I think Mary should marry Philip II of Spain and offer her one of her sons to her sister.
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Flower O'Scotland
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VVD0D95
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Would such a thing be allowed in England though, where uncle/niece or aunt/nephew marriages aren't allowed whatsoever and are frowned upon completely by society?
Perhaps perhaps
Yeah, might be a tough sell. We're less than a century after everyone freaked out over Richard III's (alleged) intention to marry Elizabeth of York.
I still think that situation was very little about the uncle-niece match and much about the circumstances as Richard was suspected to have killed Elizabeth’s brothers and who his dying wife was in such condition because he had poisoned her for marrying Elizabeth. Add to this the fact who Elizabeth and her siblings were declared illegitimate for consenting to Richard to take the crown... That was much more than a simple uncle-niece match...
I think who in a situation in which Edward IV lived longer while Anne Neville and Edward of Middleham still died and Edward, seeing the difficulties in finding a match abroad good enough for Elizabeth decided (or accepted) to marry her to Richard the situation would be totally different... Sure the match would be maligned but still accepted without much contestations
Yeah, there were admittedly some other factors at play in the controversy.
Chapter 34: Drums Of War
VVD0D95
Banned
Chapter 34: Drums of War
December, 1547
December, 1547
James had grown up in the shadow of rebellion, when lords had tried to go too far and take power into their own hands. His tutors had told him about the rebellions that had unseated his grandfather, and the troubles before that. He had sworn he would never allow such a thing to happen again, but it seemed he had failed in that. When Lennox had come and sworn his sword once more, James had been convinced that the wind had been taken out of Argyll’s sails, he had hoped that without such a prominent backer, the man would not dare. He had been proven wrong.
Rebellion had sprung up on the west coast, and had even spread to the isles. Bute, that seat which had traditionally been James’s family’s power base had fallen to the rebels. James knew that things were getting worse, but he had been unsure how to deal with the issue. Take too hard a line and he risked driving the rebels into the arms of the English, take too soft a line and the highlanders and his other lords would think him weak. Therefore, he had finally decided to summon his council. They met in Stirling, where the defences were better.
James looked around and then spoke. “The rebels hold much of the west coast, they have taken the Earl of Arran prisoner, and have also looked like they would cross the streams into the eastern lowlands. This is a state of affairs we find to be most offensive. We would hear your suggestions.”
The Earl of Atholl whose lands were to the south of the western base of the rebels, spoke. “Sire, I would recommend we draw the rebels out into land that favours us. Right now Argyll and his lackeys are doing everything they can to draw us into fighting on their terms. They have the lairds of the west on their side, and as such if we fought them where they want us to, it would be a rout.”
Lennox agreed. “I agree, I believe that we must find a way to draw Argyll to the eastern lowlands, near Angus. The Earl of Angus might be an idiot and shifty, but he knows which side his bread is buttered.”
“Furthermore, you are his son by marriage, are you not Lennox?” Atholl asked.
“I am.” Lennox replied. “And as such, I think the man will be definitely inclined to support you, Your Majesty.”
James did not say that Angus should support him because he was the man’s King and for no other reason than that. Yet he did not. Instead he simply nodded. “Argyll will not simply come though, he is not so foolish to fall for the weakest of traps, instead he will need proper convincing to come and therefore we shall need to think simply on that matter.”
Oliver spoke then, the man had not spoken much in recent times, but now he did. “Sire, I volunteer myself for the duty of baiting Argyll out of his stronghold.”
Before James could say anything, Lennox spoke. “That would be a smart plan, but I think Argyll would expect it.”
“What do you mean by that?” Oliver asked. James knew that the two men did not get along.
“Simply that one of the reasons that Argyll is rebelling is because he finds your influence to be a cancer on the King. Therefore, he will expect you to command an army to face him. He would not be easily lured into such a thing.” Lennox said.
James saw something deflate in Oliver, he decided to be the King here. “Then we will command the army. As King we will not hide behind others to do our work for us.”
He expected some to protest, but instead Lennox asked. “When would you march, Sire?”
James thought on it and then said. “In a moon’s time.”
To preserve Scotland's long streak of child monarchs, interminable regencies, and prematurely dead kings?
We'd have a cool new interesting "variety" thing going on. You might have fun and have Eleanor have a baby at seventeen, die in childbirth, stringing the dynasty along for 60 years or so just so the English can enjoy this.
I mean, I love the idea of Mary being Queen, Eleanor ending up on the run and in Scotland somehow, but this is also fun.
