List of Alternate Monarchs and Aristocratic Lineage
- Thread starter Jonathan
- Start date
Working Progress. Any advice would be great.
The alternative House of Hanover. What if 16 year old Princess Anne of York, married her 1 year old, Protestant second cousin from Hannover.
Princess Anne of York, later, Princess Anne, Duchess of Cumberland, and later, Anne I of Great Britain (6/2/1665–21/7/1723) 1/7/1681, Duke Frederick Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg, later, Frederick, Duke of Cumberland, and later additionally, Frederick I of Great Britain (3/10/1661-23/10/1724)
The alternative House of Hanover. What if 16 year old Princess Anne of York, married her 1 year old, Protestant second cousin from Hannover.
Anne's second cousin George of Hanover visited London for three months from December 1680, sparking rumours of a potential marriage between them, however the Hanoverians had already planned to marry George to his first cousin Sophia Dorothea of Celle as part of a scheme to unite the Hanoverian inheritance but it did get Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover thinking, having Great Britain as an ally so suggested his second son as a partner for Anne, with Charles II agreeing to this match.
The pair enjoy a loving relationship and Anne finds herself pregnant a few months after the wedding, Frederick request that his wife and he could be excused from court to spend the duration of her pregnancy in the fresh are on the Isle of Wight, using Carisbrooke Castle.
The delivery was a long labour, with Frederick, bringing along German midwives to assist, both mother and baby, a daughter survive the birth. Her uncle, Charles II would name her after his wife, Queen Catherine, who was among the godparents, others include her aunt and uncle, Mary and William of Orange. She was baptised upon her arrival, along with her parents, to Windsor Castle, a week later by Henry Compton, Bishop of London.
Many expected the young couple to have another pregnancy straight away, but Frederick enjoyed having the time to spend with his wife and daughter.
The second pregnancy was revealed around February 1684, with the family retiring to Carisbrooke Castle, again the labour was long and another daughter was born to the couple. Charles would name this daughter after, her maternal grandmother, Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, with her maternal great uncles, Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon and Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester as godparents along with Laurence’s wife, Henrietta Hyde, Countess of Rochester and Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland and Countess of Castlemain.
A third pregnancy was announced nearly straight after the second birth, however this resulted in a miscarriage before the family could make their way from St. James. This hit the couple very hard, but would not stop them from trying again.
The couple made sure to be upon the Isle of Wight, at the first sign of pregnancy, a routine that would continue throughout their next seven pregnancies, securing their family grew safely and securely.
The fourth child was the only one born, during their grandfather’s short reign. The third daughter, was named Mary, with King James claiming it was in honour of her aunt, Mary, Princess of Orange, although many presume that he was thinking of his second wife, Queen Mary of Modena.
When the fifth pregnancy was detected in April 1688, the family would be in the Isle of Wight, when news reached Frederick of Queen Mary, giving birth to James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales, on 10th June, followed by the prosecution of seven Protestant Bishops on 15th June.
Not wishing for this to upset his wife, Frederick would arrange for all letters to be intercepted before reaching Anne and when on the 5 November, he heard that his brother-in-law, William of Orange, had landed in Brixham in Torbay with 14,000 men, Frederick would only send his men to join them, not wishing to alarm Anne by leaving her side.
By the time the family returned to London following the birth of a healthy boy, James had already left into exile on 23 December.
.
The pair enjoy a loving relationship and Anne finds herself pregnant a few months after the wedding, Frederick request that his wife and he could be excused from court to spend the duration of her pregnancy in the fresh are on the Isle of Wight, using Carisbrooke Castle.
The delivery was a long labour, with Frederick, bringing along German midwives to assist, both mother and baby, a daughter survive the birth. Her uncle, Charles II would name her after his wife, Queen Catherine, who was among the godparents, others include her aunt and uncle, Mary and William of Orange. She was baptised upon her arrival, along with her parents, to Windsor Castle, a week later by Henry Compton, Bishop of London.
Many expected the young couple to have another pregnancy straight away, but Frederick enjoyed having the time to spend with his wife and daughter.
