Oh, ok ok, it's just been a while since I really looked into Biblical history like this, I'll tweak my post. Now it's about the primacy of the Temple of Solomon being challenged by the Samaritans.
List of monarchs III
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Oh, ok ok, it's just been a while since I really looked into Biblical history like this, I'll tweak my post. Now it's about the primacy of the Temple of Solomon being challenged by the Samaritans.
Nah, we’ve gone silent for longer before, it’ll come back on its own in a few days/weeks
What if John, Prince of Asturias, and Philip the Handsome survived?
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgundy
1482 - 1520: Philip I and IV (House of Habsburg) [1]
[1] As the only male child of Maximilian I, Philip's narrow shoulders bore the responsibility of continuing the Habsburg dynasty, a duty which he fulfilled admirably, even though his own talents were modest. His marriage to Joanna of Castile, while plagued by his infidelity, bound the Habsburgs to the hugely wealthy Spanish Empire and produced ten children who survived to adulthood. Aided by able advisors, Philip would spread his children throughout Europe - to Spain, to England, to Bohemia and Hungary, to the Scandinavian kingdoms, among the German princes and even to France. His reign also saw a gradual shift in power from the Austrian Archduchy to the wealthier Netherlands, although his oldest son, Charles, was appointed as his Regent in Vienna - a post that would prove to be the traditional title of the Habsburg heir. On the political front, though, Philip also presided over a weakening of central authority in the Empire.
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgundy
1482 - 1520: Philip I and IV (House of Habsburg) [1]
[1] As the only male child of Maximilian I, Philip's narrow shoulders bore the responsibility of continuing the Habsburg dynasty, a duty which he fulfilled admirably, even though his own talents were modest. His marriage to Joanna of Castile, while plagued by his infidelity, bound the Habsburgs to the hugely wealthy Spanish Empire and produced ten children who survived to adulthood. Aided by able advisors, Philip would spread his children throughout Europe - to Spain, to England, to Bohemia and Hungary, to the Scandinavian kingdoms, among the German princes and even to France. His reign also saw a gradual shift in power from the Austrian Archduchy to the wealthier Netherlands, although his oldest son, Charles, was appointed as his Regent in Vienna - a post that would prove to be the traditional title of the Habsburg heir. On the political front, though, Philip also presided over a weakening of central authority in the Empire.
What if John, Prince of Asturias, and Philip the Handsome survived?
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgundy
1482 - 1520: Philip I and IV (House of Habsburg) [1]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Spain, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Kent and consort of England,
1520 - 1561: Ferdinand I (House of Habsburg) [2]
[1] As the only male child of Maximilian I, Philip's narrow shoulders bore the responsibility of continuing the Habsburg dynasty, a duty which he fulfilled admirably, even though his own talents were modest. His marriage to Joanna of Castile, while plagued by his infidelity, bound the Habsburgs to the hugely wealthy Spanish Empire and produced ten children who survived to adulthood. Aided by able advisors, Philip would spread his children throughout Europe - to Spain, to England, to Bohemia and Hungary, to the Scandinavian kingdoms, among the German princes and even to France. His reign also saw a gradual shift in power from the Austrian Archduchy to the wealthier Netherlands, although his oldest son, Charles, was appointed as his Regent in Vienna - a post that would prove to be the traditional title of the Habsburg heir. On the political front, though, Philip also presided over a weakening of central authority in the Empire.
[2] A few months before his father’s death, Ferdinand lost his older brother,
Charles, Prince of Asturias, who chocked to after swallowing a lime slice while drinking a glass of water.
These two deaths close together, thrusted 17 year old Ferdinand into the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
As an unmarried monarch, Ferdinand, who already had allies in German chose to marry his cousin, Princess Isabella of Portugal.
The first twenty years of his reign was used dealing with centralising the authority with in regions of his empire. Ferdinand knew that keeping all the power in Vienna was taking up to much resources and caused friction between the numerous ethnicities and cultures within the large border, so instead spread it between capitals in each region, allowing each to have a limited amount of power kept them happy and civil.
The marriage with Isabella was a happy one resulting in seven pregnancies but with only three surviving into adulthood, before her death in 1539.
Following the death of his first wife, Ferdinand knew he still had to carry on the Habsburg legacy, so in 1540 he married his other cousin Mary of England, the legitimate daughter of his aunt Catherine of Aragon.
This second marriage resulted in only two pregnancies but each survived childhood.
The next thirteen years was spend building his holy army and navy with ports in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Balkan peninsula support trade through the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Crimean sea and the Baltic Sea.
When Mary’s brother died in 1553, Ferdinand supported her claim to the throne of England, resulting in the War of English Succession against the heretic Elizabeth.
Having their son, Ferdinand, named as Prince of Wales and having him married to Mary Howard, of the influential catholic, Howard family, helped their cause seeing the Habsburg as supporting the oppressed rather than foreign invaders. The war was won quickly by Mary with Germany and Spain being supported by Catholic France and Scotland.
After the death of his wife, his son, King Ferdinand I of England, titled him as Duke of Kent.
His death from a heart attack came as a massive blow to the Empire. He was succeeded by his eldest son, ________.
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgundy
1482 - 1520: Philip I and IV (House of Habsburg) [1]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Spain, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Kent and consort of England,
1520 - 1561: Ferdinand I (House of Habsburg) [2]
[1] As the only male child of Maximilian I, Philip's narrow shoulders bore the responsibility of continuing the Habsburg dynasty, a duty which he fulfilled admirably, even though his own talents were modest. His marriage to Joanna of Castile, while plagued by his infidelity, bound the Habsburgs to the hugely wealthy Spanish Empire and produced ten children who survived to adulthood. Aided by able advisors, Philip would spread his children throughout Europe - to Spain, to England, to Bohemia and Hungary, to the Scandinavian kingdoms, among the German princes and even to France. His reign also saw a gradual shift in power from the Austrian Archduchy to the wealthier Netherlands, although his oldest son, Charles, was appointed as his Regent in Vienna - a post that would prove to be the traditional title of the Habsburg heir. On the political front, though, Philip also presided over a weakening of central authority in the Empire.
[2] A few months before his father’s death, Ferdinand lost his older brother,
Charles, Prince of Asturias, who chocked to after swallowing a lime slice while drinking a glass of water.
These two deaths close together, thrusted 17 year old Ferdinand into the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
As an unmarried monarch, Ferdinand, who already had allies in German chose to marry his cousin, Princess Isabella of Portugal.
The first twenty years of his reign was used dealing with centralising the authority with in regions of his empire. Ferdinand knew that keeping all the power in Vienna was taking up to much resources and caused friction between the numerous ethnicities and cultures within the large border, so instead spread it between capitals in each region, allowing each to have a limited amount of power kept them happy and civil.
The marriage with Isabella was a happy one resulting in seven pregnancies but with only three surviving into adulthood, before her death in 1539.
Following the death of his first wife, Ferdinand knew he still had to carry on the Habsburg legacy, so in 1540 he married his other cousin Mary of England, the legitimate daughter of his aunt Catherine of Aragon.
This second marriage resulted in only two pregnancies but each survived childhood.
The next thirteen years was spend building his holy army and navy with ports in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Balkan peninsula support trade through the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Crimean sea and the Baltic Sea.
When Mary’s brother died in 1553, Ferdinand supported her claim to the throne of England, resulting in the War of English Succession against the heretic Elizabeth.
Having their son, Ferdinand, named as Prince of Wales and having him married to Mary Howard, of the influential catholic, Howard family, helped their cause seeing the Habsburg as supporting the oppressed rather than foreign invaders. The war was won quickly by Mary with Germany and Spain being supported by Catholic France and Scotland.
After the death of his wife, his son, King Ferdinand I of England, titled him as Duke of Kent.
His death from a heart attack came as a massive blow to the Empire. He was succeeded by his eldest son, ________.
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Wow, a blast from the past shows up on my list of subscribed threads.
Oh, just a RIP.
List of the Bourbon Kings under the Troisième Restauration :
1873-1908 King Marie-Amélie de Bourbon [1]
1908-1917 King Louis XIX de Bourbon-Orléans [2]
1917-1934 King Henri V de Bourbon-Orléans [3]
[1] She was chosen as a compromise between the Legitimists and Orleanists, after the dickish behavior of the Count of Chambord. She is the granddaughter of Marie-Thérèse de Bourbon, daughter of Louis XVI. She was married to Gaston d'Orleans, and the general agreement was to wait until she gets a child, and then convince her to abdicate. After getting nearly killed during the Commune de Paris, where she tried to act as a peacekeeper, and reaching an agreement without support from the Assembly, between the "Kingdom of France" (that didn't formally exist, since she hadn't been crowned yet) and the Communards. She was nicnkamed "Queen Cherry", because of the red color of the fruit and of the song "Le Temps des Cerises". She was crowned at 30, had a son at 34, and ruled until her death at 65 of a heart attack. She was the symbol of a united France, and she decided that the French allegory would be Joan of Arc and Marianne dancing together, which remains to this day.
[2] Louis of Orleans-Bourbon was the son of Marie-Amélie de Bourbon. On the contrary of his mother, who didn't really like Parlementarism she considered unefficient, he was more liberal, both politically and economically. He tried his best to prevent the beginning of the Great War of Austria, but couldn't preserve peace after the assassination of Franz-Josef in Vienna by a Bosniak nationalist. During the war, he supported the emencipation of women, which made him loose the support of the conservatives but helped French war effort. He died on the battlefield in Pfalz.
[3] Henri V was crowned during the Great War, and he demanded to negociate himself the peace terms. France gained back Alsace-Moselle, annexed Saar, and insisted to keep the Austro-Hungarian monarchy alive. The Royal Edict of 1931, confirming equality between men and women, between faith, and, the most controversial, between races in front of the law. Even though the edict was tolerated by the commoners until the Great Depression, after the crisis arrived all good feelings were lost, and the Front Uni Français took over the power, and when they tried to force the King to accept their coup, he abdicated instead. He was killed on the moment by a Frontist, and this would trigger the French Civil War.
1873-1908 King Marie-Amélie de Bourbon [1]
1908-1917 King Louis XIX de Bourbon-Orléans [2]
1917-1934 King Henri V de Bourbon-Orléans [3]
[1] She was chosen as a compromise between the Legitimists and Orleanists, after the dickish behavior of the Count of Chambord. She is the granddaughter of Marie-Thérèse de Bourbon, daughter of Louis XVI. She was married to Gaston d'Orleans, and the general agreement was to wait until she gets a child, and then convince her to abdicate. After getting nearly killed during the Commune de Paris, where she tried to act as a peacekeeper, and reaching an agreement without support from the Assembly, between the "Kingdom of France" (that didn't formally exist, since she hadn't been crowned yet) and the Communards. She was nicnkamed "Queen Cherry", because of the red color of the fruit and of the song "Le Temps des Cerises". She was crowned at 30, had a son at 34, and ruled until her death at 65 of a heart attack. She was the symbol of a united France, and she decided that the French allegory would be Joan of Arc and Marianne dancing together, which remains to this day.
[2] Louis of Orleans-Bourbon was the son of Marie-Amélie de Bourbon. On the contrary of his mother, who didn't really like Parlementarism she considered unefficient, he was more liberal, both politically and economically. He tried his best to prevent the beginning of the Great War of Austria, but couldn't preserve peace after the assassination of Franz-Josef in Vienna by a Bosniak nationalist. During the war, he supported the emencipation of women, which made him loose the support of the conservatives but helped French war effort. He died on the battlefield in Pfalz.
[3] Henri V was crowned during the Great War, and he demanded to negociate himself the peace terms. France gained back Alsace-Moselle, annexed Saar, and insisted to keep the Austro-Hungarian monarchy alive. The Royal Edict of 1931, confirming equality between men and women, between faith, and, the most controversial, between races in front of the law. Even though the edict was tolerated by the commoners until the Great Depression, after the crisis arrived all good feelings were lost, and the Front Uni Français took over the power, and when they tried to force the King to accept their coup, he abdicated instead. He was killed on the moment by a Frontist, and this would trigger the French Civil War.
