Ferdinandine Bourbons in Spain

Maria Anna of Bavaria would be the best match and it would be a more prestigious match for her than Baden-Baden. Alternatively her younger sister, though there is a 6 year gap. she is likely to be available though.


Charles IV, who is now only heir to Naples is unlikely to be engaged to Maria Luisa as its far more likely he will make a direct Hapsburg match with Maria Josepha or Maria Klementina instead. Thus Joseph will be free to wed Isabella's sister Luisa, which was his preferred course and one which he initially pursued, should his mother continue to insist on him remarrying to secure an heir. So Maria Josepha of Bavaria may have a better fate and happier marriage than OTL.

Emperor Joseph is likely to have plenty of his own heirs in this case, so Leopold will remain as GD of Tuscany, and have more time to work on the Constitutional reforms he initiated there but did not have time to complete before moving to Vienna with Joseph's death.

And for fun, since Joseph weds Maria Luisa. Maria Amalia need not have to marry her brother and can instead marry the Prince of her choice like her sister....the Wittlesbach duke of Zweibrucken, who's line would eventually inherit Bavaria, but at this time of course that is not going to be apparent nor even a consideration, hence why his standing was not considered high enough for MT OTL despite Amalia's love for him.

However Hapsburg politics being what they are she probably still gets married away in an unhappy political marriage and hating both her mother and brother who forced here into it same as OTL.

Is there any proof that Maria Anna/Maria Josefa were fertile? I know about Josepha's marital relations, but would either of them be able to bear an heir for Spain?

And who might make a match for the duke of Parma then? The possibilities were both Maria Beatrice d'Este and Bathilde d'Orléans
 
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