Since my POD about Jacqueline of Holland is going nowhere slowly, I’m throwing this one out there in the hopes that it will get more traction:
Henry V died on 31 August 1422, leaving an infant son as heir to the crowns of both England and France. His widow, the French princess, Catherine de Valois, was not even twenty one. Now, what happened OTL was that Kate wanted to marry a Beaufort duke of Somerset (I’m guessing this was Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond’s dad), but the Council blocked such a remarriage (probably fearing an increase of the Beauforts’ power). When she heard of this, Kate was heard to remark along the lines that she would remarry to someone so low that they could not have an objection to it. She supposedly married Owain Tudor and had three sons (Edmund, Jasper, Owen) and two daughters (Tacinda/Katherine and Margaret) by him. It was through Edmund that the house of Tudor would rise to prominence and through her grandson, Henry that they would occupy the throne until 1603.
More OTL: John, duke of Bedford, heir presumptive to the infant Henry VI married Anne of Burgundy in 17 April 1423, but had no children by her (unless you believe the stillborn child theory that caused Anne’s death). True, this was to underline the Anglo-Burgundian alliance, and John’s later remarriage to Jacquetta of Luxemburg represented the fracturing of this alliance, but here’s my POD question.
Why didn’t John marry the widowed Katherine? True, the Council might attempt to block it like they did her match with Lord Somerset, but in an age where infant mortality was abysmally high (one only has to look at Katherine’s brothers and Charles VII’s children’s fates), Henry was a very slender reed on which to rest the peace/union between England and France. If he had died young, it would’ve meant a new round of fighting (most likely IMHO).
I know there was a TL a few years back on John marrying Katherine because Henry V dies before Troyes is signed, but this is slightly different. Henry VI still exists, he lives out his OTL life as king of England and possibly of France, but the Lancastrian succession is more secure, because John has a few kids with Kate.
(in emulation of
@Kynan, hope I don’t muck up too badly):
Catherine de Valois,
Princess of France (b.1401) 1m: 1420 Henry V,
King of England (b.1387, d.1422); 2m: 1424 John,
Duke of Bedford, Regent of France (b.1389, d.1435)
[1m.] Henry VI,
King of England and France (b.1421)
[2m.] Katherine (b.1425)
[2m.] Mary (b.1427, d.1427)
[2m.] John (b.1429, d.1429)
[2m.] Edward,
Duke of Bedford (b.1430)
[2m.] Thomas,
Duke of Clarence (b.1431)
[2m.] John,
Cardinal (b.1432)
[2m.] Isabelle/Elizabeth (b.1433)
PS: Yes, I sort of just copied and pasted Katherine’s kids with Owain into her marriage with John under different names.