[4] After the assassination of Henri V, civil war broke out between the Frontists and Bourbonists. The latter group was lead by the Queen Dowager, Giselle of Austria, in the name of her then thirteen-year-old daughter Therese Antoinette. The mainline royal family (Giselle, Therese Antoinette, and her sister Isabelle Blanche) fled to the south towards Nice with the hope of finding refuge in Monaco (Austria was considered too far away & Queen Giselle was good friends with the Monegasque Royal Family). From Monte Carlo, where the Queen Mother, and later the young Princess Therese Antoinette, who styled herself as Queen Therese, made radio broadcasts to the people of France. By 1934, the Queen Mother had convinced her brother, Charles II to "remember how good Bourbon saved us" and help supply troops to supplement the Bourbonists. She and young Queen Therese would await the results and were _________ to find out the ________ of the Bourbonist-Austrian forces.
What if John, Prince of Asturias, and Philip the Handsome survived?
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgundy
1482 - 1520: Philip I and IV (House of Habsburg) [1]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Spain, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Kent and consort of England,
1520 - 1561: Ferdinand I (House of Habsburg) [2]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, King of Naples, King of Sicily, Duke of Burgundy
1561 - 1576: Maximilian II (House of Habsburg) [3]
[1] As the only male child of Maximilian I, Philip's narrow shoulders bore the responsibility of continuing the Habsburg dynasty, a duty which he fulfilled admirably, even though his own talents were modest. His marriage to Joanna of Castile, while plagued by his infidelity, bound the Habsburgs to the hugely wealthy Spanish Empire and produced ten children who survived to adulthood. Aided by able advisors, Philip would spread his children throughout Europe - to Spain, to England, to Bohemia and Hungary, to the Scandinavian kingdoms, among the German princes and even to France. His reign also saw a gradual shift in power from the Austrian Archduchy to the wealthier Netherlands, although his oldest son, Charles, was appointed as his Regent in Vienna - a post that would prove to be the traditional title of the Habsburg heir. On the political front, though, Philip also presided over a weakening of central authority in the Empire.
[2] A few months before his father’s death, Ferdinand lost his older brother,
Charles, Prince of Asturias, who chocked to after swallowing a lime slice while drinking a glass of water.
These two deaths close together, thrusted 17 year old Ferdinand into the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
As an unmarried monarch, Ferdinand, who already had allies in German chose to marry his cousin, Princess Isabella of Portugal.
The first twenty years of his reign was used dealing with centralising the authority with in regions of his empire. Ferdinand knew that keeping all the power in Vienna was taking up to much resources and caused friction between the numerous ethnicities and cultures within the large border, so instead spread it between capitals in each region, allowing each to have a limited amount of power kept them happy and civil.
The marriage with Isabella was a happy one resulting in seven pregnancies but with only three surviving into adulthood, before her death in 1539.
Following the death of his first wife, Ferdinand knew he still had to carry on the Habsburg legacy, so in 1540 he married his other cousin Mary of England, the legitimate daughter of his aunt Catherine of Aragon.
This second marriage resulted in only two pregnancies but each survived childhood.
The next thirteen years was spend building his holy army and navy with ports in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Balkan peninsula support trade through the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Crimean sea and the Baltic Sea.
When Mary’s brother died in 1553, Ferdinand supported her claim to the throne of England, resulting in the War of English Succession against the heretic Elizabeth.
Having their son, Ferdinand, named as Prince of Wales and having him married to Mary Howard, of the influential catholic, Howard family, helped their cause seeing the Habsburg as supporting the oppressed rather than foreign invaders. The war was won quickly by Mary with Germany and Spain being supported by Catholic France and Scotland.
After the death of his wife, his son, King Ferdinand I of England, titled him as Duke of Kent.
His death from a heart attack came as a massive blow to the Empire. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Maximilian II.
[3] When his father died in 1561, Maximilian was already waiting for a while. Now, an aged man with multiple children, he was ready to get his hands dirty with the time he had has Emperor. His main focus was the Ottoman Empire, led by Suleiman the Magnificent. Large swathes of Hungary was ruled by the Ottomans, and with his ownership of the Kingdom of Spain, he wished to finally have the upper hand against the Ottomans. The Ottoman-Hungarian Wars would be reignited. At first, things proved difficult when they failed the capture the fortress of Szigetvár, but they would eventually prove successful through a long campaign, not on land, but in the water.
After many successful battles at the Balkan and Greek coasts, as well as the Ottoman failure to take Vienna after Suleiman the Magnificent died while on the march, which crumbled morale severely. The Holy Roman Empire's soldiers were able to cut through Ottoman land, as the great empire of Suleiman seemed to become weak with his death. After the conflict was done, all of Hungary was under Habsburg control once again. However, here would be where his rule would crumble itself.
The eldest son of Charles I of Spain, Philip, gathered support within Iberia, France, and England. Ferdinand I of England even supported Philip, seeing the Holy Roman power as a threat to his power, especially colonially. The War of Philip's Claim, or more simply, Philip's War, began in 1567, with England and many parts of France and Spain supporting his cause. However, this war would end up affecting much more than Iberia. The Dutch nobility sought independence, and William I of Orange would lead the rebellion. In addition, multiple Spanish nobility in New Spain wished to have autonomy from their Habsburg rulers and supported coalitions of independence.
The Dutch would lead a successful guerilla campaign against their Spanish overlords. Fernando de Toledo, the 3rd Duke of Alba, attempted to squash these insurrections, but it would come at the cost of his life when Dutch assassins bursted into his sleeping quarters and killed the man. With the issues within the Netherlands, Maximilian had to reorganize power from the area, back to the Archduchy of Austria.
The Spanish Empire overseas was sizeable when Maximilian inherited it, controlling southern Mexico, Central America, and the Carribean. However, with the chaos at home, the conspiracy would rise, and when Philip's War would occur, two overseas realms would emerge in rebellion. Martín Cortés, the son of Hernán Cortés, was the 2nd Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca and seeking to further the glory of his family after his father helped conquer some parts of Mexico, he lead a coalition to name himself King Cortés I of México. In the Carribean, a man by the name of Gastón de Peralta despised the recent Emperors, Ferdinand and Maximilian, for not expanding the colonial empire. He built a power base within the major islands, Cuba and Hispaniola, and when the Holy Roman Empire faced conflict at home, he took his opportunity and had himself declared King Gastón I of Hispaniola & Cuba.
As for Philip's War itself, it wasn't going well either. Ferdinand I of England captured the Duchy of Kent in 1568, and a unified force of French and Spanish troops defeated Maximilian at the Battles of Strasbourg and Morat, where Maximilian would finally submit and give his title of King of Spain, to Philip, making him Philip II of Spain. However, it was decided the territory of Two Sicilies would separate from the Crown of Aragon, so Maximilian then became King of Naples and King of Sicily. Kent would be taken by England and some parts of Burgundy to France. The Dutch would gain their independence in 1570, becoming the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which elected William I of Orange to be their King, becoming King William I of the Netherlands. However, relations would better between the powers after Spain helped Maximilian in an Ottoman war. In the end, Maximilian II lead a reign that was met with both opportunity and tragedy. He would die in his sleep in 1576, and he would be succeeded by _________.
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgundy
1482 - 1520: Philip I and IV (House of Habsburg) [1]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Spain, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Kent and consort of England,
1520 - 1561: Ferdinand I (House of Habsburg) [2]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, King of Naples, King of Sicily, Duke of Burgundy
1561 - 1576: Maximilian II (House of Habsburg) [3]
[1] As the only male child of Maximilian I, Philip's narrow shoulders bore the responsibility of continuing the Habsburg dynasty, a duty which he fulfilled admirably, even though his own talents were modest. His marriage to Joanna of Castile, while plagued by his infidelity, bound the Habsburgs to the hugely wealthy Spanish Empire and produced ten children who survived to adulthood. Aided by able advisors, Philip would spread his children throughout Europe - to Spain, to England, to Bohemia and Hungary, to the Scandinavian kingdoms, among the German princes and even to France. His reign also saw a gradual shift in power from the Austrian Archduchy to the wealthier Netherlands, although his oldest son, Charles, was appointed as his Regent in Vienna - a post that would prove to be the traditional title of the Habsburg heir. On the political front, though, Philip also presided over a weakening of central authority in the Empire.
[2] A few months before his father’s death, Ferdinand lost his older brother,
Charles, Prince of Asturias, who chocked to after swallowing a lime slice while drinking a glass of water.
These two deaths close together, thrusted 17 year old Ferdinand into the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
As an unmarried monarch, Ferdinand, who already had allies in German chose to marry his cousin, Princess Isabella of Portugal.
The first twenty years of his reign was used dealing with centralising the authority with in regions of his empire. Ferdinand knew that keeping all the power in Vienna was taking up to much resources and caused friction between the numerous ethnicities and cultures within the large border, so instead spread it between capitals in each region, allowing each to have a limited amount of power kept them happy and civil.
The marriage with Isabella was a happy one resulting in seven pregnancies but with only three surviving into adulthood, before her death in 1539.
Following the death of his first wife, Ferdinand knew he still had to carry on the Habsburg legacy, so in 1540 he married his other cousin Mary of England, the legitimate daughter of his aunt Catherine of Aragon.
This second marriage resulted in only two pregnancies but each survived childhood.
The next thirteen years was spend building his holy army and navy with ports in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Balkan peninsula support trade through the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Crimean sea and the Baltic Sea.
When Mary’s brother died in 1553, Ferdinand supported her claim to the throne of England, resulting in the War of English Succession against the heretic Elizabeth.
Having their son, Ferdinand, named as Prince of Wales and having him married to Mary Howard, of the influential catholic, Howard family, helped their cause seeing the Habsburg as supporting the oppressed rather than foreign invaders. The war was won quickly by Mary with Germany and Spain being supported by Catholic France and Scotland.
After the death of his wife, his son, King Ferdinand I of England, titled him as Duke of Kent.
His death from a heart attack came as a massive blow to the Empire. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Maximilian II.
[3] When his father died in 1561, Maximilian was already waiting for a while. Now, an aged man with multiple children, he was ready to get his hands dirty with the time he had has Emperor. His main focus was the Ottoman Empire, led by Suleiman the Magnificent. Large swathes of Hungary was ruled by the Ottomans, and with his ownership of the Kingdom of Spain, he wished to finally have the upper hand against the Ottomans. The Ottoman-Hungarian Wars would be reignited. At first, things proved difficult when they failed the capture the fortress of Szigetvár, but they would eventually prove successful through a long campaign, not on land, but in the water.
After many successful battles at the Balkan and Greek coasts, as well as the Ottoman failure to take Vienna after Suleiman the Magnificent died while on the march, which crumbled morale severely. The Holy Roman Empire's soldiers were able to cut through Ottoman land, as the great empire of Suleiman seemed to become weak with his death. After the conflict was done, all of Hungary was under Habsburg control once again. However, here would be where his rule would crumble itself.
The eldest son of Charles I of Spain, Philip, gathered support within Iberia, France, and England. Ferdinand I of England even supported Philip, seeing the Holy Roman power as a threat to his power, especially colonially. The War of Philip's Claim, or more simply, Philip's War, began in 1567, with England and many parts of France and Spain supporting his cause. However, this war would end up affecting much more than Iberia. The Dutch nobility sought independence, and William I of Orange would lead the rebellion. In addition, multiple Spanish nobility in New Spain wished to have autonomy from their Habsburg rulers and supported coalitions of independence.
The Dutch would lead a successful guerilla campaign against their Spanish overlords. Fernando de Toledo, the 3rd Duke of Alba, attempted to squash these insurrections, but it would come at the cost of his life when Dutch assassins bursted into his sleeping quarters and killed the man. With the issues within the Netherlands, Maximilian had to reorganize power from the area, back to the Archduchy of Austria.