The second pregnancy was revealed around February 1684, with the family retiring to Carisbrooke Castle, again the labour was long and another daughter was born to the couple. Charles would name this daughter after, her maternal grandmother, Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, with her maternal great uncles, Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon and Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester as godparents along with Laurence’s wife, Henrietta Hyde, Countess of Rochester and Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland and Countess of Castlemain.
A third pregnancy was announced nearly straight after the second birth, however this resulted in a miscarriage before the family could make their way from St. James. This hit the couple very hard, but would not stop them from trying again.
The couple made sure to be upon the Isle of Wight, at the first sign of pregnancy, a routine that would continue throughout their next seven pregnancies, securing their family grew safely and securely.
The fourth child was the only one born, during their grandfather’s short reign. The third daughter, was named Mary, with King James claiming it was in honour of her aunt, Mary, Princess of Orange, although many presume that he was thinking of his second wife, Queen Mary of Modena.
When the fifth pregnancy was detected in April 1688, the family would be in the Isle of Wight, when news reached Frederick of Queen Mary, giving birth to James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales, on 10th June, followed by the prosecution of seven Protestant Bishops on 15th June.
Not wishing for this to upset his wife, Frederick would arrange for all letters to be intercepted before reaching Anne and when on the 5 November, he heard that his brother-in-law, William of Orange, had landed in Brixham in Torbay with 14,000 men, Frederick would only send his men to join them, not wishing to alarm Anne by leaving her side.
By the time the family returned to London following the birth of a healthy boy, James had already left into exile on 23 December.
.
Princess Anne of York, later, Princess Anne, Duchess of Cumberland, and later, Anne I of Great Britain (6/2/1665–21/7/1723) 1/7/1681, Duke Frederick Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg, later, Frederick, Duke of Cumberland, and later additionally, Frederick I of Great Britain (3/10/1661-23/10/1724)
1) Princess Catherine (30/6/1682-17/2/1759) m. 1701, Charles XII of Sweden (17/6/1682– 30/11/1718)
2) Princess Anne (13/9/1684-4/4/1755) m. 1702, George Augustus, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg, later, George II Augustus, Electorate of Hanover (9/11/1683–25/10/1760)
3) Miscarriage (1/5/1685)
4) Princess Mary (9/7/1686-5/7/1766) m. 1704, Frederick William I, Electoral King of Prussia (14/8/1688–31/5/1740)
5)Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, additional later, William, Prince of Wales, later, William Henry I, King of Great Britain (20/12/1688-25/4/1764) m. 1705 Lady Mary Churchill (15/7/1689-14/5/1751)
6) Princess Sophia (28/2/1690-18/6/1758) m. 1708, Prince Charles of France, Duke of Berry (31/7/1686–5/5/1714)
7) Prince Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (11/5/1692-1770) m.
8) Princess Sarah (18/1/1694-5/3/1718)
9) Prince Henry Ernest, Duke of Kent and Ross (12/10/1695-25/11/1736)
10) Prince George William, Duke of the British Isles (8/4/1697-19/1/1787)
11) Princess Fredrica (20/9/1700-25/11/1779) m. Christian VI of Denmark (30/11/1699–6/8/1746)
VVD0D95
Banned
I like tbis, no personal union with Hanover, meaning the new house of Hanover comes to the throne with knowledge and understanding of how British politics works. No act of settlement. Tories wet dream
VVD0D95
Banned
Charles James firstborn son of Charles i and Henrietta Maria survives.
Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland (b.1629) m Joanna of Braganza (b.1635) in 1650
issue:
Charles, Prince of Wales (b.1651)
miscarriage (1652)
John, Duke of Clarence and Ross (b.1653)
Elizabeth, Princess Royal (b.1655)
miscarriage (1657)
Princess Louise (b.1660)
Prince William, Duke of Northumberland (b.1663)
Princess Henrietta (b.1665)
Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland (b.1629) m Joanna of Braganza (b.1635) in 1650
issue:
Charles, Prince of Wales (b.1651)
miscarriage (1652)
John, Duke of Clarence and Ross (b.1653)
Elizabeth, Princess Royal (b.1655)
miscarriage (1657)
Princess Louise (b.1660)
Prince William, Duke of Northumberland (b.1663)
Princess Henrietta (b.1665)
POD Charles V and Isabella of Portugal's children all lived
Charles V m. Isabella of Portugal
1. Philip II b. 1527 - same as IOTL
2. Maria b. 1528 - same as IOTL
3. Ferdinand b. 1529 (gets the low countries) m. Magdalena of Austria b. 1532
4. Charles b. 1534 (gets Milan) m. Catherine of Austria b. 1533
5. Joanna b. 1535 - same as IOTL
6. John b. 1537 (gets Portugal after Sebastian's death) m. Mary of Guimaraes b. 1538
7. Manuel b. 1539 became cardinal
If anyone has better ideas of wives for the surviving sons please tell me as I do genuinely want to help expand their gene pool here
Charles V m. Isabella of Portugal
1. Philip II b. 1527 - same as IOTL
2. Maria b. 1528 - same as IOTL
3. Ferdinand b. 1529 (gets the low countries) m. Magdalena of Austria b. 1532
4. Charles b. 1534 (gets Milan) m. Catherine of Austria b. 1533
5. Joanna b. 1535 - same as IOTL
6. John b. 1537 (gets Portugal after Sebastian's death) m. Mary of Guimaraes b. 1538
7. Manuel b. 1539 became cardinal
If anyone has better ideas of wives for the surviving sons please tell me as I do genuinely want to help expand their gene pool here
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Your divisions of territories cannot work. I don't think Charles V can separate the colonies from the Spanish Crowns to grant them to one son, Philip II and the Cortes would never agree to it. Same with the younger sons getting Austria and the Empire, not happening because as it was long established those would pass to his brother the King of Hungary and Bohemia. Most likely young Fernando will receive the Low Countries and young Carlos can be made Duke of Milan while Juan and Manuel enter the Church,
One of them could get a Spanish title but with no lands attached to it, they won't get any of their father's territories.
Because as per your own POD all of Charles and Isabella's children survive, making Juan and Manuel fourth and fifth-born sons respectively, they've got too many brothers ahead of them.
Edward VI's six wives [note: this is ASB]
Edward VI b. 1537 d. 1600
m. 1550 d. 1554 (died of childbirth issues) Jane Grey [a]
1a. Jane b. 1554
m. 1555 d. 1560 (died of childbirth issues) Cecilia of Sweden
2b. Margaret b. 1556
3b. Cecilia b. 1557
4b. miscarriage 1559
5b. stillborn 1560
m. 1561 ann. 1561 due to non-consummation Barbara of Hesse [c]
- no issue -
m. 1562 ann. 1570 due to consanguinity (in reality due to religious conflicts and mutual infidelity) Mary Queen of Scots [d]
6d. Henry IX b. 1562
7d. Mary b. 1564
8d. James VI b. 1566
9d. Edward b. 1569
m. 1570 d. 1573 (executed due to infidelity) Susan Bertie [e]
- no issue -
m. 1578 d. 1638 (outlived Edward and lived as queen dowager) Catherine Knyvett [f]
10f. Catherine b. 1581
11f. Thomas b. 1583
12f. miscarriage
13f. Cecily b. 1585
14f. stillborn
Edward VI b. 1537 d. 1600
m. 1550 d. 1554 (died of childbirth issues) Jane Grey [a]
1a. Jane b. 1554
m. 1555 d. 1560 (died of childbirth issues) Cecilia of Sweden
2b. Margaret b. 1556
3b. Cecilia b. 1557
4b. miscarriage 1559
5b. stillborn 1560
m. 1561 ann. 1561 due to non-consummation Barbara of Hesse [c]
- no issue -
m. 1562 ann. 1570 due to consanguinity (in reality due to religious conflicts and mutual infidelity) Mary Queen of Scots [d]
6d. Henry IX b. 1562
7d. Mary b. 1564
8d. James VI b. 1566
9d. Edward b. 1569
m. 1570 d. 1573 (executed due to infidelity) Susan Bertie [e]
- no issue -
m. 1578 d. 1638 (outlived Edward and lived as queen dowager) Catherine Knyvett [f]
10f. Catherine b. 1581
11f. Thomas b. 1583
12f. miscarriage
13f. Cecily b. 1585
14f. stillborn
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It’s if Spain continued to follow Salic Law and Fernando VII’s brother, Don Carlos, ascended to the throne instead of his daughter Isabel.
