Or maybe add a rule saying people can’t play until they post swearing they’ve read the rules?
List of monarchs III
- Thread starter Shiva
- Start date
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- Tags
- alt history lists ruler game
There’s no rules on length so if you want to leave it it’s okay, but is long enough that I dont want to read it so even though I’m excited about the idea I won’t be continuing the list. And I’m guessing that’s true for most people.
Charles X's wife is Elizabeth of England, daughter of King Henry IX Fredrick Stewart.
To be fair with Salic law, it was obvious it would be male successor. However, I deliberately put heir instead of son to purposely leave it to the next poster whether they wanted the heir to be the son or for Charles to have only surviving daughters, meaning his heir was a male relative instead. All that being said, the heir could have died childless weeks or months before Charles, allowing the next poster to go wild.
If that is not enough, I will edit it to make it even more vague.
Last edited:
Here's the family tree for the recently finished Norway list:
Christian Frederick of Norway, b. 1786, r. 1814 to 1848, m1. Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1784 to 1840), m2. Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (1796 to 1881)
- 1a) Crown Prince Frederick of Norway, b. 1808, d. 1838, m. Wilhelmine Marie of Denmark
- 2a) Christopher II of Norway, b. 1816, r. 1848 to 1861, m. 1835, Theodolinde de Beauharnais of Leuchtenburg (1814 to 1857)
Christian Frederick of Norway, b. 1786, r. 1814 to 1848, m1. Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1784 to 1840), m2. Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (1796 to 1881)
- 1a) Crown Prince Frederick of Norway, b. 1808, d. 1838, m. Wilhelmine Marie of Denmark
- 2a) Christopher II of Norway, b. 1816, r. 1848 to 1861, m. 1835, Theodolinde de Beauharnais of Leuchtenburg (1814 to 1857)
a) Christian VIII of Norway, prev. Crown Prince of Norway, b. 1836, r. 1861 to 1906, m. 1856, Marie of Baden (1834 to 1899)
- 1) eldest daughter, b. 1857
- 2) Haakon VII "Salt-Hair" of Norway, prev. Crown Prince of Norway, b. 1861, r. 1906 to 1936, m. Anatasia Nikolayevna of Russia
a) three daughters
b) Christian IX of Norway, prev. Crown Prince of Norway, b. 1900, r. 1936 to 1953, m. Margaret of Sweden
- 1) Crown Prince Christian of Norway, b. 19XX, d. 1944, unknown if married, but no issue
- 2) Haakon VIII of Norway, b. 1926, r. 1953 to the Present, m. 1950, Catherine of Great Britain
a) Crown Prince Christian of Norway, b. 1953, married
b) some other children
- 3) four other children
b) Theodolinde, Queen of the Netherlands, b. 1838, m. William IV of the Netherlands
- 1) two children
c) Eugenia, Queen of Denmark, b. 1842, m. John II of Denmark
- 1) five children
d) Prince Frederick, b. 1848, married
- 1) has issue
- 2b) Caroline, Queen of Hanover and Great Britain, b. 1820, m. George V of Hanover and Great Britain (1819 to 1878)a) Unnamed King of Hanover and Great Britain, married
- 1) a couple of generations later
a) Edward IX of Great Britain, married
- 1) Catherine, Queen of Norway, m. 1950, Haakon VIII of Norway (b. 1950)
a) for issue, see above
b) two other children
POD: The one where Charles II de Valois, Duke of Orléans isn't a moron.
Kings of France
1589-1606: François III "the Brutal" (House of Valois) [1]
1606-1622: François IV (House of Valois) [2]
1622-1653: Charles X (House of Valois) [3]
1653-1654: Henri IV (House of Valois) [4]
[4] Born in 1633 as the firstborn son of Charles X and Elizabeth of England, Henri (named after his maternal grandfather) was a sickly child form birth. Upon becoming King of France at the age of 20, many courtiers predicted that he won't be on the throne for long. They were right as he died on Feburary 25, 1654 of tuberculosis, days after his 21st birthday. As Henri's marrage to Caterina Farnese of Parma didn't produce any children, his _________ became the new King.
