Out of curiosity, does the duke of Richmond, who survived drowning TTL (AFAIK) have children? I seem to recall he was married three times OTL with no kids, not even bastards attributed to him. I hope it's been a bit kinder to him here.
Apollinis et Dianae: A Story of Power, Magnificence and Glory
- Thread starter Emperor Constantine
- Start date
No. He's still impotent as he was OTL.
Regarding Sobieskis - Constantine has explained this pretty well. Also, Sobieski tiptoes the pretty dangerous line - while the marriage of the King's sons was not regulated by Sejm indeed, the second match of the King himself was the result of lot of blackmailing, bribing, conflicts and it barely got the needed approval of 4 Lords Spiritual out of 5 bishops of Sejm - the Royal Marriage thing was regulated since 1640ies (military alliance, money and the fact that female line succession may not be so strictly regulated played the role in this). So any intervention into Habsburg territories will meet a LOT of opposition from Sejm naturally funded by Emperor, among other things.
A spoiler for further chapters - Sophia's death circumstances will quite a lot mirror her OTL ones (she won't die imprisoned, but she'll become a nun in the last days of her life) for reasons that will be disclosed soon.
Constantine, please check the PM.
Also - got some info for future reference - Austrian Habsburg family weddings were usually not held at St.Stephen cathedral - they used Augustinian Church (palace chapel of Hofburg palace) for this purpose.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustinian_Church,_Vienna
Also - got some info for future reference - Austrian Habsburg family weddings were usually not held at St.Stephen cathedral - they used Augustinian Church (palace chapel of Hofburg palace) for this purpose.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustinian_Church,_Vienna
To promote more active voting and to uncover some of reasons why the career of Admiral Russel flourishes TTL despite his family being in even more disgrace than OTL in the comparable time period, there is a piece from (one of) not-yet-published chapters:
Just like his cousin the King during the Scottish War, Earl of Holderness was supervised on his first military campaign by his older half-brother, Dudley FitzRupert-Bard, Viscount Bellomont and a Captain of German Guards.
The story of this young man was interesting in its own right. Before his birth there were persistent rumors that his mother, Lady Frances Bard, is going to become the Duchess of Cumberland. However, due to Hochadel laws of the Holy Roman Empire the marriage came to naught. The only “consolation prize” given to Dudley’s mother after Rupert’s marriage was the granting to Dudley the title of Viscount Bellomont belonging to his late uncle. But this title in Irish peerage marked the status of Dudley as the “bottom of totem pole” of Royal Bastards, as all the bastards of the King or Duke of York were given titles in Peerage of England. The later replacement of his mother by actress Peg Hughes as the primary mistress of Rupert was even more painful than abandonment in favor of legal marriage, but the “betrayal” lasted not so long. In 1673, after the birth of Earl of Holderness, Rupert and Hughes officially parted, due to Rupert deciding to dedicate more time to raising his only legitimate son. However, Hughes, just like Dudley’s mother, continued to receive annual pension of £900, and had a “grand house” bought for her at Hammersmith, the generous treatment of mistresses being possible due to increased profitability of Royal Bank and Hudson Bay Company. While Dudley and his half-sister Ruperta weren't the “abandoned bastards” per se, Dudley enjoying the position of the Captain of German Guards of His Majesty and Ruperta being married off in 1687 to Rupert’s favorite, Admiral Edward Russel, who owed his continued (and distinguished) career in the Navy precisely to this status despite the disgrace of the Russels after the Scottish War, this status was not enough for Dudley. Back in London he has been courting Lady Barbara Lennard, daughter and heiress presumptive of Earl and Countess of Sussex, and went to Levantine Campaign not only to distinguish himself, but to impress his prospective father-in-law. While rumors have linked him to another two illegitimate granddaughters of Charles II, Lady Anne Scott and Lady Stuarta Werburge Howard, daughters of Duke of Monmouth and Countess of Yarmouth respectively, Barbara Lennard was much more of a tantalizing prospect for the young Viscount, being heiress to the ancient title of Barons Dacre.
Just like his cousin the King during the Scottish War, Earl of Holderness was supervised on his first military campaign by his older half-brother, Dudley FitzRupert-Bard, Viscount Bellomont and a Captain of German Guards.
