List of monarchs III
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POD: George Mouzalon remains John IV's regent instead of getting killed by the future Emperor Michael VIII
Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans
1258-1305: John IV (House of Laskaris) [1]
1305-1330 Alexios VI (House of Laskaris) [2]
1330-1333 Constantine "the Brief" "the Scholar" XI (House of Laskaris) [3]
[1] John IV Laskaris was acclaimed as Emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of eight after his father's death with the young Emperor initially being under the control of the regency of George Mouzalon, under which the Empire regained Constantinople from the Latin Empire, ending the Latin occupation of the city which had begun with the Fourth Crusade and the sacking of the city.
In 1266, at the age of sixteen, the young Emperor John IV would formally take control over the reins of state, the first Emperor of Rhomania to rule from Constantinople since Alexios V 62 years earlier. As Emperor, John IV's rule would prove to be in many ways a rule marked by an attempt to restore the Empire to its pre-1204 state with how John would energetically campaign in both Western Anatolia and Greece during his 39 years that he spent as Emperor with the Despotate of Epirus by the end of his reign essentially all but taken by the Empire by the time of his death. In his efforts to reclaim the European portions of Rhomania, both war and diplomacy being used by the energetic Emperor John IV to deal with the remnants of the Frankokratia and the Despotate of Epirus. Domestically, John IV would be a ruler who would spend much time and effort strengthening the central government at the expense of the dynatoi/nobility.
John IV would marry Mary of Hungary, seven years his junior, in 1275 with the couple having six children. John IV would die in 1305 and would be succeeded by his eldest son, Alexios VI
[2] Alexios VI, wedding night's baby of his parents was widely known and adored across Romania as pious, intelligent prince and able commander. His only fault was his zealous hatred for his one year younger brother, John, born in 1277.
Thus, after Alexios's ascension, he needed to fight an rebellion from his brother's supporters, who claimed that Alexios is a bastard born from rape of Mary of Hungary by stableman and he, John is legitimate heir of John IV.
The rebellion lasted for a year, where Alexios, hiring a lot of Turkish mercenaries to fight his brother, who had most of his support in European part of the state. John, although as able as his brother, was younger, less experienced and cocky - thus he lost.
Most of his supporters were zealously murdered and John himself with the group of closest aristocrats fled to Rome. Than he spent three years on Papal court, plotting his return and converting to Catholicism in hope of getting Papal support in gaining Byzantine throne.
Years passed, during which Alexios mostly battled with Turks, gaining some minor border gains in Anatolia and solidifying Rhoman control there, but John's invasion - never came. In 1310, ban (governor) of Croatia, Pavao Subić, who wanted to put end to the anarchy which became widespread in Hungary (Croatia was part of this state back then) after Premyslids abdicated their claim to Hungary and the country was embroiled in civil war between Wittelsbach claimant and his opponents, with Wittelsbach claimant also leaving the country and opening 2-year interregnum, offered the crown to John, who had some claim to it as son of Mary, sister of Vladislaus IV. Pope also offered to support him.
When the news about it reached to Alexios, most of people thought he is going to be furious. But he was unusually calm. In fact, he pledged to support his brother and forgive him for whatever he had done, if he pledged in return not to attack Byzantium.
Most of the courtiers acclaimed Alexios mad for wanting to help his hated brother, who tried to steal his crown - but there was a logic within it. As a king of Hungary John would have to stay Catholic and Catholic won't reign in Constantinople, ever.
John agreed and in 1312, despite protests from Henry of Carinthia, new king of Poland and Bohemia who was heir to Premyslid claim, John was crowned in Székesfehérvár as Janos I.
Alexios's next problem was Serbian attack, as Serbs ravaged northern Macedonia and temporarily occupied it, and it cause 5-year Serbo-Byzantine war to rise, ultimately ending with Stephen Uros II of Serbia being defeated, having to cede some border regions to Alexios and recognize himself as Alexios's vassal.
His grandson and heir, likewise named Stephen was to be raised on court in Constantinople .
That all was done in 1317.
The rest of Alexios's reign was rather peaceful and uneventful, with Alexios passing away accompanied his wife and three surviving children, to be succeeded by his son, Constantine.
{3] Constantine was the middle child of Alexios and only son. He was born in 1299 and known to be a scholarly boy who loved books and leaning. When he became of age and had his own alliance, he commissioned a great library to be built in Constantinople one to rival the library of Alexandria. He also had a university built, going as far to connect both buildings. Despite his sharp mind, he was no diplomat and actually hated interacting with people. However, his father believed he would rise to the occasion in time and so despite his protests, he continued to be his father's heir.
When his father died, Constantine ruled for three years in which he chose an heir, announced he would abdicate to join a monestary, made sure that the transference of power went smoothly, planned a grand ceromony where he handed the crown over, and then promptly left for a monastery. We know from letters that despite his rather flippant attitude to the crown, he remained on good terms with his family even giving his successor____advice.
Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans
1258-1305: John IV (House of Laskaris) [1]
1305-1330 Alexios VI (House of Laskaris) [2]
1330-1333 Constantine "the Brief" "the Scholar" XI (House of Laskaris) [3]
[1] John IV Laskaris was acclaimed as Emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of eight after his father's death with the young Emperor initially being under the control of the regency of George Mouzalon, under which the Empire regained Constantinople from the Latin Empire, ending the Latin occupation of the city which had begun with the Fourth Crusade and the sacking of the city.
In 1266, at the age of sixteen, the young Emperor John IV would formally take control over the reins of state, the first Emperor of Rhomania to rule from Constantinople since Alexios V 62 years earlier. As Emperor, John IV's rule would prove to be in many ways a rule marked by an attempt to restore the Empire to its pre-1204 state with how John would energetically campaign in both Western Anatolia and Greece during his 39 years that he spent as Emperor with the Despotate of Epirus by the end of his reign essentially all but taken by the Empire by the time of his death. In his efforts to reclaim the European portions of Rhomania, both war and diplomacy being used by the energetic Emperor John IV to deal with the remnants of the Frankokratia and the Despotate of Epirus. Domestically, John IV would be a ruler who would spend much time and effort strengthening the central government at the expense of the dynatoi/nobility.
John IV would marry Mary of Hungary, seven years his junior, in 1275 with the couple having six children. John IV would die in 1305 and would be succeeded by his eldest son, Alexios VI
[2] Alexios VI, wedding night's baby of his parents was widely known and adored across Romania as pious, intelligent prince and able commander. His only fault was his zealous hatred for his one year younger brother, John, born in 1277.
Thus, after Alexios's ascension, he needed to fight an rebellion from his brother's supporters, who claimed that Alexios is a bastard born from rape of Mary of Hungary by stableman and he, John is legitimate heir of John IV.
The rebellion lasted for a year, where Alexios, hiring a lot of Turkish mercenaries to fight his brother, who had most of his support in European part of the state. John, although as able as his brother, was younger, less experienced and cocky - thus he lost.
Most of his supporters were zealously murdered and John himself with the group of closest aristocrats fled to Rome. Than he spent three years on Papal court, plotting his return and converting to Catholicism in hope of getting Papal support in gaining Byzantine throne.
Years passed, during which Alexios mostly battled with Turks, gaining some minor border gains in Anatolia and solidifying Rhoman control there, but John's invasion - never came. In 1310, ban (governor) of Croatia, Pavao Subić, who wanted to put end to the anarchy which became widespread in Hungary (Croatia was part of this state back then) after Premyslids abdicated their claim to Hungary and the country was embroiled in civil war between Wittelsbach claimant and his opponents, with Wittelsbach claimant also leaving the country and opening 2-year interregnum, offered the crown to John, who had some claim to it as son of Mary, sister of Vladislaus IV. Pope also offered to support him.
When the news about it reached to Alexios, most of people thought he is going to be furious. But he was unusually calm. In fact, he pledged to support his brother and forgive him for whatever he had done, if he pledged in return not to attack Byzantium.
Most of the courtiers acclaimed Alexios mad for wanting to help his hated brother, who tried to steal his crown - but there was a logic within it. As a king of Hungary John would have to stay Catholic and Catholic won't reign in Constantinople, ever.
John agreed and in 1312, despite protests from Henry of Carinthia, new king of Poland and Bohemia who was heir to Premyslid claim, John was crowned in Székesfehérvár as Janos I.
Alexios's next problem was Serbian attack, as Serbs ravaged northern Macedonia and temporarily occupied it, and it cause 5-year Serbo-Byzantine war to rise, ultimately ending with Stephen Uros II of Serbia being defeated, having to cede some border regions to Alexios and recognize himself as Alexios's vassal.
His grandson and heir, likewise named Stephen was to be raised on court in Constantinople .
That all was done in 1317.
The rest of Alexios's reign was rather peaceful and uneventful, with Alexios passing away accompanied his wife and three surviving children, to be succeeded by his son, Constantine.
{3] Constantine was the middle child of Alexios and only son. He was born in 1299 and known to be a scholarly boy who loved books and leaning. When he became of age and had his own alliance, he commissioned a great library to be built in Constantinople one to rival the library of Alexandria. He also had a university built, going as far to connect both buildings. Despite his sharp mind, he was no diplomat and actually hated interacting with people. However, his father believed he would rise to the occasion in time and so despite his protests, he continued to be his father's heir.
When his father died, Constantine ruled for three years in which he chose an heir, announced he would abdicate to join a monestary, made sure that the transference of power went smoothly, planned a grand ceromony where he handed the crown over, and then promptly left for a monastery. We know from letters that despite his rather flippant attitude to the crown, he remained on good terms with his family even giving his successor____advice.
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POD: Anne Boleyn does not miscarry her son.
Kings of England
1509-1547 : Henry VIII (House of Tudor)
1547-1569 : Henry IX "the Scarred" (House of Tudor) [1]
1569-1598 : George I (House of Tudor) [2]
1598-1624: Edward VI (House of Tudor) [3]
[3] Edward of York was the grandson of Thomas of York, first of the Yorkist Tudors. He was never expected to be King, yet, a mournful series of events (For England, not specifically for Edward) saw Edward rise to the occasion. First, the childless death of George's brothers, the latest being John of Westminster, and then both his daughter and son, from an epidemic of smallpox, made George's sister ____________, theoritically, his heir. But, a nice little tidbit, said Princess was also the wife of the King of France, who, had until then, on very good terms with England. The King of France, however, had delayed his wife's own candidature to the throne (Or his, since he himself had a claim through his own grandmother, Elizabeth of England), and blessed parliament's wishes when Edward himself was crowned.
It was thus that Edward's reign started. Brought into the multireligious sphere of the North, Edward was a popular and pragmatic King. He worked hard to appease the various sides of England, following France's example in ending it's own religious conflicts, and spurned the migration of the most radical of protestants and catholics to England's nascent colonies in the American continent. His reign saw England embark on the so called "Submission of Ireland", with Edward seeking to unify Ireland and England through both the use of martial and peaceful methods.
He would marry Mary of Aviz, rekindling the Anglo-Portuguese alliance and offering a olive branch to the Catholics of Europe, using his influence to guarantee the rights of protestant within the border of Portugal. This made him deeply popular with many Catholics and Protestants alike, and Edward was a fervent critic of the bloodletting between both groups in the rest of the continent. The couple would go on to have four children, one of whom died after two weeks.
Edward's main problem during his reign was the popularity of Princess _______ herself and her husband, Henry of France. He was on friendly terms with Edward, and the two monarchs were not dissimilar to one another: Tolerant, powerful and respected, and deeply popular amongst the people, but King Henry IV had one itch during his reign. He deeply loved his English wife, and the Queen of France (and England, as she claimed), had always felt a great wish to return to her homeland, but due to Edward's illwill and her own ties to the country of her husband and her children, but Henry's recognition of Edward had dismembered that. However, in their marriage jubilee, the Queen made a wish and the King of France promised to fufill it.
When Edward's ambassadors returned from France, they brought news of war. When Edward asked the Earl of Warwick for the reason, the Earl replied "The King of France wishes to put a smile on his wife's face.". It was thus that good King Edward, the first of the yorkist Tudors, died of a stroke. In the immediate conflict following his death, he was eventually suceeded by ________.
Margaret, Queen Consort of Scots, b. 1489, d. 1541, m. James IV of Scotland, m2. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, m3. Henry Stewart, Lord of Methven
1a) James V of Scotland, b. 1512, d. 1542, m1. Madelaine of France, m2. Mary of Guise
2a) Mary, Queen of Scots, b. 1548, d. 1586, m1. Francis II of France, m2. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
2a) Margaret, Queen of Scots, b. 1566, m. Infante Caspar of Spain
x) has children
Henry VIII of England, b. 1491, r. 1509 to 1547, m1. Catherine of Aragon (1485 to 1536), m2. Anne Boleyn (1501 to 1566)
1a) Mary Tudor, b. 1516, d. 1558, m. John II, Duke of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev (1521 to 1580)
a) Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, b. 1554, d. 1575, unnamed husband
2a) Elizabeth Tudor, b. 1533, m. Charles Valois, Duke of Orleans, later Charles IX of France
1) Henri III, b. 1561, married Louise de Montmorency
2) Henri IV, b. 1582, married Elizabeth of England
x) A few children.
2b) Henry IX of England, b. 1536, r. 1547 to 1569, m. Katrina Vasa of Sweden (1540 to 1XXX)
1) Henry, Prince of Wales, b. 1557, d. 1560
2) George I of England, prev. Duke of Gloucester, b. 1558, r. 1569 to 1598, m. Sibylle of Saxony (*) (1556 to 1586)
x) two children from 1576
6) John, Duke of Westminster, Governor of the Free City of Durham, b. 1565
2c) Thomas, Duke of York, b. 1539
1) Unnamed Duke of York
2) Edward VI, King of England, b. 1579,d. 1624, m. Mary of Aviz.
2d) Owen, Duke of Somerset, b. 1542
(*) a daughter of John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony, and Agnes of Hesse, and thus a great niece of Anne of Cleeves, she is named after her grandmother
Kings of England
1509-1547 : Henry VIII (House of Tudor)
1547-1569 : Henry IX "the Scarred" (House of Tudor) [1]
1569-1598 : George I (House of Tudor) [2]
1598-1624: Edward VI (House of Tudor) [3]
[1] King Henry's birth was seen nothing short of miracle for the Boleyn faction. Their power was slipping, the king was growing tired of Queen Anne, his patience at a low ebb and his sights on the blonde Jane Seymour. It is easy to image that on June 1 (three years after Queen Anne's coronation) when the midwife announced the birth of a hale and healthy boy, they was a collective sigh of relief among Anne's relatives.
Although, this did little to repair the royal marriage, Prince Henry, Duke of Cornwall was seen as proof that God favored them. The former Princess Mary would later state she was glad that her mother had died before the birth of her half-brother as this would have broken her heart. Mary Tudor would spend a year in the tower because of her refusal to recognize her half siblings as anything but bastard. When the Pilgrimage of Grace broke out and there were rumors of putting her on the throne, her allies begged her to sign the oath, fearing she would die either by the execution blade or by assassination. In 1538, Mary relented and was quickly sent to Denmark to marry the younger brother of King Christian.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Henry would be joined by _____born in 1539 and____in 1542. Princess Elizabeth often acted as a mother to her younger siblings, protecting them from the tumultuous marriage of their parents espically with the rumors swirling around the court that Queen Anne had been unfaithful (considering how all four children had clear Tudor traits, it was clear this was merely a tactics by her enemies in hopes of discrediting her). Ironically, despite his lack of love for his wife, King Henry would punish whoever dared to spread these rumors, mostly because he refused to believe his precious heir was anyone but his.
King Henry was determined that his son would get the best of everything, including a wife. Mary of Scots was his top choice as she was King James' heir and eventual successor. Unfortunately, the Rough Wooing as it is called, was a failure and Thomas Cromwell suggested that they ally with the Lutherans princes of Germany, suggesting Barbara of Hesse, daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. Barbara was born in April 1536 so just three months older than Henry.
At first, the temperamental monarch refused, believing that his son deserved no less than a princess. However, the rumors of Anne's infidelity, not mention the persistent belief that Henry and his siblings were illegitimate made the Catholic monarchs leery of marrying their princesses to the Prince of Wales.
At last, Cromwell and the Duke of Kent (Thomas Boleyn) found another candidate, Katrina Vasa of Sweden, only three years younger than Henry.
King Henry died in 1547 and his son, Henry rose to the throne at just ten-years-old. His mother, having grown wiser over the years, retired from court, not wanting the vile slander thrown at her, hit her son. She left his regency in his father and then later, her brother's capable hands.
Henry IX was a bold and brash boy, arrogant and entitled. The only person who could truly control him, other than his mother, was his sister, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, she was sent to France to marry Charles Valois, Duke of Orléans in 1551.
