker, if you accept salic primogeniture.

One final nitpick:), the house of Valois-Burgundy could eventually end up with the French claim to the throne of France, if all other (older) Valois lines go extinct.
 
James of Scots seems altogether too random. If the French were in disarray and so desperate for a King that they'd be willing to accept or elect someone outside the Capetian line, surely a popular local notable would emerge to fill that vacuum?
 
Furthermore I agree with Elfwine that burning Paris seems a bit excessive, however the claim of Edward III becomes weaker, if you accept salic primogeniture.

Yeah. It's a matter of whether descent through a female is accepted or not, but there's still a link.

One final nitpick:), the house of Valois-Burgundy could eventually end up with the French claim to the throne of France, if all other (older) Valois lines go extinct.

Wonder if that would make the Low Countries more tied to France than OTL, or more resentful of France. In the long run, I mean.
 
1426-1428

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The surprise Christmas Eve Attack

The House of Orleans began to push the English back. Without Burgundy, who was standing idly to the side, the armies were unbalanced. Feeling abandoned by the Vatican Edward began to use horrid treatments on his prisoners. The French recorded torture and executions which were quite common but Edward's men were over the top. Prisoners refusing to give information were burned at the stake and French citizens who sabotaged the King's campaign could have parts of their body cut off. Although some of the stories spread were rumors around half were true. Many commanders feared Edward was going insane and letters were extensively sent to Queen Mary who, although not entirely stable, was much more composed than her husband.

The French people grew to resent Edward's influence over their society and many who had been fighting for him and Burgundy in the French Civil War turned against him. Charles VII, newly coronated, began actively campaigning to remove the English from Aquitaine and placed Northern France as a 2
nd priority. Unlike Northern France Aquitaine exhibited much more loyalty to their rulers since the time of Queen Eleanor. Fighting got intense but eventually Edward's men were surrounded and were besieged constantly by Charles' men. They surrendered and in return for swearing loyalty to the French crown they got to keep their lives.

By the time Charles arrived in the north winter had arrived and both sides had temporarily ceased fighting. Edward's satiny had somewhat returned and he began to become more active in commanding his forces. He organized a surprise attack on Christmas Eve and massacred many of Charles' men before finally sounding the retreat. Although they missed Charles, their initial target his men were greatly shaken. The rest if winter both sides increased defenses and by the time the snow and cold ended fighting resumed.


To the far North James I grew tired of having very little allies and feared if Edward won France then Scotland would be next on his list as relations between England and Ireland were somewhat warmer than they used to be. He sent several diplomats to the French court in Orleans and offered to renounce his so called "claim" to the throne in return for Scottish Trade and an alliance. Charles VII reluctantly accepted and they agreement was sealed. The news was kept hidden from England and James began plotting to launch a surprise attack on England. However, no perfect time emerged and he was forced to restlessly wait.


Mary, in England, meanwhile was working hard to maintain the nation. The War in France was costing popularity but the decrease in support was almost entirely canceled out by an intense hatred of the French. Their continued resistance to the "superior" English was infuriated many young dissatisfied men to go and join the fight.


Meanwhile Edward IV's second son Edward was sent to the court of his Great-Uncle Sigismund in order to learn the Bohemian and Hungarian ways as he was betrothed to Elizabeth, Sigismund's daughter. The boy was just 13 when he was forced to renounce his claim to the English throne and leave his family. Sigismund treated him as a son, like he had done with Edward IV, and him and Elizabeth were gradually aquatinted in order to make the marriage a much smoother affair. Sigismund knew that due to the laws of succession in his various Kingdoms that Elizabeth wouldn't succeed him and the only way he could keep his family in power would be to marry her to Edward IV's son.


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Elizabeth of Luxembourg, Edward Plantagenet's future wife
 
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