Assuming the POD is either a victory in the First Carlist War or Fernando never decides to push the Pragmatic Sanction that named Isabel II his heiress, that means that she'll marry Carlos VI (as planned, and thus butterflying anybody after Alfonso Carlos -who'd be Alfonso XII, he only tacked on the Carlos to avoid confusion with Alfonso XIII) . If Fernando dies with no children, Carlos VI will avoid his OTL death since that was caused by an outbreak of diphtheria or typhoid or somesuch in Trieste. But assuming we go all the way to Jaime III as OTL, there'll be no reason stopping him marrying Mathilde of Bavaria, since the main obstacle to that was her mother and Queen Regent Maria Christina of Spain.
Ferdinand will get Marguerite de Valois, Anna d'Este or some other French proxy in all likelihood. Magdalene's father was against any of his daughters marrying Karl V's sons because he thought that Karl would try to slide his feet under the table in the empire that way. Other option would be a Lorrainer girl like Anne of Lorraine, Dowager Princess of Orange
Will marry Anna d'Este (if his older brother doesn't) or some equally Italian girl
Or she can wed to the dukes of Savoy (Emanuele Filiberto), Ferrara (Alfonso II) or grand duke of Tuscany (she laughed the last proposal off)
Uh why? The nearest heir would be Don Carlos, then Maria of Guimaraes's brother.
Best-Case Scenario for the Catholic Monarchs
WI: Best-Case Scenario for the Catholic Monarchs. Juana la Beltraneja dies in 1472, before her father, and Henry IV is forced to recognize Isabella as his heir. This allows the couple to avoid the war with Portugal.
Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452-1516) m. Isabella I of Castile (1451-1524) [1]
1a. Isabella of Castile and Aragon (1470-) m. Edward V of England (1470-1492) [2]
2a. Juan III of Castile and Aragon (1473-1511) m. Catherine I of Navarre (1468 -) [3]
3a. Juana of Castile and Aragon (1475-) m. Alfonso VI of Portugal (1475-) [4]
4a. Ferdinand VI of Castile and Aragon (1476-) m. Louise of Savoy (1476-) [5]
5a. Alfonso, Duke of Cadiz (1477-) m. Elizabeth of Denmark (1485-) [6]
6a. Miguel of Castile and Aragon (1478-1482)
7a. Stillborn Daughter (1479)
8a. Maria of Castile and Aragon (1482-) m. Charles VIII of France (1470-) [7]
9a. Ana of Castile and Aragon (1482-1484)
10a. Catalina of Castile and Aragon (1485-) m. Ernest, King of the Romans (1486-1503) [8]
2a. Miscarried Son (1503)
[1] The reconquest of Granada still occurs. Butterflies call for a crusade against the Ottomans in the late 1490s/early 1500s. Eventually all of Greece and Constantinople are reconquered. In 1524, Jerusalem is finally taken from the Muslims. Isabella, old and frail, travels to the Holy City, and will die there. She will be buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Isabella manages to enforce her will in the Americas, and the Natives are treated much better, though smallpox is still rampant.
[2] Isabella, anglicized Elizabeth, and Edward have a harmonious and happy marriage. Edward is much like his father, tall, blonde, and broad, with a desire to war with the French. Isabella has a kindly and pious nature, which makes her very popular with the common people and nobility alike. Edward manages to take back Rouen in Normandy before he dies in battle. His wife, heavily pregnant upon his death, gives birth to a posthumous son. She is regent for the boy, until he dies, and continues to remain an important advisor to her daughter, England’s first undisputed Queen-Regnant, married to the heir to the Danish throne. Isabella will join her mother in the Holy Land, and will eventually be buried alongside her.
[3] Juan and Catherine seemed to have a cloud of bad luck always hanging over them. The two, betrothed since childhood, instantly disliked each other. Juan found Catherine to be unattractive, and Catherine found Juan argumentative and annoying. Out of their seven children, only three were born alive, and none made it past the age of eleven. Catherine was hated by the court for her snobbish and anti-social behavior, so she stayed mostly in Pamplona, separated from her daughters, who were raised and educated by their Castilian grandmother. Juan crusaded against the Ottomans, and has numerous affairs with many women. He officially had 11 illegitimate children, but he privately recognized as many as 30. Some historians have argued he probably had as many as fifty children. Catherine died in 1517, in a convent where she had been imprisoned after her brother-in-law had captured her kingdom.