The story of this young man was interesting in its own right. Before his birth there were persistent rumors that his mother, Lady Frances Bard, is going to become the Duchess of Cumberland. However, due to Hochadel laws of the Holy Roman Empire the marriage came to naught. The only “consolation prize” given to Dudley’s mother after Rupert’s marriage was the granting to Dudley the title of Viscount Bellomont belonging to his late uncle. But this title in Irish peerage marked the status of Dudley as the “bottom of totem pole” of Royal Bastards, as all the bastards of the King or Duke of York were given titles in Peerage of England. The later replacement of his mother by actress Peg Hughes as the primary mistress of Rupert was even more painful than abandonment in favor of legal marriage, but the “betrayal” lasted not so long. In 1673, after the birth of Earl of Holderness, Rupert and Hughes officially parted, due to Rupert deciding to dedicate more time to raising his only legitimate son. However, Hughes, just like Dudley’s mother, continued to receive annual pension of £900, and had a “grand house” bought for her at Hammersmith, the generous treatment of mistresses being possible due to increased profitability of Royal Bank and Hudson Bay Company. While Dudley and his half-sister Ruperta weren't the “abandoned bastards” per se, Dudley enjoying the position of the Captain of German Guards of His Majesty and Ruperta being married off in 1687 to Rupert’s favorite, Admiral Edward Russel, who owed his continued (and distinguished) career in the Navy precisely to this status despite the disgrace of the Russels after the Scottish War, this status was not enough for Dudley. Back in London he has been courting Lady Barbara Lennard, daughter and heiress presumptive of Earl and Countess of Sussex, and went to Levantine Campaign not only to distinguish himself, but to impress his prospective father-in-law. While rumors have linked him to another two illegitimate granddaughters of Charles II, Lady Anne Scott and Lady Stuarta Werburge Howard, daughters of Duke of Monmouth and Countess of Yarmouth respectively, Barbara Lennard was much more of a tantalizing prospect for the young Viscount, being heiress to the ancient title of Barons Dacre.
Ooh...vague enough to leave us wanting more.
But I do agree. Ms. Howard is significantly older than Dudley (in fact, four years younger than his mom), but doesn't have the benefits that such a mercenary marriage might have - i.e. she's not a major heiress in her own right. There was a duel OTL between her prospective husband and her stepfather due to a cancelled engagement between her and the duke of Portland. So that might lead to fun and games
I hope that Ruperta proves more fertile than Lady Margaret Russell.
Eagerly anticipating the next installment.
But I do agree. Ms. Howard is significantly older than Dudley (in fact, four years younger than his mom), but doesn't have the benefits that such a mercenary marriage might have - i.e. she's not a major heiress in her own right. There was a duel OTL between her prospective husband and her stepfather due to a cancelled engagement between her and the duke of Portland. So that might lead to fun and games
I hope that Ruperta proves more fertile than Lady Margaret Russell.
Eagerly anticipating the next installment.
You confuse her with her mom. Stuarta is aproximately of the same age of Dudley - considering that she was born around 1665. It was her mom (the late Countess of Yarmoth) who was born in 1650.Ooh...vague enough to leave us wanting more.
But I do agree. Ms. Howard is significantly older than Dudley (in fact, four years younger than his mom), but doesn't have the benefits that such a mercenary marriage might have - i.e. she's not a major heiress in her own right. There was a duel OTL between her prospective husband and her stepfather due to a cancelled engagement between her and the duke of Portland. So that might lead to fun and games
I hope that Ruperta proves more fertile than Lady Margaret Russell.
Eagerly anticipating the next installment.
As for fertility - so far it can't be proven, as the Admiral barely had enough time to enjoy his wife before being recalled to the frontlines. So Rupert (who is rapidly approaching his deathbed, as of January 1, 1689 he's the oldest living member of British Royal Family and is... well, not of perfect health as of recently) will likely die before seeing any grandkids of his - both from legitimate issue (Fred and two daughters) and from illegitimate (Dudley and Ruperta).
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Also, next Russian chapter will touch on something interesting - as is the aftermaths of living with Polonized fashion standards for 12 years (since 1677)... or, so to say, an approach to "off with his beard" issue and also an interesting approach to the Siberian "Wild East" issue, as the Eastern Siberia has all your typical package of frontier stuff. Ironically, both will be tied together...in some fashion.
Whoops. Sorry. Shoulda checked my facts.
However, did find this interesting tidbit on Russell:
http://www.made-in-england.org/admiral-edward-russell’s-legendary-pissup/
Sounds like a party Petya wouldn't be ashamed of throwing.
Whoops. Sorry. Shoulda checked my facts.
However, did find this interesting tidbit on Russell:
http://www.made-in-england.org/admiral-edward-russell’s-legendary-pissup/
Sounds like a party Petya wouldn't be ashamed of throwing.
Well he'll surely enrich his views on alcoholism on TTL version of Great Embassy. Or "we give Ottomans the chance due to their religion-mandated soberty".
Though TTL he's a bit less of a vodka enthusiast -due to never getting close with Lefort, for one. So no The Most Drunk and Unholy Conclave of His Majesty,I'm afraid.
Also, I'm crossposting the genealogy of the main House of Morosini here so as not to lose it:
Just thinking out loud here, but the La Trémoille heir to Cyprus is obviously not gonna be marrying his OTL wife, French heiress or no. But likewise it is unlikely that anyone (except France) is going to approve a Frenchwoman as future queen.
Habsburgs are out since it's unlikely they will view the La Trémoïlles as anything but parvenu. Poland has no one left (unless you start using the king's Radziwill nieces).
Likewise, his sister has become almost too high flying a bird for a de la Tour d'Auvergne (Jerusalem claim or no).
I was wondering about a Brandenburg match for the Crown Prince of Cyprus? He has ties to both the houses of Hesse and Nassau-Oranje, as well as the Palatinate and Denmark, plus he was at least raised Protestant.
Habsburgs are out since it's unlikely they will view the La Trémoïlles as anything but parvenu. Poland has no one left (unless you start using the king's Radziwill nieces).
