Emperor Ferdinand IV

Vitruvius

Donor
I would think that Louise Christine's youngest sister Marie Hedwig would become a much more desirable bride once her sister becomes Empress. So she is likely to marry someone more important than the third son of the Duke of Saxe-Gotha which may create another important relation. Maybe to Christian of Denmark, John George of Saxony or second wife to the Great Elector just off the top of my head. If James of York hasn't married Anne Hyde that could be an interesting match (though I'm not sure how likely it would be in any event).
 
I do think that Duke of Gloucester may survive TTL, he'll need a Protestant bride and Marie Hedwig seems suitable for this.
Especially if we're making Henrietta Dorothea Duchess of Cumberland/Countess Palatine of Umstadt here:)
If a match of (half)-British Royal to the sister of Holy Roman Empress TTL pushes Mazarin to not reject the hand of Hortense Mancini for Charles II, then I think Henriette Maria would pull all stops to prevent the Hyde match, given that she already has one commoner in-law (though with princess-esque dowry). Thus Marie Hedwig may get in the hat for the new Duchess of York (along with Catherine Braganza)?
 

Vitruvius

Donor
Out of curiosity where would you say Catherine Braganza ends up if Charles marries Hortense and James still marries Anne Hyde? In this timeline, where Ferdinand lives, or in OTL for that matter.
 
Portugal courted French support. There were plans to marry her to Duc d'Orleans or even to Duc de Beaufort (as the part of peacemaking package after Fronde). In between them in rank is the match with Duc d'Enghien.

With her father's new position as one of Europe's most important monarchs, Portugal then possessing a widespread colonial empire, Catherine became a prime choice for a wife for European royalty, and she was proposed as a bride for John of Austria, François de Vendôme, duc de Beaufort, Louis XIV and Charles II.

Juan Jose was also in the running for her.
 
Portugal courted French support. There were plans to marry her to Duc d'Orleans or even to Duc de Beaufort (as the part of peacemaking package after Fronde). In between them in rank is the match with Duc d'Enghien.



Juan Jose was also in the running for her.

A Beaufort or bastard Habsburg match would allow for minimal butterflies. Orléans would beg the question of what to do with Minette (who OTL was also offered for Leopold I, (age gap might be too big for her and Ferdinand) as well as Cosimo III and the duke of Savoy). Although what about a match for Catarina with the duke of Savoy? There was a tentative match talked about between he and the then Princess of Beira, Infanta Joana. He's HALF-French and he's got connections to Spain.
 
When taking evening shower I was pondering about Duc d'Enghien match. While it's negative to Catarina compared to OTL (Henri Jules was abusive husband), Catarina's infertility would mean that the mentally ill branch of Condes would go extinct with the titles reintegrated into Conti line.
OTL Duchesse d'Enghien would then marry Duc de Longueville/Comte de Dunois as her mother planned in mid-1650ies.

A bastard Habsburg one was proposed to ensure reintegration of Portugal into Spain. In hindsight (considering Catarina's fertility) it was unproductive.

Talking about Duke of Savoy, we need to consider his mom, who preferred to select among her French nieces, and the Duke himself, in love with his OTL second wife since at least 1658.
 

Vitruvius

Donor
I'm not sure the Savoy situation wouldn't be impacted much in the near term. I do wonder about Charles and James, however. A few tweaks to the Franco-Spanish War near the end and their position just prior to the restoration could be different, especially as regards their marriages. I think probably James and Anne Hyde would be the most easily impacted. I wonder if Ferdinand would recognize Charles after Spain does so in the Treaty of Brussels. Any chance that Ferdinand could impact the fate of Dunkirk, maybe if he was agitating to enter the War of the Spanish side?
 
I think the Battle of the Dunes ends as OTL. Too much went there against Spanish.
Regarding the recognition, Charles attempted to get this (from Austrian court) via Prince Rupert twice - in 1654 and 1656, nothing progressing past some words of support and monetary help.
I don't know whether Ferdinand IV would be more vocal/active on the matter, compared to his father who did not side with the Spain in the Spanish Netherlands, sending troops in Italy instead.
 
Regarding Anne Hyde, James promiced to marry her on November 24, 1659.
It is AFTER the OTL failed proposal of Charles to Hortense Mancini. If the Charles + Hortense is successful, there is no way Charles would agree with the idea of union for his brother.
 