The Spanish Empire overseas was sizeable when Maximilian inherited it, controlling southern Mexico, Central America, and the Carribean. However, with the chaos at home, the conspiracy would rise, and when Philip's War would occur, two overseas realms would emerge in rebellion. Martín Cortés, the son of Hernán Cortés, was the 2nd Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca and seeking to further the glory of his family after his father helped conquer some parts of Mexico, he lead a coalition to name himself King Cortés I of México. In the Carribean, a man by the name of Gastón de Peralta despised the recent Emperors, Ferdinand and Maximilian, for not expanding the colonial empire. He built a power base within the major islands, Cuba and Hispaniola, and when the Holy Roman Empire faced conflict at home, he took his opportunity and had himself declared King Gastón I of Hispaniola & Cuba.
As for Philip's War itself, it wasn't going well either. Ferdinand I of England captured the Duchy of Kent in 1568, and a unified force of French and Spanish troops defeated Maximilian at the Battles of Strasbourg and Morat, where Maximilian would finally submit and give his title of King of Spain, to Philip, making him Philip II of Spain. However, it was decided the territory of Two Sicilies would separate from the Crown of Aragon, so Maximilian then became King of Naples and King of Sicily. Kent would be taken by England and some parts of Burgundy to France. The Dutch would gain their independence in 1570, becoming the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which elected William I of Orange to be their King, becoming King William I of the Netherlands. However, relations would better between the powers after Spain helped Maximilian in an Ottoman war. In the end, Maximilian II lead a reign that was met with both opportunity and tragedy. He would die in his sleep in 1576, and he would be succeeded by _________.
[4] Emperor Emmanuel was not expected to come to the throne. His eldest brother, Ferdinand, had died in Philip's war, leaving behind only three daughters: Elisabeth, Maria, and Johanna. A second brother, called Maximilian, died on his wedding day (sources differ as to why, but rumor has it that his new wife, Louise of France, poisoned him to run off with her lover). Hence Emmanuel, the seemingly unremarkable third son, rose to the imperial throne.
Upon his ascension in 1576, the new Emperor married his fifteen-year-old niece, Elisabeth of Austria, to quell the ambition of her mother Catherine of England, who saw no reason why her daughter couldn't become Empress. Together they had ___ children, though only ___ survived childhood.
Emmanuel's reign was focused on repairing the diplomatic relationships broken by Philip's War. The future William II of Orange would be married to his niece/sister-in-law, Maria of Austria while her sister Johanna married Philip III of Spain. There were also new alliances, as the King of Naples and Sicily looked to form bonds with Italian families by offering various grand-nieces in matches with their heirs.
He also became known as the Portrait Emperor, becoming obsessed with cataloging every major event with a new painting of himself and his family, much to the chagrin of the treasury and boon to Vienna's painters. Art historians have long joked that people can watch the King and his family slowly age just by glimpsing his massive collection. Ironically, historians speculate that all the exposure to lead-based paint is what lead to his demise in 1601, fittingly why sitting for a portrait honoring his Silver Jubilee.
What if John, Prince of Asturias, and Philip the Handsome survived?
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgundy
1482 - 1520: Philip I and IV (House of Habsburg) [1]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Spain, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Kent and consort of England,
1520 - 1561: Ferdinand I (House of Habsburg) [2]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, King of Naples, King of Sicily, Duke of Burgundy
1561 - 1576: Maximilian II (House of Habsburg) [3]
1576 - 1601: Emmanuel (House of Habsburg) [4]
1601 - 1602: Maximilian “the sickly” III (House of Habsburg) [5]
[1] As the only male child of Maximilian I, Philip's narrow shoulders bore the responsibility of continuing the Habsburg dynasty, a duty which he fulfilled admirably, even though his own talents were modest. His marriage to Joanna of Castile, while plagued by his infidelity, bound the Habsburgs to the hugely wealthy Spanish Empire and produced ten children who survived to adulthood. Aided by able advisors, Philip would spread his children throughout Europe - to Spain, to England, to Bohemia and Hungary, to the Scandinavian kingdoms, among the German princes and even to France. His reign also saw a gradual shift in power from the Austrian Archduchy to the wealthier Netherlands, although his oldest son, Charles, was appointed as his Regent in Vienna - a post that would prove to be the traditional title of the Habsburg heir. On the political front, though, Philip also presided over a weakening of central authority in the Empire.
[2] A few months before his father’s death, Ferdinand lost his older brother,
Charles, Prince of Asturias, who chocked to after swallowing a lime slice while drinking a glass of water.
These two deaths close together, thrusted 17 year old Ferdinand into the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
As an unmarried monarch, Ferdinand, who already had allies in German chose to marry his cousin, Princess Isabella of Portugal.
The first twenty years of his reign was used dealing with centralising the authority with in regions of his empire. Ferdinand knew that keeping all the power in Vienna was taking up to much resources and caused friction between the numerous ethnicities and cultures within the large border, so instead spread it between capitals in each region, allowing each to have a limited amount of power kept them happy and civil.
The marriage with Isabella was a happy one resulting in seven pregnancies but with only three surviving into adulthood, before her death in 1539.
Following the death of his first wife, Ferdinand knew he still had to carry on the Habsburg legacy, so in 1540 he married his other cousin Mary of England, the legitimate daughter of his aunt Catherine of Aragon.
This second marriage resulted in only two pregnancies but each survived childhood.
The next thirteen years was spend building his holy army and navy with ports in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Balkan peninsula support trade through the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Crimean sea and the Baltic Sea.
When Mary’s brother died in 1553, Ferdinand supported her claim to the throne of England, resulting in the War of English Succession against the heretic Elizabeth.
Having their son, Ferdinand, named as Prince of Wales and having him married to Mary Howard, of the influential catholic, Howard family, helped their cause seeing the Habsburg as supporting the oppressed rather than foreign invaders. The war was won quickly by Mary with Germany and Spain being supported by Catholic France and Scotland.
After the death of his wife, his son, King Ferdinand I of England, titled him as Duke of Kent.
His death from a heart attack came as a massive blow to the Empire. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Maximilian II.
[3] When his father died in 1561, Maximilian was already waiting for a while. Now, an aged man with multiple children, he was ready to get his hands dirty with the time he had has Emperor. His main focus was the Ottoman Empire, led by Suleiman the Magnificent. Large swathes of Hungary was ruled by the Ottomans, and with his ownership of the Kingdom of Spain, he wished to finally have the upper hand against the Ottomans. The Ottoman-Hungarian Wars would be reignited. At first, things proved difficult when they failed the capture the fortress of Szigetvár, but they would eventually prove successful through a long campaign, not on land, but in the water.
After many successful battles at the Balkan and Greek coasts, as well as the Ottoman failure to take Vienna after Suleiman the Magnificent died while on the march, which crumbled morale severely. The Holy Roman Empire's soldiers were able to cut through Ottoman land, as the great empire of Suleiman seemed to become weak with his death. After the conflict was done, all of Hungary was under Habsburg control once again. However, here would be where his rule would crumble itself.
The eldest son of Charles I of Spain, Philip, gathered support within Iberia, France, and England. Ferdinand I of England even supported Philip, seeing the Holy Roman power as a threat to his power, especially colonially. The War of Philip's Claim, or more simply, Philip's War, began in 1567, with England and many parts of France and Spain supporting his cause. However, this war would end up affecting much more than Iberia. The Dutch nobility sought independence, and William I of Orange would lead the rebellion. In addition, multiple Spanish nobility in New Spain wished to have autonomy from their Habsburg rulers and supported coalitions of independence.
The Dutch would lead a successful guerilla campaign against their Spanish overlords. Fernando de Toledo, the 3rd Duke of Alba, attempted to squash these insurrections, but it would come at the cost of his life when Dutch assassins bursted into his sleeping quarters and killed the man. With the issues within the Netherlands, Maximilian had to reorganize power from the area, back to the Archduchy of Austria.
The Spanish Empire overseas was sizeable when Maximilian inherited it, controlling southern Mexico, Central America, and the Carribean. However, with the chaos at home, the conspiracy would rise, and when Philip's War would occur, two overseas realms would emerge in rebellion. Martín Cortés, the son of Hernán Cortés, was the 2nd Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca and seeking to further the glory of his family after his father helped conquer some parts of Mexico, he lead a coalition to name himself King Cortés I of México. In the Carribean, a man by the name of Gastón de Peralta despised the recent Emperors, Ferdinand and Maximilian, for not expanding the colonial empire. He built a power base within the major islands, Cuba and Hispaniola, and when the Holy Roman Empire faced conflict at home, he took his opportunity and had himself declared King Gastón I of Hispaniola & Cuba.
As for Philip's War itself, it wasn't going well either. Ferdinand I of England captured the Duchy of Kent in 1568, and a unified force of French and Spanish troops defeated Maximilian at the Battles of Strasbourg and Morat, where Maximilian would finally submit and give his title of King of Spain, to Philip, making him Philip II of Spain. However, it was decided the territory of Two Sicilies would separate from the Crown of Aragon, so Maximilian then became King of Naples and King of Sicily. Kent would be taken by England and some parts of Burgundy to France. The Dutch would gain their independence in 1570, becoming the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which elected William I of Orange to be their King, becoming King William I of the Netherlands. However, relations would better between the powers after Spain helped Maximilian in an Ottoman war. In the end, Maximilian II lead a reign that was met with both opportunity and tragedy. He would die in his sleep in 1576, and he would be succeeded by his third son.
[4] Emperor Emmanuel was not expected to come to the throne. His eldest brother, Ferdinand, had died in Philip's war, leaving behind only three daughters: Elisabeth, Maria, and Johanna. A second brother, called Maximilian, died on his wedding day (sources differ as to why, but rumor has it that his new wife, Louise of France, poisoned him to run off with her lover). Hence Emmanuel, the seemingly unremarkable third son, rose to the imperial throne.
Upon his ascension in 1576, the new Emperor married his fifteen-year-old niece, Elisabeth of Austria, to quell the ambition of her mother Catherine of England, who saw no reason why her daughter couldn't become Empress. Together they had twelve children, though only three survived childhood.
Emmanuel's reign was focused on repairing the diplomatic relationships broken by Philip's War. The future William II of Orange would be married to his niece/sister-in-law, Maria of Austria while her sister Johanna married Philip III of Spain. There were also new alliances, as the King of Naples and Sicily looked to form bonds with Italian families by offering various grand-nieces in matches with their heirs.
He also became known as the Portrait Emperor, becoming obsessed with cataloging every major event with a new painting of himself and his family, much to the chagrin of the treasury and boon to Vienna's painters. Art historians have long joked that people can watch the King and his family slowly age just by glimpsing his massive collection. Ironically, historians speculate that all the exposure to lead-based paint is what lead to his demise in 1601, fittingly why sitting for a portrait honoring his Silver Jubilee.
[5] The eldest of the three surviving children, Maximilian was anything but a figure of health. Having skin as grey as ash, he was rarely seen up and about, instead during the few courtly meetings or balls, of which he attended, he would be placed in a dark corner, before anyone arrived and would spend the time watching the display with heavy breathing.
A marriage was arranged and performed in proxy during his November coronation for him and his distant cousin, Maria Theresa of Spain, however Maximilian would pass away on January 10th 1602, from internal bleeding and multiple organ failure.
His short reign of only a couple of months has been poetically called the “flutter of angle wings”.