Likewise, his sister has become almost too high flying a bird for a de la Tour d'Auvergne (Jerusalem claim or no).
I was wondering about a Brandenburg match for the Crown Prince of Cyprus? He has ties to both the houses of Hesse and Nassau-Oranje, as well as the Palatinate and Denmark, plus he was at least raised Protestant.
Yes, the bride will be from Protestant house, no, it won't be the niece of Elector Karl and no cousin of his.
And Katarzhina has no surviving daughters from her second marriage, so the Poles are out for entire generation.
Can I just ask something? I see we're at 1690 already, but no Edict of Fontainebleau (or at least no mention thereof). Was there a reason the French king decided not to repeal the Edict of Nantes?
There was a reason he didn't do so in 1685 (from small ones of no Abscess of Doom for the Queen to larger one of entering coalition war on the side of quite a few Protestant nations), but the issue of Huguenot population is to be resolved and to be resolved soon past the Scramble for Mediterranean.
No War of Spanish Succession and Palatinate Succession as we know it doesn't mean any less turbulent 1690ies.
Also, if there's no editor feedback from Constantine I may consider posting the "missing" chapter myself.
Interlude One: A Brave new World
Interlude One: A Brave new World
"Tis somewhat ironic" Cardinal Spada, Nuncio to the Imperial Court, wrote to Cardinal Giambattista Rubini in April 1688, "that as long as war is raged on the Barbarians, peace shall reign across Christendom. Perhaps we should be praying that this crusade never ends." While cynical, Cardinal Spada's observation is correct. Thanks to the truce established by the Pact of Vienna, Europe is experiencing war abroad and peace at home. In fact, this is the longest peace the continent has enjoyed in decades. Thanks to this pan European peace, many nations, both great and small, are able to at last focus exclusively on domestic reforms. This is especially true for the country of Italy, the heart of the Roman Catholic Church and the Baroque movement. Full of artists, universities, and churches, Italy is once again the center of culture for the Catholic world. But the route to this status was hard and difficult. This is especially true for one of Italy's oldest states, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
In 1671 the lands of the Medici family were in crisis, with Grand Duke Cosimo III having grown more and more estranged from his wife, Marguerite Louise d’Orleans, cousin to Louis XIV and sister to the Queen of Portugal, since his accession the previous year. The ensuing tug-of-war between Cosimo's wife and mother, Dowager Grand Duchess Vittoria della Rovere, over political power didn't help matters. Eager to maintain his influence in Tuscany, Louis XIV enthusiastically agreed to play peacemaker to the Grand Ducal couple, sending to Florence Madame du Deffand, former governess of Marguerite Louise. Du Deffard was to serve as the Governess to the Grand Prince Ferdinando and his newborn brother Gian Gastone, and to unofficially act as the King's eyes, ears and representative in the difficult task of reconciling her new master and mistress.
Her mission was only partially successful, as while the Duke and Duchess remained on somewhat good terms despite the clash of personalities, both refused to share a bed with the other after the birth of Gian Gastone. However, despite the cordial relations between the Ducal couple, Marguerite was still denied a seat in the Privy Council, which instead remained with her mother-in-law.his more than anything else gave the Sun King cause to worry. Grand Duchess Marguerite was meant to be an agent through with her cousin could act, but so long as she was denied a place in the council, the Tuscan door to influence remained firmly shut. Therefore, Louis and his advisers labored to open a window instead.
As a consequence, in 1674 the French proposed a match between Grand Prince Ferdinando and Princess Maria Beatrice d'Este of Modena, the rejected bride of the Duke of York. While the Tuscan's were amenable the marriage and the French dowry, the proposed Princess was not. Maria Beatrice had no desire to marry, wanting to instead become a nun like her aunt Catarina Farnese. The fact that the proposed groom is still a child merely adds insult to injury. Unfortunately for the young princess, the marriage had already gained the support of her uncle, Cardinal Rinaldo d'Este. In order to make his niece more enthusiastic to her proposed husband and in-laws, the Cardinal proposed to have the Dowager Grand Duchess Vittoria invite her prospective granddaughter-in-law to live at the Tuscan court. The Dowager, seeing a kindred spirit in Maria, agrees.
While in theory the plan is sound, it had attempted before with the ruling Grand Duke and Dona Catarine Farnese, sadly ending with Cosimo married to his present wife and Catarina a nun. This time Cardinal d'Este is determined that things will be different. In 1676 the Princess finally arrives in Florence, a guest of the Dowager Grand Duchess. While at first homesick and full of feelings of betrayal towards her uncle, but as time went on she warmed up to her new surroundings. The Princess was often seen at mass with Duchess Vittoria, hunting with the Grand Duke and attending concerts with the Grand Duchess and Prince. Two years later, the fifteen-year-old Grand Prince married his twenty-year-old bride at a magnificent ceremony in Florence's Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore.Within months the new Grand Princess proved her value and fertility to her new home, giving birth to a boy, Prince Cosimo, in December and stepping further into the role she had began to hold over the previous two years: arbitrator between her her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law.