Kings of France
1589-1606: François III "the Brutal" (House of Valois) [1]
1606-1622: François IV (House of Valois) [2]
1622-1653: Charles X (House of Valois) [3]
1653-1654: Henri IV (House of Valois) [4]
[1] Charles, Duke of Orleans and his wife, Anna of Austria would have seven children including François in 1547. He was born just shortly after his uncle Henri became king. The relationship between his uncle and his father was contentious especially when Henri felt Milian rightfully belonged to him. It might have broken out into war had the other contender for Milian not decided to march his troops into Italy: King Philip of Spain (Anna of Austria's cousin). The two brother worked together to fight off Spain and their English allies with Charles seiging Calais, taking the last of England's foothold in France.
In 1559, Charles was sent to England to act as his brother's envoy to the new English queen , making a peace treaty. He returned just in time for the celebrations of the wedding between his niece Elizabeth and King Philip of Spain. That is when tragedy struck, King Henri was received a lance in the eye, dying of an infected wound on June 30. Charles would fight against the Dowager Queen Catherine de Medici and the new queen Mary of Scot's uncle, Francis, Duke of Guise. Luckily, he managed to win the Duke of Guise over, by marrying his son, François to Guise's daughter, Catherine. However, before the wedding could go through, King François II died of an ear infection.
Despite them loosing the backing of Mary of Scots who returned to Scotland soon afterwards, Charles thought it best to keep the Guises around as they were a strong Catholic faction. Thanks to the influence of his wife, Charles was quite eager to rid France of the Huguenots. He and the Duke of Guise would clash with Louis, Prince of Conde in the battle of Dreux of 1565. Unfortunately, Charles would die in the chaos of the fight.
François was eighteen when his father died and would despise all heathens from that point forward. He married Catherine of Lorraine as their fathers had planned on. Their enemies would call it a match made in hell. While it could not be denied that Anna of Austria and Catherine de Medici were Catholic to the core, they at least saw the sense in at least making a tenuous peace with the Huguenots. François and Catherine wanted to root out the heresy root and stem. They seemed to inflame each other's fanaticism. (It is often said that Shakespear Lady Macbeth were based off of Catherine, with many of the actors playing her using the limp Catherine was known to have.
Although King Charles was good at keeping François on a tight leash, his brother and successor, Henri III, would have a harder time. This would come to a head when in 1588, François and his brother-in-law, Henri, Duke of Guise would accuse King Henri of plotting to assassinate them and they would rebel. In the end, the rebellion was rendered pointless when a monk assassinated King Henri, leaving François as the next king.
"Chistiandom will never have a more pious servant," François III promised the pope as he was crowned. One of the new king's first acts was to repeal the Edict of Beaulieu, revoking the rights of the Huguenots. He also passed a new law barring all non-Catholics from the act of succession, noting dryly that he would rather a Catholic woman on the throne rather than a heretic king. Despite the protests of his mother, who died one year after his accession, and his younger brother who was married to the Calvinist princess, Anna of Nassau, he ordered an inquisition, decreeing that all those who did not renounce their heresy would be burned.
It is said in England, Queen Elizabeth admonished one of her advisors for making a remark on how alike the late Queen Mary was to the new King François. "At least my sister tried to make peace with those she called enemies for the true faith."
Just like the hapless King Henri III, King François would meet his end at the hands of an assassin. A lone gunman would take aim at the king as his carriage went down the streets of Paris. The king was struck on the side of his head, dying in the arms of his wife. His son would succeed him, trying to bring peace to a divided country.
[2] He was the only son of his parents, and grew up constantly in a state of acquiescence to the domineering women in his life: his mother, six full sisters, and two paternal half-sisters. All of his sisters ruled as co-regents during his adolescence as he was not yet an adult. France's pacification under his proper rule, when he reached adulthood, laid a lot of the ground for the country's rise to European hegemony. Tensions with Spain were tense to the point of war, despite his marriage to the Spanish infanta Maria, daughter of Philip III and Margaret of Austria, with whom he was deeply in love with. He fought his parliament and eventually compromised on a Spanish policy that basically entailed mutually leaving each other alone. The couple had five children, though only three lived to adulthood. He began a trading alliance with King Henry IX Fredrick and betrothed his son to his daughter Elizabeth. He financed several expeditions to what is now known as America, and set up trading relations with Asian countries. He was nicknamed le bon roi due to his kind-hearted and friendly personality, as well as peaceful policies. He died of cancer, and was succeeded by his son Charles.