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgundy
1482 - 1520: Philip I and IV (House of Habsburg) [1]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Spain, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Kent and consort of England,
1520 - 1561: Ferdinand I (House of Habsburg) [2]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, King of Naples, King of Sicily, Duke of Burgundy
1561 - 1576: Maximilian II (House of Habsburg) [3]
1576 - 1601: Emmanuel (House of Habsburg) [4]
1601 - 1602: Maximilian “the sickly” III (House of Habsburg) [5]
[1] As the only male child of Maximilian I, Philip's narrow shoulders bore the responsibility of continuing the Habsburg dynasty, a duty which he fulfilled admirably, even though his own talents were modest. His marriage to Joanna of Castile, while plagued by his infidelity, bound the Habsburgs to the hugely wealthy Spanish Empire and produced ten children who survived to adulthood. Aided by able advisors, Philip would spread his children throughout Europe - to Spain, to England, to Bohemia and Hungary, to the Scandinavian kingdoms, among the German princes and even to France. His reign also saw a gradual shift in power from the Austrian Archduchy to the wealthier Netherlands, although his oldest son, Charles, was appointed as his Regent in Vienna - a post that would prove to be the traditional title of the Habsburg heir. On the political front, though, Philip also presided over a weakening of central authority in the Empire.
[2] A few months before his father’s death, Ferdinand lost his older brother,
Charles, Prince of Asturias, who chocked to after swallowing a lime slice while drinking a glass of water.
These two deaths close together, thrusted 17 year old Ferdinand into the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
As an unmarried monarch, Ferdinand, who already had allies in German chose to marry his cousin, Princess Isabella of Portugal.
The first twenty years of his reign was used dealing with centralising the authority with in regions of his empire. Ferdinand knew that keeping all the power in Vienna was taking up to much resources and caused friction between the numerous ethnicities and cultures within the large border, so instead spread it between capitals in each region, allowing each to have a limited amount of power kept them happy and civil.
The marriage with Isabella was a happy one resulting in seven pregnancies but with only three surviving into adulthood, before her death in 1539.
Following the death of his first wife, Ferdinand knew he still had to carry on the Habsburg legacy, so in 1540 he married his other cousin Mary of England, the legitimate daughter of his aunt Catherine of Aragon.
This second marriage resulted in only two pregnancies but each survived childhood.
The next thirteen years was spend building his holy army and navy with ports in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Balkan peninsula support trade through the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Crimean sea and the Baltic Sea.
When Mary’s brother died in 1553, Ferdinand supported her claim to the throne of England, resulting in the War of English Succession against the heretic Elizabeth.
Having their son, Ferdinand, named as Prince of Wales and having him married to Mary Howard, of the influential catholic, Howard family, helped their cause seeing the Habsburg as supporting the oppressed rather than foreign invaders. The war was won quickly by Mary with Germany and Spain being supported by Catholic France and Scotland.
After the death of his wife, his son, King Ferdinand I of England, titled him as Duke of Kent.
His death from a heart attack came as a massive blow to the Empire. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Maximilian II.
[3] When his father died in 1561, Maximilian was already waiting for a while. Now, an aged man with multiple children, he was ready to get his hands dirty with the time he had has Emperor. His main focus was the Ottoman Empire, led by Suleiman the Magnificent. Large swathes of Hungary was ruled by the Ottomans, and with his ownership of the Kingdom of Spain, he wished to finally have the upper hand against the Ottomans. The Ottoman-Hungarian Wars would be reignited. At first, things proved difficult when they failed the capture the fortress of Szigetvár, but they would eventually prove successful through a long campaign, not on land, but in the water.
After many successful battles at the Balkan and Greek coasts, as well as the Ottoman failure to take Vienna after Suleiman the Magnificent died while on the march, which crumbled morale severely. The Holy Roman Empire's soldiers were able to cut through Ottoman land, as the great empire of Suleiman seemed to become weak with his death. After the conflict was done, all of Hungary was under Habsburg control once again. However, here would be where his rule would crumble itself.
The eldest son of Charles I of Spain, Philip, gathered support within Iberia, France, and England. Ferdinand I of England even supported Philip, seeing the Holy Roman power as a threat to his power, especially colonially. The War of Philip's Claim, or more simply, Philip's War, began in 1567, with England and many parts of France and Spain supporting his cause. However, this war would end up affecting much more than Iberia. The Dutch nobility sought independence, and William I of Orange would lead the rebellion. In addition, multiple Spanish nobility in New Spain wished to have autonomy from their Habsburg rulers and supported coalitions of independence.
The Dutch would lead a successful guerilla campaign against their Spanish overlords. Fernando de Toledo, the 3rd Duke of Alba, attempted to squash these insurrections, but it would come at the cost of his life when Dutch assassins bursted into his sleeping quarters and killed the man. With the issues within the Netherlands, Maximilian had to reorganize power from the area, back to the Archduchy of Austria.
The Spanish Empire overseas was sizeable when Maximilian inherited it, controlling southern Mexico, Central America, and the Carribean. However, with the chaos at home, the conspiracy would rise, and when Philip's War would occur, two overseas realms would emerge in rebellion. Martín Cortés, the son of Hernán Cortés, was the 2nd Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca and seeking to further the glory of his family after his father helped conquer some parts of Mexico, he lead a coalition to name himself King Cortés I of México. In the Carribean, a man by the name of Gastón de Peralta despised the recent Emperors, Ferdinand and Maximilian, for not expanding the colonial empire. He built a power base within the major islands, Cuba and Hispaniola, and when the Holy Roman Empire faced conflict at home, he took his opportunity and had himself declared King Gastón I of Hispaniola & Cuba.
As for Philip's War itself, it wasn't going well either. Ferdinand I of England captured the Duchy of Kent in 1568, and a unified force of French and Spanish troops defeated Maximilian at the Battles of Strasbourg and Morat, where Maximilian would finally submit and give his title of King of Spain, to Philip, making him Philip II of Spain. However, it was decided the territory of Two Sicilies would separate from the Crown of Aragon, so Maximilian then became King of Naples and King of Sicily. Kent would be taken by England and some parts of Burgundy to France. The Dutch would gain their independence in 1570, becoming the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which elected William I of Orange to be their King, becoming King William I of the Netherlands. However, relations would better between the powers after Spain helped Maximilian in an Ottoman war. In the end, Maximilian II lead a reign that was met with both opportunity and tragedy. He would die in his sleep in 1576, and he would be succeeded by his third son.
[4] Emperor Emmanuel was not expected to come to the throne. His eldest brother, Ferdinand, had died in Philip's war, leaving behind only three daughters: Elisabeth, Maria, and Johanna. A second brother, called Maximilian, died on his wedding day (sources differ as to why, but rumor has it that his new wife, Louise of France, poisoned him to run off with her lover). Hence Emmanuel, the seemingly unremarkable third son, rose to the imperial throne.
Upon his ascension in 1576, the new Emperor married his fifteen-year-old niece, Elisabeth of Austria, to quell the ambition of her mother Catherine of England, who saw no reason why her daughter couldn't become Empress. Together they had twelve children, though only three survived childhood.
Emmanuel's reign was focused on repairing the diplomatic relationships broken by Philip's War. The future William II of Orange would be married to his niece/sister-in-law, Maria of Austria while her sister Johanna married Philip III of Spain. There were also new alliances, as the King of Naples and Sicily looked to form bonds with Italian families by offering various grand-nieces in matches with their heirs.
He also became known as the Portrait Emperor, becoming obsessed with cataloging every major event with a new painting of himself and his family, much to the chagrin of the treasury and boon to Vienna's painters. Art historians have long joked that people can watch the King and his family slowly age just by glimpsing his massive collection. Ironically, historians speculate that all the exposure to lead-based paint is what lead to his demise in 1601, fittingly why sitting for a portrait honoring his Silver Jubilee.
[5] The eldest of the three surviving children, Maximilian was anything but a figure of health. Having skin as grey as ash, he was rarely seen up and about, instead during the few courtly meetings or balls, of which he attended, he would be placed in a dark corner, before anyone arrived and would spend the time watching the display with heavy breathing.
A marriage was arranged and performed in proxy during his November coronation for him and his distant cousin, Maria Theresa of Spain, however Maximilian would pass away on January 10th 1602, from internal bleeding and multiple organ failure.
His short reign of only a couple of months has been poetically called the “flutter of angle wings”.
[6] The death of Emperor Maximilian would spark a succession war between the Emperor's two younger sisters, twenty-six-year-old Maria Katharina, married to Maria Theresa's elder brother Juan V of Spain, and the eighteen-year-old Eleanor, originally intended for the King of France before her brother, in one of his few acts, reneged on the agreement.What if John, Prince of Asturias, and Philip the Handsome survived?
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgundy
1482 - 1520: Philip I and IV (House of Habsburg) [1]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Spain, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Kent and consort of England,
1520 - 1561: Ferdinand I (House of Habsburg) [2]
Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Bohemia and Hungary, King of Croatia, King of Naples, King of Sicily, Duke of Burgundy
1561 - 1576: Maximilian II (House of Habsburg) [3]
1576 - 1601: Emmanuel (House of Habsburg) [4]
1601 - 1602: Maximilian “the sickly” III (House of Habsburg) [5]
1602 - 1607: War of Austrian Succession [6]
[1] As the only male child of Maximilian I, Philip's narrow shoulders bore the responsibility of continuing the Habsburg dynasty, a duty which he fulfilled admirably, even though his own talents were modest. His marriage to Joanna of Castile, while plagued by his infidelity, bound the Habsburgs to the hugely wealthy Spanish Empire and produced ten children who survived to adulthood. Aided by able advisors, Philip would spread his children throughout Europe - to Spain, to England, to Bohemia and Hungary, to the Scandinavian kingdoms, among the German princes and even to France. His reign also saw a gradual shift in power from the Austrian Archduchy to the wealthier Netherlands, although his oldest son, Charles, was appointed as his Regent in Vienna - a post that would prove to be the traditional title of the Habsburg heir. On the political front, though, Philip also presided over a weakening of central authority in the Empire.
[2] A few months before his father’s death, Ferdinand lost his older brother,
Charles, Prince of Asturias, who chocked to after swallowing a lime slice while drinking a glass of water.
These two deaths close together, thrusted 17 year old Ferdinand into the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
As an unmarried monarch, Ferdinand, who already had allies in German chose to marry his cousin, Princess Isabella of Portugal.
The first twenty years of his reign was used dealing with centralising the authority with in regions of his empire. Ferdinand knew that keeping all the power in Vienna was taking up to much resources and caused friction between the numerous ethnicities and cultures within the large border, so instead spread it between capitals in each region, allowing each to have a limited amount of power kept them happy and civil.
The marriage with Isabella was a happy one resulting in seven pregnancies but with only three surviving into adulthood, before her death in 1539.
Following the death of his first wife, Ferdinand knew he still had to carry on the Habsburg legacy, so in 1540 he married his other cousin Mary of England, the legitimate daughter of his aunt Catherine of Aragon.
This second marriage resulted in only two pregnancies but each survived childhood.
The next thirteen years was spend building his holy army and navy with ports in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Balkan peninsula support trade through the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Crimean sea and the Baltic Sea.
When Mary’s brother died in 1553, Ferdinand supported her claim to the throne of England, resulting in the War of English Succession against the heretic Elizabeth.
Having their son, Ferdinand, named as Prince of Wales and having him married to Mary Howard, of the influential catholic, Howard family, helped their cause seeing the Habsburg as supporting the oppressed rather than foreign invaders. The war was won quickly by Mary with Germany and Spain being supported by Catholic France and Scotland.
After the death of his wife, his son, King Ferdinand I of England, titled him as Duke of Kent.
His death from a heart attack came as a massive blow to the Empire. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Maximilian II.
[3] When his father died in 1561, Maximilian was already waiting for a while. Now, an aged man with multiple children, he was ready to get his hands dirty with the time he had has Emperor. His main focus was the Ottoman Empire, led by Suleiman the Magnificent. Large swathes of Hungary was ruled by the Ottomans, and with his ownership of the Kingdom of Spain, he wished to finally have the upper hand against the Ottomans. The Ottoman-Hungarian Wars would be reignited. At first, things proved difficult when they failed the capture the fortress of Szigetvár, but they would eventually prove successful through a long campaign, not on land, but in the water.
After many successful battles at the Balkan and Greek coasts, as well as the Ottoman failure to take Vienna after Suleiman the Magnificent died while on the march, which crumbled morale severely. The Holy Roman Empire's soldiers were able to cut through Ottoman land, as the great empire of Suleiman seemed to become weak with his death. After the conflict was done, all of Hungary was under Habsburg control once again. However, here would be where his rule would crumble itself.
