Ferdinand of Antequera on Castilian throne

Jan Olbracht

POD is easy-Henry III of Castile dies in 1399, before his children were born. Thus his brother Ferdinand takes throne after him. What does it mean?
-Catherine of Lancaster has nothing to do in Castile, is she going home? Would she remarry?
-Compromise of Caspe-how would it look like? Chosing Ferdinand to Aragonese throne means much earlier union of Spanish Kingdom. Would Aragonese nobles support claim of James of Urgell in such case? Would Ferdinand still prevail? Perhaps he would support candidature of his teenage son instead (Alfonso would be 16 at the time of Caspe) so Aragon and Castile would still be split between Ferdinand's sons?

EDIT:
Option 2: Henry III dies in 1401, just after his daughter is born. Thus Ferdinand would rather still succeede over little girl (whom he would marry later to one of his sons to secure claim of his line).
 
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Ivan Lupo

Catherine of Lancaster could easily remarry; she would be perhaps 26 or 27, so still young enough to get pregnant and bear children, which she ended up doing in her later 20s and early 30s anyway. In 1399, assuming that a butterfly in Spain doesn't carry far enough to affect events in England, her half-brother Henry Bolingbroke will have taken the throne from their cousin Richard. He will need alliances, so Catherine could still be married off to one of Henry's foreign supporters.
 
kasumigenx

kasumigenx

The issue would be the Dela Cerdas since the Trastamaras no longer have a legit claim to the throne, they might try again and get Catherine of Lancaster in their side.
 

Kellan Sullivan

Ivan Lupo said:
Catherine of Lancaster could easily remarry; she would be perhaps 26 or 27, so still young enough to get pregnant and bear children, which she ended up doing in her later 20s and early 30s anyway. In 1399, assuming that a butterfly in Spain doesn't carry far enough to affect events in England, her half-brother Henry Bolingbroke will have taken the throne from their cousin Richard. He will need alliances, so Catherine could still be married off to one of Henry's foreign supporters.
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I wonder if Marti I of Aragon will consider her as a bride to replace his late wife? OTL, he was briefly in negotiations with Henry IV to marry his son (Marti el Joven) to Blanche of Lancaster according to one biography I read. So Henry offering Katherine for Marti I might not be so far fetched. She'd certainly be more likely to be able to have kids immediately than Blanca of Navarre was at the time of their remarriage. So it could see the house of Barcelona survive. (And get a claim to the crown of Castile thrown into the bargain).
 

Jan Olbracht

Kellan Sullivan said:
I wonder if Marti I of Aragon will consider her as a bride to replace his late wife? OTL, he was briefly in negotiations with Henry IV to marry his son (Marti el Joven) to Blanche of Lancaster according to one biography I read. So Henry offering Katherine for Marti I might not be so far fetched. She'd certainly be more likely to be able to have kids immediately than Blanca of Navarre was at the time of their remarriage. So it could see the house of Barcelona survive. (And get a claim to the crown of Castile thrown into the bargain).
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OTOH being 26 yo and still childless after years of marriage she could be seen as likely sterile.
 

Jan Olbracht

Kellan Sullivan said:
Possibly. But her descent from Pedro el Justo/Cruel may outweigh that. Especially if Marti decides he's going to push the claim to the Castilian throne jure uxoris.
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Hmmm...There were not many available kings around 1400 other than Martin and none in Iberia (and who would be more interested in claims to Castilian throne more than another Iberian monarch?). So Martin seems possible, also, Aragon is potential ally against France.
Blanche of Navarre OTOH could marry widowed Martin's dad few years later, that way House of Barcelona would get claim to one more throne.
 
kasumigenx

kasumigenx

Jan Olbracht said:
Hmmm...There were not many available kings around 1400 other than Martin and none in Iberia (and who would be more interested in claims to Castilian throne more than another Iberian monarch?). So Martin seems possible, also, Aragon is potential ally against France.
Blanche of Navarre OTOH could marry widowed Martin's dad few years later, that way House of Barcelona would get claim to one more throne.
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Joanna of Navarre who in OTL married to Foix can marry Martin's dad, while Blanche can marry Henry V of England instead.
 

isabella

kasumigenx said:
The issue would be the Dela Cerdas since the Trastamaras no longer have a legit claim to the throne, they might try again and get Catherine of Lancaster in their side.
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The Trastámaras would still have full rights on Castile as Catherine’s claim would be seen as invalid considering who her parents renounced to it and her husband had inherited his crown from his father. Everyone at this point had accepted the Trastámaras as rightful kings of Castile
 
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