[3] Charles was the second son of Marie and François. He was quite eccentric boy, loving powdered wigs and long sweeping capes. Rumors of his sexuality ran wild with his enemies trying to portray him as a weak wiled boy. Although Charles did have his fair share of male favorites, he still did his duty, having four surviving children with his wife, Elizabeth.
With his older brother, Francois dying in early childhood, Charles was quickly thrust into the position of Dauphin. When his father died, he was only eleven years old. His regency started off with a Huguenot rebellion that would last from 1622 to 1629 when the Peace of Alès reinstated the privileges and rights of the Huguenots enjoyed under King Henry III.
Once he came of age, Charles came to the conclusion that religious tolerance was the key to a peaceful kingdom. He also felt that should the Holy Roman Empire ever decided to try and steal France's Italian states, to make friends of their enemies. He arranged the marriages of his siblings and later his children to the Dutch Republic, to German Protestant states, Sweden and Denmark. It would be a toss up over which were successful as it brought resentment and some animosity with the pope.
To soothe the ruffled feathers and keep his relations with Italy warm, Charles had his heir Henri marry Caterina Farnese, daughter of the Duke of Parma.
He would die in a hunting accident when his horse got spooked and he was sent tumbling off the hill.
In 1559, Charles was sent to England to act as his brother's envoy to the new English queen , making a peace treaty. He returned just in time for the celebrations of the wedding between his niece Elizabeth and King Philip of Spain. That is when tragedy struck, King Henri was received a lance in the eye, dying of an infected wound on June 30. Charles would fight against the Dowager Queen Catherine de Medici and the new queen Mary of Scot's uncle, Francis, Duke of Guise. Luckily, he managed to win the Duke of Guise over, by marrying his son, François to Guise's daughter, Catherine. However, before the wedding could go through, King François II died of an ear infection.
Despite them loosing the backing of Mary of Scots who returned to Scotland soon afterwards, Charles thought it best to keep the Guises around as they were a strong Catholic faction. Thanks to the influence of his wife, Charles was quite eager to rid France of the Huguenots. He and the Duke of Guise would clash with Louis, Prince of Conde in the battle of Dreux of 1565. Unfortunately, Charles would die in the chaos of the fight.
François was eighteen when his father died and would despise all heathens from that point forward. He married Catherine of Lorraine as their fathers had planned on. Their enemies would call it a match made in hell. While it could not be denied that Anna of Austria and Catherine de Medici were Catholic to the core, they at least saw the sense in at least making a tenuous peace with the Huguenots. François and Catherine wanted to root out the heresy root and stem. They seemed to inflame each other's fanaticism. (It is often said that Shakespear Lady Macbeth were based off of Catherine, with many of the actors playing her using the limp Catherine was known to have.
Although King Charles was good at keeping François on a tight leash, his brother and successor, Henri III, would have a harder time. This would come to a head when in 1588, François and his brother-in-law, Henri, Duke of Guise would accuse King Henri of plotting to assassinate them and they would rebel. In the end, the rebellion was rendered pointless when a monk assassinated King Henri, leaving François as the next king.
"Chistiandom will never have a more pious servant," François III promised the pope as he was crowned. One of the new king's first acts was to repeal the Edict of Beaulieu, revoking the rights of the Huguenots. He also passed a new law barring all non-Catholics from the act of succession, noting dryly that he would rather a Catholic woman on the throne rather than a heretic king. Despite the protests of his mother, who died one year after his accession, and his younger brother who was married to the Calvinist princess, Anna of Nassau, he ordered an inquisition, decreeing that all those who did not renounce their heresy would be burned.
It is said in England, Queen Elizabeth admonished one of her advisors for making a remark on how alike the late Queen Mary was to the new King François. "At least my sister tried to make peace with those she called enemies for the true faith."
Just like the hapless King Henri III, King François would meet his end at the hands of an assassin. A lone gunman would take aim at the king as his carriage went down the streets of Paris. The king was struck on the side of his head, dying in the arms of his wife. His son would succeed him, trying to bring peace to a divided country.