The eldest son of Charles I of Spain, Philip, gathered support within Iberia, France, and England. Ferdinand I of England even supported Philip, seeing the Holy Roman power as a threat to his power, especially colonially. The War of Philip's Claim, or more simply, Philip's War, began in 1567, with England and many parts of France and Spain supporting his cause. However, this war would end up affecting much more than Iberia. The Dutch nobility sought independence, and William I of Orange would lead the rebellion. In addition, multiple Spanish nobility in New Spain wished to have autonomy from their Habsburg rulers and supported coalitions of independence.
The Dutch would lead a successful guerilla campaign against their Spanish overlords. Fernando de Toledo, the 3rd Duke of Alba, attempted to squash these insurrections, but it would come at the cost of his life when Dutch assassins bursted into his sleeping quarters and killed the man. With the issues within the Netherlands, Maximilian had to reorganize power from the area, back to the Archduchy of Austria.
The Spanish Empire overseas was sizeable when Maximilian inherited it, controlling southern Mexico, Central America, and the Carribean. However, with the chaos at home, the conspiracy would rise, and when Philip's War would occur, two overseas realms would emerge in rebellion. Martín Cortés, the son of Hernán Cortés, was the 2nd Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca and seeking to further the glory of his family after his father helped conquer some parts of Mexico, he lead a coalition to name himself King Cortés I of México. In the Carribean, a man by the name of Gastón de Peralta despised the recent Emperors, Ferdinand and Maximilian, for not expanding the colonial empire. He built a power base within the major islands, Cuba and Hispaniola, and when the Holy Roman Empire faced conflict at home, he took his opportunity and had himself declared King Gastón I of Hispaniola & Cuba.
As for Philip's War itself, it wasn't going well either. Ferdinand I of England captured the Duchy of Kent in 1568, and a unified force of French and Spanish troops defeated Maximilian at the Battles of Strasbourg and Morat, where Maximilian would finally submit and give his title of King of Spain, to Philip, making him Philip II of Spain. However, it was decided the territory of Two Sicilies would separate from the Crown of Aragon, so Maximilian then became King of Naples and King of Sicily. Kent would be taken by England and some parts of Burgundy to France. The Dutch would gain their independence in 1570, becoming the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which elected William I of Orange to be their King, becoming King William I of the Netherlands. However, relations would better between the powers after Spain helped Maximilian in an Ottoman war. In the end, Maximilian II lead a reign that was met with both opportunity and tragedy. He would die in his sleep in 1576, and he would be succeeded by his third son.
[4] Emperor Emmanuel was not expected to come to the throne. His eldest brother, Ferdinand, had died in Philip's war, leaving behind only three daughters: Elisabeth, Maria, and Johanna. A second brother, called Maximilian, died on his wedding day (sources differ as to why, but rumor has it that his new wife, Louise of France, poisoned him to run off with her lover). Hence Emmanuel, the seemingly unremarkable third son, rose to the imperial throne.
Upon his ascension in 1576, the new Emperor married his fifteen-year-old niece, Elisabeth of Austria, to quell the ambition of her mother Catherine of England, who saw no reason why her daughter couldn't become Empress. Together they had twelve children, though only three survived childhood.
Emmanuel's reign was focused on repairing the diplomatic relationships broken by Philip's War. The future William II of Orange would be married to his niece/sister-in-law, Maria of Austria while her sister Johanna married Philip III of Spain. There were also new alliances, as the King of Naples and Sicily looked to form bonds with Italian families by offering various grand-nieces in matches with their heirs.
He also became known as the Portrait Emperor, becoming obsessed with cataloging every major event with a new painting of himself and his family, much to the chagrin of the treasury and boon to Vienna's painters. Art historians have long joked that people can watch the King and his family slowly age just by glimpsing his massive collection. Ironically, historians speculate that all the exposure to lead-based paint is what lead to his demise in 1601, fittingly why sitting for a portrait honoring his Silver Jubilee.
View attachment 460794
[5] The eldest of the three surviving children, Maximilian was anything but a figure of health. Having skin as grey as ash, he was rarely seen up and about, instead during the few courtly meetings or balls, of which he attended, he would be placed in a dark corner, before anyone arrived and would spend the time watching the display with heavy breathing.
A marriage was arranged and performed in proxy during his November coronation for him and his distant cousin, Maria Theresa of Spain, however Maximilian would pass away on January 10th 1602, from internal bleeding and multiple organ failure.
His short reign of only a couple of months has been poetically called the “flutter of angle wings”.
Due to the lack of male Habsburgs, King Juan supported the claim of his wife or, if need be, one of his young sons Ferdinand or Emmanuel. Of course, many Austrians saw the Spanish Queen or her sons as nothing more than a lackey for Spanish interests and betrothed Eleanor to Charles, Duke of Suffolk, second son of Henry IX to unify the claims of Eleanor and the English Habsburgs, who were the heirs by Salic law (Spanish partisans insisted Ferdinand I of England had renounced the English branch's right to the succession, a claim which many were suspicious of). Eleanor quickly provided her side an heir with the birth of baby Philip in 1604.
With this, the title of Holy Roman Emperor was up for grabs, only to be claimed by ______. Other elective titles, like the Kingdom of Bohemia, waited to see who would win the battle for Habsburg supremacy, only to elect _____ as their monarch.
Numerous battles were fought with men winning glory and infamy for their actions. In the end, it would be _____, with the backing of _______, that would claim the Austrian Crown.
What if the Duchy of Normandy was made an independent Kingdom in the Treaty of Paris?
Kings of Normandy
1259 - 1285: Alphonse (House of Poitiers) [1]
(1) Louis IX, King of France, engages in the 8th Crusade. But with a fledgling Kingdom to rule, Alphonse cannot join his brother in the religious mission that brought about his death. Louis IX dies in 1270, Alphonse in turn lives 15 years longer than his brother and outlived both his first wife, and several of his nephews, including Philip the Bold (who died childless) and John of Valois (also childless), seeing his youngest nephew, Robert of Clermont, become King of France.
With his first wife having died in 1271, he needed a new wife as he had no issue. Katherine of England was put forward - deaf and mute and thirty years his junior. Historians now consider the suggestion of Katherine as his wife less a suggestion than a 'If you don't marry my sister, then I might revoke my father's agreement to the Treaty ..."
Alphonse and Katherine married, and despite her being sickly, she produced two sons who both survived to adulthood. However, neither of their parents saw them reach eighteen - with Katherine dying only five years after the marriage, and Alphonse dying when the eldest was just thirteen.
Luckily avoiding a constitutional crisis, Alphonse had nominated his brother, the King of Sicily, and his heirs to act as Regent should he be incapacitated. But whether the Regency would hold for the fledgling country was another matter altogether...
Kings of Normandy
1259 - 1285: Alphonse (House of Poitiers) [1]
(1) Louis IX, King of France, engages in the 8th Crusade. But with a fledgling Kingdom to rule, Alphonse cannot join his brother in the religious mission that brought about his death. Louis IX dies in 1270, Alphonse in turn lives 15 years longer than his brother and outlived both his first wife, and several of his nephews, including Philip the Bold (who died childless) and John of Valois (also childless), seeing his youngest nephew, Robert of Clermont, become King of France.
With his first wife having died in 1271, he needed a new wife as he had no issue. Katherine of England was put forward - deaf and mute and thirty years his junior. Historians now consider the suggestion of Katherine as his wife less a suggestion than a 'If you don't marry my sister, then I might revoke my father's agreement to the Treaty ..."
Alphonse and Katherine married, and despite her being sickly, she produced two sons who both survived to adulthood. However, neither of their parents saw them reach eighteen - with Katherine dying only five years after the marriage, and Alphonse dying when the eldest was just thirteen.
Luckily avoiding a constitutional crisis, Alphonse had nominated his brother, the King of Sicily, and his heirs to act as Regent should he be incapacitated. But whether the Regency would hold for the fledgling country was another matter altogether...
What if the Duchy of Normandy was made an independent Kingdom in the Treaty of Paris?
Kings of Normandy
1259 - 1285: Alphonse I (House of Poitiers) [1]
1285 - 1341: Robert I (House of Poitiers) [2]
(1) Louis IX, King of France, engages in the 8th Crusade. But with a fledgling Kingdom to rule, Alphonse cannot join his brother in the religious mission that brought about his death. Louis IX dies in 1270, Alphonse in turn lives 15 years longer than his brother and outlived both his first wife, and several of his nephews, including Philip the Bold (who died childless) and John of Valois (also childless), seeing his youngest nephew, Robert of Clermont, become King of France.
With his first wife having died in 1271, he needed a new wife as he had no issue. Katherine of England was put forward - deaf and mute and thirty years his junior. Historians now consider the suggestion of Katherine as his wife less a suggestion than a 'If you don't marry my sister, then I might revoke my father's agreement to the Treaty ..."
Alphonse and Katherine married, and despite her being sickly, she produced two sons who both survived to adulthood. However, neither of their parents saw them reach eighteen - with Katherine dying only five years after the marriage, and Alphonse dying when the eldest was just thirteen.
Luckily avoiding a constitutional crisis, Alphonse had nominated his brother, the King of Sicily, and his heirs to act as Regent should he be incapacitated. But whether the Regency would hold for the fledgling country was another matter altogether...
Lord Louis, Count of Maine and King Robert I of Normandy at their music lessons (c.1292)
[2] Robert the First of Normandy was born under a lucky star. Always close to his cousins in Artois, he befriended the Duke of Burgundy Otto II, who, after the wedding of his young friend to his niece, Joanna of Burgundy, saw to it that the young man in question kept his crown. And one of the biggest ways this was dealt with was through the marriage of the younger Prince Louis to the Princess Joan of England, widow to the Earl of Hertford. This would begin what was essentially a war of personalities in the Norman Court, between the "demure but stubborn" Queen Joanna and the "fiercely formal" Countess of Maine.
Robert, meanwhile, struggled against a growing tension between his own kingdom and that of France, which now began to look on the royalty it had created as too strong in it's own right. When, in 1303, it was suggested that Normandy and it's vassals might be better considered parts of France itself, King Robert struck back, claiming "then you would have Burgundy, Savoy, and Rome itself, so little do we compare in your eyes". He also wrote to the King of England, bidding him to "free himself of the yoke of France, for we are Kings ourselves". All of this led up to the War of 1302, or as is otherwise known as The War of Aquitaine. In an alliance between England, Burgundy and Normandy, France saw it's hold on Aquitaine broken, for the time being, and following the end of the war, the King of England saw his son married to the Lady Isabel of Maine, daughter of the Count of Maine and at that point the only Princess of Norman blood available, while the heir to Normandy married the eldest daughter of the Duke of Burgundy, who died in the days following the marriage ceremony. The new bride and groom would remain in Burgundy for the funeral of the Duke and the coronation of his 2 year old son.
The Marriage of the Prince of Normandy (left to right: Prince Roger of Normandy, Alphonse, Crown Prince of Normandy, Princess Joan of Burgundy, Isabel of Maine, Princess of England) (c.1302)
Robert thus became the figurehead of the alliance on the continent, especially following the death of the King of England in 1307. It was around this time that it became known that the Count of Maine, long having been plagued with eye troubles, awoke in 1310, at the age of 33, completely blind and deaf in one ear. It has been suggested that he may have suffered a stroke, while at the time the King of France suggested divine retribution. But it was truly the culmination of a fear that their mother's health problems might be hereditary. The King himself was hard of hearing, and of his six surviving children with Joanna of Burgundy, two were near-sited and one completely deaf (Marie of Normandy, born 1298, who became a nun). But with this tragedy, the royal family saw that while good health had been taken for granted, there were certain issues in their blood they might not escape. When the Count of Maine died the following year, many suggested that he might have committed suicide, although the official cause of death of chalked up to a conspiracy to murder by a French patriot sometimes known as Jean of Paris, a wealthy merchant who had previously escaped charges of poisoning and had an apparent anti-monarchical philosophy. With the death of the Count, the feud between the Queen and his widow ended, and the new, young Count of Maine was given a place of honour amongst his uncle's court. His younger brother, Lord Thomas of Maine, led the Norman troops in the crusade of 1312, which failed miserably, with almost two thirds of Catholic troops dying before they had reached Jerusalem.
