Effects of a Hapsburg England

Suppose that Queen Mary I's false pregnancy is a genuine one. As a result, in may of 1555, a son is born to Mary I and Phillip II. They name him Henry, Prince of Wales. Upon his father's death in 1598, he inherits the Low Countries, while his half-brother Carlos (who avoids the head injury which damaged his brain and turned him violent and cruel) becomes King Carlos II of Spain, also inheriting the Hapsburg family's Italian territories. How does he rule? Does he attempt to crush the Reformation on both sides of the Channel, or does he tolerate the Protestants? Who does he marry? For that mater, what happens if his mother dies on schedule? Does she at all? What effect does this have on English colonization of the Americas? Do these English Hapsburgs involve themselves in continental affairs?
 
England keeps Calais.

Don Carlos probably doesn't inherit, given his already considerable difficulties, so Henry probably inherits the whole western Hapsburg inheritance.

England might profit from greater access to Antwerp etc markets.

Presumably the Dutch don't go independent: I'd imagine the united crowns either go Protestant together, or Anglican/via media together, or Catholic together. Going anything other than Catholic might well result in the loss of Spain though, unless a really expert King was able to manipulate all the constituent countries, bring back Jews, etc, and use religious tolerance as a means of leveraging himself against the Catholic grandees.
 
If they stay catholic, it might push France to go protestant as they would be surrounded by hostile powers that have far more control over the catholic church then they ever could.
 
If they stay catholic, it might push France to go protestant as they would be surrounded by hostile powers that have far more control over the catholic church then they ever could.

Give me a minute to cry "ASB!" Seriously, France will not go Protestant. Independent Navarre though:)!
 
The Spanish Crown worked on strict Primogeniture and if Mary had had a son with Phillip it would have inherited Spain along with England. Under the terms of the marriage treaty Philip would have had control over his sons education meaning his son would have had strict Catholic education so forget Protestantism at least in that generation. Which in turn would have meant English Wars of Religion. In OTL we focus on Catholic resistance to Protestantism over the brief Marian persecution but that was because resistance never got too bad because all the heirs were Protestants so the Protestant majority could afford to wait. With a half-Spanish Catholic as heir that's going to change.
 
IIRC according to the marriage treaty any son of this marriage would inherit England (with Ireland) and the Burgundian Lands (including, but not only, the Low Countries).

The Crown of Castille (with the colonies) and the Crown of Aragon (including the Italian possessions) would go to another son, Carlos (Charles).

Henry does seem like a good name.

When Carlos/Charles would be removed, then I doubt that having TTL Henry inherit everything would be the first choice, which doesn't exclude it completely.
Also given the age of Queen Mary it is unlikely that the match would have produced children and if it did not many. So TTL would be the default general heir.
However even though Carlos did have signs of mental instability before he fell down a flight of stairs, preventing that and the surgery needed after that, might keep those symptoms less severe.
Furthermore if Philip stays married with Mary for a longer period, Carlos might have been wed during that period. Would Carlos (ATL, so without falling of a flight of stairs) be able to father children? Preferably not a Portuguese nor a Habsburg match though.
 
IIRC according to the marriage treaty any son of this marriage would inherit England (with Ireland) and the Burgundian Lands (including, but not only, the Low Countries).

The Crown of Castille (with the colonies) and the Crown of Aragon (including the Italian possessions) would go to another son, Carlos (Charles).

Henry does seem like a good name.

When Carlos/Charles would be removed, then I doubt that having TTL Henry inherit everything would be the first choice, which doesn't exclude it completely.
Also given the age of Queen Mary it is unlikely that the match would have produced children and if it did not many. So TTL would be the default general heir.
However even though Carlos did have signs of mental instability before he fell down a flight of stairs, preventing that and the surgery needed after that, might keep those symptoms less severe.
Furthermore if Philip stays married with Mary for a longer period, Carlos might have been wed during that period. Would Carlos (ATL, so without falling of a flight of stairs) be able to father children? Preferably not a Portuguese nor a Habsburg match though.