Much like his father, Henry left the reigns of statecraft in the hands of his privy council as he partook in other activities such as sports, drinks and women. His only saving grace was he was not a spendthrift. In fact, popular legend was that he blanched when he saw how much debt his father had caused, giving his council leave to do whatever they could to bring England's economy back in shape.
In 1554, Katrina of Sweden arrived in England. Although she was less than impressed with her groom's personality, Katrina proved to a diligent queen, setting up trading routes with Sweden, Denmark and Russia. She also coaxed her husband into making ventures into the new world. Henry and Katrina would have five surviving children.
In 1563, a smallpox epidemic would hit the kingdom hard with King Henry being one of the many victims. He would emerged from his illness, sickly, scarred and blind in one eye. One of his friends wrote in a letter that when the young monarch caught a glimpse of his reflection, he wept and declared it God's punishment for his arrogance.
He fell into a deep depression that only Katrina could help pull him out of. Just when it seemed like he was on the bend, he learned that his mother, the queen dowager had died. This sent him into a downward spiral until he died in 1569, just weeks before the Catholic uprising of the North. He was succeeded by_____
(2) George was born in 1558, named after his paternal great uncle, and became King at the age of only eleven. He was raised under a regency headed by his uncles, the Duke of York, and the Duke of Somerset, and a marriage arranged to Sibylle of Saxony. By the time he reached majority, the Catholic Uprising in the North had been mostly diffused, with the establishment of the Free City of Durham, roughly inspired by the Free City of Bremen in the Holy Roman Empire. It was a semi autonomous region, overseen by a representative of the crown but in which neither protestantisn and catholicism were suppressed.
George would later appoint his youngest brother, John, Duke of Westminster, as Governor of the Free City of Durham on his thirtieth birthday in 1595, only four years prior to George's death.
George and Sibylle only had two children (from 1576), but they were given a good education and they were greatly loved. However, George was widowed in 1586 and firmly insisted on not marrying again. He had two healthy children, he had cousins, and they had children of their own - the crown was secure under Tudor lineage.
During his reign, England clashed with both Spain and Scotland. Margaret, Queen or Scots, cited popular gossip that the children of Anne Boleyn were illegitimate and the unquestionably legitimate daughter of Mary Tudor, Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, had died in childbirth shortly after her twenty first birthday in 1575.
Margaret made her claim to England through her mother, Mary, and her great grandmother, Margaret Tudor (sister of Henry VIII) and tried to motivate Spain to fight on their side. Spain, somewhat mollified by the creation of the Free City of Durham and George's somewhat liberal belief in freedom of religious practice, were hesitant but her marriage to Caspar of Spain, son of Phillip II, forced Spain's hand and they agreed to launch a fleet to invade England.
The resultant battle was celebrated in Marlowe's "King George the First" in which it embellished George's speech to his forces, and is often cited as the origin of the phrase, "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough". Spain was soundly beaten and would not bow to further Scottish demands for some time. Rather than win herself a Kingdom, Margaret had earned herself an enemy and this led to the estrangement of herself and her husband.
George died in 1598 on his fortieth birthday and was succeeded by his cousin, Edward of York.
Although, this did little to repair the royal marriage, Prince Henry, Duke of Cornwall was seen as proof that God favored them. The former Princess Mary would later state she was glad that her mother had died before the birth of her half-brother as this would have broken her heart. Mary Tudor would spend a year in the tower because of her refusal to recognize her half siblings as anything but bastard. When the Pilgrimage of Grace broke out and there were rumors of putting her on the throne, her allies begged her to sign the oath, fearing she would die either by the execution blade or by assassination. In 1538, Mary relented and was quickly sent to Denmark to marry the younger brother of King Christian.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Henry would be joined by _____born in 1539 and____in 1542. Princess Elizabeth often acted as a mother to her younger siblings, protecting them from the tumultuous marriage of their parents espically with the rumors swirling around the court that Queen Anne had been unfaithful (considering how all four children had clear Tudor traits, it was clear this was merely a tactics by her enemies in hopes of discrediting her). Ironically, despite his lack of love for his wife, King Henry would punish whoever dared to spread these rumors, mostly because he refused to believe his precious heir was anyone but his.
King Henry was determined that his son would get the best of everything, including a wife. Mary of Scots was his top choice as she was King James' heir and eventual successor. Unfortunately, the Rough Wooing as it is called, was a failure and Thomas Cromwell suggested that they ally with the Lutherans princes of Germany, suggesting Barbara of Hesse, daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. Barbara was born in April 1536 so just three months older than Henry.
At first, the temperamental monarch refused, believing that his son deserved no less than a princess. However, the rumors of Anne's infidelity, not mention the persistent belief that Henry and his siblings were illegitimate made the Catholic monarchs leery of marrying their princesses to the Prince of Wales.
At last, Cromwell and the Duke of Kent (Thomas Boleyn) found another candidate, Katrina Vasa of Sweden, only three years younger than Henry.
King Henry died in 1547 and his son, Henry rose to the throne at just ten-years-old. His mother, having grown wiser over the years, retired from court, not wanting the vile slander thrown at her, hit her son. She left his regency in his father and then later, her brother's capable hands.
Henry IX was a bold and brash boy, arrogant and entitled. The only person who could truly control him, other than his mother, was his sister, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, she was sent to France to marry Charles Valois, Duke of Orléans in 1551.
Much like his father, Henry left the reigns of statecraft in the hands of his privy council as he partook in other activities such as sports, drinks and women. His only saving grace was he was not a spendthrift. In fact, popular legend was that he blanched when he saw how much debt his father had caused, giving his council leave to do whatever they could to bring England's economy back in shape.
In 1554, Katrina of Sweden arrived in England. Although she was less than impressed with her groom's personality, Katrina proved to a diligent queen, setting up trading routes with Sweden, Denmark and Russia. She also coaxed her husband into making ventures into the new world. Henry and Katrina would have five surviving children.
In 1563, a smallpox epidemic would hit the kingdom hard with King Henry being one of the many victims. He would emerged from his illness, sickly, scarred and blind in one eye. One of his friends wrote in a letter that when the young monarch caught a glimpse of his reflection, he wept and declared it God's punishment for his arrogance.
He fell into a deep depression that only Katrina could help pull him out of. Just when it seemed like he was on the bend, he learned that his mother, the queen dowager had died. This sent him into a downward spiral until he died in 1569, just weeks before the Catholic uprising of the North. He was succeeded by_____
(2) George was born in 1558, named after his paternal great uncle, and became King at the age of only eleven. He was raised under a regency headed by his uncles, the Duke of York, and the Duke of Somerset, and a marriage arranged to Sibylle of Saxony. By the time he reached majority, the Catholic Uprising in the North had been mostly diffused, with the establishment of the Free City of Durham, roughly inspired by the Free City of Bremen in the Holy Roman Empire. It was a semi autonomous region, overseen by a representative of the crown but in which neither protestantisn and catholicism were suppressed.
George would later appoint his youngest brother, John, Duke of Westminster, as Governor of the Free City of Durham on his thirtieth birthday in 1595, only four years prior to George's death.
George and Sibylle only had two children (from 1576), but they were given a good education and they were greatly loved. However, George was widowed in 1586 and firmly insisted on not marrying again. He had two healthy children, he had cousins, and they had children of their own - the crown was secure under Tudor lineage.
During his reign, England clashed with both Spain and Scotland. Margaret, Queen or Scots, cited popular gossip that the children of Anne Boleyn were illegitimate and the unquestionably legitimate daughter of Mary Tudor, Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, had died in childbirth shortly after her twenty first birthday in 1575.
Margaret made her claim to England through her mother, Mary, and her great grandmother, Margaret Tudor (sister of Henry VIII) and tried to motivate Spain to fight on their side. Spain, somewhat mollified by the creation of the Free City of Durham and George's somewhat liberal belief in freedom of religious practice, were hesitant but her marriage to Caspar of Spain, son of Phillip II, forced Spain's hand and they agreed to launch a fleet to invade England.
The resultant battle was celebrated in Marlowe's "King George the First" in which it embellished George's speech to his forces, and is often cited as the origin of the phrase, "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough". Spain was soundly beaten and would not bow to further Scottish demands for some time. Rather than win herself a Kingdom, Margaret had earned herself an enemy and this led to the estrangement of herself and her husband.
George died in 1598 on his fortieth birthday and was succeeded by his cousin, Edward of York.
[3] Edward of York was the grandson of Thomas of York, first of the Yorkist Tudors. He was never expected to be King, yet, a mournful series of events (For England, not specifically for Edward) saw Edward rise to the occasion. First, the childless death of George's brothers, the latest being John of Westminster, and then both his daughter and son, from an epidemic of smallpox, made George's sister ____________, theoritically, his heir. But, a nice little tidbit, said Princess was also the wife of the King of France, who, had until then, on very good terms with England. The King of France, however, had delayed his wife's own candidature to the throne (Or his, since he himself had a claim through his own grandmother, Elizabeth of England), and blessed parliament's wishes when Edward himself was crowned.
It was thus that Edward's reign started. Brought into the multireligious sphere of the North, Edward was a popular and pragmatic King. He worked hard to appease the various sides of England, following France's example in ending it's own religious conflicts, and spurned the migration of the most radical of protestants and catholics to England's nascent colonies in the American continent. His reign saw England embark on the so called "Submission of Ireland", with Edward seeking to unify Ireland and England through both the use of martial and peaceful methods.
He would marry Mary of Aviz, rekindling the Anglo-Portuguese alliance and offering a olive branch to the Catholics of Europe, using his influence to guarantee the rights of protestant within the border of Portugal. This made him deeply popular with many Catholics and Protestants alike, and Edward was a fervent critic of the bloodletting between both groups in the rest of the continent. The couple would go on to have four children, one of whom died after two weeks.
Edward's main problem during his reign was the popularity of Princess _______ herself and her husband, Henry of France. He was on friendly terms with Edward, and the two monarchs were not dissimilar to one another: Tolerant, powerful and respected, and deeply popular amongst the people, but King Henry IV had one itch during his reign. He deeply loved his English wife, and the Queen of France (and England, as she claimed), had always felt a great wish to return to her homeland, but due to Edward's illwill and her own ties to the country of her husband and her children, but Henry's recognition of Edward had dismembered that. However, in their marriage jubilee, the Queen made a wish and the King of France promised to fufill it.
When Edward's ambassadors returned from France, they brought news of war. When Edward asked the Earl of Warwick for the reason, the Earl replied "The King of France wishes to put a smile on his wife's face.". It was thus that good King Edward, the first of the yorkist Tudors, died of a stroke. In the immediate conflict following his death, he was eventually suceeded by ________.
Margaret, Queen Consort of Scots, b. 1489, d. 1541, m. James IV of Scotland, m2. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, m3. Henry Stewart, Lord of Methven
1a) James V of Scotland, b. 1512, d. 1542, m1. Madelaine of France, m2. Mary of Guise
2a) Mary, Queen of Scots, b. 1548, d. 1586, m1. Francis II of France, m2. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
2a) Margaret, Queen of Scots, b. 1566, m. Infante Caspar of Spain
x) has children
Henry VIII of England, b. 1491, r. 1509 to 1547, m1. Catherine of Aragon (1485 to 1536), m2. Anne Boleyn (1501 to 1566)
1a) Mary Tudor, b. 1516, d. 1558, m. John II, Duke of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev (1521 to 1580)
a) Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, b. 1554, d. 1575, unnamed husband
2a) Elizabeth Tudor, b. 1533, m. Charles Valois, Duke of Orleans, later Charles IX of France
1) Henri III, b. 1561, married Louise de Montmorency
2) Henri IV, b. 1582, married Elizabeth of England
x) A few children.
2b) Henry IX of England, b. 1536, r. 1547 to 1569, m. Katrina Vasa of Sweden (1540 to 1XXX)
1) Henry, Prince of Wales, b. 1557, d. 1560
2) George I of England, prev. Duke of Gloucester, b. 1558, r. 1569 to 1598, m. Sibylle of Saxony (*) (1556 to 1586)
x) two children from 1576
6) John, Duke of Westminster, Governor of the Free City of Durham, b. 1565
2c) Thomas, Duke of York, b. 1539
1) Unnamed Duke of York
2) Edward VI, King of England, b. 1579,d. 1624, m. Mary of Aviz.
2d) Owen, Duke of Somerset, b. 1542
(*) a daughter of John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony, and Agnes of Hesse, and thus a great niece of Anne of Cleeves, she is named after her grandmother
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One, this is hilarious!!
Two, could you flesh out the family tree? I’m not tracking all the individuals you introduced.
POD: Anne Boleyn does not miscarry her son.
Kings of England
1509-1547 : Henry VIII (House of Tudor)
1547-1569 : Henry IX "the Scarred" (House of Tudor) [1]
1569-1598 : George I (House of Tudor) [2]
1598-1624 : Edward VI (House of Tudor) [3]
1624-1635 : Civil War (House of Tudor) [4]
[1] King Henry's birth was seen nothing short of miracle for the Boleyn faction. Their power was slipping, the king was growing tired of Queen Anne, his patience at a low ebb and his sights on the blonde Jane Seymour. It is easy to image that on June 1 (three years after Queen Anne's coronation) when the midwife announced the birth of a hale and healthy boy, they was a collective sigh of relief among Anne's relatives.
Although, this did little to repair the royal marriage, Prince Henry, Duke of Cornwall was seen as proof that God favored them. The former Princess Mary would later state she was glad that her mother had died before the birth of her half-brother as this would have broken her heart. Mary Tudor would spend a year in the tower because of her refusal to recognize her half siblings as anything but bastard. When the Pilgrimage of Grace broke out and there were rumors of putting her on the throne, her allies begged her to sign the oath, fearing she would die either by the execution blade or by assassination. In 1538, Mary relented and was quickly sent to Denmark to marry the younger brother of King Christian.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Henry would be joined by Thomas born in 1539 and Owen in 1542. Princess Elizabeth often acted as a mother to her younger siblings, protecting them from the tumultuous marriage of their parents espiecally with the rumors swirling around the court that Queen Anne had been unfaithful (considering how all four children had clear Tudor traits, it was clear this was merely a tactic by her enemies in hopes of discrediting her). Ironically, despite his lack of love for his wife, King Henry would punish whoever dared to spread these rumors, mostly because he refused to believe his precious heir was anyone but his.
King Henry was determined that his son would get the best of everything, including a wife. Mary of Scots was his top choice as she was King James' heir and eventual successor. Unfortunately, the Rough Wooing as it is called, was a failure and Thomas Cromwell suggested that they ally with the Lutherans princes of Germany, suggesting Barbara of Hesse, daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. Barbara was born in April 1536 so just three months older than Henry.
At first, the temperamental monarch refused, believing that his son deserved no less than a princess. However, the rumors of Anne's infidelity, not mention the persistent belief that Henry and his siblings were illegitimate made the Catholic monarchs leery of marrying their princesses to the Prince of Wales.
At last, Cromwell and the Duke of Kent (Thomas Boleyn) found another candidate, Katrina Vasa of Sweden, only three years younger than Henry.
King Henry died in 1547 and his son, Henry rose to the throne at just ten-years-old. His mother, having grown wiser over the years, retired from court, not wanting the vile slander thrown at her, hit her son. She left his regency in her father's and then later, her brother's capable hands.
Henry IX was a bold and brash boy, arrogant and entitled. The only person who could truly control him, other than his mother, was his sister, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, she was sent to France to marry Charles Valois, Duke of Orléans in 1551.
Much like his father, Henry left the reigns of statecraft in the hands of his privy council as he partook in other activities such as sports, drinks and women. His only saving grace was he was not a spendthrift. In fact, popular legend was that he blanched when he saw how much debt his father had caused, giving his council leave to do whatever they could to bring England's economy back in shape.
In 1554, Katrina of Sweden arrived in England. Although she was less than impressed with her groom's personality, Katrina proved to a diligent queen, setting up trading routes with Sweden, Denmark and Russia. She also coaxed her husband into making ventures into the new world. Henry and Katrina would have five surviving children.
In 1563, a smallpox epidemic would hit the kingdom hard with King Henry being one of the many victims. He would emerged from his illness, sickly, scarred and blind in one eye. One of his friends wrote in a letter that when the young monarch caught a glimpse of his reflection, he wept and declared it God's punishment for his arrogance.
He fell into a deep depression that only Katrina could help pull him out of. Just when it seemed like he was on the bend, he learned that his mother, the queen dowager had died. This sent him into a downward spiral until he died in 1569, just weeks before the Catholic uprising of the North. He was succeeded by his son, George.
[2] George was born in 1558, named after his paternal great uncle, and became King at the age of only eleven. He was raised under a regency headed by his uncles, the Duke of York, and the Duke of Somerset, and a marriage arranged to Sibylle of Saxony. By the time he reached majority, the Catholic Uprising in the North had been mostly diffused, with the establishment of the Free City of Durham, roughly inspired by the Free City of Bremen in the Holy Roman Empire. It was a semi autonomous region, overseen by a representative of the crown but in which neither Protestantism and Catholicism were suppressed.