The Dowager Duchess saw in her pious granddaughter-in-law the daughter she never had, while a shared love of music and horses won over her mother-in-law, despite the dislike between the their respective mother and father. What's more, thanks to the wedding of Maria and Ferdinando, Cosimo lost his only remaining reason to deny his wife a seat on the privy council, to which both the Grand Duchess and Grand Princess were now admitted. This, combined with the lavish French dowry and subsequent lowering of taxes after the birth of her son, insured Maria's popularity at court and among the commoners. Even on such a happy occasion evidence of the Grand Duke's unpopularity was felt, as many claimed that the appointment of the Duchess and Princess was a victory for Maria Beatrice over her father-in-law.
Maria Beatrice d’Este and Cardinal Leopoldo de' Medici: The saviors of Tuscany
Shortly afterwards, in January 1678, the new Grand Princess made the formal acquaintance of her great uncle-in-law, Cardinal Leopoldo de' Medici, a man who would have as much an effect on Tuscany's future as she. The brother of the late Grand Duke Ferdinando II, the Cardinal had previously returned from Rome in 1674. Thanks to the improved relations between the Grand ducal couple, the influence of his sister-in-law had receded, something the Cardinal, who had a profound dislike of the Dowager, (often calling her "the ignorant nun" in Rome) was quick to take advantage of. Soon after he returned Cardinal de' Medici took a deep interest in the education of his young nephew Francesco Maria, who, in the Cardinal's opinion "is bound in skirts, led by whores, priests and nuns." Surprisingly enough, Dowager Grand Duchess Vittoria was glad to hand over the education of her son to the Cardinal, as she wished for him to follow in her brother-in-laws footsteps and become a Cardinal, despite being the heir to the Duchies of Rovere and Montefeltro. Unbeknownst to his sister-in-law, the Cardinal had no intention of allowing his nephew to become an ignorant layabout and instead planned to win the young Prince over to his own interests and lifestyle.
Like many of his fellow Cardinals, Leopoldo was a true renaissance man. He was a great collector of great collector of rare books, paintings, drawings, statues, coins and self-portraits, corresponded heavily with artists, scientists and theologians, experimented with telescopic lenses and all manner of scientific instruments, commissioned thermometers, astrolabes, calorimeters, quadrants, hygrometers, quadrants and other ingenious mechanical devices: truly Cardinal de' Medici was a jewel among Princes. It was this man of learning, one of the co-founders of the Accademia del Cimento who took over the education of his nephew. Uncle and nephew remained close throughout their lives, even after the Cardinal returned to Rome and Francesco left to become Governor of Sienna. At the Cardinal's death, a mere two months before Francesco's appointment to the Cardinalate, Leopoldo left all his worldly properties, his vast collections, to his nephew.
While the new Cardinal de' Medici never took great interest in mathematics and science, despite the best efforts of his uncle,he became an influential patron of the arts and sciences, sponsoring scientists like Francesco Lana de Terzi, a Jesuit who provided one of the first concepts of aeronautics. But the most important role the Cardinal played was not that of patron but that of executor of his uncle's will: Leopoldo had willed a sum of 10,000 gold crowns to the man who invents a successful method to measure longitude at sea, inspired by his correspondence with the Dutch mathematician and scientist Christiaan Huygens. In order to better fulfill the wishes of his late uncle, Cardinal de' Medici invited Huygens to Tuscany in 1686, making the scientist the chief judge for what became known as the Leopoldo Prize. The announcement of the prize produced a patent race across Europe's scientific community, with each contestant trying to patent their chronometers in order to win the prize of the late Cardinal. The idea behind the Leopoldo Prize was quickly copied followed by the British and French governments, who established their own longitude prizes in 1687 and 1688, thereby sparking an even wider competition.
Meanwhile the Grand Princess had tried to keep the peace between her mother and grandmother-in-law, but old animosity died hard. However, Dowager, Duchess and Princess briefly united in 1683 to respond against a threat by the Sun King. The French Court had attempted to woo Duke Vittorio Amadeo II of Savoy away from his Tuscan betrothed, Princess Anna Maria Luisa, with Marie-Therese de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Bourbon (granddaughter of le Grand Condé) and a generous French dowry. While the Tuscan women were successful in blocking the French match, the attempt created a breach in Bourbon-Medici relations, one that grew larger over the next few years.
Sadly for the Grand Princess, the unity among her family was short-lived, for another quarrel soon erupted, this time over the future of her brother-in-law, Gian Gastone and her children (Prince Cosimo had been joined in the nursery by two siblings, Princess Lucrezia, in 1682 and Prince Francesco, in 1685). In previous years there had been talks to make Prince Gian Gastone heir to the Duchy of Lorraine (the Medici Prince had a claim via his maternal grandmother, Princesse Marguerite de Lorraine), despite the fact that the Duchy had been under French occupation for decades. Of course, with the marriage of Duke Karl V to Archduchess Eleanor and the subsequent birth of their children, such discussions had been rendered moot. The Grand Duke and his mother next approached the Pope about the possibility of Prince Gian Gastone joining his uncle in the Sacred College, but that idea was quickly axed by Rome. The Pope had no desire to give the Medici family two Cardinals, especially when they would be so close in age.