[4] Juana was, from a young age, the most beautiful of the Aragon girls. She was also dignified and elegant, tall with strawberry blonde hair like her mother. Her marriage to Alfonso was normal for the period, and Juana took a particular interest in her children’s education. Juana herself was very intelligent and kept the largest library in the world at the time. She also hosted intellectuals and artists at the palace.
[5] If Juana was beautiful, than Ferdinand was cunning. As a child, he was known to play tricks on his siblings, and cause chaos for his nursemaids. He grew into an energetic, good-tempered, and handsome young man. His marriage to Louise of Savoy was largely a success, and the two, using Isabella’s fondness for her second son, carved out favors and land for their children. Louise was delighted when, one by one, her brother-in-laws children died. Ferdinand proved a popular and wise king, and Queen Luisa was praised for her beauty and for the festivities she hosted at court.
[6] Alfonso was somewhat of the black sheep of the family. His younger brother, Infante Miguel, had been given as an oblate, though he had died at the age of four after he caught cold. Isabella wished to offer her third son to the church, but Ferdinand insisted he remain in the secular world. Alfonso himself was lazy in his studies, preferring to write poetry and compose songs. He refused to marry on several occasions, probably because he was a homosexual. He also developed the nasty habit of being a drunk, and gambling. Because of all these unsavory rumors, Isabella and Ferdinand finally forced Alfonso to marry Danish Princess Elizabeth. Elizabeth desperately loved her husband, but her husband did not return her affections. After the birth of Enrique, heir to the Dukedom of Girona, the couple finally separated. A few years later, in 1517, it became clear that Alfonso had caught a sexual disease from one of his lovers. This disease would eventually kill him.
[7] Charles VIII marries Margaret of Austria in 1494. She dies giving birth to a stillborn daughter in 1498. Anne of Brittany would marry Richard, Duke of York and Normandy, and the two ruled over a joint Breton-Norman Kingdom. After Margaret died, Maria was sent to marry the widower. Charles and Maria did not love each other, but were at least friendly. Certainly they mist have been somewhat close, for the marriage would result in ten children.
[8] Catalina, the baby of the family, was a sweet and devoutly pious young woman. She would marry Ernest of Austria, the eldest son of Emperor Maximilian I and Elizabeth of York. Ernest had been promised the Holy Roman Empire as an inheritance. This caused some drama, because Philip, Maximilian’s eldest son from a first marriage, and also Duke of Burgundy, believed he should be heir. Ernest and Catherine were happy together during their brief marriage, but he two caught influenza in the spring of 1503, which killed Ernest and made Catalina miscarry their second child. When Philip became Emperor in 1509, he made a frequent point to bully and make fun of Elizabeth of York and Catalina. The two lived at a convent outside Vienna. Anne of York, Holy Roman Empress, was herself miserable, especially after her only child, Charles, died in 1512. Philip would die in 1516, childless. Ernest’s only child, daughter Elisabeth was ineligible to succeed, so Ernest’s younger brother, Fredrick, married to a Polish princess with a load of children, became Emperor. Elizabeth of York would return to court, dying in 1543. Catherine would stay at her convent, becoming a nun, and eventually abbess. She was extremely pious, and took care of the poor and sick in her hospitals. Several miracles, including healing, were attributed to her. She finally died in 1570, at the age of 85, miraculous for that time. In 1595, she was canonized as a Saint.
Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452-1516) m. Isabella I of Castile (1451-1524) [1]
1a. Isabella of Castile and Aragon (1470-) m. Edward V of England (1470-1492) [2]
1a. Elizabeth I of England (1486-)
2a. Jacquetta of England (1489-)
3a. Richard III of England (1492-1504)
2a. Juan III of Castile and Aragon (1473-1511) m. Catherine I of Navarre (1468 -) [3]
1a. Miscarried Daughter (1492)
2a. Isabella of Castile and Aragon (1492-1494)
3a. Maria of Castile and Aragon (1494-1505)
4a. Stillborn Son (1494)
5a. Miscarried Daughter (1496)
6a. Catalina of Castile and Aragon (1500-1511)
7a. Stillborn Daughter (1502)
3a. Juana of Castile and Aragon (1475-) m. Alfonso VI of Portugal (1475-) [4]
1a. Maria of Portugal (1493-)
2a. John III of Portugal (1494-)
3a. Miscarried Son (1498)
4a. Ferdinand, Duke of Beja (1502-)
5a. Alfonso, Archbishop of Guarda (1505-)
4a. Ferdinand VI of Castile and Aragon (1476-) m. Louise of Savoy (1476-) [5]
1a. Alfonso VII of Castile and Aragon (1495-)
2a. Isabella of Castile and Aragon (1495-)
3a. Ferdinand, Duke of Granada (1497-1499)
4a. Enrique, Archbishop of Burgos (1501-)
5a. Stillborn Daughter (1505)
5a. Alfonso, Duke of Cadiz (1477-) m. Elizabeth of Denmark (1485-) [6]
1a. Isabella of Cadiz (1503-)
2a. Alfonso of Cadiz (1507-1509)
3a. Miscarried Daughter (1510)
4a. Leonor of Cadiz (1510-1513)
5a. Stillborn Son (1511)
6a. Enrique, Duke of Cadiz (1511-)
6a. Miguel of Castile and Aragon (1478-1482)
7a. Stillborn Daughter (1479)
8a. Maria of Castile and Aragon (1482-) m. Charles VIII of France (1470-) [7]
1a. Isabelle of France (1500-1514)
2a. Miscarried Son (1501)
3a. Charles, Dauphin of France (1504-1508)
4a. Charlotte of France (1506-)
5a. Louis, Dauphin of France (1510-1517)
6a. Marie of France (1512-)
7a. Philippe VII of France (1512-)
8a. Jean, Duke of Berry (1515-1529)
9a. Stillborn Daughter (1518)
10a. Francis, Duke of Anjou (1518-1520)
9a. Ana of Castile and Aragon (1482-1484)
10a. Catalina of Castile and Aragon (1485-) m. Ernest, King of the Romans (1486-1503) [8]
1a. Elisabeth of Austria (1502-) -abbess-
2a. Miscarried Son (1503)
[1] The reconquest of Granada still occurs. Butterflies call for a crusade against the Ottomans in the late 1490s/early 1500s. Eventually all of Greece and Constantinople are reconquered. In 1524, Jerusalem is finally taken from the Muslims. Isabella, old and frail, travels to the Holy City, and will die there. She will be buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Isabella manages to enforce her will in the Americas, and the Natives are treated much better, though smallpox is still rampant.
[2] Isabella, anglicized Elizabeth, and Edward have a harmonious and happy marriage. Edward is much like his father, tall, blonde, and broad, with a desire to war with the French. Isabella has a kindly and pious nature, which makes her very popular with the common people and nobility alike. Edward manages to take back Rouen in Normandy before he dies in battle. His wife, heavily pregnant upon his death, gives birth to a posthumous son. She is regent for the boy, until he dies, and continues to remain an important advisor to her daughter, England’s first undisputed Queen-Regnant, married to the heir to the Danish throne. Isabella will join her mother in the Holy Land, and will eventually be buried alongside her.
[3] Juan and Catherine seemed to have a cloud of bad luck always hanging over them. The two, betrothed since childhood, instantly disliked each other. Juan found Catherine to be unattractive, and Catherine found Juan argumentative and annoying. Out of their seven children, only three were born alive, and none made it past the age of eleven. Catherine was hated by the court for her snobbish and anti-social behavior, so she stayed mostly in Pamplona, separated from her daughters, who were raised and educated by their Castilian grandmother. Juan crusaded against the Ottomans, and has numerous affairs with many women. He officially had 11 illegitimate children, but he privately recognized as many as 30. Some historians have argued he probably had as many as fifty children. Catherine died in 1517, in a convent where she had been imprisoned after her brother-in-law had captured her kingdom.