In 1313, Joanna of Burgundy passed away, supposedly during labour, but potentially of a uterine cancer that gave her pregnant-like symptoms. Evidentally the King himself did not believe her pregnant, writing to the King of England that he "had no compulsions towards further children since the death of his daughter ten years prior" (who this daughter was is up for debate, as Joanna of Burgundy does seem to have given birth in 1305 to a daughter who did shortly pass, but also his eldest daughter, Alix of Normandy, also may have died around that time, although a Norman Princess noted as A. of Normandy is written as a potential bride for a Prince of Castile around 1315. Historians have suggested that this A. of Normandy may have been a Lady Anne of Maine, his niece, while others theorize that it was a spelling mistake and meant to represent Eleanor of Normandy). However, the King did see the need for a Queen in his court, and in 1315 married Elizabeth de Clare, an English noblewoman. They would bring a further three surviving children to the Norman royal household.
At was at this point that the history of the Norman royalty seems to become more peaceful. Particularly during the 1320's, Normandy grew a reputation for a patronage to the arts and, in 1327, began construction on the largest Cathedral in Europe at the time. The King also erected three "public gardens" in his wife's name throughout Rouen, which remained in good condition and well visited for many decades. Furthermore, Robert, finding himself more interested in scholarly achievements, began to purchase books for what he envisioned to be a great library for his cathedral.
By the late 1330's, Robert had become somewhat of a reclusive King. Distant from the family that had been notoriously close in an age where royalty did not have strong families, he refused to see many of the people he had made friendships with through his lifetime, only allowing his elder children and, on occassion, his wife, to attend to him in any social matter. He did not fully abdicate his throne until his death in 1341, but by that time, it was understood that the duties, if not the crown, were the Prince's.
It is likely that Robert died deaf and partially blind. Rumours circulated throughout his later reign that the King could not ride unattended, and that open court slowed to a crawl as he needed someone to tell him exactly what being asked of him every time he was approached. Furthermore, this may explain his sudden interest in his cathedral and scholarly work. He himself wrote about his brother, "should I be struck as he was, let the Lord himself save me, or let man do it, so long as it is done". Considering his choice of living at the end of his reign, it's probably he chose seclusion rather than have it be confirmed that his country, which he had formed with so much care, was being protected by a man who couldn't see or hear you coming.
The second King of Normandy is a man to be admired. Robert the First is sometimes referred to as "the Canny", and considering just how much he did over the course of his life, this is not an inaccurate statement. His reign lasted 56 years, saw the power of France fractured, and was ultimately peaceful. He fought one war, contributed men to one failed crusade, but managed to see Normandy build itself into a strong economic powerhouse. He would be followed by his eldest surviving son, _______.
Kings of Normandy
1259 - 1285: Alphonse I (House of Poitiers) [1]
1285 - 1341: Robert I (House of Poitiers) [2]
(1) Louis IX, King of France, engages in the 8th Crusade. But with a fledgling Kingdom to rule, Alphonse cannot join his brother in the religious mission that brought about his death. Louis IX dies in 1270, Alphonse in turn lives 15 years longer than his brother and outlived both his first wife, and several of his nephews, including Philip the Bold (who died childless) and John of Valois (also childless), seeing his youngest nephew, Robert of Clermont, become King of France.
With his first wife having died in 1271, he needed a new wife as he had no issue. Katherine of England was put forward - deaf and mute and thirty years his junior. Historians now consider the suggestion of Katherine as his wife less a suggestion than a 'If you don't marry my sister, then I might revoke my father's agreement to the Treaty ..."
Alphonse and Katherine married, and despite her being sickly, she produced two sons who both survived to adulthood. However, neither of their parents saw them reach eighteen - with Katherine dying only five years after the marriage, and Alphonse dying when the eldest was just thirteen.
Luckily avoiding a constitutional crisis, Alphonse had nominated his brother, the King of Sicily, and his heirs to act as Regent should he be incapacitated. But whether the Regency would hold for the fledgling country was another matter altogether...
Lord Louis, Count of Maine and King Robert I of Normandy at their music lessons (c.1292)
[2] Robert the First of Normandy was born under a lucky star. Always close to his cousins in Artois, he befriended the Duke of Burgundy Otto II, who, after the wedding of his young friend to his niece, Joanna of Burgundy, saw to it that the young man in question kept his crown. And one of the biggest ways this was dealt with was through the marriage of the younger Prince Louis to the Princess Joan of England, widow to the Earl of Hertford. This would begin what was essentially a war of personalities in the Norman Court, between the "demure but stubborn" Queen Joanna and the "fiercely formal" Countess of Maine.
Robert, meanwhile, struggled against a growing tension between his own kingdom and that of France, which now began to look on the royalty it had created as too strong in it's own right. When, in 1303, it was suggested that Normandy and it's vassals might be better considered parts of France itself, King Robert struck back, claiming "then you would have Burgundy, Savoy, and Rome itself, so little do we compare in your eyes". He also wrote to the King of England, bidding him to "free himself of the yoke of France, for we are Kings ourselves". All of this led up to the War of 1302, or as is otherwise known as The War of Aquitaine. In an alliance between England, Burgundy and Normandy, France saw it's hold on Aquitaine broken, for the time being, and following the end of the war, the King of England saw his son married to the Lady Isabel of Maine, daughter of the Count of Maine and at that point the only Princess of Norman blood available, while the heir to Normandy married the eldest daughter of the Duke of Burgundy, who died in the days following the marriage ceremony. The new bride and groom would remain in Burgundy for the funeral of the Duke and the coronation of his 2 year old son.
The Marriage of the Prince of Normandy (left to right: Prince Roger of Normandy, Alphonse, Crown Prince of Normandy, Princess Joan of Burgundy, Isabel of Maine, Princess of England) (c.1302)
Robert thus became the figurehead of the alliance on the continent, especially following the death of the King of England in 1307. It was around this time that it became known that the Count of Maine, long having been plagued with eye troubles, awoke in 1310, at the age of 33, completely blind and deaf in one ear. It has been suggested that he may have suffered a stroke, while at the time the King of France suggested divine retribution. But it was truly the culmination of a fear that their mother's health problems might be hereditary. The King himself was hard of hearing, and of his six surviving children with Joanna of Burgundy, two were near-sited and one completely deaf (Marie of Normandy, born 1298, who became a nun). But with this tragedy, the royal family saw that while good health had been taken for granted, there were certain issues in their blood they might not escape. When the Count of Maine died the following year, many suggested that he might have committed suicide, although the official cause of death of chalked up to a conspiracy to murder by a French patriot sometimes known as Jean of Paris, a wealthy merchant who had previously escaped charges of poisoning and had an apparent anti-monarchical philosophy. With the death of the Count, the feud between the Queen and his widow ended, and the new, young Count of Maine was given a place of honour amongst his uncle's court. His younger brother, Lord Thomas of Maine, led the Norman troops in the crusade of 1312, which failed miserably, with almost two thirds of Catholic troops dying before they had reached Jerusalem.
In 1313, Joanna of Burgundy passed away, supposedly during labour, but potentially of a uterine cancer that gave her pregnant-like symptoms. Evidentally the King himself did not believe her pregnant, writing to the King of England that he "had no compulsions towards further children since the death of his daughter ten years prior" (who this daughter was is up for debate, as Joanna of Burgundy does seem to have given birth in 1305 to a daughter who did shortly pass, but also his eldest daughter, Alix of Normandy, also may have died around that time, although a Norman Princess noted as A. of Normandy is written as a potential bride for a Prince of Castile around 1315. Historians have suggested that this A. of Normandy may have been a Lady Anne of Maine, his niece, while others theorize that it was a spelling mistake and meant to represent Eleanor of Normandy). However, the King did see the need for a Queen in his court, and in 1315 married Elizabeth de Clare, an English noblewoman. They would bring a further three surviving children to the Norman royal household.
At was at this point that the history of the Norman royalty seems to become more peaceful. Particularly during the 1320's, Normandy grew a reputation for a patronage to the arts and, in 1327, began construction on the largest Cathedral in Europe at the time. The King also erected three "public gardens" in his wife's name throughout Rouen, which remained in good condition and well visited for many decades. Furthermore, Robert, finding himself more interested in scholarly achievements, began to purchase books for what he envisioned to be a great library for his cathedral.
By the late 1330's, Robert had become somewhat of a reclusive King. Distant from the family that had been notoriously close in an age where royalty did not have strong families, he refused to see many of the people he had made friendships with through his lifetime, only allowing his elder children and, on occassion, his wife, to attend to him in any social matter. He did not fully abdicate his throne until his death in 1341, but by that time, it was understood that the duties, if not the crown, were the Prince's.
It is likely that Robert died deaf and partially blind. Rumours circulated throughout his later reign that the King could not ride unattended, and that open court slowed to a crawl as he needed someone to tell him exactly what being asked of him every time he was approached. Furthermore, this may explain his sudden interest in his cathedral and scholarly work. He himself wrote about his brother, "should I be struck as he was, let the Lord himself save me, or let man do it, so long as it is done". Considering his choice of living at the end of his reign, it's probably he chose seclusion rather than have it be confirmed that his country, which he had formed with so much care, was being protected by a man who couldn't see or hear you coming.
The second King of Normandy is a man to be admired. Robert the First is sometimes referred to as "the Canny", and considering just how much he did over the course of his life, this is not an inaccurate statement. His reign lasted 56 years, saw the power of France fractured, and was ultimately peaceful. He fought one war, contributed men to one failed crusade, but managed to see Normandy build itself into a strong economic powerhouse. He would be followed by his eldest surviving son, _______.
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Did he marry his sister then? I'm confused. Or was this a typo that the heir to Normandy was supposed to marry the king of England's daughter?
What if the Duchy of Normandy was made an independent Kingdom in the Treaty of Paris?
Kings of Normandy
1259 - 1285: Alphonse I (House of Poitiers) [1]
1285 - 1341: Robert I (House of Poitiers) [2]
1341 - 1343: Alphonse II (House of Poitiers) [3]
(1) Louis IX, King of France, engages in the 8th Crusade. But with a fledgling Kingdom to rule, Alphonse cannot join his brother in the religious mission that brought about his death. Louis IX dies in 1270, Alphonse in turn lives 15 years longer than his brother and outlived both his first wife, and several of his nephews, including Philip the Bold (who died childless) and John of Valois (also childless), seeing his youngest nephew, Robert of Clermont, become King of France.
With his first wife having died in 1271, he needed a new wife as he had no issue. Katherine of England was put forward - deaf and mute and thirty years his junior. Historians now consider the suggestion of Katherine as his wife less a suggestion than a 'If you don't marry my sister, then I might revoke my father's agreement to the Treaty ..."
Alphonse and Katherine married, and despite her being sickly, she produced two sons who both survived to adulthood. However, neither of their parents saw them reach eighteen - with Katherine dying only five years after the marriage, and Alphonse dying when the eldest was just thirteen.
Luckily avoiding a constitutional crisis, Alphonse had nominated his brother, the King of Sicily, and his heirs to act as Regent should he be incapacitated. But whether the Regency would hold for the fledgling country was another matter altogether...
Lord Louis, Count of Maine and King Robert I of Normandy at their music lessons (c.1292)
[2] Robert the First of Normandy was born under a lucky star. Always close to his cousins in Artois, he befriended the Duke of Burgundy Otto II, who, after the wedding of his young friend to his niece, Joanna of Burgundy, saw to it that the young man in question kept his crown. And one of the biggest ways this was dealt with was through the marriage of the younger Prince Louis to the Princess Joan of England, widow to the Earl of Hertford. This would begin what was essentially a war of personalities in the Norman Court, between the "demure but stubborn" Queen Joanna and the "fiercely formal" Countess of Maine.