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Chapter 35: Seymour's Regency
VVD0D95
Banned
Chapter 35: Seymour’s Regency
March, 1548
March, 1548
Catherine Howard, the Queen Dowager was gone, removed from the regency council because she had married Thomas Culpepper without the leave of the regency council, though as Queen Regent one supposed she could’ve done it anyway. However, her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk was a smart man, and upon learning of it, had secured the ring of regency from her, and a signed declaration confirming him as Lord Protector. He’d then sent the Queen Dowager away from Whitehall to estates King Henry had left her, with her husband. Yes, Edward thought, the Duke of Norfolk was a smart man.
Edward took a moment and then spoke to the members of the council gathered, including Norfolk. “Word has come that King James of Scotland has defeated the rebellious lords, whom we had hoped would keep him occupied. Argyll and Ruthven were beheaded for treason and their heads rest on spikes above Stirling Castle. Other lairds who supported them were burned as heretics, whilst the Highland clans watched on. And Matthew, Earl of Lennox has been given two quarters of Ruthven’s land whilst the Crown has taken the rest. Our Queen Dowager’s plan has failed.”
“How strong is King James now?” Warwick asked. The man had an interesting in Scotland, for reasons that Edward could never quite understand.
“He is strong enough that should he decide to go to war with us, we will face a united Scotland, something that not even his own father could boast.” Edward said.
“And yet we would still win such a war.” Warwick countered.
Edward sighed, but before he could reply, Norfolk spoke. “That is not the point my lord, the point was that we wished to sow division within Scotland, to keep King James occupied, to prevent him from being able to actually do anything should the French involve themselves. However,” the man continued, looking at Edward. “This is not such a bad thing, now perhaps we can offer the hand of friendship to King James.”
“What do you suggest, Your Grace?” Edward asked.
“That we offer the hand of our Queen to the King’s second son the Duke of Albany. In order to tie our two Kingdoms together and remove a valuable piece to the French plan.” Norfolk said.
“A Scottish marriage?” Warwick exclaimed sounding horrified. “Absolutely not.”
“And why ever not?” Edward demanded. He was getting tired of Warwick’s constant demands this way and that, and constant attempts to prevent common sense.
“Because they are our enemies.” Warwick said. “And because the boy would then exercise true power.”
“Nonsense.” Norfolk said. “We would have Parliament pass legislation that would limit the boy’s power and ensure he was completely reliant on the Queen.”
Warwick said nothing and as such, Edward felt confident enough to then say. “I shall send word to our ambassador in Stirling to ask about this.” Norfolk nodded.
Paget spoke then. “There is another matter that needs consideration, my lords.” A brief pause and then. “Lady Mary.”
“She is illegitimate.” Norfolk said simply. “Yet we do not want the Scots in the line of succession, and Frances Brandon does not make for an appealing heir.”
Edward laughed at how they were all trying to discuss the succession without making it seem like they truly believed Queen Eleanor was going to die. He ventured forth his own view. “Why not simply have her married off to Prince Philip of Spain? The man is in need of a wife, and we need to keep France isolated.”
Norfolk considered that and then said. “The Emperor will want her acknowledged as legitimate, and as such in line to the throne.”
“Then have the Queen acknowledge her as her legitimate sister and behind her in the succession.” Edward suggested, his brain working overtime. “It would ensure that she would be married off and then out of the country, and enable a threat out of the way.”
Norfolk thought on it then looked at the Lord Chancellor. “Lord Chancellor?”
Lord Rich unlike St John was not anyone’s puppet but instead a smart man with some brains. He took his time and then said. “I shall need to consult the right documents, my lords, before giving you my declaration.” They nodded, and Edward knew then that he had won a nod in the Lady’s favour.
The very moment Mary is declared legitimate, she should raise a rebellion. Or is she gonna let the Howards boss her around forever?
Maria of Viseu (b 1521 daughter of Manuel of Portugal and Eleanor of Austria), Marguerite of Berry (b 1523 daughter of Francis I of France) are both older than him but were proposed to him in OTL and are both free, Jeanne d’Albret (b 1528, heiress of Navarre) would be a great match if Charles can get her (but France will do everything for preventing a such wedding as happened in OTL), or one of this Austrian cousins: Magdalena (b 1532), Catherine (b 1533), Eleanor (b 1534), Margaret (b 1536) or Barbara (b 1539). Another possible choices are Christine of Denmark (b 1521. Older than him and twice widowed but still a cousin and a renowed beauty) or Catherine of Savoy (b 1532) if butterflies prevent her OTL death in 1536
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