Therefore the future of Gian Gastone became tied to that of his nephew, whose future bride was already the subject of intense speculation and discussion. Dowager Duchess Vittoria, always ambitious, pictured a match with the children of Emperor Leopold: Archduchess Maria Elisabeth (born 1681) for her great-grandson and King Josef of Hungary (born 1680) for her little great-granddaughter. However, the Grand Duchess would prefer to keep things in the family with Portuguese a match. In Maguerite's opinion, the best choice was her youngest niece, Infanta Francisca Josefa. Maria Beatrice, always the peacemaker, was willing to agree on decisions of her grandmother and mother-in law regarding the future of Prince Cosimo, but for Princess Lucrezia she had her heart set on the future King of France, Monseigneur le Duc de Bourgogne, or possibly a son of her as yet unmarried brother Duke Francesco II.
The three soon realized that none of them could completely get what they wanted (thanks to their dominant personalities and the fact that Tuscany's value as a marriage partner was in deep decline), forcing a compromise to be made. Gian Gastone will inherit his grandmother's duchies and eventually marry young Francisca Josefa. Cosimo, if possible, would marry the Archduchess with his younger brother eventually becoming Tuscany's next Cardinal. In the meantime Princess Lucrezia's fate remained undecided.
While Florence entertained itself with bets for on their young Prince's future and which Medici wife will win the next round of spats, in the neighboring Duchy of Modena the situation has passed frivolous betting and headed straight to near hysterical worry. Modena's Duke Francesco remained single, and with his only heir a Cardinal, the Duchy's nobility had grown increasingly worried about their future. The British had previously offered the hand of the Princess Royal, but just as quickly pulled the offer after objections from her mother Queen Catherine, her grandmother Queen Henrietta Maria and brother the Prince of Wales. The French court offered the rejected Mademoiselle de Bourbon, apparently determined that she become an Italian consort. Just in case though, France also supported several Princesses Étranger, Finally, the Habsburgs proposed the Countess Palatine Maria-Sophia, a sister of the Holy Roman Empress.
Eventually a bride is chosen, but the identity of the Princess comes largely a a surprise. In 1687 Duke Francesco's betrothal to Princesse Élisabeth Thérèse de Lorraine is announced. A Princesse Étranger (part of the famous Guise family), Mademoiselle de Commercy as she was known at Versailles, she owed her position to her friendship with the Dauphine. Despite her introvert nature, Madame la Dauphine had started to influence politics in no small way, and this marriage was her first venture into the complicated world of diplomatic marriages.
Élisabeth Thérèse de Lorraine: the Hope of Modena's future
However, despite the Duchesse de Longueville's love for her husband and her piety (or because of it, said some courtiers) the de Longueuvill's marriage dissolved rather quickly. Part of this was due to the Duchesse's failure to produce a male heir. Aside from their first child, Beatrice-Genevieve d’Orleans-Longueville, known at court as Mademoiselle de Longueville, the rest of the de Longueville's children were either stillborn or died in the first year of life. By 1685 it was clear that the couple would not produce another surviviing child, leading to the Duc and Duchesse to cease sharring a bed. While Duc Charles Paris retreated into a debauched lifestyle not dissimilar to the Duke of Kendal, his Duchesse became more and more devout, a "a married nun" as Courtiers said. Three years later, in 1688, Mademoiselle de Longueville was betrothed to the Duc du Maine, the favorite illegitimate son of the French King. Previously Louis had attempted to betroth him to his cousin le Grand Mademoiselle's heiress Mademoiselle de Montpensier, but was forced to back down after protests from the entire Royal House (including his sons, brother, nephews and the Princes du Sang, not to mention the Duchesse de Montpensier herself).
The betrothal was accompanied by another scandal involving Maine, Guise family and Montpensier. Since while Beatrice-Genivieve was a great heiress, she was merely a heiress presumptive, and there was no guarantee her father won't remarry. So Duc de Maine needed the source of income on his own. Already he was granted the title of Duc d'Aumale, purchased by his Royal father in 1686 from Dowager Duchess of Savoy. But this is not enough, so Louis, upon failure of his Montpensier plan, approaches Marie de Lorraine, Duchesse de Guise. The elderly woman was on her deathbed, her closest heiress being Duchesse de Montpensier whom she hated. Louis XIV and the Duchesse agreed on a deal - the King will recognize the Duchesse's morganatic marriage to Claude de Bourdeille, Comte de Montrésor, as valid post mortem and to recognize Louis-Charles, Chevalier de Montresor, a son from this marriage, as the heir to Dukedom of Guise. Moreover, the King would aid the new Duc de Guise in getting the hand of Anne Genevieve de Levis, Mademoiselle de Ventadour, the heiress of ugly Duc de Ventadour. In exchange the Duchesse was to cease her matrimony, Duchy of Joyeuse and Principality of Joinville (which would have otherwise gone to the Montpensiers), to the Crown, with those titles being granted to Duc de Maine in April 1688, short after his betrothal to Mademoiselle de Longueville.