[2] He was the only son of his parents, and grew up constantly in a state of acquiescence to the domineering women in his life: his mother, six full sisters, and two paternal half-sisters. All of his sisters ruled as co-regents during his adolescence as he was not yet an adult. France's pacification under his proper rule, when he reached adulthood, laid a lot of the ground for the country's rise to European hegemony. Tensions with Spain were tense to the point of war, despite his marriage to the Spanish infanta Maria, daughter of Philip III and Margaret of Austria, with whom he was deeply in love with. He fought his parliament and eventually compromised on a Spanish policy that basically entailed mutually leaving each other alone. The couple had five children, though only three lived to adulthood. He began a trading alliance with King Henry IX Fredrick and betrothed his son to his daughter Elizabeth. He financed several expeditions to what is now known as America, and set up trading relations with Asian countries. He was nicknamed le bon roi due to his kind-hearted and friendly personality, as well as peaceful policies. He died of cancer, and was succeeded by his son Charles.
[3] Charles was the second son of Marie and François. He was quite eccentric boy, loving powdered wigs and long sweeping capes. Rumors of his sexuality ran wild with his enemies trying to portray him as a weak wiled boy. Although Charles did have his fair share of male favorites, he still did his duty, having four surviving children with his wife, Elizabeth.
With his older brother, Francois dying in early childhood, Charles was quickly thrust into the position of Dauphin. When his father died, he was only eleven years old. His regency started off with a Huguenot rebellion that would last from 1622 to 1629 when the Peace of Alès reinstated the privileges and rights of the Huguenots enjoyed under King Henry III.
Once he came of age, Charles came to the conclusion that religious tolerance was the key to a peaceful kingdom. He also felt that should the Holy Roman Empire ever decided to try and steal France's Italian states, to make friends of their enemies. He arranged the marriages of his siblings and later his children to the Dutch Republic, to German Protestant states, Sweden and Denmark. It would be a toss up over which were successful as it brought resentment and some animosity with the pope.
To soothe the ruffled feathers and keep his relations with Italy warm, Charles had his heir Henri marry Caterina Farnese, daughter of the Duke of Parma.
He would die in a hunting accident when his horse got spooked and he was sent tumbling off the hill.
[4] Born in 1633 as the firstborn son of Charles X and Elizabeth of England, Henri (named after his maternal grandfather) was a sickly child form birth. Upon becoming King of France at the age of 20, many courtiers predicted that he won't be on the throne for long. They were right as he died on Feburary 25, 1654 of tuberculosis, days after his 21st birthday. As Henri's marrage to Caterina Farnese of Parma didn't produce any children, his _________ became the new King.
POD: The one where Charles II de Valois, Duke of Orléans isn't a moron.
Kings of France
1589-1606: François III "the Brutal" (House of Valois) [1]
1606-1622: François IV (House of Valois) [2]
1622-1653: Charles X (House of Valois) [3]
1653-1654: Henri IV (House of Valois) [4]
1654-1700: Charles XI (House of Valois) [5]
[5] He was the second son of Charles X and Elizabeth of England, born in 1637. Handsome and athletic, he was considered a bit of a playboy, already having four bastard children before he acceded the throne at the age of seventeen. He married his brother's widow, Caterina Farnese, and with her he had seven children who lived to adulthood. After her death due to childbirth complications, he remarried to Tsarevna Eudoxia of Russia, daughter of Michael I with whom he had another seven children. He decided to establish trading relations with the Holy Roman Empire, and issued a proclamation that he would not compel his subjects to follow his religion. The weather during the years of his reign were consistently wet, leading to flooding and eventual famine. Nowadays, historians portray Charles XI as a short-tempered, occasionally indecisive ruler who enjoyed more than his fair share of good luck, but his charisma and hard-working attitude in an era when government was ramshackle and limited, and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardized their thrones was never denied. When he was killed in a hunting accident, he was widely mourned in France. His forty-six years on the throne provided a sense of security and identity to his subjects who previously had rulers with short and unstable reigns.
Kings of France
1589-1606: François III "the Brutal" (House of Valois) [1]
1606-1622: François IV (House of Valois) [2]
1622-1653: Charles X (House of Valois) [3]
1653-1654: Henri IV (House of Valois) [4]
1654-1700: Charles XI (House of Valois) [5]
[1] Charles, Duke of Orleans and his wife, Anna of Austria would have seven children including François in 1547. He was born just shortly after his uncle Henri became king. The relationship between his uncle and his father was contentious especially when Henri felt Milian rightfully belonged to him. It might have broken out into war had the other contender for Milian not decided to march his troops into Italy: King Philip of Spain (Anna of Austria's cousin). The two brother worked together to fight off Spain and their English allies with Charles seiging Calais, taking the last of England's foothold in France.
