Carlos II of Spain dies in 1685 - who may Maria Antonia marry?

Actually, Cosimo probably would. The reason he agreed to Giovan' Gastone's OTL marriage (if I remember Acton's book right) was because he wanted a cadet branch of the Medici to expand Medicean influence OUTSIDE Italy.
I heard the same and Maria Antonia of Austria was pratically the best match in the world at that time...
and Gian would be coached to be eternally grateful for a such wondeful match and they would likely get along well enough...
With power, her birthrights safe, already in possesion of her heritage and with a grateful husband interested in presiding a brilliant court and promoting arts I think Maria Antonia would be much more happier, pleasant and tolerable than OTL..
Gian Gastone would be King Consort to one of the greatest kingdom in the world (and with an higher rank than his father and brother) and sure the princess who he has married is a little older than him and maybe too much proud of herself and her blood but she has good reasons for it and he know he is a lucky man to have married her plus her reign is big and full of beautiful cities so he is at least satisfied with his life
Maria Antonia also was intelligent and well learned, loved music and was introvert and serious and OTL suffered and was offended by her husband constant infidelity...
Gian Gastone was sensible and intelligent, was well learned, interested in art, antiquariate and culture and most of his melancholy and (and the morst of his debauchery) will be butterflied with a an early match of this importance (his OTL debauchery started likely as consequence of his very unhappy wedding).
 
Thanks for the explanations.

Kinda derailing the thread but what would have happened had Carlos died after Maria's married to Max Emanuel? Would he follow her to Madrid? Any role in the government?

Max and Antonia were a really bad assorted couple and coinsidering he had married her mostly for her rights on Spain (and he was pretty powe hungry) I can easily see him ruling Spain in her place and relegatin her to a minor role against her will because she is a woman and a wife must obey to her husband and continuing to keep her costantly pregnant because both Spain and Bavaria need heirs and that is her first duty...
 
Max and Antonia were a really bad assorted couple and coinsidering he had married her mostly for her rights on Spain (and he was pretty powe hungry) I can easily see him ruling Spain in her place and relegatin her to a minor role against her will because she is a woman and a wife must obey to her husband and continuing to keep her costantly pregnant because both Spain and Bavaria need heirs and that is her first duty...
But will the grandees tolerate a foreign man doing that?I'd presume that there will be a lot of protests,especially if what he does turn out to be super unpopular.
 
But will the grandees tolerate a foreign man doing that?I'd presume that there will be a lot of protests,especially if what he does turn out to be super unpopular.
Well he is the legitimate King so they can not do very much (excluding maybe killing him) as any revolt would have likely put Spain under the control of France and I do not think they would have liked being ruled from Paris...
More or less the same situation with Philip I of Castile (made worse by the absence of a Ferdinand of Aragon and the presence of Louis XIV of France)
 
Well he is the legitimate King so they can not do very much (excluding maybe killing him) as any revolt would have likely put Spain under the control of France and I do not think they would have liked being ruled from Paris...
More or less the same situation with Philip I of Castile (made worse by the absence of a Ferdinand of Aragon and the presence of Louis XIV of France)
King Consort.There's a massive difference there.
 
Actually, Cosimo probably would. The reason he agreed to Giovan' Gastone's OTL marriage (if I remember Acton's book right) was because he wanted a cadet branch of the Medici to expand Medicean influence OUTSIDE Italy.

Him marrying Maria Antonia is a different kettle of fish to him having to sponsor his son to go live in Portugal. A Medici Portugal wouldn't necessarily happen (Pedro remarries - and the other reason it didn't was Cosimo wanted a double match of GG to Isabel and Anna Maria Ludovica to Pedro II, which the Portuguese refused because they feared she was like her mom), but a Medici Spain is a near certainty (as long as GG can knock the queen up, and the doctors don't bleed Maria to death or any of their other OTL shenanigans (like leeches in Queen Mariana of Neuburg's womb to aid conception)). As to him being gay, in Spain it'd be a one way trip to the stake (or whatever the Inquisition's punishment for sodomy and buggery were, so he'll bave to keep it under wraps. Plus, he's not going to resent the marriage (probably) as OTL, so he'd probably be able to manage at least ONE kid (or, be astute enough to pull a Francisco d'Asis to Maria's Isabel II - claim paternity of the kids, even though he might privately have doubts).

Interesting details...this actually could swing things in Gian Gastone's favour.

What about the situation on the international stage? This was the year James II became King and also the year Louis XIV rescinded the Edict of Nantes. Because of Carlos' death and his plans on the Palatinate Louis will probably start preparing for a war. Despite his honest desire to end the existence of Huguenots in France, could these developments convince him to postpone it? Not only did it hurt France directly but also it damaged her prestige and allowed William III to start forming a coalition against him.

At this time Spain is a wreck, the Emperor and many of the princes in the Empire are busy fighting the Turks in Hungary. Also, some of those princes, like the Elector of Brandenburg, are on the French payroll. The Dutch States General were at the time of a pro-French disposition and James II was sort of an ally (in any case, he wouldn't go to war against Louis no matter what). Attacking the Habsburgs seems reasonable from Louis' perspective as he has his wife's claim and can demand at least a part of the Spanish Monarchy (most likely in the Netherlands). This could also distract the Emperor from regaining more land from the Turks.
 
King Consort.There's a massive difference there.
Not really... If you look to the previous two King consorts of Castile both Ferdinand of Aragon and Philip of Austria/Burgundy ruled at least together with their wives... and Antonia to me look the kind of woman destined to be another Joanna of Castile more than an Isabella of Castile.
 
King Consort.There's a massive difference there.

Actually he's only king-consort once she's delivered a living heir. Until such time he's merely prince consort. I wouldn't be surprised if the grandees insist that the marriage contract be worded so that hr can't get a seat on the Consejo UNTIL such time (if at all)
 
Actually he's only king-consort once she's delivered a living heir. Until such time he's merely prince consort. I wouldn't be surprised if the grandees insist that the marriage contract be worded so that hr can't get a seat on the Consejo UNTIL such time (if at all)
No, he is neither....That is how Portugal work, not Spain... Both Ferdinand and Philip are counted as full kings in Castile (at least until their wives were alive) and Manuel of Portugal shared the title of prince of Asturias with Isabella of Aragon and Castile.
Also we are talking about a wedding contract on which Spain has zero control as Maria Antonia was an Archduchess of Austria and was married to Maximilian of Bavaria as such
 
No, he is neither....That is how Portugal work, not Spain... Both Ferdinand and Philip are counted as full kings in Castile (at least until their wives were alive) and Manuel of Portugal shared the title of prince of Asturias with Isabella of Aragon and Castile.
Also we are talking about a wedding contract on which Spain has zero control as Maria Antonia was an Archduchess of Austria and was married to Maximilian of Bavaria as such

I could've sworn I read somewhere that that was how it worked in Spain too . Mea culpa then, author must've been thumb sucking
 
I could've sworn I read somewhere that that was how it worked in Spain too . Mea culpa then, author must've been thumb sucking
Maybe worked like that under Isabella II, but that is a much later time. Also the Portuguese's law is likely to be applied only starting under the Braganzas but not before them
 
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