Carl XII's Wife

There's been a lot of speculation on the board with regard to Swedish king Carl XII. The future of Sweden had he lived, left surviving issue etc.

However, what I haven't yet seen is what role would any wife play in his equations. Let's assume grandma says he can't go off and play soldier before he's at least married, or his dad lives long enough to force Carl XII to marry (the how he's married isn't really important).

That said, does the fact that he has a nice wife keeping the home fires burning while he's off running around with the army mean have any bearing on whether he comes home for the non-campaigning months (or does she accompany him on campaign)? What role would any wife of his play in Stockholm during his absence? Does he still stay in Turkey as long as he did OTL if he knows he's got a wife (and maybe kids) waiting for him back home?
 
I'll I remember correctly Charles never reentered Stockholm after leaving it. So as far as government goes his queen would probably have a free hand. Sweden has a hsitory of powerful queens so i'm sure they would be fine with her taking a leading role.

Charles I don't think would bother with his wife if the marriage was forced. Frederick the Great didn't seem to care much for his wife, though he always made sure she was taken care of.

So my view is Charles would pretend like hes not married and continue campaigning at the same rate.
 
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Wasn't there a thing though that Carl refused to marry a woman he didn't love or he wanted a spouse like his parents' marriage? Either way, bump.
 
If Karl XI lives, it is unlikely that the coalition (Denmark-Norway, Saxony with a reluctant Poland-Lithuania and Courland and Russia) would attack. The fact that the King was only 15 when he ascended to the throne in 1697 was one of the primary reasons Patkul managed to forge the coalition - a veteran King, seasoned from rulership and battle would not be considered weak as Karl XII was initially.

Karl XII himself stated that he wanted to marry from love, and it is possible he would have married below his position (a lower noble woman from the court seems likely) if his father was dead. Such a Queen might have much difficulty to rule in his absence, instead being subverted by his grandmother, his sister(s) or his brother-in-law, the Duke of Holstein (if he does not fall in battle 1701 as OTL).

If his father lived, a suitable marriage would probably have been arranged and the queen would have the power to rule in his stead by the prestige of her pre-marriage status.

If Karl XII was married, I'd say he'd probably spend more time back home, as you say, during the winter season (if close enough to the Baltic coast to sail back to Stockholm) and if a Poltava situation I suppose he would attempt to get home sooner rather than later. He was a passionate man and took his duties extremely seriously. He would most likely take his duties as a husband and a father as seriously as he took those as a King and a General.

That said, he did consider the war his primary duty and postponed any marriage until he had brough the war to a victorious conclusion.
 
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