George would later appoint his youngest brother, John, Duke of Westminster, as Governor of the Free City of Durham on his thirtieth birthday in 1595, only four years prior to George's death.
George and Sibylle only had two children (from 1576), but they were given a good education and they were greatly loved. However, George was widowed in 1586 and firmly insisted on not marrying again. He had two healthy children, he had cousins, and they had children of their own - the crown was secure under Tudor lineage.
During his reign, England clashed with both Spain and Scotland. Margaret, Queen or Scots, cited popular gossip that the children of Anne Boleyn were illegitimate and the unquestionably legitimate daughter of Mary Tudor, Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, had died in childbirth shortly after her twenty first birthday in 1575.
Margaret made her claim to England through her mother, Mary, and her great grandmother, Margaret Tudor (sister of Henry VIII) and tried to motivate Spain to fight on their side. Spain, somewhat mollified by the creation of the Free City of Durham and George's somewhat liberal belief in freedom of religious practice, were hesitant but her marriage to Caspar of Spain, son of Phillip II, forced Spain's hand and they agreed to launch a fleet to invade England.
The resultant battle was celebrated in Marlowe's "King George the First" in which it embellished George's speech to his forces, and is often cited as the origin of the phrase, "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough". Spain was soundly beaten and would not bow to further Scottish demands for some time. Rather than win herself a Kingdom, Margaret had earned herself an enemy and this led to the estrangement of herself and her husband.
George died in 1598 on his fortieth birthday and was succeeded by his cousin, Edward of York.
[3] Edward of York was the grandson of Thomas of York, first of the Yorkist Tudors. He was never expected to be King, yet, a mournful series of events (For England, not specifically for Edward) saw Edward rise to the occasion. First, the childless death of George's only brother, John of Westminster, and then both his daughter and son, from an epidemic of smallpox, made George's sister Elizabeth, theoretically, his heir. But, a nice little tidbit, said Princess was also the wife of the King of France, who, had until then, on very good terms with England. The King of France, however, had delayed his wife's own candidature to the throne (Or his, since he himself had a claim through his own grandmother, Elizabeth of England), and blessed parliament's wishes when Edward himself was crowned.
It was thus that Edward's reign started. Brought into the multireligious sphere of the North, Edward was a popular and pragmatic King. He worked hard to appease the various sides of England, following France's example in ending it's own religious conflicts, and spurned the migration of the most radical of protestants and catholics to England's nascent colonies in the American continent. His reign saw England embark on the so called "Submission of Ireland", with Edward seeking to unify Ireland and England through both the use of martial and peaceful methods.
He would marry Mary of Aviz, rekindling the Anglo-Portuguese alliance and offering a olive branch to the Catholics of Europe, using his influence to guarantee the rights of protestant within the border of Portugal. This made him deeply popular with many Catholics and Protestants alike, and Edward was a fervent critic of the bloodletting between both groups in the rest of the continent. The couple would go on to have four children, one of whom died after two weeks.
Edward's main problem during his reign was the popularity of Princess Elizabeth herself and her husband, Henry of France. He was on friendly terms with Edward, and the two monarchs were not dissimilar to one another: Tolerant, powerful and respected, and deeply popular amongst the people, but King Henry IV had one itch during his reign. He deeply loved his English wife, and the Queen of France (and England, as she claimed), had always felt a great wish to return to her homeland, but due to Edward's illwill and her own ties to the country of her husband and her children, but Henry's recognition of Edward had dismembered that. However, in their marriage jubilee, the Queen made a wish and the King of France promised to fulfill it.
When Edward's ambassadors returned from France, they brought news of war. When Edward asked the Earl of Warwick for the reason, the Earl replied "The King of France wishes to put a smile on his wife's face.". It was thus that good King Edward, the first of the yorkist Tudors, died of a stroke. In the immediate conflict following his death, there were four candidates to succeed him.
[4] Some called the succession crisis that followed King Edward's death----the French's revenge for the Hundred Year War. Fortunately, it only lasted ten years. There were four top candidates.
1. Queen Elizabeth of France (the First of England). Her detractors portrayed her as a vicious shrew who had poisoned her uncle and browbeat her husband into attacking England for her. Some portrayed her as an innocent lamb who was coerced by the nasty King of France into attacking her uncle. The truth was Henri and Elizabeth were a ruler couple in the veins of Ferdinand and Isabella. Elizabeth was shrewd and fierce while Henri was ambitious, but loving. Elizabeth has the support of her younger sisters and their husbands.
2. King Thomas I of England. A boy of seven, the son of King Edward. He is a child monarch and is currently being controlled by his widow mother and her supporter (and according to rumors, possible lover), the Duke of Norfolk who hops to restore Catholicism.
3. William, Duke of Richmond. Edward VI's younger brother. He is a reluctant contender for he loves his brother and his nephew. However, he feels as the only adult male, he has no choice but to fight for the crown. He is supported by his Boleyn and Grey relatives. Somewhat ironically, he is married to a woman by the name of Jane Seymour (a great-niece of his great-grandmother's rival).
4. Alexander of Scotland, grandson of Queen Margaret of Scots. He is seen as a dark horse. Having the weakest claim and has very few backers. However, he is working to over come this by making alliance with various nobles that have not chosen either side. He also has his Hapsburg's relatives support, allowing his foreign allies to harass France, softening up their troops.
During the early years of the fighting, _____would die of natural causes/suspicious circumstances, leaving their supports to split up between the three other contenders. ____would eventual decide to support_____and in exchange for a marriage alliance, they would team up to defeat_____, leaving_____as the eventual winner.
Margaret, Queen Consort of Scots, b. 1489, d. 1541, m. James IV of Scotland, m2. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, m3. Henry Stewart, Lord of Methven
Kings of England
1509-1547 : Henry VIII (House of Tudor)
1547-1569 : Henry IX "the Scarred" (House of Tudor) [1]
1569-1598 : George I (House of Tudor) [2]
1598-1624 : Edward VI (House of Tudor) [3]
1624-1635 : Civil War (House of Tudor) [4]
[1] King Henry's birth was seen nothing short of miracle for the Boleyn faction. Their power was slipping, the king was growing tired of Queen Anne, his patience at a low ebb and his sights on the blonde Jane Seymour. It is easy to image that on June 1 (three years after Queen Anne's coronation) when the midwife announced the birth of a hale and healthy boy, they was a collective sigh of relief among Anne's relatives.
Although, this did little to repair the royal marriage, Prince Henry, Duke of Cornwall was seen as proof that God favored them. The former Princess Mary would later state she was glad that her mother had died before the birth of her half-brother as this would have broken her heart. Mary Tudor would spend a year in the tower because of her refusal to recognize her half siblings as anything but bastard. When the Pilgrimage of Grace broke out and there were rumors of putting her on the throne, her allies begged her to sign the oath, fearing she would die either by the execution blade or by assassination. In 1538, Mary relented and was quickly sent to Denmark to marry the younger brother of King Christian.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Henry would be joined by Thomas born in 1539 and Owen in 1542. Princess Elizabeth often acted as a mother to her younger siblings, protecting them from the tumultuous marriage of their parents espiecally with the rumors swirling around the court that Queen Anne had been unfaithful (considering how all four children had clear Tudor traits, it was clear this was merely a tactic by her enemies in hopes of discrediting her). Ironically, despite his lack of love for his wife, King Henry would punish whoever dared to spread these rumors, mostly because he refused to believe his precious heir was anyone but his.
King Henry was determined that his son would get the best of everything, including a wife. Mary of Scots was his top choice as she was King James' heir and eventual successor. Unfortunately, the Rough Wooing as it is called, was a failure and Thomas Cromwell suggested that they ally with the Lutherans princes of Germany, suggesting Barbara of Hesse, daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. Barbara was born in April 1536 so just three months older than Henry.
At first, the temperamental monarch refused, believing that his son deserved no less than a princess. However, the rumors of Anne's infidelity, not mention the persistent belief that Henry and his siblings were illegitimate made the Catholic monarchs leery of marrying their princesses to the Prince of Wales.
At last, Cromwell and the Duke of Kent (Thomas Boleyn) found another candidate, Katrina Vasa of Sweden, only three years younger than Henry.
King Henry died in 1547 and his son, Henry rose to the throne at just ten-years-old. His mother, having grown wiser over the years, retired from court, not wanting the vile slander thrown at her, hit her son. She left his regency in her father's and then later, her brother's capable hands.
Henry IX was a bold and brash boy, arrogant and entitled. The only person who could truly control him, other than his mother, was his sister, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, she was sent to France to marry Charles Valois, Duke of Orléans in 1551.
Much like his father, Henry left the reigns of statecraft in the hands of his privy council as he partook in other activities such as sports, drinks and women. His only saving grace was he was not a spendthrift. In fact, popular legend was that he blanched when he saw how much debt his father had caused, giving his council leave to do whatever they could to bring England's economy back in shape.
In 1554, Katrina of Sweden arrived in England. Although she was less than impressed with her groom's personality, Katrina proved to a diligent queen, setting up trading routes with Sweden, Denmark and Russia. She also coaxed her husband into making ventures into the new world. Henry and Katrina would have five surviving children.
In 1563, a smallpox epidemic would hit the kingdom hard with King Henry being one of the many victims. He would emerged from his illness, sickly, scarred and blind in one eye. One of his friends wrote in a letter that when the young monarch caught a glimpse of his reflection, he wept and declared it God's punishment for his arrogance.
He fell into a deep depression that only Katrina could help pull him out of. Just when it seemed like he was on the bend, he learned that his mother, the queen dowager had died. This sent him into a downward spiral until he died in 1569, just weeks before the Catholic uprising of the North. He was succeeded by his son, George.
[2] George was born in 1558, named after his paternal great uncle, and became King at the age of only eleven. He was raised under a regency headed by his uncles, the Duke of York, and the Duke of Somerset, and a marriage arranged to Sibylle of Saxony. By the time he reached majority, the Catholic Uprising in the North had been mostly diffused, with the establishment of the Free City of Durham, roughly inspired by the Free City of Bremen in the Holy Roman Empire. It was a semi autonomous region, overseen by a representative of the crown but in which neither Protestantism and Catholicism were suppressed.
George would later appoint his youngest brother, John, Duke of Westminster, as Governor of the Free City of Durham on his thirtieth birthday in 1595, only four years prior to George's death.
George and Sibylle only had two children (from 1576), but they were given a good education and they were greatly loved. However, George was widowed in 1586 and firmly insisted on not marrying again. He had two healthy children, he had cousins, and they had children of their own - the crown was secure under Tudor lineage.
During his reign, England clashed with both Spain and Scotland. Margaret, Queen or Scots, cited popular gossip that the children of Anne Boleyn were illegitimate and the unquestionably legitimate daughter of Mary Tudor, Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, had died in childbirth shortly after her twenty first birthday in 1575.
Margaret made her claim to England through her mother, Mary, and her great grandmother, Margaret Tudor (sister of Henry VIII) and tried to motivate Spain to fight on their side. Spain, somewhat mollified by the creation of the Free City of Durham and George's somewhat liberal belief in freedom of religious practice, were hesitant but her marriage to Caspar of Spain, son of Phillip II, forced Spain's hand and they agreed to launch a fleet to invade England.
The resultant battle was celebrated in Marlowe's "King George the First" in which it embellished George's speech to his forces, and is often cited as the origin of the phrase, "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough". Spain was soundly beaten and would not bow to further Scottish demands for some time. Rather than win herself a Kingdom, Margaret had earned herself an enemy and this led to the estrangement of herself and her husband.
George died in 1598 on his fortieth birthday and was succeeded by his cousin, Edward of York.
[3] Edward of York was the grandson of Thomas of York, first of the Yorkist Tudors. He was never expected to be King, yet, a mournful series of events (For England, not specifically for Edward) saw Edward rise to the occasion. First, the childless death of George's only brother, John of Westminster, and then both his daughter and son, from an epidemic of smallpox, made George's sister Elizabeth, theoretically, his heir. But, a nice little tidbit, said Princess was also the wife of the King of France, who, had until then, on very good terms with England. The King of France, however, had delayed his wife's own candidature to the throne (Or his, since he himself had a claim through his own grandmother, Elizabeth of England), and blessed parliament's wishes when Edward himself was crowned.
It was thus that Edward's reign started. Brought into the multireligious sphere of the North, Edward was a popular and pragmatic King. He worked hard to appease the various sides of England, following France's example in ending it's own religious conflicts, and spurned the migration of the most radical of protestants and catholics to England's nascent colonies in the American continent. His reign saw England embark on the so called "Submission of Ireland", with Edward seeking to unify Ireland and England through both the use of martial and peaceful methods.
He would marry Mary of Aviz, rekindling the Anglo-Portuguese alliance and offering a olive branch to the Catholics of Europe, using his influence to guarantee the rights of protestant within the border of Portugal. This made him deeply popular with many Catholics and Protestants alike, and Edward was a fervent critic of the bloodletting between both groups in the rest of the continent. The couple would go on to have four children, one of whom died after two weeks.
Edward's main problem during his reign was the popularity of Princess Elizabeth herself and her husband, Henry of France. He was on friendly terms with Edward, and the two monarchs were not dissimilar to one another: Tolerant, powerful and respected, and deeply popular amongst the people, but King Henry IV had one itch during his reign. He deeply loved his English wife, and the Queen of France (and England, as she claimed), had always felt a great wish to return to her homeland, but due to Edward's illwill and her own ties to the country of her husband and her children, but Henry's recognition of Edward had dismembered that. However, in their marriage jubilee, the Queen made a wish and the King of France promised to fulfill it.
When Edward's ambassadors returned from France, they brought news of war. When Edward asked the Earl of Warwick for the reason, the Earl replied "The King of France wishes to put a smile on his wife's face.". It was thus that good King Edward, the first of the yorkist Tudors, died of a stroke. In the immediate conflict following his death, there were four candidates to succeed him.
[4] Some called the succession crisis that followed King Edward's death----the French's revenge for the Hundred Year War. Fortunately, it only lasted ten years. There were four top candidates.
1. Queen Elizabeth of France (the First of England). Her detractors portrayed her as a vicious shrew who had poisoned her uncle and browbeat her husband into attacking England for her. Some portrayed her as an innocent lamb who was coerced by the nasty King of France into attacking her uncle. The truth was Henri and Elizabeth were a ruler couple in the veins of Ferdinand and Isabella. Elizabeth was shrewd and fierce while Henri was ambitious, but loving. Elizabeth has the support of her younger sisters and their husbands.
2. King Thomas I of England. A boy of seven, the son of King Edward. He is a child monarch and is currently being controlled by his widow mother and her supporter (and according to rumors, possible lover), the Duke of Norfolk who hops to restore Catholicism.
3. William, Duke of Richmond. Edward VI's younger brother. He is a reluctant contender for he loves his brother and his nephew. However, he feels as the only adult male, he has no choice but to fight for the crown. He is supported by his Boleyn and Grey relatives. Somewhat ironically, he is married to a woman by the name of Jane Seymour (a great-niece of his great-grandmother's rival).
4. Alexander of Scotland, grandson of Queen Margaret of Scots. He is seen as a dark horse. Having the weakest claim and has very few backers. However, he is working to over come this by making alliance with various nobles that have not chosen either side. He also has his Hapsburg's relatives support, allowing his foreign allies to harass France, softening up their troops.
During the early years of the fighting, _____would die of natural causes/suspicious circumstances, leaving their supports to split up between the three other contenders. ____would eventual decide to support_____and in exchange for a marriage alliance, they would team up to defeat_____, leaving_____as the eventual winner.
Margaret, Queen Consort of Scots, b. 1489, d. 1541, m. James IV of Scotland, m2. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, m3. Henry Stewart, Lord of Methven
1a) James V of Scotland, b. 1512, d. 1542, m1. Madelaine of France, m2. Mary of Guise
2a) Mary, Queen of Scots, b. 1548, d. 1586, m1. Francis II of France, m2. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
2a) Margaret, Queen of Scots, b. 1566, m. Infante Caspar of Spain
x) has children
1) Alexander of Scotland b. c. 1600
Henry VIII of England, b. 1491, r. 1509 to 1547, m1. Catherine of Aragon (1485 to 1536), m2. Anne Boleyn (1501 to 1566)1a) Mary Tudor, b. 1516, d. 1558, m. John II, Duke of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev (1521 to 1580)
a) Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, b. 1554, d. 1575, unnamed husband
2a) Elizabeth Tudor, b. 1533, m. Charles Valois, Duke of Orleans
2b) Henry IX of England, b. 1536, r. 1547 to 1569, m. Katrina Vasa of Sweden (1540 to 1XXX)
1) Henry, Prince of Wales, b. 1557, d. 1560
2) George I of England, prev. Duke of Gloucester, b. 1558, r. 1569 to 1598, m. Sibylle of Saxony (*) (1556 to 1586)
x) two children from 1576 d. before 1598
3) Daughter 1560 (died unmarried).