The Montresor Affair, as this deal was called, caused understandable uproar from the Montpensiers and the Condes who stood to inherit the titles and lands of Duchesse de Guise if not for the "treacherous" deal. So, Le Roi Solei has to take some steps for reconcilation. For the Condes it included a betrothal and marriage contract between their youngest daughter, 10-years old Marie Anne de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Montmorency, and 30-years old Frédéric-Guillaume de La Tremoille, now Duc de La Tremoille and Duke of Limassol after crowning of his brother as Hugh V of Cyprus. Also Louis XIV issued a decree legitimizing Julie de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Châteaubriant, a bastard daughter of Henri Jules, Duc d'Enghien and Prince of Conde since abdication of his great father to become a Templar Gradmaster. The 20-years old legitimee was to marry Louis de Melun, prince of Epinoy.
Regarding the Montpensiers, in May 1688 Versailes and Paris emerged into celebrations of marriage of Duc de Chartres and Mademoiselle de Montpensier. Both the Montpensiers and the Orleans tried to make this wedding "the most memorable affair of the decade, if not of the century". As part of marriage contract it was agreed that the Duc de Chartres will take the styling "Duc de Montpensier" once his mother-in-law dies, while the title of Duc de Chartres will be reverted to be used by Alexandre-Louis' nephew, Comte de Montargis.
With the marriage of Élisabeth Thérèse and Duke Fransesco, the states of Modena, Tuscany and Savoy had began to resemble a kind of family alliance, as each sovereign was now related to each other by marriage. The close that formed between the native Italian states would have normally been a cause for concern for Spain and France, the two powers with the most influence in the peninsula, but the ongoing Crusade kept them both distracted for the time being. Meanwhile, the fates of the other Modenese candidates unfolded.
Countess Palatine Maria-Sophia had next been offered to the Hereditary Prince of Parma, Odoardo Farnese. However the Prince preferred her younger and prettier sister Maria-Anna, whom he married in 1688. For Maria-Sophia, this was the final straw: the Countess declared that she would never marry, and declared her intents to join a convent.
Thanks to the influence of her sister the Empress, Maria-Sophia was soon appointed to the vacant Abbeys of Essen and Thorn. In that same year the Vogt, or overlordship of the abbeys was formally invested in the Dukes of Julich & Berg. The status had been in dispute since the War of the Jülich Succession divided the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg between the Dukes of Pfalz-Neuburg and the Electors of Brandenburg. With the appointment of a Neuburg Countess as the reigning Abbess, the vogt was finally transferred to the Neuburg-Wittelsbach line.
Mademoiselle de Bourbon:the fairy in Fairytale Princess
Unlike her fellow Princess, the life of Mademoiselle de Bourbon had at least an illusion of marital happiness. After failed suits in Britain and Italy, the Primiere Prince du Sang's daughter was once again on the marriage market: this time the suggested groom was a King, Karl of Numidia. Once again the suit fell through, though this time it was by the actions of the would-be bride. Shortly after the African match failed, Mademoiselle de Bourbon got her way and married her cousin, François-Louis de Bourbon, Prince de La Roche-sur-Yon. While very much a step down compared to her other potential spouses, the marriage was, at least on the part of Mademoiselle de Bourbon, a love match. Furthermore, despite being the most junior of the Princes du Sang, La Roche-sur-Yon was very likely the future head of the Conti branch of the Bourbon dynasty. The Prince's older brother, Prince Louis Armand de Conti, had been estranged from his wife Marie-Anne (oldest illegitimate daughter of Louis XIV and the former Mademoiselle de Blois) since the birth of their daughter Louis-Marie in 1684. While the Contis doted on their only child, the Prince and Princesse had each developed an aversion to the idea of having another child. To be sure, both loved sex: just with their own gender. While the Prince de Conti had always prefered his own gender, the Princesse only developed hers after a bad wedding night and a highly complicated pregnancy left her terrified of having sex with men.
The Princesse's new found tendencies towards her own sex rapidly developed under the tutelage of her close friend Hortense Mancini, the widowed Duchess de Mazarin (her abusive husband, Armand Charles de La Porte having been killed in the Four Years' war). One of the most glamorous salon hostesses in all Europe, the Duchesse's vices were by this point well known across the continent. The rumormongers had a field day when it became known that the Prince de Conti had taken up with his half brother-in-law Louis, the Comte de Vermandois. "Our niece and nephew are more alike than they'd like to admit. Best to keep them away from our children", commented Madame to her brother King Charles, shortly after the affair became common knowledge "no need to remind everyone of Monsieur and the Chevalier de Lorraine". The situation was made even more complicated once the Comde de Vermandois married his lover's sister-in-law, Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon. These rather odd links made the Condé and Conti branches the subject of many comments by memorialists, including the famous works by the Duc de Saint-Simon and Duchesse de Montpensier.