IMO Charles + Hortense may work, without changing much about the campaign of 1658, in the following way:
  • The marriage of Marie Mancini to Duc de Lorraine goes ahead in 1659 (Ferdinand Philippe survives the surgery that killed him OTL). With serious support from Anne of Austria, that is, who wants the little troublemaker to be as far away from her son as possible;
  • The Duchess of Savoy don't want a commoner for a daughter-in-law
  • Since there is no chance for Hortense to outrank Marie in Savoyard match, Mazarin tenatively agrees to a proposal, but delays the actual betrothal/contract signing until Hortense is 15, that is until 1661. Just "not saying "no" is an improvement from OTL situation; and titular Queen is better than a nobody.
  • Duke of York gets dissuaded from his marriage promice, once Charles' tentative betrothal becomes known to the Royal Family. Anne Hyde likely marries to Henry Jermyn, maybe or not remaining James' mistress.
  • In 1660 Restoration happens with all that entails.
  • In 1661 (or November-December 1660) 15-years old Hortense Mancini becomes the Queen of England & Scotland.
  • Charles' sex life in marriage becomes a lot healthier compared to OTL.
 
A surviving Ferdinand IV will almost surely marry Maria Theresa of Spain so Louis XIV will need another wife... The most likely candidates are Henriette Anne of England and Margaret Yolande of Savoy with the fist favoured because Queen Anne liked her and she had an higher rank (so the one who really need a new bride is the duke of Orleans).
 
A surviving Ferdinand IV will almost surely marry Maria Theresa of Spain so Louis XIV will need another wife... The most likely candidates are Henriette Anne of England and Margaret Yolande of Savoy with the fist favoured because Queen Anne liked her and she had an higher rank (so the one who really need a new bride is the duke of Orleans).
I wouldn't be so "almost surely" about this, in light of research Vitruvius unearthed. Her father was reluctant to marry her anywhere before 1657 as there was a risk that he dies sonless, and by 1656 there would be an intrigue to not allow presumable Spanish-Austrian union.
I did the match in question in High Flying Mazarinettes TL (now abandoned, though I'll maybe do the remake as I've learned more new things about House of Lorraine etc since I've written this), but TTL Felipe IV had a son born in 1655, so he is less anxious about succession.
 
Would this be the Henry Jermyn that was supposedly married to Queen Henrietta Maria or his nephew, the 1e Baron Dover?
1st Baron Dover. They were actually lovers before James got in love with Anne, so Henry decided not to be an obstacle to his boss.
 
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1st Baron Dover. They were actually lovers before James got in love with Anne, so Henry decided not to be an obstacle to his boss.

How very gallant of him. His brother supposedly married to the Princess Mary, his uncle supposedly married to Henrietta Maria, and now his wife as mistress to the duke of York. Everything's coming up Jermyn. Charles II will not be happy about it (he disliked Jermyn(s) OTL because of the rumours).
 
His brother supposedly married to the Princess Mary
Not the brother, it was the rumor about Henry himself:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Jermyn,_1st_Baron_Dover
According to rumour his most notable conquest was Charles's widowed sister Mary of Orange, whom he met several times during her brother's exile, and there were even stories that they were secretly married. Historians generally discount these rumours, but Charles II took them seriously, and reprimanded his sister for her lack of discretion, but with no effect: Mary sharply reminded her brother that his own love affairs hardly entitled him to judge her moral conduct. Charles was especially angry because of the similar rumours that Jermyn's uncle Lord St Albans had secretly married the Queen Dowager Henrietta Maria. As John Phillipps Kenyon remarked, to have one Jermyn as an in-law would have been bad enough; to have two would have been intolerable.
 
However, Anne quickly fell in love with Henry Jermyn, who returned her feelings. Anne dismissed Jermyn just as quickly when she met James, Duke of York, the son of the deposed king.[10] On 24 November 1659, two[11] or three[12] years after she first met him, James promised he would marry Anne.[13] Charles, James' brother, forced him reluctantly into this, saying that her strong character would be a positive influence on his weak-willed brother.[14]
If Charles is marrying Hortense Mancini (with PoD of Mazarin not saying "no" in 1659), it is earlier than James' promice. And with the need to save James for proper dynastic marriage and not to rely on Duke of Gloucester only (engaged to Mlle de Dunois), there would be no such promices made.
 
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