4) Elizabeth, Queen of France b. 1562 m. King Henri IV of France.
5) John, Duke of Westminster, Governor of the Free City of Durham, b. 1565
2c) Thomas, Duke of York, b. 1539
1) Son b. ?????? d. ??????
1) King Edward VI b. ?????? m. Mary of Avis
1) King Thomas I of England
x) Three other surviving children.
2) William, Duke of Richmond
2d) Owen, Duke of Somerset, b. 1542
(*) a daughter of John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony, and Agnes of Hesse, and thus a great niece of Anne of Cleves, she is named after her grandmother
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POD: Anne Boleyn does not miscarry her son.
Kings of England
1509-1547 : Henry VIII (House of Tudor)
1547-1569 : Henry IX "the Scarred" (House of Tudor) [1]
1569-1598 : George I (House of Tudor) [2]
1598-1624 : Edward VI (House of Tudor) [3]
1624-1635 : Civil War (House of Tudor) [4]
1635-1693 : Thomas I (House of Tudor) [5]
[5]
Thomas I was almost not king. For most of the English Civil War, he was loosing. When Elizabeth of France, died while crossing the channel, the war effort turned. Henri of France crumbled, and with him the French war effort.
As part of the war effort, Thomas would wed his daughter Anne of Richmond. They would have 5 children.
Most of the rest of Thomas’s reign would be quiet, though relations with France would remain tense until 1680, when his distant cousins, the children of Elizabeth and Henri would renounce their claim to the English throne.
In 1657, Anne would pass from a winter chill, and Thomas would remarry to Julianna of the Netherlands. Then had 3 children.
Thomas would begin to slow down in 1589, and after several years passed in his sleep, leaving _______ as his heir.
Margaret, Queen Consort of Scots, b. 1489, d. 1541, m. James IV of Scotland, m2. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, m3. Henry Stewart, Lord of Methven
Kings of England
1509-1547 : Henry VIII (House of Tudor)
1547-1569 : Henry IX "the Scarred" (House of Tudor) [1]
1569-1598 : George I (House of Tudor) [2]
1598-1624 : Edward VI (House of Tudor) [3]
1624-1635 : Civil War (House of Tudor) [4]
1635-1693 : Thomas I (House of Tudor) [5]
[5]
Thomas I was almost not king. For most of the English Civil War, he was loosing. When Elizabeth of France, died while crossing the channel, the war effort turned. Henri of France crumbled, and with him the French war effort.
As part of the war effort, Thomas would wed his daughter Anne of Richmond. They would have 5 children.
Most of the rest of Thomas’s reign would be quiet, though relations with France would remain tense until 1680, when his distant cousins, the children of Elizabeth and Henri would renounce their claim to the English throne.
In 1657, Anne would pass from a winter chill, and Thomas would remarry to Julianna of the Netherlands. Then had 3 children.
Thomas would begin to slow down in 1589, and after several years passed in his sleep, leaving _______ as his heir.
Margaret, Queen Consort of Scots, b. 1489, d. 1541, m. James IV of Scotland, m2. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, m3. Henry Stewart, Lord of Methven
1a) James V of Scotland, b. 1512, d. 1542, m1. Madelaine of France, m2. Mary of Guise
2a) Mary, Queen of Scots, b. 1548, d. 1586, m1. Francis II of France, m2. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
2a) Margaret, Queen of Scots, b. 1566, m. Infante Caspar of Spain
x) has children
1) Alexander of Scotland b. c. 1600
Henry VIII of England, b. 1491, r. 1509 to 1547, m1. Catherine of Aragon (1485 to 1536), m2. Anne Boleyn (1501 to 1566)1a) Mary Tudor, b. 1516, d. 1558, m. John II, Duke of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev (1521 to 1580)
a) Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, b. 1554, d. 1575, unnamed husband
2a) Elizabeth Tudor, b. 1533, m. Charles Valois, Duke of Orleans
2b) Henry IX of England, b. 1536, r. 1547 to 1569, m. Katrina Vasa of Sweden (1540 to 1XXX)
1) Henry, Prince of Wales, b. 1557, d. 1560
2) George I of England, prev. Duke of Gloucester, b. 1558, r. 1569 to 1598, m. Sibylle of Saxony (*) (1556 to 1586)
x) two children from 1576 d. before 1598
3) Daughter 1560 (died unmarried).
4) Elizabeth, Queen of France b. 1562 m. King Henri IV of France.
Some children
5) John, Duke of Westminster, Governor of the Free City of Durham, b. 1565
2c) Thomas, Duke of York, b. 1539
1) Son b. ?????? d. ??????
1) King Edward VI b. ?????? m. Mary of Avis
1) King Thomas I of England m. a) Anne of Richmond b) Julianna of the Netherlands
a) 5 children
b) 3 children
x) Three other surviving children.
2) William, Duke of Richmond
Anne of Richmond
2d) Owen, Duke of Somerset, b. 1542
(*) a daughter of John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony, and Agnes of Hesse, and thus a great niece of Anne of Cleves, she is named after her grandmother
POD: George Mouzalon remains John IV's regent instead of getting killed by the future Emperor Michael VIII
Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans
1258-1305: John IV (House of Laskaris) [1]
1305-1330: Alexios VI (House of Laskaris) [2]
1330-1333: Constantine "the Brief" "the Scholar" XI (House of Laskaris) [3]
1333-1348: Anastasia I and Romanos V (House of Laskaris-Skleros)
1348-1351: Anastasia I (House of Laskaris-Skleros) [4]
[4] Anastasia was the oldest of Alexios VI's children and was born in 1297. When she was born to Alexios VI and his wife, few expected her to one day rule as Empress, especially after her brother Constantine was born. However, Constantine would name her as his heir, especially with how he refused to marry and planned to retire to a monastery. As such, Anastasia and Romanos Skleros, a prominent general who had served alongside Alexios VI, would marry in 1320.
Her joint rule with Romanos Skleros would be marked by the elimination of the last remnants of the Frankokratia in mainland Greece with both the Duchy of Athens and the Duchy submitting to the authority of Constantinople during her joint rule with Emperor Romanos. In addition, her rule would see Roman rule over Western Anatolia consolidated with the border in Anatolia being pushed to where it was before the Fourth Crusade. In terms of domestic politics, Anastasia and Romanos would both prove to be capable and competent administrators, especially with Constantine XI's advice when it came to administration.
Anastasia and Romanos would have seven children, four of which would outlive the couple when Romanos died in 1348 from the bubonic plague and Anastasia died three years later from an accident while hunting. The next Emperor would be __________.
Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans
1258-1305: John IV (House of Laskaris) [1]
1305-1330: Alexios VI (House of Laskaris) [2]
1330-1333: Constantine "the Brief" "the Scholar" XI (House of Laskaris) [3]
1333-1348: Anastasia I and Romanos V (House of Laskaris-Skleros)
1348-1351: Anastasia I (House of Laskaris-Skleros) [4]
[1] John IV Laskaris was acclaimed as Emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of eight after his father's death with the young Emperor initially being under the control of the regency of George Mouzalon, under which the Empire regained Constantinople from the Latin Empire, ending the Latin occupation of the city which had begun with the Fourth Crusade and the sacking of the city.
In 1266, at the age of sixteen, the young Emperor John IV would formally take control over the reins of state, the first Emperor of Rhomania to rule from Constantinople since Alexios V 62 years earlier. As Emperor, John IV's rule would prove to be in many ways a rule marked by an attempt to restore the Empire to its pre-1204 state with how John would energetically campaign in both Western Anatolia and Greece during his 39 years that he spent as Emperor with the Despotate of Epirus by the end of his reign essentially all but taken by the Empire by the time of his death. In his efforts to reclaim the European portions of Rhomania, both war and diplomacy being used by the energetic Emperor John IV to deal with the remnants of the Frankokratia and the Despotate of Epirus. Domestically, John IV would be a ruler who would spend much time and effort strengthening the central government at the expense of the dynatoi/nobility.
John IV would marry Mary of Hungary, seven years his junior, in 1275 with the couple having six children. John IV would die in 1305 and would be succeeded by his eldest son, Alexios VI
[2] Alexios VI, wedding night's baby of his parents was widely known and adored across Romania as pious, intelligent prince and able commander. His only fault was his zealous hatred for his one year younger brother, John, born in 1277.
Thus, after Alexios's ascension, he needed to fight an rebellion from his brother's supporters, who claimed that Alexios is a bastard born from rape of Mary of Hungary by stableman and he, John is legitimate heir of John IV.
The rebellion lasted for a year, where Alexios, hiring a lot of Turkish mercenaries to fight his brother, who had most of his support in European part of the state. John, although as able as his brother, was younger, less experienced and cocky - thus he lost.
Most of his supporters were zealously murdered and John himself with the group of closest aristocrats fled to Rome. Than he spent three years on Papal court, plotting his return and converting to Catholicism in hope of getting Papal support in gaining Byzantine throne.
Years passed, during which Alexios mostly battled with Turks, gaining some minor border gains in Anatolia and solidifying Rhoman control there, but John's invasion - never came. In 1310, ban (governor) of Croatia, Pavao Subić, who wanted to put end to the anarchy which became widespread in Hungary (Croatia was part of this state back then) after Premyslids abdicated their claim to Hungary and the country was embroiled in civil war between Wittelsbach claimant and his opponents, with Wittelsbach claimant also leaving the country and opening 2-year interregnum, offered the crown to John, who had some claim to it as son of Mary, sister of Vladislaus IV. Pope also offered to support him.
When the news about it reached to Alexios, most of people thought he is going to be furious. But he was unusually calm. In fact, he pledged to support his brother and forgive him for whatever he had done, if he pledged in return not to attack Byzantium.
Most of the courtiers acclaimed Alexios mad for wanting to help his hated brother, who tried to steal his crown - but there was a logic within it. As a king of Hungary John would have to stay Catholic and Catholic won't reign in Constantinople, ever.
John agreed and in 1312, despite protests from Henry of Carinthia, new king of Poland and Bohemia who was heir to Premyslid claim, John was crowned in Székesfehérvár as Janos I.
Alexios's next problem was Serbian attack, as Serbs ravaged northern Macedonia and temporarily occupied it, and it cause 5-year Serbo-Byzantine war to rise, ultimately ending with Stephen Uros II of Serbia being defeated, having to cede some border regions to Alexios and recognize himself as Alexios's vassal.
His grandson and heir, likewise named Stephen was to be raised on court in Constantinople .
That all was done in 1317.
The rest of Alexios's reign was rather peaceful and uneventful, with Alexios passing away accompanied his wife and three surviving children, to be succeeded by his son, Constantine.
{3] Constantine was the middle child of Alexios and only son. He was born in 1299 and known to be a scholarly boy who loved books and leaning. When he became of age and had his own alliance, he commissioned a great library to be built in Constantinople one to rival the library of Alexandria. He also had a university built, going as far to connect both buildings. Despite his sharp mind, he was no diplomat and actually hated interacting with people. However, his father believed he would rise to the occasion in time and so despite his protests, he continued to be his father's heir.
When his father died, Constantine ruled for three years in which he chose an heir, announced he would abdicate to join a monestary, made sure that the transference of power went smoothly, planned a grand ceromony where he handed the crown over, and then promptly left for a monastery. We know from letters that despite his rather flippant attitude to the crown, he remained on good terms with his family even giving his successor____advice.
In 1266, at the age of sixteen, the young Emperor John IV would formally take control over the reins of state, the first Emperor of Rhomania to rule from Constantinople since Alexios V 62 years earlier. As Emperor, John IV's rule would prove to be in many ways a rule marked by an attempt to restore the Empire to its pre-1204 state with how John would energetically campaign in both Western Anatolia and Greece during his 39 years that he spent as Emperor with the Despotate of Epirus by the end of his reign essentially all but taken by the Empire by the time of his death. In his efforts to reclaim the European portions of Rhomania, both war and diplomacy being used by the energetic Emperor John IV to deal with the remnants of the Frankokratia and the Despotate of Epirus. Domestically, John IV would be a ruler who would spend much time and effort strengthening the central government at the expense of the dynatoi/nobility.
John IV would marry Mary of Hungary, seven years his junior, in 1275 with the couple having six children. John IV would die in 1305 and would be succeeded by his eldest son, Alexios VI
[2] Alexios VI, wedding night's baby of his parents was widely known and adored across Romania as pious, intelligent prince and able commander. His only fault was his zealous hatred for his one year younger brother, John, born in 1277.
Thus, after Alexios's ascension, he needed to fight an rebellion from his brother's supporters, who claimed that Alexios is a bastard born from rape of Mary of Hungary by stableman and he, John is legitimate heir of John IV.
The rebellion lasted for a year, where Alexios, hiring a lot of Turkish mercenaries to fight his brother, who had most of his support in European part of the state. John, although as able as his brother, was younger, less experienced and cocky - thus he lost.
Most of his supporters were zealously murdered and John himself with the group of closest aristocrats fled to Rome. Than he spent three years on Papal court, plotting his return and converting to Catholicism in hope of getting Papal support in gaining Byzantine throne.
Years passed, during which Alexios mostly battled with Turks, gaining some minor border gains in Anatolia and solidifying Rhoman control there, but John's invasion - never came. In 1310, ban (governor) of Croatia, Pavao Subić, who wanted to put end to the anarchy which became widespread in Hungary (Croatia was part of this state back then) after Premyslids abdicated their claim to Hungary and the country was embroiled in civil war between Wittelsbach claimant and his opponents, with Wittelsbach claimant also leaving the country and opening 2-year interregnum, offered the crown to John, who had some claim to it as son of Mary, sister of Vladislaus IV. Pope also offered to support him.
When the news about it reached to Alexios, most of people thought he is going to be furious. But he was unusually calm. In fact, he pledged to support his brother and forgive him for whatever he had done, if he pledged in return not to attack Byzantium.
Most of the courtiers acclaimed Alexios mad for wanting to help his hated brother, who tried to steal his crown - but there was a logic within it. As a king of Hungary John would have to stay Catholic and Catholic won't reign in Constantinople, ever.
John agreed and in 1312, despite protests from Henry of Carinthia, new king of Poland and Bohemia who was heir to Premyslid claim, John was crowned in Székesfehérvár as Janos I.
Alexios's next problem was Serbian attack, as Serbs ravaged northern Macedonia and temporarily occupied it, and it cause 5-year Serbo-Byzantine war to rise, ultimately ending with Stephen Uros II of Serbia being defeated, having to cede some border regions to Alexios and recognize himself as Alexios's vassal.
His grandson and heir, likewise named Stephen was to be raised on court in Constantinople .
That all was done in 1317.
The rest of Alexios's reign was rather peaceful and uneventful, with Alexios passing away accompanied his wife and three surviving children, to be succeeded by his son, Constantine.
{3] Constantine was the middle child of Alexios and only son. He was born in 1299 and known to be a scholarly boy who loved books and leaning. When he became of age and had his own alliance, he commissioned a great library to be built in Constantinople one to rival the library of Alexandria. He also had a university built, going as far to connect both buildings. Despite his sharp mind, he was no diplomat and actually hated interacting with people. However, his father believed he would rise to the occasion in time and so despite his protests, he continued to be his father's heir.
When his father died, Constantine ruled for three years in which he chose an heir, announced he would abdicate to join a monestary, made sure that the transference of power went smoothly, planned a grand ceromony where he handed the crown over, and then promptly left for a monastery. We know from letters that despite his rather flippant attitude to the crown, he remained on good terms with his family even giving his successor____advice.
[4] Anastasia was the oldest of Alexios VI's children and was born in 1297. When she was born to Alexios VI and his wife, few expected her to one day rule as Empress, especially after her brother Constantine was born. However, Constantine would name her as his heir, especially with how he refused to marry and planned to retire to a monastery. As such, Anastasia and Romanos Skleros, a prominent general who had served alongside Alexios VI, would marry in 1320.
Her joint rule with Romanos Skleros would be marked by the elimination of the last remnants of the Frankokratia in mainland Greece with both the Duchy of Athens and the Duchy submitting to the authority of Constantinople during her joint rule with Emperor Romanos. In addition, her rule would see Roman rule over Western Anatolia consolidated with the border in Anatolia being pushed to where it was before the Fourth Crusade. In terms of domestic politics, Anastasia and Romanos would both prove to be capable and competent administrators, especially with Constantine XI's advice when it came to administration.
Anastasia and Romanos would have seven children, four of which would outlive the couple when Romanos died in 1348 from the bubonic plague and Anastasia died three years later from an accident while hunting. The next Emperor would be __________.