In 1559, Charles was sent to England to act as his brother's envoy to the new English queen , making a peace treaty. He returned just in time for the celebrations of the wedding between his niece Elizabeth and King Philip of Spain. That is when tragedy struck, King Henri was received a lance in the eye, dying of an infected wound on June 30. Charles would fight against the Dowager Queen Catherine de Medici and the new queen Mary of Scot's uncle, Francis, Duke of Guise. Luckily, he managed to win the Duke of Guise over, by marrying his son, François to Guise's daughter, Catherine. However, before the wedding could go through, King François II died of an ear infection.
Despite them loosing the backing of Mary of Scots who returned to Scotland soon afterwards, Charles thought it best to keep the Guises around as they were a strong Catholic faction. Thanks to the influence of his wife, Charles was quite eager to rid France of the Huguenots. He and the Duke of Guise would clash with Louis, Prince of Conde in the battle of Dreux of 1565. Unfortunately, Charles would die in the chaos of the fight.
François was eighteen when his father died and would despise all heathens from that point forward. He married Catherine of Lorraine as their fathers had planned on. Their enemies would call it a match made in hell. While it could not be denied that Anna of Austria and Catherine de Medici were Catholic to the core, they at least saw the sense in at least making a tenuous peace with the Huguenots. François and Catherine wanted to root out the heresy root and stem. They seemed to inflame each other's fanaticism. (It is often said that Shakespear Lady Macbeth were based off of Catherine, with many of the actors playing her using the limp Catherine was known to have.
Although King Charles was good at keeping François on a tight leash, his brother and successor, Henri III, would have a harder time. This would come to a head when in 1588, François and his brother-in-law, Henri, Duke of Guise would accuse King Henri of plotting to assassinate them and they would rebel. In the end, the rebellion was rendered pointless when a monk assassinated King Henri, leaving François as the next king.
"Chistiandom will never have a more pious servant," François III promised the pope as he was crowned. One of the new king's first acts was to repeal the Edict of Beaulieu, revoking the rights of the Huguenots. He also passed a new law barring all non-Catholics from the act of succession, noting dryly that he would rather a Catholic woman on the throne rather than a heretic king. Despite the protests of his mother, who died one year after his accession, and his younger brother who was married to the Calvinist princess, Anna of Nassau, he ordered an inquisition, decreeing that all those who did not renounce their heresy would be burned.
It is said in England, Queen Elizabeth admonished one of her advisors for making a remark on how alike the late Queen Mary was to the new King François. "At least my sister tried to make peace with those she called enemies for the true faith."
Just like the hapless King Henri III, King François would meet his end at the hands of an assassin. A lone gunman would take aim at the king as his carriage went down the streets of Paris. The king was struck on the side of his head, dying in the arms of his wife. His son would succeed him, trying to bring peace to a divided country.
[2] He was the only son of his parents, and grew up constantly in a state of acquiescence to the domineering women in his life: his mother, six full sisters, and two paternal half-sisters. All of his sisters ruled as co-regents during his adolescence as he was not yet an adult. France's pacification under his proper rule, when he reached adulthood, laid a lot of the ground for the country's rise to European hegemony. Tensions with Spain were tense to the point of war, despite his marriage to the Spanish infanta Maria, daughter of Philip III and Margaret of Austria, with whom he was deeply in love with. He fought his parliament and eventually compromised on a Spanish policy that basically entailed mutually leaving each other alone. The couple had five children, though only three lived to adulthood. He began a trading alliance with King Henry IX Fredrick and betrothed his son to his daughter Elizabeth. He financed several expeditions to what is now known as America, and set up trading relations with Asian countries. He was nicknamed le bon roi due to his kind-hearted and friendly personality, as well as peaceful policies. He died of cancer, and was succeeded by his son Charles.
[3] Charles was the second son of Marie and François. He was quite eccentric boy, loving powdered wigs and long sweeping capes. Rumors of his sexuality ran wild with his enemies trying to portray him as a weak wiled boy. Although Charles did have his fair share of male favorites, he still did his duty, having four surviving children with his wife, Elizabeth.