Didn't Don Carlos fall down the stairs while chasing a maid that he either wanted to rape or stab? Or probably a combo of the two? That being said he was already crazy, the fall just exasperated the problem. I have the feeling that Philip, knowing how crazy he was, kept him from marrying on purpose. The same thing could easily happen TTL.
 
What if Philip II and Mary had a daughter? I imagine she'd marry one of her Austrian cousins, while Philip hurriedly remarried to provide Spain with a male heir. Should anything befall the proto-Philip III we could see England drawn into an even greater Hapsburg empire together with Hungary, Bohemia, Austria, Spain and the Italian possessions.
 
You're not going to see that sort of super-union. There were very good reasons Charles V split up his Empire, it was unmanageably large, everyone felt unhappily neglected and it made everyone else in Europe shit themselves and ally against the Hapsburgs.
 
You're not going to see that sort of super-union. There were very good reasons Charles V split up his Empire, it was unmanageably large, everyone felt unhappily neglected and it made everyone else in Europe shit themselves and ally against the Hapsburgs.

I don't see Philip or Mary disinheriting their daughter in favor of anyone else.
I don't see said daughter marrying anyone other than a Hapsburg archduke.
Now if said archduke inherited Austria and the Empire, then you get the super-union, with younger archdukes and von Osterreich bastards presumably employed in the government of the various kingdoms and provinces.
Of course, as you say, the super-union is fated to be short-lived and divided among the couple's issue.
 
I don't see Philip or Mary disinheriting their daughter in favor of anyone else.

Absolutely, but as soon as it's practical to divide it then you'll see it split up though you'll probably see outlying parts rebel first. England isn't going to be any happier to be ruled from Madrid than the Netherlands.
 
Absolutely, but as soon as it's practical to divide it then you'll see it split up though you'll probably see outlying parts rebel first. England isn't going to be any happier to be ruled from Madrid than the Netherlands.

Most likely the daughter (Catherine,Isabella?) would indeed be married to an Austrian Archduke. However he'll probably be the lowest or next to lowest in age to keep a union from happening.
 
Now if Phillip divides the realm between his heirs (assuming that Don Carlos' madness is butterflied away,) will he do the same in the Americas? Perhaps he might divide the Americas along the 35th parallel?
 
Now if Phillip divides the realm between his heirs (assuming that Don Carlos' madness is butterflied away,) will he do the same in the Americas? Perhaps he might divide the Americas along the 35th parallel?

No. The American colonies were colonized by Castile. So they would go with whomever gets Castile.
 
Most likely the daughter (Catherine,Isabella?) would indeed be married to an Austrian Archduke. However he'll probably be the lowest or next to lowest in age to keep a union from happening.

I agree, furthermore the Austrian Habsburgs were numerous enough to allow for a match with an Achduke, who's low enough in the line of the Austrian, Hungarian & Bohemian succession (even though the latter two were officially elective, de facto there was a dynastic element) to prevent such an union. Apart from other European states and dynasties, Madrid nor Vienna weren't too keen about this idea (a new union) either.

Now if Phillip divides the realm between his heirs (assuming that Don Carlos' madness is butterflied away,) will he do the same in the Americas? Perhaps he might divide the Americas along the 35th parallel?

No, Emperor Constantine already explained that.

TTL Isabella/Elisabeth will end up with her English Inheritance and provided she marries someone, who has the approval of her father, so an Austrian Habsburg archduke, she probably will also inherit the Burgundian Lands with the provision, that in the absence of male heirs, it will return to the main Spanish line.
 
Is Elizabeth Tudor more or less likely to be executed as time goes on? I seem to remember Philip being generally well disposed towards her before Mary's death. A Catholic heir would help Mary consolidate her support but would make English Protestants more determined to get rid of her.

Also, how would Mary and Philip treat Mary Queen of Scots? Potential invasion of Scotland to stick her back on the throne?
 
Top