In the meantime, the Princesse de La Roche-sur-Yon''s last suitor, King Karl of Numidia, finally secured a bride of his own: Infanta Isabel Marguerite, Princess of Beira, the oldest daughter of King Pedro II and Élisabeth Marguerite of Portugal. This marriage fit well into the politics of the old (Portugal) and the new (Numidia). Since their marriage in 1669, the Portuguese King and Queen had fundamentally transformed their court, and to a lesser extent, their country. For one Queen Isabel (as she was known in Portugal) proved to be as fertile as her mother, giving birth to six children, all of whom survived infancy, thus ensuring both he succession and Portugal's continued independence. The Queen's popularity was further enhanced thanks to her generosity, devotion ot the poor of Lisbon, pious ways and (for the nobility at least) trend setting fashion tastes. While Queen Isabel was especially devoted to charities that supported widows and orphans who lost their respective husbands and fathers to war, it was not at the expense of others in need. Under Isabel's reign the Ribeira Palace was opened to the poor to give them proper access to medical care, a revolution at the time. This later led to the establishment of Poor hospitals across Portugal and her empire, funded by Church and State and devoted to aiding the sick and needy. In between her public devotions, charities, masquerade balls and political meetings, the Queen had found time to build an intimate friendship with the late Father Bartolomeu do Quental, described as a "living Saint" by all who knew him.
Right Hand of the King: Luís de Sousa, Archbishop of Lisbon and State Secretary of Portugal
While the Queen was devoted in her friendship to Father do Quental, she was eventually won over to her husbands favorite prelate: Dom Luís de Sousa, a scion of the Condes de Miranda do Corvo. Made Grande Almoner and Royal Chaplain to the Portuguese Royal Household in 1669, the intelligent and well educated Dom Luís had been showered with honors as the years went by, accumulating in being appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Lisbon on December 2nd, 1675, receiving the pallium from Pope Clement X that same day. The new Archbishop was soon appointed Secretary of the State of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves, directing foreign policy as the King's chief minister. The only thing Dom Luis was missing was a Cardinal's hat, which he gained in 1688, in the midst of the negotiations concerning the incorporation of the Order of Christ into the restored Knights Templar. With the reincorporation and militarization of the Order, Dom Luís lost his status of Grand Master, but was compensated by being given his long desired Cardinal's hat. While the Cardinal of Lisbon wasn't as powerful as France's Richelieu and Mazarin, he was Portugal's dominant voice in both foreign policy and in the wayward Inquisition (the King having wanted the more questionable and antiquated policies of the Inquisition reigned in).
In partnership with his King, Cardinal de Sousa was able to reign in the Inquisition, abolishing the infamous Autos-de-fé, ending the Limpeza de Sangue (cleanliness of blood) civil statutes and their discrimination against New Christians, the Jews that had converted to Christianity, and successfully revitalized many of Portugal's neglected industries. King and Cardinal's various plans were heavily helped by the discovery in the mid '80s, of large amounts of gold in the Colony of Brazil. The Cardinal's family was also rewarded for his efforts, his brother Dom Henrique de Sousa having been elevated from Conde de Miranda do Corvo to Marquês de Arronches in 1684.
The King's reforming tendencies also extended into the palace. Despite his Queen's pious ways, Pedro insisted that their children receive a secular education, with the exception of Infante Antonio, who was to be Portugal's next Cardinal-Infante. For the nobility and Prelates attached to the Court, the new significance being placed on secular education came as a huge, and for the Church unwelcome, surprise. However, aside from ensuring that their children receive a proper Catholic education, there's nothing the nobles can do. As for the Church, they are unwilling to publicly object to the arrangement, due to Rome's fear that Lisbon could reverse its decision on the Order of Christ. While relations between King and Court grow strained, the Royal children began lessons with their new tutors. Of the Royal children, the one who enjoyed the new direction the most was none other than the heir himself,D. João, Principe do Brasil. The young Prince, like his uncle King Charles II and cousin Charles III, was interested in the many advances taking place in the sciences and technology. This fascination was also shared by the Infante's closest friend, Dom João Rodrigues de Sá Menezes, Marquês de Fontes. Friends since early childhood, Fontes was also a Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to his namesake, which allowed for an even deeper bond to develop between the two.
The two quickly began to attempt their own experiments, supervised by the Infante's tutors and inspired by those of the Stuarts in London. But for the most part they were relatively small affairs, more gimmick than anything else. It wasn't until Christmas, 1688 that the two's most daring idea, which would go on to guarantee Fontes' place in history for centuries to come, was developed. During that Christmas the Royal family and their courtiers were entertained by a display of floating lanterns brought from China by returning missionaries.
Fascinated by the lanterns, Fontes begs for permission to examine them, which was granted by the indulgent King. As Fontes checked each of the lanterns to none of them contain any "eastern magic" (they didn't, unless one considered thin paper and candles magic), he remembered a book he had read with his Royal master. Grand Duchess Marguerite, determined that her nephew not end up like her foolishly pious husband Cosimo, regularly sent books dedicated to the sciences,much to the displeasure of her equally pious sister. Written by Francesco Lana de Terzi, the book was chiefly concerned with the theoretical idea of airships. While Infante and Marquês were both fascinated by the idea of flying vessels, the latter fundamentally disagreed with much of Terzi's ideas, especially that of using vacuum spheres for propulsion. As the Marquês would later write, the “completely air-tight devices will be too unwieldy, and the air will have to be constantly pumped out of them, thus adding extra weight due to the pumps”. At the time, Fontes was especially provoked by the passage “God will never allow that such a machine be built…because everybody realizes that no city would be safe from raids…iron weights, fireballs and bombs could be hurled from a great height" leading to one of the great man's famous quotes :“Yes, because the God will not allow something so unwieldy and stupid to exist”.
