Charles II a surprise marriage

Splitting the inheritance could avoid the more drawn out war of the Spanish Succession: England and Spain ruled by brothers is very different than a united Spain and Austria, or even Spain and France ruled by brothers. The problem of course would be having Spain accept a king who is officially Protestant. Although Madrid would (and the Indies and Peru) surely be worth a mass.

Oh most definitely, likely the boy would need to renounce his rights to the throne of Britain I assume?
 
A split inheritance may be acceptable, and conversion would be needed, but would Spanish nobles willingly allow an English raised boy to become King? I think the death of Charles II of Spain still leads to War.
 
A split inheritance may be acceptable, and conversion would be needed, but would Spanish nobles willingly allow an English raised boy to become King? I think the death of Charles II of Spain still leads to War.

It most certainly would, but for how long is the question after all. Would one of the boys need to be raised in Spain then do you think?
 
@Kynan: Just a nitpick, Isabelle d'Orléans, duchesse de Guise, was both fanatically pious AND hunchbacked IIRC, so unless she's had a makeover, I think describing her as enchanting etc would be straining credulity or being overly charitable. And Charles of course, would remember her from his time in exile.

As to an Orléans girl, La Grande Mademoiselle was still on the table up until Charles II's marriage. However, la Mademoiselle refused to accept Charlie's 1661 proposal since "she had spurned him in his misery, it would not do to accept him in his triumph" (referring here to Charles' previous proposal when she suspected, probably rightly so, that he was just after her money)
 
OTL much of the War of the Spanish Succession was brought by the will of Charles II of Spain. When he - or rather his advisors - chose Philip of Anjou to be the heir, things exploded. But would Cardinal Portocarrero, the true power behind the throne, choose a protestant prince and name him as Charles' heir ?
 
OTL much of the War of the Spanish Succession was brought by the will of Charles II of Spain. When he - or rather his advisors - chose Philip of Anjou to be the heir, things exploded. But would Cardinal Portocarrero, the true power behind the throne, choose a protestant prince and name him as Charles' heir ?

If that Prince was willing to convert could be an option no?
 
If that Prince was willing to convert could be an option no?

Sure, but that means a good deal of covert diplomacy during a short period of time (Joseph of Bavaria died in february 1699, Charles II november 1700). The potential scandal is enormous : the Austrians and, to a lesser extent, the French, would love to expose to the English people their king was converting his sons to catholicism. Anyway, if such a solution is chosen, Louis XIV would want a piece of the Spanish cake : Netherlands ? Lorraine or Savoy by exchange with some Italian lands ?
 
@Kynan: Just a nitpick, Isabelle d'Orléans, duchesse de Guise, was both fanatically pious AND hunchbacked IIRC, so unless she's had a makeover, I think describing her as enchanting etc would be straining credulity or being overly charitable. And Charles of course, would remember her from his time in exile.

As to an Orléans girl, La Grande Mademoiselle was still on the table up until Charles II's marriage. However, la Mademoiselle refused to accept Charlie's 1661 proposal since "she had spurned him in his misery, it would not do to accept him in his triumph" (referring here to Charles' previous proposal when she suspected, probably rightly so, that he was just after her money)

I didn't know much about her, but the portraits I found looked pretty...well pretty. Maybe she was enchanting in her manner? Just ignore it if not. And I'm gonna say La Grande Mademoiselle is not a match that is going to work. Like you said, she was against such a marriage OTL, ITL isn't going to change her mind.
 
I didn't know much about her, but the portraits I found looked pretty...well pretty. Maybe she was enchanting in her manner? Just ignore it if not. And I'm gonna say La Grande Mademoiselle is not a match that is going to work. Like you said, she was against such a marriage OTL, ITL isn't going to change her mind.
She'd turn down the chance to be queen? Strange woman aha
 
She'd turn down the chance to be queen? Strange woman aha

She turned down the chance to be a queen OTL, since she'd heard that the Holy Roman Emperor was on the look-out for a new wife (this was in the 1640s, between wife no. 1 dying and marrying wife no. 2). The queenship position she turned down, IIRC, was either with the king of Spain or with the then prince of Wales.
 
She turned down the chance to be a queen OTL, since she'd heard that the Holy Roman Emperor was on the look-out for a new wife (this was in the 1640s, between wife no. 1 dying and marrying wife no. 2). The queenship position she turned down, IIRC, was either with the king of Spain or with the then prince of Wales.
Hmm fsir still a bit strange Ahahaha
 
Hmm fsir still a bit strange Ahahaha

She was the richest heir in France from birth (her mother dying in childbirth), she spent her all life surrounded by men who wanted her money. She wanted to keep some mesure of independence. Eventually, at 43, she fell for a younger man, Lauzun, gave half her money to the king's children in order to have his permission to marry, and was robbed and abandoned by her husband. Sad story. No that anyone felt sorry for her : too stubborn and arrogant, she was largely disliked at court.
 
She was the richest heir in France from birth (her mother dying in childbirth), she spent her all life surrounded by men who wanted her money. She wanted to keep some mesure of independence. Eventually, at 43, she fell for a younger man, Lauzun, gave half her money to the king's children in order to have his permission to marry, and was robbed and abandoned by her husband. Sad story. No that anyone felt sorry for her : too stubborn and arrogant, she was largely disliked at court.

So I suppose a marriage to her would be out the question completely then?
 
So I suppose a marriage to her would be out the question completely then?

She would not be a big fan of it, especially with Charles' reputation, and Louis XIV would probably not push the matter too hard. Seeing all that money going in foreign hands is not a good news, better keep it in the family.
 
She would not be a big fan of it, especially with Charles' reputation, and Louis XIV would probably not push the matter too hard. Seeing all that money going in foreign hands is not a good news, better keep it in the family.

True so who are other options then, if we go with Kynan's margaret dying in the esrly 1670s
 
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