Margaret, Queen Consort of Scots, b. 1489, d. 1541, m. James IV of Scotland, m2. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, m3. Henry Stewart, Lord of Methven
- 1a) James V of Scotland, b. 1512, d. 1542, m1. Madelaine of France, m2. Mary of Guise
- 1a) Mary Tudor, b. 1516, d. 1558, m. John II, Duke of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev (1521 to 1580)
(*) a daughter of John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony, and Agnes of Hesse, and thus a great niece of Anne of Cleeves, she is named after her grandmother
- 1a) James V of Scotland, b. 1512, d. 1542, m1. Madelaine of France, m2. Mary of Guise
2a) Mary, Queen of Scots, b. 1548, d. 1586, m1. Francis II of France, m2. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
- 2a) Margaret, Queen of Scots, b. 1566, m. Infante Caspar of Spain
x) unnamed King of Scotland
- 1) Alexander of Scotland
x) other children
Henry VIII of England, b. 1491, r. 1509 to 1547, m1. Catherine of Aragon (1485 to 1536), m2. Anne Boleyn (1501 to 1566)- 1a) Mary Tudor, b. 1516, d. 1558, m. John II, Duke of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev (1521 to 1580)
a) Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, b. 1554, d. 1575, unnamed husband
- 2a) Elizabeth Tudor, b. 1533, m. 1551, Charles Valois, Duke of Orleans, later Charles IX of France (b. 1522)a) Henri III, b. 1561, married Louise de Montmorency
b) Henri IV, b. 1582, married Elizabeth of England
- x) A flew children.
- 2b) Henry IX of England, prev. Prince of Wales, b. 1536, r. 1547 to 1569, m. Katrina Vasa of Sweden (1540 to 1XXX)1) Henry, Prince of Wales, b. 1557, d. 1560
2) George I of England, prev. Duke of Gloucester, b. 1558, r. 1569 to 1598, m. Sibylle of Saxony (*) (1556 to 1586)
- x) two children from 1576, d. pre 1598
3) Daughter, b. 1560 (died unmarried).
4) Elizabeth, Queen of France b. 1562 m. King Henri IV of France (b. 1582)
5) John, Duke of Westminster, Governor of the Free City of Durham, b. 1565, d. pre 1598
x) one other surviving child of Henry IX
- 2c) Thomas, Duke of York, b. 15391) Unnamed Duke of York, d. pre 1598
- a) Edward VI of England, b. 1579, r. 1598 to 1624, m. Mary of Avis
1) Thomas I of England, b. 1617, r. 1624 to 1693, m1. Anne of Richmond (d. 1657), m2. Julianna of the Netherlands
- 1a) 5 children
- 2b) 3 children
x) Three other surviving children.
- b) William, Duke of Richmond
- 2d) Owen, Duke of Somerset, b. 1542(*) a daughter of John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony, and Agnes of Hesse, and thus a great niece of Anne of Cleeves, she is named after her grandmother
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Why has the family tree been altered to remove one of George's siblings? George was also stated to have had multiple brothers, the Duke of Westminster was said to be his youngest one, but the following post stated the Duke as being his only brother
Also the family tree needs clarifying to show how Henri IV of France is related to the Duke of Orleans, given it's stated that the former is descended from the latter
Also the family tree needs clarifying to show how Henri IV of France is related to the Duke of Orleans, given it's stated that the former is descended from the latter
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I am not sure about the latter, but for the former, George's parents had only five children including him.
The wording was "five surviving children" in the original post, and Henry of Wales died at the age of 3, so was one of the non surviving children.
POD: George Mouzalon remains John IV's regent instead of getting killed by the future Emperor Michael VIII
Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans
1258-1305: John IV (House of Laskaris) [1]
1305-1330: Alexios VI (House of Laskaris) [2]
1330-1333: Constantine "the Brief" "the Scholar" XI (House of Laskaris) [3]
1333-1348: Anastasia I and Romanos V (House of Laskaris-Skleros) [4]
1348-1351: Anastasia I (House of Laskaris-Skleros) [4]
1351-1386: Basil III (House of Skleros) [5]
[1] John IV Laskaris was acclaimed as Emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of eight after his father's death with the young Emperor initially being under the control of the regency of George Mouzalon, under which the Empire regained Constantinople from the Latin Empire, ending the Latin occupation of the city which had begun with the Fourth Crusade and the sacking of the city.
In 1266, at the age of sixteen, the young Emperor John IV would formally take control over the reins of state, the first Emperor of Rhomania to rule from Constantinople since Alexios V 62 years earlier. As Emperor, John IV's rule would prove to be in many ways a rule marked by an attempt to restore the Empire to its pre-1204 state with how John would energetically campaign in both Western Anatolia and Greece during his 39 years that he spent as Emperor with the Despotate of Epirus by the end of his reign essentially all but taken by the Empire by the time of his death. In his efforts to reclaim the European portions of Rhomania, both war and diplomacy being used by the energetic Emperor John IV to deal with the remnants of the Frankokratia and the Despotate of Epirus. Domestically, John IV would be a ruler who would spend much time and effort strengthening the central government at the expense of the dynatoi/nobility.
John IV would marry Mary of Hungary, seven years his junior, in 1275 with the couple having six children. John IV would die in 1305 and would be succeeded by his eldest son, Alexios VI
[2] Alexios VI, wedding night's baby of his parents was widely known and adored across Romania as pious, intelligent prince and able commander. His only fault was his zealous hatred for his one year younger brother, John, born in 1277.
Thus, after Alexios's ascension, he needed to fight an rebellion from his brother's supporters, who claimed that Alexios is a bastard born from rape of Mary of Hungary by stableman and he, John is legitimate heir of John IV.
The rebellion lasted for a year, where Alexios, hiring a lot of Turkish mercenaries to fight his brother, who had most of his support in European part of the state. John, although as able as his brother, was younger, less experienced and cocky - thus he lost.
Most of his supporters were zealously murdered and John himself with the group of closest aristocrats fled to Rome. Than he spent three years on Papal court, plotting his return and converting to Catholicism in hope of getting Papal support in gaining Byzantine throne.
Years passed, during which Alexios mostly battled with Turks, gaining some minor border gains in Anatolia and solidifying Rhoman control there, but John's invasion - never came. In 1310, ban (governor) of Croatia, Pavao Subić, who wanted to put end to the anarchy which became widespread in Hungary (Croatia was part of this state back then) after Premyslids abdicated their claim to Hungary and the country was embroiled in civil war between Wittelsbach claimant and his opponents, with Wittelsbach claimant also leaving the country and opening 2-year interregnum, offered the crown to John, who had some claim to it as son of Mary, sister of Vladislaus IV. Pope also offered to support him.
When the news about it reached to Alexios, most of people thought he is going to be furious. But he was unusually calm. In fact, he pledged to support his brother and forgive him for whatever he had done, if he pledged in return not to attack Byzantium.
Most of the courtiers acclaimed Alexios mad for wanting to help his hated brother, who tried to steal his crown - but there was a logic within it. As a king of Hungary John would have to stay Catholic and Catholic won't reign in Constantinople, ever.
John agreed and in 1312, despite protests from Henry of Carinthia, new king of Poland and Bohemia who was heir to Premyslid claim, John was crowned in Székesfehérvár as Janos I.
Alexios's next problem was Serbian attack, as Serbs ravaged northern Macedonia and temporarily occupied it, and it cause 5-year Serbo-Byzantine war to rise, ultimately ending with Stephen Uros II of Serbia being defeated, having to cede some border regions to Alexios and recognize himself as Alexios's vassal.
His grandson and heir, likewise named Stephen was to be raised on court in Constantinople .
That all was done in 1317.
The rest of Alexios's reign was rather peaceful and uneventful, with Alexios passing away accompanied his wife and three surviving children, to be succeeded by his son, Constantine.
[3] Constantine was the middle child of Alexios and only son. He was born in 1299 and known to be a scholarly boy who loved books and leaning. When he became of age and had his own alliance, he commissioned a great library to be built in Constantinople one to rival the library of Alexandria. He also had a university built, going as far to connect both buildings. Despite his sharp mind, he was no diplomat and actually hated interacting with people. However, his father believed he would rise to the occasion in time and so despite his protests, he continued to be his father's heir.
When his father died, Constantine ruled for three years in which he chose an heir, announced he would abdicate to join a monestary, made sure that the transference of power went smoothly, planned a grand ceremony where he handed the crown over, and then promptly left for a monastery. We know from letters that despite his rather flippant attitude to the crown, he remained on good terms with his family even giving his successor Anastasia advice.
[4] Anastasia was the oldest of Alexios VI's children and was born in 1297. When she was born to Alexios VI and his wife, few expected her to one day rule as Empress, especially after her brother Constantine was born. However, Constantine would name her as his heir, especially with how he refused to marry and planned to retire to a monastery. As such, Anastasia and Romanos Skleros, a prominent general who had served alongside Alexios VI, would marry in 1320.
Her joint rule with Romanos Skleros would be marked by the elimination of the last remnants of the Frankokratia in mainland Greece with both the Duchy of Athens and the Duchy submitting to the authority of Constantinople during her joint rule with Emperor Romanos. In addition, her rule would see Roman rule over Western Anatolia consolidated with the border in Anatolia being pushed to where it was before the Fourth Crusade. In terms of domestic politics, Anastasia and Romanos would both prove to be capable and competent administrators, especially with Constantine XI's advice when it came to administration.
Anastasia and Romanos would have seven children, four of which would outlive the couple when Romanos died in 1348 from the bubonic plague and Anastasia died three years later from an accident while hunting. The next Emperor would be Basil.
[5] Basil was born in 1325, as the second son. His older brother, Romanos died of measles in 1330 so when his uncle declared his mother his heir, Basil was groomed from that point forward as a future monarch.
Basil grew up with a rigid education, leaning administration along with military training. It was clear that Anastasia and Romanos wanted their son to be contempt leader. Despite keeping warm relations with Constantine, they were not prepared to let Basil shrink his duties to their people as his uncle had. This was doubly important with their efforts to bring their empire back to its former glory before the Fourth Crusade.
His parents drummed it into Basil's head that he needed to be a leader worth following and he needed strong allies. One way to do this was to gain a good marriages. His older sister, Anastasia was married to King Jean of France while another of his sisters would marry the King of Hungary. As for Basil himself, he married Constance of Sicily in 1344.
Although the marriage was relativity happy, the couple had trouble conceiving and would only have two surviving children. Despite this, Basil and Constance's relationship would remain strong throughout the years and when Basil was out campaigning, he would often leave his wife as regent.
Throughout the 1350s, Basil was in conflict with the Ottoman Sultan Murad I. He sought help from his allies in pushing them back, even sending an envoy to the pope in hopes he would call for a crusade. Pope Innocent VI did not call it thus, however he did loan Basil money to hire mercenaries. King Jean of France and Navarre and his cousin, Edward III of England also agreed to send men against the Ottoman threat. However hostilities between the two cousins soon caused them to withdraw their support.
Following a decisive victory during the battle of Kallipolis, Basil managed push the Ottomans back, away from the European mainland. Basil would have to deal the Turkish raiders for years to come. However, he would use the money left over from his loan to strengthen his defenses.
Doing his final years, Basil would found a trading company that would establish trade routes in the east, including China and other Asian countries. By the time he had died, he had managed to pay back most of his loan, leaving his_____to take care of the rest of his debt.
Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans
1258-1305: John IV (House of Laskaris) [1]
1305-1330: Alexios VI (House of Laskaris) [2]
1330-1333: Constantine "the Brief" "the Scholar" XI (House of Laskaris) [3]
1333-1348: Anastasia I and Romanos V (House of Laskaris-Skleros) [4]
1348-1351: Anastasia I (House of Laskaris-Skleros) [4]
1351-1386: Basil III (House of Skleros) [5]
[1] John IV Laskaris was acclaimed as Emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of eight after his father's death with the young Emperor initially being under the control of the regency of George Mouzalon, under which the Empire regained Constantinople from the Latin Empire, ending the Latin occupation of the city which had begun with the Fourth Crusade and the sacking of the city.
In 1266, at the age of sixteen, the young Emperor John IV would formally take control over the reins of state, the first Emperor of Rhomania to rule from Constantinople since Alexios V 62 years earlier. As Emperor, John IV's rule would prove to be in many ways a rule marked by an attempt to restore the Empire to its pre-1204 state with how John would energetically campaign in both Western Anatolia and Greece during his 39 years that he spent as Emperor with the Despotate of Epirus by the end of his reign essentially all but taken by the Empire by the time of his death. In his efforts to reclaim the European portions of Rhomania, both war and diplomacy being used by the energetic Emperor John IV to deal with the remnants of the Frankokratia and the Despotate of Epirus. Domestically, John IV would be a ruler who would spend much time and effort strengthening the central government at the expense of the dynatoi/nobility.
John IV would marry Mary of Hungary, seven years his junior, in 1275 with the couple having six children. John IV would die in 1305 and would be succeeded by his eldest son, Alexios VI
[2] Alexios VI, wedding night's baby of his parents was widely known and adored across Romania as pious, intelligent prince and able commander. His only fault was his zealous hatred for his one year younger brother, John, born in 1277.
Thus, after Alexios's ascension, he needed to fight an rebellion from his brother's supporters, who claimed that Alexios is a bastard born from rape of Mary of Hungary by stableman and he, John is legitimate heir of John IV.
The rebellion lasted for a year, where Alexios, hiring a lot of Turkish mercenaries to fight his brother, who had most of his support in European part of the state. John, although as able as his brother, was younger, less experienced and cocky - thus he lost.
Most of his supporters were zealously murdered and John himself with the group of closest aristocrats fled to Rome. Than he spent three years on Papal court, plotting his return and converting to Catholicism in hope of getting Papal support in gaining Byzantine throne.
Years passed, during which Alexios mostly battled with Turks, gaining some minor border gains in Anatolia and solidifying Rhoman control there, but John's invasion - never came. In 1310, ban (governor) of Croatia, Pavao Subić, who wanted to put end to the anarchy which became widespread in Hungary (Croatia was part of this state back then) after Premyslids abdicated their claim to Hungary and the country was embroiled in civil war between Wittelsbach claimant and his opponents, with Wittelsbach claimant also leaving the country and opening 2-year interregnum, offered the crown to John, who had some claim to it as son of Mary, sister of Vladislaus IV. Pope also offered to support him.
When the news about it reached to Alexios, most of people thought he is going to be furious. But he was unusually calm. In fact, he pledged to support his brother and forgive him for whatever he had done, if he pledged in return not to attack Byzantium.
Most of the courtiers acclaimed Alexios mad for wanting to help his hated brother, who tried to steal his crown - but there was a logic within it. As a king of Hungary John would have to stay Catholic and Catholic won't reign in Constantinople, ever.
John agreed and in 1312, despite protests from Henry of Carinthia, new king of Poland and Bohemia who was heir to Premyslid claim, John was crowned in Székesfehérvár as Janos I.
Alexios's next problem was Serbian attack, as Serbs ravaged northern Macedonia and temporarily occupied it, and it cause 5-year Serbo-Byzantine war to rise, ultimately ending with Stephen Uros II of Serbia being defeated, having to cede some border regions to Alexios and recognize himself as Alexios's vassal.
His grandson and heir, likewise named Stephen was to be raised on court in Constantinople .
That all was done in 1317.
The rest of Alexios's reign was rather peaceful and uneventful, with Alexios passing away accompanied his wife and three surviving children, to be succeeded by his son, Constantine.
[3] Constantine was the middle child of Alexios and only son. He was born in 1299 and known to be a scholarly boy who loved books and leaning. When he became of age and had his own alliance, he commissioned a great library to be built in Constantinople one to rival the library of Alexandria. He also had a university built, going as far to connect both buildings. Despite his sharp mind, he was no diplomat and actually hated interacting with people. However, his father believed he would rise to the occasion in time and so despite his protests, he continued to be his father's heir.
When his father died, Constantine ruled for three years in which he chose an heir, announced he would abdicate to join a monestary, made sure that the transference of power went smoothly, planned a grand ceremony where he handed the crown over, and then promptly left for a monastery. We know from letters that despite his rather flippant attitude to the crown, he remained on good terms with his family even giving his successor Anastasia advice.
[4] Anastasia was the oldest of Alexios VI's children and was born in 1297. When she was born to Alexios VI and his wife, few expected her to one day rule as Empress, especially after her brother Constantine was born. However, Constantine would name her as his heir, especially with how he refused to marry and planned to retire to a monastery. As such, Anastasia and Romanos Skleros, a prominent general who had served alongside Alexios VI, would marry in 1320.