[4] Juana was, from a young age, the most beautiful of the Aragon girls. She was also dignified and elegant, tall with strawberry blonde hair like her mother. Her marriage to Alfonso was normal for the period, and Juana took a particular interest in her children’s education. Juana herself was very intelligent and kept the largest library in the world at the time. She also hosted intellectuals and artists at the palace.
[5] If Juana was beautiful, than Ferdinand was cunning. As a child, he was known to play tricks on his siblings, and cause chaos for his nursemaids. He grew into an energetic, good-tempered, and handsome young man. His marriage to Louise of Savoy was largely a success, and the two, using Isabella’s fondness for her second son, carved out favors and land for their children. Louise was delighted when, one by one, her brother-in-laws children died. Ferdinand proved a popular and wise king, and Queen Luisa was praised for her beauty and for the festivities she hosted at court.
[6] Alfonso was somewhat of the black sheep of the family. His younger brother, Infante Miguel, had been given as an oblate, though he had died at the age of four after he caught cold. Isabella wished to offer her third son to the church, but Ferdinand insisted he remain in the secular world. Alfonso himself was lazy in his studies, preferring to write poetry and compose songs. He refused to marry on several occasions, probably because he was a homosexual. He also developed the nasty habit of being a drunk, and gambling. Because of all these unsavory rumors, Isabella and Ferdinand finally forced Alfonso to marry Danish Princess Elizabeth. Elizabeth desperately loved her husband, but her husband did not return her affections. After the birth of Enrique, heir to the Dukedom of Girona, the couple finally separated. A few years later, in 1517, it became clear that Alfonso had caught a sexual disease from one of his lovers. This disease would eventually kill him.
[7] Charles VIII marries Margaret of Austria in 1494. She dies giving birth to a stillborn daughter in 1498. Anne of Brittany would marry Richard, Duke of York and Normandy, and the two ruled over a joint Breton-Norman Kingdom. After Margaret died, Maria was sent to marry the widower. Charles and Maria did not love each other, but were at least friendly. Certainly they mist have been somewhat close, for the marriage would result in ten children.
[8] Catalina, the baby of the family, was a sweet and devoutly pious young woman. She would marry Ernest of Austria, the eldest son of Emperor Maximilian I and Elizabeth of York. Ernest had been promised the Holy Roman Empire as an inheritance. This caused some drama, because Philip, Maximilian’s eldest son from a first marriage, and also Duke of Burgundy, believed he should be heir. Ernest and Catherine were happy together during their brief marriage, but he two caught influenza in the spring of 1503, which killed Ernest and made Catalina miscarry their second child. When Philip became Emperor in 1509, he made a frequent point to bully and make fun of Elizabeth of York and Catalina. The two lived at a convent outside Vienna. Anne of York, Holy Roman Empress, was herself miserable, especially after her only child, Charles, died in 1512. Philip would die in 1516, childless. Ernest’s only child, daughter Elisabeth was ineligible to succeed, so Ernest’s younger brother, Fredrick, married to a Polish princess with a load of children, became Emperor. Elizabeth of York would return to court, dying in 1543. Catherine would stay at her convent, becoming a nun, and eventually abbess. She was extremely pious, and took care of the poor and sick in her hospitals. Several miracles, including healing, were attributed to her. She finally died in 1570, at the age of 85, miraculous for that time. In 1595, she was canonized as a Saint.
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Ferdinand was afraid that Karl V would "use" Felipe II's marriage to one of the emperor's daughters to "supplant" Maximilian II as successor. While the electors had elected Ferdinand as Karl's, so long as Karl was emperor, they couldn't elect Maximilian as his father's successor. It's also why Ferdinand nullified his brother's abdication wish that Felipe II be created "vicar of Italy" (traditionally the privilege of the duke of Milan) and instead named the duke of Savoy to that position (and possessing that "title" was what the Savoys used to claim the duchy of Milan - even before they had a right to it after the Valois went extinct - as well as to claim precedence over the grand duke of Tuscany).
Doesn't have to. He died childless because D. Sebastiao, D. Henrique and Katharina of Austria refused him permission to marry. And D. Sebastiao treated his cousin like shit that caused his apparent death by suicide. A POD in the 1520s/1530s can make it that Sebastiao is stillborn or his dad dies before marrying.