Determined to solve the propulsion puzzle, the Marquês was inspired by the “miraculous” Chinese lanterns. Being educated man of his era, Marquês de Fontes was aware of the idea of phlogiston, and thought that the releases of phlogiston made the paper lanterns fly. To prove the hypothesis, Fontes commissioned a large scale “lantern” to be built. It involved building a box-like chamber 1×1×1.3 m (3 ft by 3 ft (0.91 m) by 4 ft) out of very thin wood, and covering the sides and top with lightweight taffeta cloth. A few weeks later the Marquês, in the presence of the Royal family and the court, lit a crumpled-up paper under the bottom of the box. The contraption quickly lifted off its stand and collided with the ceiling.
While most considered the experiment a fascinating fad, it inspired a lifetime passion in both the Marquês de Fontes and the future King João, setting the stage for the theory of phlogiston-powered flight to take off. Previously, thanks to Portugal's superstitious and ignorant environment, such ideas would have have been met by the inquisition and condemnation, even for a royal favorite. However, over the next decade, what started as a court entertainment by a few bored aristocrats would transform into an unimaginable venture that will change the future of science forever.
However, that is in the future and for now Portugal's attention is firmly on the present. The negotations over the marriage contract between Karl of Numidia and the Princess of Beira were expanded to include the Numidian royal couple's respective siblings, the Countess Palatine Dorothea-Sophia and Infante Francisco, Duke of Beja. Shortly after this double marriage was agreed to, Karl and his father Duke Philipp Wilhelm of Jülich & Berg began to look for other North African matches for their respective sisters and daughters. To better facilitate the potential marriages, Countesses Palatine Hedwig Elisabeth and Leopoldina Eleonora moved to their brothers court at Algiers. This move may have saved the latter's life, as Leopoldina, who suffered from respiratory problems from birth, saw her health greatly improve in the Mediterranean climate. Shortly after the move the marriage negotiations begin. Leopoldina Eleonora, in a rather dubious honor, was to become the Queen of the recently the converted Philip I of Mauretania. Meanwhile Hedwig Elisabeth became the fiance of Prince Alvise Morosini, oldest son and heir of Prince Giovanni Francesco Morosini of Cyrenaica.
By this point the Cyrenaica Morosinis had already established close ties with the main Morosini line in Venice, the Doge having all but ensured that the governorship of Crete would be a hereditary office for his family by creating his brother Lorenzo hereditary Duke of Candia (the tite having previous been used on a non-hereditary basis by the governors of Crete) and his heirs male. To round out the marriages, the Candian heir, Michele Morosini was betrothed to Elisabetta, oldest daughter of the Prince of Cyrenaica. As both bride and groom are underage, the marriage shall remain chaste until 1694, when Elisabetta comes of age. For the time being, these marriages seem to insure Morosini control over all of Venice's oversea territories. However, this is merely a stepping stone towards Doge Francesco's ultimate goal: giving the Morosini family permanent control over the office of the Doge. In affect, Doge Morosini wishes to make his elected "crown" hereditary, either officially or de-facto, similar to the Holy Roman Empire. While many of Venice's great families have dreamed of doing so, as of yet none had pulled such a coup off. However, Francesco is convinced that the time has come to permanently transform his country, once and for all discarding the state's titular Republic status. As the Great Crusade rapidly approaches its explosive conclusion, it remains to be seen if the Doge has the political muscle and military power to make his fondest dreams a reality. Will Venice at last become a monarchy or will the Morosini fly to high and be burned? Only God can know.
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An index of chapters for further reference:
Prologue
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVI
Chapter XXVII (Interlude I)
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter XXIX
Chapter XXX
Chapter XXXI
Prologue
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVI
Chapter XXVII (Interlude I)
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter XXIX
Chapter XXX
Chapter XXXI
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Portugal is going to turn into a very interesting place by the sounds of it. Especially with the curse of the House of Braganca not existing - or perhaps that was just a typo.
And Morosini should make Venice equally interesting. La Serenissima might end up being invaded by an army from the Morosini states to hold the elections at gunpoint.
As for Mary of Modena, she seems to be bringing a good helping of common sense to the Florentine court at the time.
Bit disappointed by Maria Sophia's inclination to become a nun, but I suppose it was to be expected. That said, the OTL Queen of Spain as duchess of Parma will certainly be amusing, especially since Parma is far smaller and you can't throw as ringing tantrums in the Palazzo Ducale as in the Palacio Real.
A great (and eagerly anticipated) update. Well worth the wait.
And Morosini should make Venice equally interesting. La Serenissima might end up being invaded by an army from the Morosini states to hold the elections at gunpoint.
As for Mary of Modena, she seems to be bringing a good helping of common sense to the Florentine court at the time.
Bit disappointed by Maria Sophia's inclination to become a nun, but I suppose it was to be expected. That said, the OTL Queen of Spain as duchess of Parma will certainly be amusing, especially since Parma is far smaller and you can't throw as ringing tantrums in the Palazzo Ducale as in the Palacio Real
.A great (and eagerly anticipated) update. Well worth the wait.