Robert, meanwhile, struggled against a growing tension between his own kingdom and that of France, which now began to look on the royalty it had created as too strong in it's own right. When, in 1303, it was suggested that Normandy and it's vassals might be better considered parts of France itself, King Robert struck back, claiming "then you would have Burgundy, Savoy, and Rome itself, so little do we compare in your eyes". He also wrote to the King of England, bidding him to "free himself of the yoke of France, for we are Kings ourselves". All of this led up to the War of 1302, or as is otherwise known as The War of Aquitaine. In an alliance between England, Burgundy and Normandy, France saw it's hold on Aquitaine broken, for the time being, and following the end of the war, the King of England saw his son married to the Lady Isabel of Maine, daughter of the Count of Maine and at that point the only Princess of Norman blood available, while the heir to Normandy married the eldest daughter of the Duke of Burgundy, who died in the days following the marriage ceremony. The new bride and groom would remain in Burgundy for the funeral of the Duke and the coronation of his 2 year old son.
The Marriage of the Prince of Normandy (left to right: Prince Roger of Normandy, Alphonse, Crown Prince of Normandy, Princess Joan of Burgundy, Isabel of Maine, Princess of England) (c.1302)
Robert thus became the figurehead of the alliance on the continent, especially following the death of the King of England in 1307. It was around this time that it became known that the Count of Maine, long having been plagued with eye troubles, awoke in 1310, at the age of 33, completely blind and deaf in one ear. It has been suggested that he may have suffered a stroke, while at the time the King of France suggested divine retribution. But it was truly the culmination of a fear that their mother's health problems might be hereditary. The King himself was hard of hearing, and of his six surviving children with Joanna of Burgundy, two were near-sited and one completely deaf (Marie of Normandy, born 1298, who became a nun). But with this tragedy, the royal family saw that while good health had been taken for granted, there were certain issues in their blood they might not escape. When the Count of Maine died the following year, many suggested that he might have committed suicide, although the official cause of death of chalked up to a conspiracy to murder by a French patriot sometimes known as Jean of Paris, a wealthy merchant who had previously escaped charges of poisoning and had an apparent anti-monarchical philosophy. With the death of the Count, the feud between the Queen and his widow ended, and the new, young Count of Maine was given a place of honour amongst his uncle's court. His younger brother, Lord Thomas of Maine, led the Norman troops in the crusade of 1312, which failed miserably, with almost two thirds of Catholic troops dying before they had reached Jerusalem.
In 1313, Joanna of Burgundy passed away, supposedly during labour, but potentially of a uterine cancer that gave her pregnant-like symptoms. Evidentally the King himself did not believe her pregnant, writing to the King of England that he "had no compulsions towards further children since the death of his daughter ten years prior" (who this daughter was is up for debate, as Joanna of Burgundy does seem to have given birth in 1305 to a daughter who did shortly pass, but also his eldest daughter, Alix of Normandy, also may have died around that time, although a Norman Princess noted as A. of Normandy is written as a potential bride for a Prince of Castile around 1315. Historians have suggested that this A. of Normandy may have been a Lady Anne of Maine, his niece, while others theorize that it was a spelling mistake and meant to represent Eleanor of Normandy). However, the King did see the need for a Queen in his court, and in 1315 married Elizabeth de Clare, an English noblewoman. They would bring a further three surviving children to the Norman royal household.
At was at this point that the history of the Norman royalty seems to become more peaceful. Particularly during the 1320's, Normandy grew a reputation for a patronage to the arts and, in 1327, began construction on the largest Cathedral in Europe at the time. The King also erected three "public gardens" in his wife's name throughout Rouen, which remained in good condition and well visited for many decades. Furthermore, Robert, finding himself more interested in scholarly achievements, began to purchase books for what he envisioned to be a great library for his cathedral.
By the late 1330's, Robert had become somewhat of a reclusive King. Distant from the family that had been notoriously close in an age where royalty did not have strong families, he refused to see many of the people he had made friendships with through his lifetime, only allowing his elder children and, on occassion, his wife, to attend to him in any social matter. He did not fully abdicate his throne until his death in 1341, but by that time, it was understood that the duties, if not the crown, were the Prince's.
It is likely that Robert died deaf and partially blind. Rumours circulated throughout his later reign that the King could not ride unattended, and that open court slowed to a crawl as he needed someone to tell him exactly what being asked of him every time he was approached. Furthermore, this may explain his sudden interest in his cathedral and scholarly work. He himself wrote about his brother, "should I be struck as he was, let the Lord himself save me, or let man do it, so long as it is done". Considering his choice of living at the end of his reign, it's probably he chose seclusion rather than have it be confirmed that his country, which he had formed with so much care, was being protected by a man who couldn't see or hear you coming.
The second King of Normandy is a man to be admired. Robert the First is sometimes referred to as "the Canny", and considering just how much he did over the course of his life, this is not an inaccurate statement. His reign lasted 56 years, saw the power of France fractured, and was ultimately peaceful. He fought one war, contributed men to one failed crusade, but managed to see Normandy build itself into a strong economic powerhouse. He would be followed by his eldest surviving son, Alphonse.
[/SPOILER]
[3] Having taken the throne fairly late in life, many did not expect Alphonse's reign to be overlong, but few could have predicted just how short it would be. Having only been on the throne for a matter of months, he was already faced with rising tensions with France. The also recently crowned John II was looking upon Normandy's borders with open greed. In early 1342 he made good on that greed and declared war upon Normandy. Having spent the first few months of the war mustering troops, the armies met on April 6th, 1343 at the battle of Giverny. In a cruel act of fate, King Alphonse was slain by an arrow through his heart, and died in the arms of his son.
Death of Alphonse II by Guillaume Tonnelier
His death would be a massive blow to the army, and cause a rout, and would leave the young nation in the hands of his son, King _______.
Kings of Normandy
1259 - 1285: Alphonse I (House of Poitiers) [1]
1285 - 1341: Robert I (House of Poitiers) [2]
1341 - 1343: Alphonse II (House of Poitiers) [3]
(1) Louis IX, King of France, engages in the 8th Crusade. But with a fledgling Kingdom to rule, Alphonse cannot join his brother in the religious mission that brought about his death. Louis IX dies in 1270, Alphonse in turn lives 15 years longer than his brother and outlived both his first wife, and several of his nephews, including Philip the Bold (who died childless) and John of Valois (also childless), seeing his youngest nephew, Robert of Clermont, become King of France.
With his first wife having died in 1271, he needed a new wife as he had no issue. Katherine of England was put forward - deaf and mute and thirty years his junior. Historians now consider the suggestion of Katherine as his wife less a suggestion than a 'If you don't marry my sister, then I might revoke my father's agreement to the Treaty ..."
Alphonse and Katherine married, and despite her being sickly, she produced two sons who both survived to adulthood. However, neither of their parents saw them reach eighteen - with Katherine dying only five years after the marriage, and Alphonse dying when the eldest was just thirteen.
Luckily avoiding a constitutional crisis, Alphonse had nominated his brother, the King of Sicily, and his heirs to act as Regent should he be incapacitated. But whether the Regency would hold for the fledgling country was another matter altogether...
Lord Louis, Count of Maine and King Robert I of Normandy at their music lessons (c.1292)
[2] Robert the First of Normandy was born under a lucky star. Always close to his cousins in Artois, he befriended the Duke of Burgundy Otto II, who, after the wedding of his young friend to his niece, Joanna of Burgundy, saw to it that the young man in question kept his crown. And one of the biggest ways this was dealt with was through the marriage of the younger Prince Louis to the Princess Joan of England, widow to the Earl of Hertford. This would begin what was essentially a war of personalities in the Norman Court, between the "demure but stubborn" Queen Joanna and the "fiercely formal" Countess of Maine.
Robert, meanwhile, struggled against a growing tension between his own kingdom and that of France, which now began to look on the royalty it had created as too strong in it's own right. When, in 1303, it was suggested that Normandy and it's vassals might be better considered parts of France itself, King Robert struck back, claiming "then you would have Burgundy, Savoy, and Rome itself, so little do we compare in your eyes". He also wrote to the King of England, bidding him to "free himself of the yoke of France, for we are Kings ourselves". All of this led up to the War of 1302, or as is otherwise known as The War of Aquitaine. In an alliance between England, Burgundy and Normandy, France saw it's hold on Aquitaine broken, for the time being, and following the end of the war, the King of England saw his son married to the Lady Isabel of Maine, daughter of the Count of Maine and at that point the only Princess of Norman blood available, while the heir to Normandy married the eldest daughter of the Duke of Burgundy, who died in the days following the marriage ceremony. The new bride and groom would remain in Burgundy for the funeral of the Duke and the coronation of his 2 year old son.
The Marriage of the Prince of Normandy (left to right: Prince Roger of Normandy, Alphonse, Crown Prince of Normandy, Princess Joan of Burgundy, Isabel of Maine, Princess of England) (c.1302)
Robert thus became the figurehead of the alliance on the continent, especially following the death of the King of England in 1307. It was around this time that it became known that the Count of Maine, long having been plagued with eye troubles, awoke in 1310, at the age of 33, completely blind and deaf in one ear. It has been suggested that he may have suffered a stroke, while at the time the King of France suggested divine retribution. But it was truly the culmination of a fear that their mother's health problems might be hereditary. The King himself was hard of hearing, and of his six surviving children with Joanna of Burgundy, two were near-sited and one completely deaf (Marie of Normandy, born 1298, who became a nun). But with this tragedy, the royal family saw that while good health had been taken for granted, there were certain issues in their blood they might not escape. When the Count of Maine died the following year, many suggested that he might have committed suicide, although the official cause of death of chalked up to a conspiracy to murder by a French patriot sometimes known as Jean of Paris, a wealthy merchant who had previously escaped charges of poisoning and had an apparent anti-monarchical philosophy. With the death of the Count, the feud between the Queen and his widow ended, and the new, young Count of Maine was given a place of honour amongst his uncle's court. His younger brother, Lord Thomas of Maine, led the Norman troops in the crusade of 1312, which failed miserably, with almost two thirds of Catholic troops dying before they had reached Jerusalem.
In 1313, Joanna of Burgundy passed away, supposedly during labour, but potentially of a uterine cancer that gave her pregnant-like symptoms. Evidentally the King himself did not believe her pregnant, writing to the King of England that he "had no compulsions towards further children since the death of his daughter ten years prior" (who this daughter was is up for debate, as Joanna of Burgundy does seem to have given birth in 1305 to a daughter who did shortly pass, but also his eldest daughter, Alix of Normandy, also may have died around that time, although a Norman Princess noted as A. of Normandy is written as a potential bride for a Prince of Castile around 1315. Historians have suggested that this A. of Normandy may have been a Lady Anne of Maine, his niece, while others theorize that it was a spelling mistake and meant to represent Eleanor of Normandy). However, the King did see the need for a Queen in his court, and in 1315 married Elizabeth de Clare, an English noblewoman. They would bring a further three surviving children to the Norman royal household.
At was at this point that the history of the Norman royalty seems to become more peaceful. Particularly during the 1320's, Normandy grew a reputation for a patronage to the arts and, in 1327, began construction on the largest Cathedral in Europe at the time. The King also erected three "public gardens" in his wife's name throughout Rouen, which remained in good condition and well visited for many decades. Furthermore, Robert, finding himself more interested in scholarly achievements, began to purchase books for what he envisioned to be a great library for his cathedral.
By the late 1330's, Robert had become somewhat of a reclusive King. Distant from the family that had been notoriously close in an age where royalty did not have strong families, he refused to see many of the people he had made friendships with through his lifetime, only allowing his elder children and, on occassion, his wife, to attend to him in any social matter. He did not fully abdicate his throne until his death in 1341, but by that time, it was understood that the duties, if not the crown, were the Prince's.
