Create a Alternate ruler with the suffix 'The great'
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Miguel the Great of United Iberia: Born in 1498, the heir to the thrones of Portugal, Aragon, and Castile. The union of the three crowns under his rule saw an end to Spanish and Portuguese rivalries over trade and expansion in the new world, enabling them to pool resources instead of spending them fighting each other. This led to United Iberia being the most dominant influence in the New World, far outstripping France or England. Miguel’s rule saw United Iberia become the largest world empire before or since. However, while his long reign was prosperous for Iberia and laid the foundation for the eventual merge of all three governments into one nation (and not merely three nations under one crown), it was paid for by the brutal exploitation of the Americas and Africa. In modern times, while still revered in his native Iberia, Miguel’s legacy is considerably more controversial elsewhere.
Nicolas I of France (1448-1490-1510)
The grandson of René de Lorraine, Nicolas was born in 1448 in Metz. His marriage with Marie of Burgundy would lead, at the death of his father-in-law Charles the Reckless of Burgundy, to the constitution of a continuous strip of territory between France and the Empire. Despite occasionally stormy relations with his uncle Louis XI, the often-maligned Spider King, he would manage to reach a satisfactory modus vivendi with him at the twilight of the latter's life. The 1485 assassination of Charles of Angoulême, which would trigger the general nobiliar revolt known as the Mad War, and the epidemic of cholera that struck Tours in 1490 and kill Louis of Orleans and Charles VIII would pave his way to the throne.
His reign would be marked by the integration to the French state of the massive liminar principality constituted by the Valois-Anjou and Valois-Burgundy. The conflict with Brittany over the attempt at inheritance captation of Maximilian von Habsburg would lead to Nicolas declaring the Imperial authority over the former Kingdom of Arles and the regnum Lotharii extinct; leading to a subsequent conflict with Savoy over the payment of allegiance for Bresse, Bugey and Gex. The 1499 concile of the Gallican church, and the subsequent reforms of the practices of the Church in France, would also reduce extensively the level of corruption at the upper ranks of the French clergy.
He would leave to his son Charles (married to Isabella of Aragon in 1490) a juggernaut of a country; and his work in centralizing the Kingdom of France and undermining the Holy Roman Empire is generally credited for the successes of his grandson Nicolas II "the Great Restorer" (1502-1523-1556) in his Italian campaigns.
The grandson of René de Lorraine, Nicolas was born in 1448 in Metz. His marriage with Marie of Burgundy would lead, at the death of his father-in-law Charles the Reckless of Burgundy, to the constitution of a continuous strip of territory between France and the Empire. Despite occasionally stormy relations with his uncle Louis XI, the often-maligned Spider King, he would manage to reach a satisfactory modus vivendi with him at the twilight of the latter's life. The 1485 assassination of Charles of Angoulême, which would trigger the general nobiliar revolt known as the Mad War, and the epidemic of cholera that struck Tours in 1490 and kill Louis of Orleans and Charles VIII would pave his way to the throne.
His reign would be marked by the integration to the French state of the massive liminar principality constituted by the Valois-Anjou and Valois-Burgundy. The conflict with Brittany over the attempt at inheritance captation of Maximilian von Habsburg would lead to Nicolas declaring the Imperial authority over the former Kingdom of Arles and the regnum Lotharii extinct; leading to a subsequent conflict with Savoy over the payment of allegiance for Bresse, Bugey and Gex. The 1499 concile of the Gallican church, and the subsequent reforms of the practices of the Church in France, would also reduce extensively the level of corruption at the upper ranks of the French clergy.
He would leave to his son Charles (married to Isabella of Aragon in 1490) a juggernaut of a country; and his work in centralizing the Kingdom of France and undermining the Holy Roman Empire is generally credited for the successes of his grandson Nicolas II "the Great Restorer" (1502-1523-1556) in his Italian campaigns.
