By Request: Elizabeth Marries Ivan the Terrible

On a previous thread, I discussed the possibility of Elizabeth Tudor getting married and the various grooms that would have been available to her. One of the most popular theories was what would have happened had she chosen one of her less likely suitors, Ivan the Terrible. So I am throwing this out there for discussion by request. Let's say Elizabeth sent her English ambassadors with a proposal of marriage in 1561 to the Russian court. Elizabeth is 28 and has never been married. Ivan is 31 and Elizabeth would be his seventh wife. Ivan accepts. What does a union between Russia and England look like? I anticipate this couple butting heads a lot, both headstrong and one crazy.
 
On a previous thread, I discussed the possibility of Elizabeth Tudor getting married and the various grooms that would have been available to her. One of the most popular theories was what would have happened had she chosen one of her less likely suitors, Ivan the Terrible. So I am throwing this out there for discussion by request. Let's say Elizabeth sent her English ambassadors with a proposal of marriage in 1561 to the Russian court. Elizabeth is 28 and has never been married. Ivan is 31 and Elizabeth would be his seventh wife. Ivan accepts. What does a union between Russia and England look like? I anticipate this couple butting heads a lot, both headstrong and one crazy.

Seventh wife means any kids sould be in the same position as the "real" Dmitri Ivanovich. Orthodox Church only allowed 6(?) marriages. Plus, there'd be the whole muddle of Ivan insisting Liz convert and the CoE being in the hands of an Orthodox doxy. While Ivan and Feodor Ivanovich are alive any child of theirs would be okay. It would be after Feodor dies childless (if we work on an OTL scenario excepting that Liz and Ivan are wed), then we get a rather awkward scenario, where the CoE prince of Wales is also calling himself the czar of orthodox Russia. I somehow don't see a Rurik ruler in England managing to do anything to stop a House of Godunov, Shiuski or Romanov arising. Hell, look at how England struggled with France (and that was next door), not clear across Europe.
 
On a previous thread, I discussed the possibility of Elizabeth Tudor getting married and the various grooms that would have been available to her. One of the most popular theories was what would have happened had she chosen one of her less likely suitors, Ivan the Terrible. So I am throwing this out there for discussion by request. Let's say Elizabeth sent her English ambassadors with a proposal of marriage in 1561 to the Russian court. Elizabeth is 28 and has never been married. Ivan is 31 and Elizabeth would be his seventh wife. Ivan accepts. What does a union between Russia and England look like? I anticipate this couple butting heads a lot, both headstrong and one crazy.

By 1561, that leaves Elizabeth as Ivan's second wife. Ivan had seven children Dimity Ivanovich, two daughters who died young, Ivan and Feodor, from his first wife, and two other sons Vasily Ivanovich who died before he was a year old, and Dimitri of Uglich. So the chances of children are quite common, Since Elizabeth might not be as divisive as Ivan's OTL second wife. If an Anglo-Russo alliance can deter other powers from joining the Livonian War at this point and Russia can still have its early successes they could have earlier control over the Baltic and possibly more parts of the old Kievan Rus.

As for England, Ivan's TTL fourth son or 3rd daughter would probably inherit England provided it is allowed since Ivan still has 20 or so years it definitely not lead to a Dimitry of Uglich situation. The big question could be how would Ivan or Elizabeth be in TTL, I suppose a more stable married life would keep Ivan stable mentally as well. Do we have any sources on Elizabeth that are not prone to hagiography? England TTL would be quite interesting as there is no union with Scotland, but it leaves open the question of religion in both England and Ireland.
 
On a previous thread, I discussed the possibility of Elizabeth Tudor getting married and the various grooms that would have been available to her. One of the most popular theories was what would have happened had she chosen one of her less likely suitors, Ivan the Terrible. So I am throwing this out there for discussion by request. Let's say Elizabeth sent her English ambassadors with a proposal of marriage in 1561 to the Russian court. Elizabeth is 28 and has never been married. Ivan is 31 and Elizabeth would be his seventh wife. Ivan accepts. What does a union between Russia and England look like? I anticipate this couple butting heads a lot, both headstrong and one crazy.
IOTL Ivan actually did propose a marriage in a letter to the Queen. All you need is a PoD that has Elizabeth say yes. IOTL she was rude and said no, and he then continued with really obnoxious letters that insulted England and the queen quite graphically.
 
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