It is likely that Robert died deaf and partially blind. Rumours circulated throughout his later reign that the King could not ride unattended, and that open court slowed to a crawl as he needed someone to tell him exactly what being asked of him every time he was approached. Furthermore, this may explain his sudden interest in his cathedral and scholarly work. He himself wrote about his brother, "should I be struck as he was, let the Lord himself save me, or let man do it, so long as it is done". Considering his choice of living at the end of his reign, it's probably he chose seclusion rather than have it be confirmed that his country, which he had formed with so much care, was being protected by a man who couldn't see or hear you coming.
The second King of Normandy is a man to be admired. Robert the First is sometimes referred to as "the Canny", and considering just how much he did over the course of his life, this is not an inaccurate statement. His reign lasted 56 years, saw the power of France fractured, and was ultimately peaceful. He fought one war, contributed men to one failed crusade, but managed to see Normandy build itself into a strong economic powerhouse. He would be followed by his eldest surviving son, Alphonse.
[/SPOILER]
[3] Having taken the throne fairly late in life, many did not expect Alphonse's reign to be overlong, but few could have predicted just how short it would be. Having only been on the throne for a matter of months, he was already faced with rising tensions with France. The also recently crowned John II was looking upon Normandy's borders with open greed. In early 1342 he made good on that greed and declared war upon Normandy. Having spent the first few months of the war mustering troops, the armies met on April 6th, 1343 at the battle of Giverny. In a cruel act of fate, King Alphonse was slain by an arrow through his heart, and died in the arms of his son.
Death of Alphonse II by Guillaume Tonnelier
His death would be a massive blow to the army, and cause a rout, and would leave the young nation in the hands of his son, King _______.
What if the Duchy of Normandy was made an independent Kingdom in the Treaty of Paris?
Kings of Normandy
1259 - 1285: Alphonse I (House of Poitiers) [1]
1285 - 1341: Robert I (House of Poitiers) [2]
1341 - 1343: Alphonse II (House of Poitiers) [3]
1343 - 1367: William I (House of Poitiers) [4]
(1) Louis IX, King of France, engages in the 8th Crusade. But with a fledgling Kingdom to rule, Alphonse cannot join his brother in the religious mission that brought about his death. Louis IX dies in 1270, Alphonse in turn lives 15 years longer than his brother and outlived both his first wife, and several of his nephews, including Philip the Bold (who died childless) and John of Valois (also childless), seeing his youngest nephew, Robert of Clermont, become King of France.
With his first wife having died in 1271, he needed a new wife as he had no issue. Katherine of England was put forward - deaf and mute and thirty years his junior. Historians now consider the suggestion of Katherine as his wife less a suggestion than a 'If you don't marry my sister, then I might revoke my father's agreement to the Treaty ..."
Alphonse and Katherine married, and despite her being sickly, she produced two sons who both survived to adulthood. However, neither of their parents saw them reach eighteen - with Katherine dying only five years after the marriage, and Alphonse dying when the eldest was just thirteen.
Luckily avoiding a constitutional crisis, Alphonse had nominated his brother, the King of Sicily, and his heirs to act as Regent should he be incapacitated. But whether the Regency would hold for the fledgling country was another matter altogether...
Lord Louis, Count of Maine and King Robert I of Normandy at their music lessons (c.1292)
[2] Robert the First of Normandy was born under a lucky star. Always close to his cousins in Artois, he befriended the Duke of Burgundy Otto II, who, after the wedding of his young friend to his niece, Joanna of Burgundy, saw to it that the young man in question kept his crown. And one of the biggest ways this was dealt with was through the marriage of the younger Prince Louis to the Princess Joan of England, widow to the Earl of Hertford. This would begin what was essentially a war of personalities in the Norman Court, between the "demure but stubborn" Queen Joanna and the "fiercely formal" Countess of Maine.
Robert, meanwhile, struggled against a growing tension between his own kingdom and that of France, which now began to look on the royalty it had created as too strong in it's own right. When, in 1303, it was suggested that Normandy and it's vassals might be better considered parts of France itself, King Robert struck back, claiming "then you would have Burgundy, Savoy, and Rome itself, so little do we compare in your eyes". He also wrote to the King of England, bidding him to "free himself of the yoke of France, for we are Kings ourselves". All of this led up to the War of 1302, or as is otherwise known as The War of Aquitaine. In an alliance between England, Burgundy and Normandy, France saw it's hold on Aquitaine broken, for the time being, and following the end of the war, the King of England saw his son married to the Lady Isabel of Maine, daughter of the Count of Maine and at that point the only Princess of Norman blood available, while the heir to Normandy married the eldest daughter of the Duke of Burgundy, who died in the days following the marriage ceremony. The new bride and groom would remain in Burgundy for the funeral of the Duke and the coronation of his 2 year old son.
The Marriage of the Prince of Normandy (left to right: Prince Roger of Normandy, Alphonse, Crown Prince of Normandy, Princess Joan of Burgundy, Isabel of Maine, Princess of England) (c.1302)
Robert thus became the figurehead of the alliance on the continent, especially following the death of the King of England in 1307. It was around this time that it became known that the Count of Maine, long having been plagued with eye troubles, awoke in 1310, at the age of 33, completely blind and deaf in one ear. It has been suggested that he may have suffered a stroke, while at the time the King of France suggested divine retribution. But it was truly the culmination of a fear that their mother's health problems might be hereditary. The King himself was hard of hearing, and of his six surviving children with Joanna of Burgundy, two were near-sited and one completely deaf (Marie of Normandy, born 1298, who became a nun). But with this tragedy, the royal family saw that while good health had been taken for granted, there were certain issues in their blood they might not escape. When the Count of Maine died the following year, many suggested that he might have committed suicide, although the official cause of death of chalked up to a conspiracy to murder by a French patriot sometimes known as Jean of Paris, a wealthy merchant who had previously escaped charges of poisoning and had an apparent anti-monarchical philosophy. With the death of the Count, the feud between the Queen and his widow ended, and the new, young Count of Maine was given a place of honour amongst his uncle's court. His younger brother, Lord Thomas of Maine, led the Norman troops in the crusade of 1312, which failed miserably, with almost two thirds of Catholic troops dying before they had reached Jerusalem.
In 1313, Joanna of Burgundy passed away, supposedly during labour, but potentially of a uterine cancer that gave her pregnant-like symptoms. Evidentally the King himself did not believe her pregnant, writing to the King of England that he "had no compulsions towards further children since the death of his daughter ten years prior" (who this daughter was is up for debate, as Joanna of Burgundy does seem to have given birth in 1305 to a daughter who did shortly pass, but also his eldest daughter, Alix of Normandy, also may have died around that time, although a Norman Princess noted as A. of Normandy is written as a potential bride for a Prince of Castile around 1315. Historians have suggested that this A. of Normandy may have been a Lady Anne of Maine, his niece, while others theorize that it was a spelling mistake and meant to represent Eleanor of Normandy). However, the King did see the need for a Queen in his court, and in 1315 married Elizabeth de Clare, an English noblewoman. They would bring a further three surviving children to the Norman royal household.
At was at this point that the history of the Norman royalty seems to become more peaceful. Particularly during the 1320's, Normandy grew a reputation for a patronage to the arts and, in 1327, began construction on the largest Cathedral in Europe at the time. The King also erected three "public gardens" in his wife's name throughout Rouen, which remained in good condition and well visited for many decades. Furthermore, Robert, finding himself more interested in scholarly achievements, began to purchase books for what he envisioned to be a great library for his cathedral.
By the late 1330's, Robert had become somewhat of a reclusive King. Distant from the family that had been notoriously close in an age where royalty did not have strong families, he refused to see many of the people he had made friendships with through his lifetime, only allowing his elder children and, on occassion, his wife, to attend to him in any social matter. He did not fully abdicate his throne until his death in 1341, but by that time, it was understood that the duties, if not the crown, were the Prince's.
It is likely that Robert died deaf and partially blind. Rumours circulated throughout his later reign that the King could not ride unattended, and that open court slowed to a crawl as he needed someone to tell him exactly what being asked of him every time he was approached. Furthermore, this may explain his sudden interest in his cathedral and scholarly work. He himself wrote about his brother, "should I be struck as he was, let the Lord himself save me, or let man do it, so long as it is done". Considering his choice of living at the end of his reign, it's probably he chose seclusion rather than have it be confirmed that his country, which he had formed with so much care, was being protected by a man who couldn't see or hear you coming.
The second King of Normandy is a man to be admired. Robert the First is sometimes referred to as "the Canny", and considering just how much he did over the course of his life, this is not an inaccurate statement. His reign lasted 56 years, saw the power of France fractured, and was ultimately peaceful. He fought one war, contributed men to one failed crusade, but managed to see Normandy build itself into a strong economic powerhouse. He would be followed by his eldest surviving son, Alphonse.
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[3] Having taken the throne fairly late in life, many did not expect Alphonse's reign to be overlong, but few could have predicted just how short it would be. Having only been on the throne for a matter of months, he was already faced with rising tensions with France. The also recently crowned John II was looking upon Normandy's borders with open greed. In early 1342 he made good on that greed and declared war upon Normandy. Having spent the first few months of the war mustering troops, the armies met on April 6th, 1343 at the battle of Giverny. In a cruel act of fate, King Alphonse was slain by an arrow through his heart, and died in the arms of his son.
Death of Alphonse II by Guillaume Tonnelier
His death would be a massive blow to the army, and cause a rout, and would leave the young nation in the hands of his son, King William I.
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left: King William I in a genealogical record, right: An illustration from the 18th-century novel The Records of Jeanne Aire showing Monsuier Maine (based on Alphonse, Count of Maine) being attacked by his estranged wife Francoise (based on Alix of France) before his wedding to Mademoiselle Aire (based on Maine's mistress Christine Giroux).
[4] The twenty-five-year-old King William, humbled and grieving after his father's death, was pressured to sign a treaty with the French King, surrender Alencon and the surrounding territories, and agree to marry John II's sister Marie. The man, known to history as "Proud Bill" refused, declaring vengeance in the name of his father.
William would prove a superior commander to his father, using his cunning to feign retreat during the battle of Avranches before decimating the complacent French Army. News of the battle quickly won the support of Henry IV of England, always happy to cripple his longtime adversary. William's English counterpart offered an alliance, pledging his army in exchange for the marriage between William and his aptly named daughter Matilda, who arrived in Rouen in 1346. The news of the birth of an heir, called Alphonse, the next year was seen as a new rallying cry, as William and Henry IV's brother Richard, Duke of Bedford eventually pushed the French out of Norman territory in 1340.
The potential for the war hitting his own lands caused John II to reach a settlement with the Anglo-Norman forces. In addition to money, both men received a "perpetual promise of peace" forbidding John from attempting to seize territory in Normandy or Aquitaine. The Dauphin, Philip, was wed to Eleanor of Bedford, daughter of Duke Richard, while his only beloved daughter, Alix, was betrothed to the young Count of Maine.
The marriage between Alphonse and Alix would prove tumultuous, with the latter calling herself "a prisoner in all but name" while the former believed his wife to be conspiring with her father to exert French control. The Count of Maine would insist his wife remain in virtual house arrest leaving their only child, a young son called ______, in the care of his mistress Christine Giroux.
Despite the Maine marriage's strife William refused to step in and admit his family to be anything less than perfect. Instead, he heaped praise on him and Matilda's youngest daughter ___________, who became the apple of his eye after her mother died in 1354. She was even allowed to marry Louis of Normandy, a descendant of a younger son of Alphonse I, just so she could stay in Rouen with her beloved father. However, behind her sweet exterior _________ was hiding a lust for power and dreamed of being the true successor to her father in Normandy
Tragedy would strike in 1367 when the plague hit Rouen, killing both King William and the Count of Maine. The dynamic between ________, his distrusted mother Alix of France, his power-hungry aunt ________ and her obedient husband Louis of Normandy would lead to _______________