Her joint rule with Romanos Skleros would be marked by the elimination of the last remnants of the Frankokratia in mainland Greece with both the Duchy of Athens and the Duchy submitting to the authority of Constantinople during her joint rule with Emperor Romanos. In addition, her rule would see Roman rule over Western Anatolia consolidated with the border in Anatolia being pushed to where it was before the Fourth Crusade. In terms of domestic politics, Anastasia and Romanos would both prove to be capable and competent administrators, especially with Constantine XI's advice when it came to administration.
Anastasia and Romanos would have seven children, four of which would outlive the couple when Romanos died in 1348 from the bubonic plague and Anastasia died three years later from an accident while hunting. The next Emperor would be Basil.
[5] Basil was born in 1325, as the second son. His older brother, Romanos died of measles in 1330 so when his uncle declared his mother his heir, Basil was groomed from that point forward as a future monarch.
Basil grew up with a rigid education, leaning administration along with military training. It was clear that Anastasia and Romanos wanted their son to be contempt leader. Despite keeping warm relations with Constantine, they were not prepared to let Basil shrink his duties to their people as his uncle had. This was doubly important with their efforts to bring their empire back to its former glory before the Fourth Crusade.
His parents drummed it into Basil's head that he needed to be a leader worth following and he needed strong allies. One way to do this was to gain a good marriages. His older sister, Anastasia was married to King Jean of France while another of his sisters would marry the King of Hungary. As for Basil himself, he married Constance of Sicily in 1344.
Although the marriage was relativity happy, the couple had trouble conceiving and would only have two surviving children. Despite this, Basil and Constance's relationship would remain strong throughout the years and when Basil was out campaigning, he would often leave his wife as regent.
Throughout the 1350s, Basil was in conflict with the Ottoman Sultan Murad I. He sought help from his allies in pushing them back, even sending an envoy to the pope in hopes he would call for a crusade. Pope Innocent VI did not call it thus, however he did loan Basil money to hire mercenaries. King Jean of France and Navarre and his cousin, Edward III of England also agreed to send men against the Ottoman threat. However hostilities between the two cousins soon caused them to withdraw their support.
Following a decisive victory during the battle of Kallipolis, Basil managed push the Ottomans back, away from the European mainland. Basil would have to deal the Turkish raiders for years to come. However, he would use the money left over from his loan to strengthen his defenses.
Doing his final years, Basil would found a trading company that would establish trade routes in the east, including China and other Asian countries. By the time he had died, he had managed to pay back most of his loan, leaving his_____to take care of the rest of his debt.
POD: Anne Boleyn does not miscarry her son.
Kings of England
1509-1547 : Henry VIII (House of Tudor)
1547-1569 : Henry IX "the Scarred" (House of Tudor) [1]
1569-1598 : George I (House of Tudor) [2]
1598-1624 : Edward VI (House of Tudor) [3]
1624-1635 : Civil War (House of Tudor) [4]
1635-1693 : Thomas I (House of Tudor) [5]
1693-1700: William "the Crippled" III (House of Tudor) [6]
[1] King Henry's birth was seen nothing short of miracle for the Boleyn faction. Their power was slipping, the king was growing tired of Queen Anne, his patience at a low ebb and his sights on the blonde Jane Seymour. It is easy to image that on June 1 (three years after Queen Anne's coronation) when the midwife announced the birth of a hale and healthy boy, they was a collective sigh of relief among Anne's relatives.
Although, this did little to repair the royal marriage, Prince Henry, Duke of Cornwall was seen as proof that God favored them. The former Princess Mary would later state she was glad that her mother had died before the birth of her half-brother as this would have broken her heart. Mary Tudor would spend a year in the tower because of her refusal to recognize her half siblings as anything but bastards. When the Pilgrimage of Grace broke out and there were rumors of putting her on the throne, her allies begged her to sign the oath, fearing she would die either by the execution blade or by assassination. In 1538, Mary relented and was quickly sent to Denmark to marry the younger brother of King Christian.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Henry would be joined by Thomas born in 1539 and Owen in 1542. Princess Elizabeth often acted as a mother to her younger siblings, protecting them from the tumultuous marriage of their parents especially with the rumors swirling around the court that Queen Anne had been unfaithful (considering how all four children had clear Tudor traits, it was clear this was merely a tactic by her enemies in hopes of discrediting her). Ironically, despite his lack of love for his wife, King Henry would punish whoever dared to spread these rumors, mostly because he refused to believe his precious heir was anyone but his.
King Henry was determined that his son would get the best of everything, including a wife. Mary of Scots was his top choice as she was King James' heir and eventual successor. Unfortunately, the Rough Wooing as it is called, was a failure and Thomas Cromwell suggested that they ally with the Lutherans princes of Germany, suggesting Barbara of Hesse, daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. Barbara was born in April 1536 so just three months older than Henry.
At first, the temperamental monarch refused, believing that his son deserved no less than a princess. However, the rumors of Anne's infidelity, not mention the persistent belief that Henry and his siblings were illegitimate made the Catholic monarchs leery of marrying their princesses to the Prince of Wales.
At last, Cromwell and the Duke of Kent (Thomas Boleyn) found another candidate, Katrina Vasa of Sweden, only three years younger than Henry.
King Henry died in 1547 and his son, Henry rose to the throne at just ten-years-old. His mother, having grown wiser over the years, retired from court, not wanting the vile slander thrown at her, hit her son. She left his regency in her father's and then later, her brother's capable hands.
Henry IX was a bold and brash boy, arrogant and entitled. The only person who could truly control him, other than his mother, was his sister, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, she was sent to France to marry Charles Valois, Duke of Orléans in 1551.
Much like his father, Henry left the reigns of statecraft in the hands of his privy council as he partook in other activities such as sports, drinks and women. His only saving grace was he was not a spendthrift. In fact, popular legend was that he blanched when he saw how much debt his father had caused, giving his council leave to do whatever they could to bring England's economy back in shape.
In 1554, Katrina of Sweden arrived in England. Although she was less than impressed with her groom's personality, Katrina proved to a diligent queen, setting up trading routes with Sweden, Denmark and Russia. She also coaxed her husband into making ventures into the new world. Henry and Katrina would have five surviving children.
In 1563, a smallpox epidemic would hit the kingdom hard with King Henry being one of the many victims. He would emerged from his illness, sickly, scarred and blind in one eye. One of his friends wrote in a letter that when the young monarch caught a glimpse of his reflection, he wept and declared it God's punishment for his arrogance.
He fell into a deep depression that only Katrina could help pull him out of. Just when it seemed like he was on the bend, he learned that his mother, the queen dowager had died. This sent him into a downward spiral until he died in 1569, just weeks before the Catholic uprising of the North. He was succeeded by his son, George.
[2] George was born in 1558, named after his paternal great uncle, and became King at the age of only eleven. He was raised under a regency headed by his uncles, the Duke of York, and the Duke of Somerset, and a marriage arranged to Sibylle of Saxony. By the time he reached majority, the Catholic Uprising in the North had been mostly diffused, with the establishment of the Free City of Durham, roughly inspired by the Free City of Bremen in the Holy Roman Empire. It was a semi autonomous region, overseen by a representative of the crown but in which neither Protestantism and Catholicism were suppressed.
George would later appoint his youngest brother, John, Duke of Westminster, as Governor of the Free City of Durham on his thirtieth birthday in 1595, only four years prior to George's death.
George and Sibylle only had two children (from 1576), but they were given a good education and they were greatly loved. However, George was widowed in 1586 and firmly insisted on not marrying again. He had two healthy children, he had cousins, and they had children of their own - the crown was secure under Tudor lineage.
During his reign, England clashed with both Spain and Scotland. Margaret, Queen or Scots, cited popular gossip that the children of Anne Boleyn were illegitimate and the unquestionably legitimate daughter of Mary Tudor, Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, had died in childbirth shortly after her twenty first birthday in 1575.
Margaret made her claim to England through her mother, Mary, and her great grandmother, Margaret Tudor (sister of Henry VIII) and tried to motivate Spain to fight on their side. Spain, somewhat mollified by the creation of the Free City of Durham and George's somewhat liberal belief in freedom of religious practice, were hesitant but her marriage to Caspar of Spain, son of Phillip II, forced Spain's hand and they agreed to launch a fleet to invade England.
The resultant battle was celebrated in Marlowe's "King George the First" in which it embellished George's speech to his forces, and is often cited as the origin of the phrase, "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough". Spain was soundly beaten and would not bow to further Scottish demands for some time. Rather than win herself a Kingdom, Margaret had earned herself an enemy and this led to the estrangement of herself and her husband.
George died in 1598 on his fortieth birthday and was succeeded by his cousin, Edward of York.
[3] Edward of York was the grandson of Thomas of York, first of the Yorkist Tudors. He was never expected to be King, yet, a mournful series of events (For England, not specifically for Edward) saw Edward rise to the occasion. First, the childless death of George's brother, John of Westminster, and then both his daughter and son, from an epidemic of smallpox, made George's niece, daughter of his brother Edward of Bedford, theoretically, his heir. But, a nice little tidbit, said Princess was also the wife of the King of France, who, had until then, on very good terms with England. The King of France, however, had delayed his wife's own candidature to the throne (Or his, since he himself had a claim through his own grandmother, Elizabeth of England), and blessed parliament's wishes when Edward himself was crowned.
It was thus that Edward's reign started. Brought into the multireligious sphere of the North, Edward was a popular and pragmatic King. He worked hard to appease the various sides of England, following France's example in ending it's own religious conflicts, and spurned the migration of the most radical of protestants and catholics to England's nascent colonies in the American continent. His reign saw England embark on the so called "Submission of Ireland", with Edward seeking to unify Ireland and England through both the use of martial and peaceful methods.
He would marry Mary of Aviz, rekindling the Anglo-Portuguese alliance and offering a olive branch to the Catholics of Europe, using his influence to guarantee the rights of protestant within the border of Portugal. This made him deeply popular with many Catholics and Protestants alike, and Edward was a fervent critic of the bloodletting between both groups in the rest of the continent. The couple would go on to have four children, one of whom died after two weeks.
Edward's main problem during his reign was the popularity of Princess Elizabeth herself and her husband, Henry of France. He was on friendly terms with Edward, and the two monarchs were not dissimilar to one another: Tolerant, powerful and respected, and deeply popular amongst the people, but King Henry IV had one itch during his reign. He deeply loved his English wife, and the Queen of France (and England, as she claimed), had always felt a great wish to return to her homeland, but due to Edward's illwill and her own ties to the country of her husband and her children, but Henry's recognition of Edward had dismembered that. However, in their marriage jubilee, the Queen made a wish and the King of France promised to fulfill it.
When Edward's ambassadors returned from France, they brought news of war. When Edward asked the Earl of Warwick for the reason, the Earl replied "The King of France wishes to put a smile on his wife's face.". It was thus that good King Edward, the first of the yorkist Tudors, died of a stroke. In the immediate conflict following his death, there were four candidates to succeed him.
[4] Some called the succession crisis that followed King Edward's death----the French's revenge for the Hundred Year War. Fortunately, it only lasted ten years. There were four top candidates.
1. Queen Elizabeth of France (the First of England). Her detractors portrayed her as a vicious shrew who had poisoned her uncle and browbeat her husband into attacking England for her. Some portrayed her as an innocent lamb who was coerced by the nasty King of France into attacking her uncle. The truth was Henri and Elizabeth were a ruler couple in the veins of Ferdinand and Isabella. Elizabeth was shrewd and fierce while Henri was ambitious, but loving. Elizabeth has the support of her younger sisters and their husbands.
2. King Thomas I of England. A boy of seven, the son of King Edward. He is a child monarch and is currently being controlled by his widow mother and her supporter (and according to rumors, possible lover), the Duke of Norfolk who hops to restore Catholicism.
3. William, Duke of Richmond. Edward VI's younger brother. He is a reluctant contender for he loves his brother and his nephew. However, he feels as the only adult male, he has no choice but to fight for the crown. He is supported by his Boleyn and Grey relatives. Somewhat ironically, he is married to a woman by the name of Jane Seymour (a great-niece of his great-grandmother's rival).
4. Alexander of Scotland, grandson of Queen Margaret of Scots. He is seen as a dark horse. Having the weakest claim and has very few backers. However, he is working to over come this by making alliance with various nobles that have not chosen either side. He also has his Hapsburg's relatives support, allowing his foreign allies to harass France, softening up their troops.
During the early years of the fighting, Elizabeth of France would die of natural causes, leaving her supporters to split up between the three other contenders. William of Richmond would eventual decide to support his nephew in exchange for a marriage alliance, they would team up to defeat Alexander of Scotland, leaving Thomas I as the eventual winner.
[5] Thomas I was almost not king. For most of the English Civil War, he was loosing. When Elizabeth of France, died while crossing the channel, the war effort turned. Henri of France crumbled, and with him the French war effort.
As part of the war effort, Thomas would wed his daughter Anne of Richmond. They would have 5 children.
Most of the rest of Thomas’s reign would be quiet, though relations with France would remain tense until 1680, when his distant cousins, the children of Elizabeth and Henri would renounce their claim to the English throne.
In 1657, Anne would pass from a winter chill, and Thomas would remarry to Julianna of the Netherlands. Then had 3 children.
Thomas would begin to slow down in 1689, and after several years passed in his sleep, leaving William as his heir.
[6] William was born with congenital limb defect, leaving him without a leg. After his birth, there was discussion of bypassing him in favor of his younger brother or if Queen Anne was to have none, his older sisters. King Thomas would hear none of it, declaring that William was his heir and he refused to let him be passed over. He would hold this title even when his brother Edward was born three years later.
Knowing that he was unwanted by the majority of England, William grew up filled with resentment and self loathing. He became morose when when his mother died, never smiling afterwards. He was not close to his siblings, specially his younger brothers, seeing them as threats to his throne.
Over the years, he became reclusive and drank heavily. He only stopped when his father made it clear that if he did not shape up, he would be disinterested. "I will accept you as a cripple, my son, but not as a drunk wastrel," King Thomas was reported saying. William never lost his depressive attitude, but he did cut back on the drinking and an effort to be a good ruler even if his abrasive personality put people off.
In an effort to mend things with France, King Thomas arranged for his son to marry Princess Marie. The marriage was not a happy one and would remain childless.
William became king in 1693 and immediately went back to drinking, leaving his kingdom in the hands of_____who would eventually succeed him after he died of liver failure.
Margaret, Queen Consort of Scots, b. 1489, d. 1541, m. James IV of Scotland, m2. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, m3. Henry Stewart, Lord of Methven
- 1a) James V of Scotland, b. 1512, d. 1542, m1. Madelaine of France, m2. Mary of Guise
2a) Mary, Queen of Scots, b. 1548, d. 1586, m1. Francis II of France, m2. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
- 2a) Margaret, Queen of Scots, b. 1566, m. Infante Caspar of Spain
x) unnamed King of Scotland
- 1) Alexander of Scotland
x) other children
Henry VIII of England, b. 1491, r. 1509 to 1547, m1. Catherine of Aragon (1485 to 1536), m2. Anne Boleyn (1501 to 1566)
- 1a) Mary Tudor, b. 1516, d. 1558, m. John II, Duke of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev (1521 to 1580)
a) Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, b. 1554, d. 1575, unnamed husband
- 2a) Elizabeth Tudor, b. 1533, m. 1551, Charles Valois, Duke of Orleans, later Charles X of France (b. 1522) (*)
1) Francois III, b. 1555, married Louise de Montmorency
-a) Henri IV, b. 1582, married Elizabeth of England
- x) A few children.
- 2b) Henry IX of England, prev. Prince of Wales, b. 1536, r. 1547 to 1569, m. Katrina Vasa of Sweden (1540 to 1XXX)
1) Henry, Prince of Wales, b. 1557, d. 1560
2) George I of England, prev. Duke of Gloucester, b. 1558, r. 1569 to 1598, m. Sibylle of Saxony (*) (1556 to 1586)
- x) two children from 1576, d. pre 1598
3) Daughter, b. 1560
4) Daughter b. 1561
5) Edward, Duke of Bedford b. 1563, d. pre 1598 m. ?????
-1) Elizabeth of England b. 1582 d. c. 1630s. m. King Henri IV of France b. 1582.
--x) some children.
6) John, Duke of Westminster, Governor of the Free City of Durham, b. 1565, d. pre 1598
- 2c) Thomas, Duke of York, b. 1539
1) Unnamed Duke of York, d. pre 1598
- a) Edward VI of England, b. 15??, r. 1598 to 1624, m. Mary of Avis
1) Thomas I of England, b. 1617, r. 1624 to 1693, m1. Anne of Richmond (d. 1657), m2. Julianna of the Netherlands
-1a) Daughter b. 1635
-2a) Daughter b. 1638
- 3a) William III of England b. 1640, r. 1693 to 1702 m. Princess Marie of France.
-4a) Edward b. 1643.
-5a) Fifth child b. 1647.
