Francis I of France dies in 1515

So, as it says on the tin, say Francis I of France dies in 1515, perhaps he dies from illness, a fall from a horse or in battle, anyway he's dead, without male issue, and his heir is now Charles, Duke of Alencon, who is married to his sister Margaret, their marriage is currently childless.

I've got a few questions, what would become of Brittany, would Charles try some negotiation to bring it into France, or would he try divorcing Margaret to marry Claude?

Secondly, what would the reign of Charles IX look like, and might he approach things differently to Francis?
 
So, as it says on the tin, say Francis I of France dies in 1515, perhaps he dies from illness, a fall from a horse or in battle, anyway he's dead, without male issue, and his heir is now Charles, Duke of Alencon, who is married to his sister Margaret, their marriage is currently childless.

I've got a few questions, what would become of Brittany, would Charles try some negotiation to bring it into France, or would he try divorcing Margaret to marry Claude?

Secondly, what would the reign of Charles IX look like, and might he approach things differently to Francis?

Charles and Margaret were third cousins (from John Iv of Brittany), so they could go for an annulation. Charles would probably seek to marry Claude. As he had no kids with Margaret (but she from her second marriage) there was a good probability for another dynasty change in the near-future. The heir was Charles of Bourbon, the Constable.
 
Charles and Margaret were third cousins (from John Iv of Brittany), so they could go for an annulation. Charles would probably seek to marry Claude. As he had no kids with Margaret (but she from her second marriage) there was a good probability for another dynasty change in the near-future. The heir was Charles of Bourbon, the Constable.
Intriguing, a different bourbon with different results?
 
Charles d'Alençon have no claims not only to Brittany, but also to Milan.

If he wed Claude, he would have both.

Intriguing, a different bourbon with different results?

Charles got his bad rep from being ousted by Francis, but he seemed a quite able man, at least no worse than Francis. Given the PoD he may be able to have kids with his wife, the heiress of Bourbon. He could as well annul his marriage after *Charles IX's death to marry Claude, but the pope could begin to get irritated with this 'dump and pump' schemes. At the very least, a tight control of Anne of Brittany's girls is to be expected.
 
If he wed Claude, he would have both.



Charles got his bad rep from being ousted by Francis, but he seemed a quite able man, at least no worse than Francis. Given the PoD he may be able to have kids with his wife, the heiress of Bourbon. He could as well annul his marriage after *Charles IX's death to marry Claude, but the pope could begin to get irritated with this 'dump and pump' schemes. At the very least, a tight control of Anne of Brittany's girls is to be expected.

Oh I can see that, I wonder would he continue the fight with the Hasburgs?
 
Oh I can see that, I wonder would he continue the fight with the Hasburgs?

Why not ? The Habsburgs are a threat, Charles is half-Italian and his Gonzaga cousins are likely allies, and France's internal opposition has been quite pacified (in the scope of a few years, the royal demesne has integrated Alençon, Armagnac, Bourbon, and possibly Brittany).
 
Why not ? The Habsburgs are a threat, Charles is half-Italian and his Gonzaga cousins are likely allies, and France's internal opposition has been quite pacified (in the scope of a few years, the royal demesne has integrated Alençon, Armagnac, Bourbon, and possibly Brittany).

Interesting, so the Bourbon-Habsburg rivalry starts a century earlier, fascinting.
 
I wonder, who might potential marriages for any children he has be

For a *François (1517) the natural candidate would be...Catarina de´Medici. Born 1519, main Medici maid of her generation and an heiress in France (Countess of Auvergne and Boulogne).
 
Charles de Bourbon died outside the Walls of Rome, leading a German and Spanish army as commander for the Emperor. After his Death 6th of May 1527 the troops stormed the city and the "Sacco di Roma" happened.
He had no surviving Children and his line was outlawed of inheritage because of Charles committed treason.


Francis seems to have not liked the Constable of France that much and he and his Mother Louise of Savoy betrayed Charles and confiscated some of his inheritated Estates.
Charles betrayed his King after that and offered his Services to Emperor Charles V.
Of course that pissed the French off, big time.

Might never happend if Francis kicked it 1515 and another King sat on the Throne.
 
Charles de Bourbon died outside the Walls of Rome, leading a German and Spanish army as commander for the Emperor. After his Death 6th of May 1527 the troops stormed the city and the "Sacco di Roma" happened.
He had no surviving Children and his line was outlawed of inheritage because of Charles committed treason.


Francis seems to have not liked the Constable of France that much and he and his Mother Louise of Savoy betrayed Charles and confiscated some of his inheritated Estates.
Charles betrayed his King after that and offered his Services to Emperor Charles V.
Of course that pissed the French off, big time.

Might never happend if Francis kicked it 1515 and another King sat on the Throne.

Given how close he would be to the throne here, I think he'd likely not turn on his cousin the Duke of Alencon
 
The Duke of Alencon also did not have had Louise of Savoy as a mother, whose bright Idea it was to say to Charles of Bourbon, if he would marry her, he as her new Husband would get his confiscated Estates back as her dowry.
 
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