Different marriage for Henri II of France?

Could Henri II of France have married someone other than Catherine d'Medici? I know that the French believed he'd been wasted on the Medici match. He'd been married to her for her fortune after all and not exactly for politics. Henri himself wasn't fond of Catherine and that led to him finding prettier partners to indulge in. Who might have made better (politics-wise) matches for him?

As an aside could Catherine within the years that she was held in convents, from 1527 to 1530, have taken the veil and become a nun? In particular, I'm thinking of the convent that she was fondest of. Or is it likely that Pope Clement would have still tried to find her a good match?
 
If you bump off his elder brother (Francis III of Brittany) earlier then Henri, as the new heir, would probably get a better match.
 
Could Henri II of France have married someone other than Catherine d'Medici? I know that the French believed he'd been wasted on the Medici match. He'd been married to her for her fortune after all and not exactly for politics. Henri himself wasn't fond of Catherine and that led to him finding prettier partners to indulge in. Who might have made better (politics-wise) matches for him?

As an aside could Catherine within the years that she was held in convents, from 1527 to 1530, have taken the veil and become a nun? In particular, I'm thinking of the convent that she was fondest of. Or is it likely that Pope Clement would have still tried to find her a good match?

Had Clement failed with François, his other considerations were James V of Scots (pushed by Caterina's uncle, the duke of Albany); and Henry Fitzroy, the duke of Richmond. I'm not sure Clement would have indulged her in letting her take the veil (not permanently, anyway).

As to Henri, the match with Mary Tudor was floated a couple times, and his brother's "cast-offs" can easily be used for him. His brother was considered for Maria of Viseu (François I married Eleonore of Austria instead) and Isabella of Poland (Bona Sforza's idea). His younger brother was betrothed to Anna of Austria (OTL electress of Bavaria) or Maria of Spain (OTL Holy Roman Empress). And François I was involved in talks with Karl V in the late 1530s, to have the Henri-Caterina match (still childless) set aside, and Henri marry Kristina of Denmark instead.
 
That's pretty interesting. And a good deal of what I expected. Huh. Either the Scotland or Fitzroy match would have certainly been interesting.

Unfortunately it's unlikely that Mary would have been allowed to marry Mary. As interesting as that would have been. I don't know if Maria of Viseu would have agreed to marry given that she seemed pretty resistant to marriage OTL. But an earlier Habsburg match could have been interesting. Or Bona Sforza succeeding in arranging a match between her daughter and Henri.
 
That's pretty interesting. And a good deal of what I expected. Huh. Either the Scotland or Fitzroy match would have certainly been interesting.

Unfortunately it's unlikely that Mary would have been allowed to marry Mary. As interesting as that would have been. I don't know if Maria of Viseu would have agreed to marry given that she seemed pretty resistant to marriage OTL. But an earlier Habsburg match could have been interesting. Or Bona Sforza succeeding in arranging a match between her daughter and Henri.

The thing with Maria of Viseu was that 1) she was one of, if not, the wealthiest woman in Europe. So for her, marriage means sharing that wealth. Add to that she and her mother didn't quite get on, and you can understand her reticence to make an appearance in France. But, assuming she's like Kristina of Denmark and will marry where the emperor tells her to, just get Karl V to insist on the marriage, or that Eleonore is somehow unavailable to be married to François (maybe he's married elsewhere sooner).
 
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