- 2b) 3 children
x) Three other surviving children.
- b) William, Duke of Richmond
- 2d) Owen, Duke of Somerset, b. 1542
(*) I was assuming that King Henri II and Catherine de Medici still had the same sons so Charles would the tenth Charles of France and his grandson would be the fourth Henri of France.
(*) a daughter of John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony, and Agnes of Hesse, and thus a great niece of Anne of Cleves, she is named after her grandmother
Kings of England
1509-1547 : Henry VIII (House of Tudor)
1547-1569 : Henry IX "the Scarred" (House of Tudor) [1]
1569-1598 : George I (House of Tudor) [2]
1598-1624 : Edward VI (House of Tudor) [3]
1624-1635 : Civil War (House of Tudor) [4]
1635-1693 : Thomas I (House of Tudor) [5]
1693-1700: William "the Crippled" III (House of Tudor) [6]
[1] King Henry's birth was seen nothing short of miracle for the Boleyn faction. Their power was slipping, the king was growing tired of Queen Anne, his patience at a low ebb and his sights on the blonde Jane Seymour. It is easy to image that on June 1 (three years after Queen Anne's coronation) when the midwife announced the birth of a hale and healthy boy, they was a collective sigh of relief among Anne's relatives.
Although, this did little to repair the royal marriage, Prince Henry, Duke of Cornwall was seen as proof that God favored them. The former Princess Mary would later state she was glad that her mother had died before the birth of her half-brother as this would have broken her heart. Mary Tudor would spend a year in the tower because of her refusal to recognize her half siblings as anything but bastards. When the Pilgrimage of Grace broke out and there were rumors of putting her on the throne, her allies begged her to sign the oath, fearing she would die either by the execution blade or by assassination. In 1538, Mary relented and was quickly sent to Denmark to marry the younger brother of King Christian.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Henry would be joined by Thomas born in 1539 and Owen in 1542. Princess Elizabeth often acted as a mother to her younger siblings, protecting them from the tumultuous marriage of their parents especially with the rumors swirling around the court that Queen Anne had been unfaithful (considering how all four children had clear Tudor traits, it was clear this was merely a tactic by her enemies in hopes of discrediting her). Ironically, despite his lack of love for his wife, King Henry would punish whoever dared to spread these rumors, mostly because he refused to believe his precious heir was anyone but his.
King Henry was determined that his son would get the best of everything, including a wife. Mary of Scots was his top choice as she was King James' heir and eventual successor. Unfortunately, the Rough Wooing as it is called, was a failure and Thomas Cromwell suggested that they ally with the Lutherans princes of Germany, suggesting Barbara of Hesse, daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. Barbara was born in April 1536 so just three months older than Henry.
At first, the temperamental monarch refused, believing that his son deserved no less than a princess. However, the rumors of Anne's infidelity, not mention the persistent belief that Henry and his siblings were illegitimate made the Catholic monarchs leery of marrying their princesses to the Prince of Wales.
At last, Cromwell and the Duke of Kent (Thomas Boleyn) found another candidate, Katrina Vasa of Sweden, only three years younger than Henry.
King Henry died in 1547 and his son, Henry rose to the throne at just ten-years-old. His mother, having grown wiser over the years, retired from court, not wanting the vile slander thrown at her, hit her son. She left his regency in her father's and then later, her brother's capable hands.
Henry IX was a bold and brash boy, arrogant and entitled. The only person who could truly control him, other than his mother, was his sister, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, she was sent to France to marry Charles Valois, Duke of Orléans in 1551.
Much like his father, Henry left the reigns of statecraft in the hands of his privy council as he partook in other activities such as sports, drinks and women. His only saving grace was he was not a spendthrift. In fact, popular legend was that he blanched when he saw how much debt his father had caused, giving his council leave to do whatever they could to bring England's economy back in shape.
In 1554, Katrina of Sweden arrived in England. Although she was less than impressed with her groom's personality, Katrina proved to a diligent queen, setting up trading routes with Sweden, Denmark and Russia. She also coaxed her husband into making ventures into the new world. Henry and Katrina would have five surviving children.
In 1563, a smallpox epidemic would hit the kingdom hard with King Henry being one of the many victims. He would emerged from his illness, sickly, scarred and blind in one eye. One of his friends wrote in a letter that when the young monarch caught a glimpse of his reflection, he wept and declared it God's punishment for his arrogance.
He fell into a deep depression that only Katrina could help pull him out of. Just when it seemed like he was on the bend, he learned that his mother, the queen dowager had died. This sent him into a downward spiral until he died in 1569, just weeks before the Catholic uprising of the North. He was succeeded by his son, George.
[2] George was born in 1558, named after his paternal great uncle, and became King at the age of only eleven. He was raised under a regency headed by his uncles, the Duke of York, and the Duke of Somerset, and a marriage arranged to Sibylle of Saxony. By the time he reached majority, the Catholic Uprising in the North had been mostly diffused, with the establishment of the Free City of Durham, roughly inspired by the Free City of Bremen in the Holy Roman Empire. It was a semi autonomous region, overseen by a representative of the crown but in which neither Protestantism and Catholicism were suppressed.
George would later appoint his youngest brother, John, Duke of Westminster, as Governor of the Free City of Durham on his thirtieth birthday in 1595, only four years prior to George's death.
George and Sibylle only had two children (from 1576), but they were given a good education and they were greatly loved. However, George was widowed in 1586 and firmly insisted on not marrying again. He had two healthy children, he had cousins, and they had children of their own - the crown was secure under Tudor lineage.
During his reign, England clashed with both Spain and Scotland. Margaret, Queen or Scots, cited popular gossip that the children of Anne Boleyn were illegitimate and the unquestionably legitimate daughter of Mary Tudor, Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, had died in childbirth shortly after her twenty first birthday in 1575.
Margaret made her claim to England through her mother, Mary, and her great grandmother, Margaret Tudor (sister of Henry VIII) and tried to motivate Spain to fight on their side. Spain, somewhat mollified by the creation of the Free City of Durham and George's somewhat liberal belief in freedom of religious practice, were hesitant but her marriage to Caspar of Spain, son of Phillip II, forced Spain's hand and they agreed to launch a fleet to invade England.
The resultant battle was celebrated in Marlowe's "King George the First" in which it embellished George's speech to his forces, and is often cited as the origin of the phrase, "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough". Spain was soundly beaten and would not bow to further Scottish demands for some time. Rather than win herself a Kingdom, Margaret had earned herself an enemy and this led to the estrangement of herself and her husband.
George died in 1598 on his fortieth birthday and was succeeded by his cousin, Edward of York.
[3] Edward of York was the grandson of Thomas of York, first of the Yorkist Tudors. He was never expected to be King, yet, a mournful series of events (For England, not specifically for Edward) saw Edward rise to the occasion. First, the childless death of George's brother, John of Westminster, and then both his daughter and son, from an epidemic of smallpox, made George's niece, daughter of his brother Edward of Bedford, theoretically, his heir. But, a nice little tidbit, said Princess was also the wife of the King of France, who, had until then, on very good terms with England. The King of France, however, had delayed his wife's own candidature to the throne (Or his, since he himself had a claim through his own grandmother, Elizabeth of England), and blessed parliament's wishes when Edward himself was crowned.
It was thus that Edward's reign started. Brought into the multireligious sphere of the North, Edward was a popular and pragmatic King. He worked hard to appease the various sides of England, following France's example in ending it's own religious conflicts, and spurned the migration of the most radical of protestants and catholics to England's nascent colonies in the American continent. His reign saw England embark on the so called "Submission of Ireland", with Edward seeking to unify Ireland and England through both the use of martial and peaceful methods.
He would marry Mary of Aviz, rekindling the Anglo-Portuguese alliance and offering a olive branch to the Catholics of Europe, using his influence to guarantee the rights of protestant within the border of Portugal. This made him deeply popular with many Catholics and Protestants alike, and Edward was a fervent critic of the bloodletting between both groups in the rest of the continent. The couple would go on to have four children, one of whom died after two weeks.
Edward's main problem during his reign was the popularity of Princess Elizabeth herself and her husband, Henry of France. He was on friendly terms with Edward, and the two monarchs were not dissimilar to one another: Tolerant, powerful and respected, and deeply popular amongst the people, but King Henry IV had one itch during his reign. He deeply loved his English wife, and the Queen of France (and England, as she claimed), had always felt a great wish to return to her homeland, but due to Edward's illwill and her own ties to the country of her husband and her children, but Henry's recognition of Edward had dismembered that. However, in their marriage jubilee, the Queen made a wish and the King of France promised to fulfill it.
When Edward's ambassadors returned from France, they brought news of war. When Edward asked the Earl of Warwick for the reason, the Earl replied "The King of France wishes to put a smile on his wife's face.". It was thus that good King Edward, the first of the yorkist Tudors, died of a stroke. In the immediate conflict following his death, there were four candidates to succeed him.
[4] Some called the succession crisis that followed King Edward's death----the French's revenge for the Hundred Year War. Fortunately, it only lasted ten years. There were four top candidates.
1. Queen Elizabeth of France (the First of England). Her detractors portrayed her as a vicious shrew who had poisoned her uncle and browbeat her husband into attacking England for her. Some portrayed her as an innocent lamb who was coerced by the nasty King of France into attacking her uncle. The truth was Henri and Elizabeth were a ruler couple in the veins of Ferdinand and Isabella. Elizabeth was shrewd and fierce while Henri was ambitious, but loving. Elizabeth has the support of her younger sisters and their husbands.
2. King Thomas I of England. A boy of seven, the son of King Edward. He is a child monarch and is currently being controlled by his widow mother and her supporter (and according to rumors, possible lover), the Duke of Norfolk who hops to restore Catholicism.
3. William, Duke of Richmond. Edward VI's younger brother. He is a reluctant contender for he loves his brother and his nephew. However, he feels as the only adult male, he has no choice but to fight for the crown. He is supported by his Boleyn and Grey relatives. Somewhat ironically, he is married to a woman by the name of Jane Seymour (a great-niece of his great-grandmother's rival).
4. Alexander of Scotland, grandson of Queen Margaret of Scots. He is seen as a dark horse. Having the weakest claim and has very few backers. However, he is working to over come this by making alliance with various nobles that have not chosen either side. He also has his Hapsburg's relatives support, allowing his foreign allies to harass France, softening up their troops.
During the early years of the fighting, Elizabeth of France would die of natural causes, leaving her supporters to split up between the three other contenders. William of Richmond would eventual decide to support his nephew in exchange for a marriage alliance, they would team up to defeat Alexander of Scotland, leaving Thomas I as the eventual winner.
[5] Thomas I was almost not king. For most of the English Civil War, he was loosing. When Elizabeth of France, died while crossing the channel, the war effort turned. Henri of France crumbled, and with him the French war effort.
As part of the war effort, Thomas would wed his daughter Anne of Richmond. They would have 5 children.
Most of the rest of Thomas’s reign would be quiet, though relations with France would remain tense until 1680, when his distant cousins, the children of Elizabeth and Henri would renounce their claim to the English throne.
In 1657, Anne would pass from a winter chill, and Thomas would remarry to Julianna of the Netherlands. Then had 3 children.
Thomas would begin to slow down in 1689, and after several years passed in his sleep, leaving William as his heir.
[6] William was born with congenital limb defect, leaving him without a leg. After his birth, there was discussion of bypassing him in favor of his younger brother or if Queen Anne was to have none, his older sisters. King Thomas would hear none of it, declaring that William was his heir and he refused to let him be passed over. He would hold this title even when his brother Edward was born three years later.
Knowing that he was unwanted by the majority of England, William grew up filled with resentment and self loathing. He became morose when when his mother died, never smiling afterwards. He was not close to his siblings, specially his younger brothers, seeing them as threats to his throne.
Over the years, he became reclusive and drank heavily. He only stopped when his father made it clear that if he did not shape up, he would be disinterested. "I will accept you as a cripple, my son, but not as a drunk wastrel," King Thomas was reported saying. William never lost his depressive attitude, but he did cut back on the drinking and an effort to be a good ruler even if his abrasive personality put people off.
In an effort to mend things with France, King Thomas arranged for his son to marry Princess Marie. The marriage was not a happy one and would remain childless.
William became king in 1693 and immediately went back to drinking, leaving his kingdom in the hands of_____who would eventually succeed him after he died of liver failure.
Margaret, Queen Consort of Scots, b. 1489, d. 1541, m. James IV of Scotland, m2. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, m3. Henry Stewart, Lord of Methven
- 1a) James V of Scotland, b. 1512, d. 1542, m1. Madelaine of France, m2. Mary of Guise
2a) Mary, Queen of Scots, b. 1548, d. 1586, m1. Francis II of France, m2. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
- 2a) Margaret, Queen of Scots, b. 1566, m. Infante Caspar of Spain
x) unnamed King of Scotland
- 1) Alexander of Scotland
x) other children
Henry VIII of England, b. 1491, r. 1509 to 1547, m1. Catherine of Aragon (1485 to 1536), m2. Anne Boleyn (1501 to 1566)
- 1a) Mary Tudor, b. 1516, d. 1558, m. John II, Duke of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev (1521 to 1580)
a) Johanna of Schleswig Holstein Haderslev, b. 1554, d. 1575, unnamed husband
- 2a) Elizabeth Tudor, b. 1533, m. 1551, Charles Valois, Duke of Orleans, later Charles X of France (b. 1522) (*)
1) Francois III, b. 1555, married Louise de Montmorency
-a) Henri IV, b. 1582, married Elizabeth of England
- x) A few children.
- 2b) Henry IX of England, prev. Prince of Wales, b. 1536, r. 1547 to 1569, m. Katrina Vasa of Sweden (1540 to 1XXX)
1) Henry, Prince of Wales, b. 1557, d. 1560
2) George I of England, prev. Duke of Gloucester, b. 1558, r. 1569 to 1598, m. Sibylle of Saxony (*) (1556 to 1586)
- x) two children from 1576, d. pre 1598
3) Daughter, b. 1560
4) Daughter b. 1561
5) Edward, Duke of Bedford b. 1563, d. pre 1598 m. ?????
-1) Elizabeth of England b. 1582 d. c. 1630s. m. King Henri IV of France b. 1582.
--x) some children.
6) John, Duke of Westminster, Governor of the Free City of Durham, b. 1565, d. pre 1598
- 2c) Thomas, Duke of York, b. 1539
1) Unnamed Duke of York, d. pre 1598
- a) Edward VI of England, b. 15??, r. 1598 to 1624, m. Mary of Avis
1) Thomas I of England, b. 1617, r. 1624 to 1693, m1. Anne of Richmond (d. 1657), m2. Julianna of the Netherlands
-1a) Daughter b. 1635
-2a) Daughter b. 1638
- 3a) William III of England b. 1640, r. 1693 to 1702 m. Princess Marie of France.
-4a) Edward b. 1643.
-5a) Fifth child b. 1647.
- 2b) 3 children
x) Three other surviving children.
- b) William, Duke of Richmond
- 2d) Owen, Duke of Somerset, b. 1542
(*) I was assuming that King Henri II and Catherine de Medici still had the same sons so Charles would the tenth Charles of France and his grandson would be the fourth Henri of France.
(*) a daughter of John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony, and Agnes of Hesse, and thus a great niece of Anne of Cleves, she is named after her grandmother
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For the English tree, I think we should change Edward VI's rival to be Elizabeth's daughter because I am a little confused why the King of France would marry a woman twenty years older than him. EDIT: Or maybe we could have Elizabeth of England be the daughter of King George's brother.
I also edited the tree because I wasn't sure why it would take Elizabeth (born in 1533) ten years to conceive and I had assumed that Henri II's sons would be the same as they were in history.
@wwbgdiaslt @Reyne @Cate13 @TheBeanieBaron thoughts?
I also edited the tree because I wasn't sure why it would take Elizabeth (born in 1533) ten years to conceive and I had assumed that Henri II's sons would be the same as they were in history.
@wwbgdiaslt @Reyne @Cate13 @TheBeanieBaron thoughts?
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POD: George Mouzalon remains John IV's regent instead of getting killed by the future Emperor Michael VIII
Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans
1258-1305: John IV (House of Laskaris) [1]
1305-1330: Alexios VI (House of Laskaris) [2]
1330-1333: Constantine "the Brief" "the Scholar" XI (House of Laskaris) [3]
1333-1348: Anastasia I and Romanos V (House of Laskaris-Skleros) [4]
1348-1351: Anastasia I (House of Laskaris-Skleros) [4]
1351-1386: Basil III (House of Skleros) [5]
1386-1402: Andronicus II (House of Skleros) [6]
[6] Andronicus II was born in 1348 as the older of Constance's two surviving children and would grow up to be a capable and intelligent prince, a worthy heir to the throne one Basil III died in 1386 and left the 38-year old Andronicus the heir to the throne. Owing to his capable record as Crown Prince, Andronicus would prove to be a ruler who would be capable and popular in his rule, especially with how he sought to fight off the Turkish beyliks in Anatolia and reform the administration to embolden the central government at the expense of the landed aristocracy. His reign would also see a golden age of culture and the arts and a flourishing economy as Constantinople finally recovered its pre-Fourth Crusade population.