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Magnus of Norway, England, Denmark and Sweden, Master of the North Sea and overlord of the British Isles, whom was bestowed posthumously with the epithet "The Great" is the son of famous conqueror Harold Hardrada, the famed "Last Viking" whom unified England and Norway during the "War of Three Kings" that followed the death of Edward the Confessor. Magnus', whom had ruled Norway in his father's name during the war, was brought to England in 1067, afterwards which he was tasked with bringing order to England following his father's return to Norway. It is in these early years as regent that Magnus cemented his reputation as a just but firm ruler, as he would marry Harold Godwin son's eldest daughter Gunhild, uniting the house of Yngling and Godwinson into one. In a cruel twist of fate, Magnus would chase his new in-laws out of England, claiming all the estates that had once belonged to the Godwinson, minus Northumbria, which he would grant to his brother Olaf in exchange for his recognition as sole heir to the Kingdoms of Norway and Denmark.
The death of his father in Trondheim would see Magnus travel to England to secure the crown, where he punished a plot by various Norwegian jarls which plotted to blackmail his brother Olaf into claiming the Norwegian crown - his return to England shortly following that would be to defeat various Anglo-Saxon rebellions, which he would achieve in short order. A great centralizer, Magnus ruled as a true medieval Autocrat, something unheard of in those times. The royal estates were vast, providing great amounts of coin to fill the royal coffers, which allowed Magnus to bribe the papacy as recognizing as suzerain of the various bisphorics of Scandinavia and the British Isles.
A conflict with the Estridsens would evolve into another war which would serve to shape the face of the Kingdom - the combined forces of England and Norway would conquer Denmark followed by a succession crisis in Sweden which would see Magnus elected to that throne as well. Following this, a great immigration of Scandinavians would start to England and the Norse holds in Scotland and Ireland, with Dublin becoming a major city of Magnus "North road", a great market of various trade routes in the north. Dublin would also spread his influence into Ireland, with many regions of the island falling to Magnus' sphere of influence..
From his wife, Gunhild of Wessex, Magnus would be the progetinor of a long line of Kings that would heavily shape the politics of the Kingdom. His eldest son, Olaf, would rule after his death.
The death of his father in Trondheim would see Magnus travel to England to secure the crown, where he punished a plot by various Norwegian jarls which plotted to blackmail his brother Olaf into claiming the Norwegian crown - his return to England shortly following that would be to defeat various Anglo-Saxon rebellions, which he would achieve in short order. A great centralizer, Magnus ruled as a true medieval Autocrat, something unheard of in those times. The royal estates were vast, providing great amounts of coin to fill the royal coffers, which allowed Magnus to bribe the papacy as recognizing as suzerain of the various bisphorics of Scandinavia and the British Isles.
A conflict with the Estridsens would evolve into another war which would serve to shape the face of the Kingdom - the combined forces of England and Norway would conquer Denmark followed by a succession crisis in Sweden which would see Magnus elected to that throne as well. Following this, a great immigration of Scandinavians would start to England and the Norse holds in Scotland and Ireland, with Dublin becoming a major city of Magnus "North road", a great market of various trade routes in the north. Dublin would also spread his influence into Ireland, with many regions of the island falling to Magnus' sphere of influence..
From his wife, Gunhild of Wessex, Magnus would be the progetinor of a long line of Kings that would heavily shape the politics of the Kingdom. His eldest son, Olaf, would rule after his death.
Margaret, Princess of Norway, Queen of Scotland and Queen of England.
Maid of Norway, becomes queen at age 7, marries Edward of Caenarfon. Bears him a dozen surviving children, and from her descends all the current European monarchs. Seizes power upon his deposition, Known for her fiery temper and sharp tongue, she made many enemies, but proved herself a shrewd tactician during times of war and a practical, ambitious administrator during times of peace. Heavily suppressed the church to promote and consolidate royal authority, and founded a dozen schools. She would end up dying in a palace fire just after the birth of her first great-grandson.
Maid of Norway, becomes queen at age 7, marries Edward of Caenarfon. Bears him a dozen surviving children, and from her descends all the current European monarchs. Seizes power upon his deposition, Known for her fiery temper and sharp tongue, she made many enemies, but proved herself a shrewd tactician during times of war and a practical, ambitious administrator during times of peace. Heavily suppressed the church to promote and consolidate royal authority, and founded a dozen schools. She would end up dying in a palace fire just after the birth of her first great-grandson.
Edward III of England is luckier and enforces his original peace terms before the Treaty of Bretigny, regaining the entirety of the Angevin "Empire" lands. Then, like Richard I, he dies at some point before the kind-of-hopeless task of keeping it all together can really fall upon him.