However, his reign would not be defined by the policies or achievements of the Emperor, but how it ended. In 1402, Timur, having carved a swathe of destruction from the Levant to India and forging the most powerful empire in the world at this point, after Turkish beyliks threatened by Rhomania's expansion begged him for aid, would invade Anatolia with Timur hoping to use said invasion of Anatolia to burnish his credentials as a warrior of Islam. Andronicus II would meet Timur in battle and would be killed in said battle along with almost all of his army with _________ being the new Emperor after said catastrophe.
Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans
1258-1305: John IV (House of Laskaris) [1]
1305-1330: Alexios VI (House of Laskaris) [2]
1330-1333: Constantine "the Brief" "the Scholar" XI (House of Laskaris) [3]
1333-1348: Anastasia I and Romanos V (House of Laskaris-Skleros) [4]
1348-1351: Anastasia I (House of Laskaris-Skleros) [4]
1351-1386: Basil III (House of Skleros) [5]
1386-1402: Andronicus II (House of Skleros) [6]
[1] John IV Laskaris was acclaimed as Emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of eight after his father's death with the young Emperor initially being under the control of the regency of George Mouzalon, under which the Empire regained Constantinople from the Latin Empire, ending the Latin occupation of the city which had begun with the Fourth Crusade and the sacking of the city.
In 1266, at the age of sixteen, the young Emperor John IV would formally take control over the reins of state, the first Emperor of Rhomania to rule from Constantinople since Alexios V 62 years earlier. As Emperor, John IV's rule would prove to be in many ways a rule marked by an attempt to restore the Empire to its pre-1204 state with how John would energetically campaign in both Western Anatolia and Greece during his 39 years that he spent as Emperor with the Despotate of Epirus by the end of his reign essentially all but taken by the Empire by the time of his death. In his efforts to reclaim the European portions of Rhomania, both war and diplomacy being used by the energetic Emperor John IV to deal with the remnants of the Frankokratia and the Despotate of Epirus. Domestically, John IV would be a ruler who would spend much time and effort strengthening the central government at the expense of the dynatoi/nobility.
John IV would marry Mary of Hungary, seven years his junior, in 1275 with the couple having six children. John IV would die in 1305 and would be succeeded by his eldest son, Alexios VI
[2] Alexios VI, wedding night's baby of his parents was widely known and adored across Romania as pious, intelligent prince and able commander. His only fault was his zealous hatred for his one year younger brother, John, born in 1277.
Thus, after Alexios's ascension, he needed to fight an rebellion from his brother's supporters, who claimed that Alexios is a bastard born from rape of Mary of Hungary by stableman and he, John is legitimate heir of John IV.
The rebellion lasted for a year, where Alexios, hiring a lot of Turkish mercenaries to fight his brother, who had most of his support in European part of the state. John, although as able as his brother, was younger, less experienced and cocky - thus he lost.
Most of his supporters were zealously murdered and John himself with the group of closest aristocrats fled to Rome. Than he spent three years on Papal court, plotting his return and converting to Catholicism in hope of getting Papal support in gaining Byzantine throne.
Years passed, during which Alexios mostly battled with Turks, gaining some minor border gains in Anatolia and solidifying Rhoman control there, but John's invasion - never came. In 1310, ban (governor) of Croatia, Pavao Subić, who wanted to put end to the anarchy which became widespread in Hungary (Croatia was part of this state back then) after Premyslids abdicated their claim to Hungary and the country was embroiled in civil war between Wittelsbach claimant and his opponents, with Wittelsbach claimant also leaving the country and opening 2-year interregnum, offered the crown to John, who had some claim to it as son of Mary, sister of Vladislaus IV. Pope also offered to support him.
When the news about it reached to Alexios, most of people thought he is going to be furious. But he was unusually calm. In fact, he pledged to support his brother and forgive him for whatever he had done, if he pledged in return not to attack Byzantium.
Most of the courtiers acclaimed Alexios mad for wanting to help his hated brother, who tried to steal his crown - but there was a logic within it. As a king of Hungary John would have to stay Catholic and Catholic won't reign in Constantinople, ever.
John agreed and in 1312, despite protests from Henry of Carinthia, new king of Poland and Bohemia who was heir to Premyslid claim, John was crowned in Székesfehérvár as Janos I.
Alexios's next problem was Serbian attack, as Serbs ravaged northern Macedonia and temporarily occupied it, and it cause 5-year Serbo-Byzantine war to rise, ultimately ending with Stephen Uros II of Serbia being defeated, having to cede some border regions to Alexios and recognize himself as Alexios's vassal.
His grandson and heir, likewise named Stephen was to be raised on court in Constantinople .
That all was done in 1317.
The rest of Alexios's reign was rather peaceful and uneventful, with Alexios passing away accompanied his wife and three surviving children, to be succeeded by his son, Constantine.
[3] Constantine was the middle child of Alexios and only son. He was born in 1299 and known to be a scholarly boy who loved books and leaning. When he became of age and had his own alliance, he commissioned a great library to be built in Constantinople one to rival the library of Alexandria. He also had a university built, going as far to connect both buildings. Despite his sharp mind, he was no diplomat and actually hated interacting with people. However, his father believed he would rise to the occasion in time and so despite his protests, he continued to be his father's heir.
When his father died, Constantine ruled for three years in which he chose an heir, announced he would abdicate to join a monestary, made sure that the transference of power went smoothly, planned a grand ceremony where he handed the crown over, and then promptly left for a monastery. We know from letters that despite his rather flippant attitude to the crown, he remained on good terms with his family even giving his successor Anastasia advice.
[4] Anastasia was the oldest of Alexios VI's children and was born in 1297. When she was born to Alexios VI and his wife, few expected her to one day rule as Empress, especially after her brother Constantine was born. However, Constantine would name her as his heir, especially with how he refused to marry and planned to retire to a monastery. As such, Anastasia and Romanos Skleros, a prominent general who had served alongside Alexios VI, would marry in 1320.
Her joint rule with Romanos Skleros would be marked by the elimination of the last remnants of the Frankokratia in mainland Greece with both the Duchy of Athens and the Duchy submitting to the authority of Constantinople during her joint rule with Emperor Romanos. In addition, her rule would see Roman rule over Western Anatolia consolidated with the border in Anatolia being pushed to where it was before the Fourth Crusade. In terms of domestic politics, Anastasia and Romanos would both prove to be capable and competent administrators, especially with Constantine XI's advice when it came to administration.
Anastasia and Romanos would have seven children, four of which would outlive the couple when Romanos died in 1348 from the bubonic plague and Anastasia died three years later from an accident while hunting. The next Emperor would be Basil.
[5] Basil was born in 1325, as the second son. His older brother, Romanos died of measles in 1330 so when his uncle declared his mother his heir, Basil was groomed from that point forward as a future monarch.
Basil grew up with a rigid education, leaning administration along with military training. It was clear that Anastasia and Romanos wanted their son to be contempt leader. Despite keeping warm relations with Constantine, they were not prepared to let Basil shrink his duties to their people as his uncle had. This was doubly important with their efforts to bring their empire back to its former glory before the Fourth Crusade.
His parents drummed it into Basil's head that he needed to be a leader worth following and he needed strong allies. One way to do this was to gain a good marriages. His older sister, Anastasia was married to King Jean of France while another of his sisters would marry the King of Hungary. As for Basil himself, he married Constance of Sicily in 1344.
Although the marriage was relativity happy, the couple had trouble conceiving and would only have two surviving children. Despite this, Basil and Constance's relationship would remain strong throughout the years and when Basil was out campaigning, he would often leave his wife as regent.
Throughout the 1350s, Basil was in conflict with the Ottoman Sultan Murad I. He sought help from his allies in pushing them back, even sending an envoy to the pope in hopes he would call for a crusade. Pope Innocent VI did not call it thus, however he did loan Basil money to hire mercenaries. King Jean of France and Navarre and his cousin, Edward III of England also agreed to send men against the Ottoman threat. However hostilities between the two cousins soon caused them to withdraw their support.
Following a decisive victory during the battle of Kallipolis, Basil managed push the Ottomans back, away from the European mainland. Basil would have to deal the Turkish raiders for years to come. However, he would use the money left over from his loan to strengthen his defenses.
Doing his final years, Basil would found a trading company that would establish trade routes in the east, including China and other Asian countries. By the time he had died, he had managed to pay back most of his loan, leaving his_____to take care of the rest of his debt.
In 1266, at the age of sixteen, the young Emperor John IV would formally take control over the reins of state, the first Emperor of Rhomania to rule from Constantinople since Alexios V 62 years earlier. As Emperor, John IV's rule would prove to be in many ways a rule marked by an attempt to restore the Empire to its pre-1204 state with how John would energetically campaign in both Western Anatolia and Greece during his 39 years that he spent as Emperor with the Despotate of Epirus by the end of his reign essentially all but taken by the Empire by the time of his death. In his efforts to reclaim the European portions of Rhomania, both war and diplomacy being used by the energetic Emperor John IV to deal with the remnants of the Frankokratia and the Despotate of Epirus. Domestically, John IV would be a ruler who would spend much time and effort strengthening the central government at the expense of the dynatoi/nobility.
John IV would marry Mary of Hungary, seven years his junior, in 1275 with the couple having six children. John IV would die in 1305 and would be succeeded by his eldest son, Alexios VI
[2] Alexios VI, wedding night's baby of his parents was widely known and adored across Romania as pious, intelligent prince and able commander. His only fault was his zealous hatred for his one year younger brother, John, born in 1277.
Thus, after Alexios's ascension, he needed to fight an rebellion from his brother's supporters, who claimed that Alexios is a bastard born from rape of Mary of Hungary by stableman and he, John is legitimate heir of John IV.
The rebellion lasted for a year, where Alexios, hiring a lot of Turkish mercenaries to fight his brother, who had most of his support in European part of the state. John, although as able as his brother, was younger, less experienced and cocky - thus he lost.
Most of his supporters were zealously murdered and John himself with the group of closest aristocrats fled to Rome. Than he spent three years on Papal court, plotting his return and converting to Catholicism in hope of getting Papal support in gaining Byzantine throne.
Years passed, during which Alexios mostly battled with Turks, gaining some minor border gains in Anatolia and solidifying Rhoman control there, but John's invasion - never came. In 1310, ban (governor) of Croatia, Pavao Subić, who wanted to put end to the anarchy which became widespread in Hungary (Croatia was part of this state back then) after Premyslids abdicated their claim to Hungary and the country was embroiled in civil war between Wittelsbach claimant and his opponents, with Wittelsbach claimant also leaving the country and opening 2-year interregnum, offered the crown to John, who had some claim to it as son of Mary, sister of Vladislaus IV. Pope also offered to support him.
When the news about it reached to Alexios, most of people thought he is going to be furious. But he was unusually calm. In fact, he pledged to support his brother and forgive him for whatever he had done, if he pledged in return not to attack Byzantium.
Most of the courtiers acclaimed Alexios mad for wanting to help his hated brother, who tried to steal his crown - but there was a logic within it. As a king of Hungary John would have to stay Catholic and Catholic won't reign in Constantinople, ever.
John agreed and in 1312, despite protests from Henry of Carinthia, new king of Poland and Bohemia who was heir to Premyslid claim, John was crowned in Székesfehérvár as Janos I.
Alexios's next problem was Serbian attack, as Serbs ravaged northern Macedonia and temporarily occupied it, and it cause 5-year Serbo-Byzantine war to rise, ultimately ending with Stephen Uros II of Serbia being defeated, having to cede some border regions to Alexios and recognize himself as Alexios's vassal.
His grandson and heir, likewise named Stephen was to be raised on court in Constantinople .
That all was done in 1317.
The rest of Alexios's reign was rather peaceful and uneventful, with Alexios passing away accompanied his wife and three surviving children, to be succeeded by his son, Constantine.
[3] Constantine was the middle child of Alexios and only son. He was born in 1299 and known to be a scholarly boy who loved books and leaning. When he became of age and had his own alliance, he commissioned a great library to be built in Constantinople one to rival the library of Alexandria. He also had a university built, going as far to connect both buildings. Despite his sharp mind, he was no diplomat and actually hated interacting with people. However, his father believed he would rise to the occasion in time and so despite his protests, he continued to be his father's heir.
When his father died, Constantine ruled for three years in which he chose an heir, announced he would abdicate to join a monestary, made sure that the transference of power went smoothly, planned a grand ceremony where he handed the crown over, and then promptly left for a monastery. We know from letters that despite his rather flippant attitude to the crown, he remained on good terms with his family even giving his successor Anastasia advice.
[4] Anastasia was the oldest of Alexios VI's children and was born in 1297. When she was born to Alexios VI and his wife, few expected her to one day rule as Empress, especially after her brother Constantine was born. However, Constantine would name her as his heir, especially with how he refused to marry and planned to retire to a monastery. As such, Anastasia and Romanos Skleros, a prominent general who had served alongside Alexios VI, would marry in 1320.
Her joint rule with Romanos Skleros would be marked by the elimination of the last remnants of the Frankokratia in mainland Greece with both the Duchy of Athens and the Duchy submitting to the authority of Constantinople during her joint rule with Emperor Romanos. In addition, her rule would see Roman rule over Western Anatolia consolidated with the border in Anatolia being pushed to where it was before the Fourth Crusade. In terms of domestic politics, Anastasia and Romanos would both prove to be capable and competent administrators, especially with Constantine XI's advice when it came to administration.
Anastasia and Romanos would have seven children, four of which would outlive the couple when Romanos died in 1348 from the bubonic plague and Anastasia died three years later from an accident while hunting. The next Emperor would be Basil.
[5] Basil was born in 1325, as the second son. His older brother, Romanos died of measles in 1330 so when his uncle declared his mother his heir, Basil was groomed from that point forward as a future monarch.
Basil grew up with a rigid education, leaning administration along with military training. It was clear that Anastasia and Romanos wanted their son to be contempt leader. Despite keeping warm relations with Constantine, they were not prepared to let Basil shrink his duties to their people as his uncle had. This was doubly important with their efforts to bring their empire back to its former glory before the Fourth Crusade.
His parents drummed it into Basil's head that he needed to be a leader worth following and he needed strong allies. One way to do this was to gain a good marriages. His older sister, Anastasia was married to King Jean of France while another of his sisters would marry the King of Hungary. As for Basil himself, he married Constance of Sicily in 1344.
Although the marriage was relativity happy, the couple had trouble conceiving and would only have two surviving children. Despite this, Basil and Constance's relationship would remain strong throughout the years and when Basil was out campaigning, he would often leave his wife as regent.
Throughout the 1350s, Basil was in conflict with the Ottoman Sultan Murad I. He sought help from his allies in pushing them back, even sending an envoy to the pope in hopes he would call for a crusade. Pope Innocent VI did not call it thus, however he did loan Basil money to hire mercenaries. King Jean of France and Navarre and his cousin, Edward III of England also agreed to send men against the Ottoman threat. However hostilities between the two cousins soon caused them to withdraw their support.
Following a decisive victory during the battle of Kallipolis, Basil managed push the Ottomans back, away from the European mainland. Basil would have to deal the Turkish raiders for years to come. However, he would use the money left over from his loan to strengthen his defenses.
Doing his final years, Basil would found a trading company that would establish trade routes in the east, including China and other Asian countries. By the time he had died, he had managed to pay back most of his loan, leaving his_____to take care of the rest of his debt.
[6] Andronicus II was born in 1348 as the older of Constance's two surviving children and would grow up to be a capable and intelligent prince, a worthy heir to the throne one Basil III died in 1386 and left the 38-year old Andronicus the heir to the throne. Owing to his capable record as Crown Prince, Andronicus would prove to be a ruler who would be capable and popular in his rule, especially with how he sought to fight off the Turkish beyliks in Anatolia and reform the administration to embolden the central government at the expense of the landed aristocracy. His reign would also see a golden age of culture and the arts and a flourishing economy as Constantinople finally recovered its pre-Fourth Crusade population.
However, his reign would not be defined by the policies or achievements of the Emperor, but how it ended. In 1402, Timur, having carved a swathe of destruction from the Levant to India and forging the most powerful empire in the world at this point, after Turkish beyliks threatened by Rhomania's expansion begged him for aid, would invade Anatolia with Timur hoping to use said invasion of Anatolia to burnish his credentials as a warrior of Islam. Andronicus II would meet Timur in battle and would be killed in said battle along with almost all of his army with _________ being the new Emperor after said catastrophe.