With his older brother, Francois dying in early childhood, Charles was quickly thrust into the position of Dauphin. When his father died, he was only eleven years old. His regency started off with a Huguenot rebellion that would last from 1622 to 1629 when the Peace of Alès reinstated the privileges and rights of the Huguenots enjoyed under King Henry III.
Once he came of age, Charles came to the conclusion that religious tolerance was the key to a peaceful kingdom. He also felt that should the Holy Roman Empire ever decided to try and steal France's Italian states, to make friends of their enemies. He arranged the marriages of his siblings and later his children to the Dutch Republic, to German Protestant states, Sweden and Denmark. It would be a toss up over which were successful as it brought resentment and some animosity with the pope.
To soothe the ruffled feathers and keep his relations with Italy warm, Charles had his heir Henri marry Caterina Farnese, daughter of the Duke of Parma.
He would die in a hunting accident when his horse got spooked and he was sent tumbling off the hill.
[4] Born in 1633 as the firstborn son of Charles X and Elizabeth of England, Henri (named after his maternal grandfather) was a sickly child form birth. Upon becoming King of France at the age of 20, many courtiers predicted that he won't be on the throne for long. They were right as he died on Feburary 25, 1654 of tuberculosis, days after his 21st birthday. As Henri's marrage to Caterina Farnese of Parma didn't produce any children, his brother Charles became the new King.
In 1559, Charles was sent to England to act as his brother's envoy to the new English queen , making a peace treaty. He returned just in time for the celebrations of the wedding between his niece Elizabeth and King Philip of Spain. That is when tragedy struck, King Henri was received a lance in the eye, dying of an infected wound on June 30. Charles would fight against the Dowager Queen Catherine de Medici and the new queen Mary of Scot's uncle, Francis, Duke of Guise. Luckily, he managed to win the Duke of Guise over, by marrying his son, François to Guise's daughter, Catherine. However, before the wedding could go through, King François II died of an ear infection.
Despite them loosing the backing of Mary of Scots who returned to Scotland soon afterwards, Charles thought it best to keep the Guises around as they were a strong Catholic faction. Thanks to the influence of his wife, Charles was quite eager to rid France of the Huguenots. He and the Duke of Guise would clash with Louis, Prince of Conde in the battle of Dreux of 1565. Unfortunately, Charles would die in the chaos of the fight.
François was eighteen when his father died and would despise all heathens from that point forward. He married Catherine of Lorraine as their fathers had planned on. Their enemies would call it a match made in hell. While it could not be denied that Anna of Austria and Catherine de Medici were Catholic to the core, they at least saw the sense in at least making a tenuous peace with the Huguenots. François and Catherine wanted to root out the heresy root and stem. They seemed to inflame each other's fanaticism. (It is often said that Shakespear Lady Macbeth were based off of Catherine, with many of the actors playing her using the limp Catherine was known to have.
Although King Charles was good at keeping François on a tight leash, his brother and successor, Henri III, would have a harder time. This would come to a head when in 1588, François and his brother-in-law, Henri, Duke of Guise would accuse King Henri of plotting to assassinate them and they would rebel. In the end, the rebellion was rendered pointless when a monk assassinated King Henri, leaving François as the next king.
"Chistiandom will never have a more pious servant," François III promised the pope as he was crowned. One of the new king's first acts was to repeal the Edict of Beaulieu, revoking the rights of the Huguenots. He also passed a new law barring all non-Catholics from the act of succession, noting dryly that he would rather a Catholic woman on the throne rather than a heretic king. Despite the protests of his mother, who died one year after his accession, and his younger brother who was married to the Calvinist princess, Anna of Nassau, he ordered an inquisition, decreeing that all those who did not renounce their heresy would be burned.
It is said in England, Queen Elizabeth admonished one of her advisors for making a remark on how alike the late Queen Mary was to the new King François. "At least my sister tried to make peace with those she called enemies for the true faith."
Just like the hapless King Henri III, King François would meet his end at the hands of an assassin. A lone gunman would take aim at the king as his carriage went down the streets of Paris. The king was struck on the side of his head, dying in the arms of his wife. His son would succeed him, trying to bring peace to a divided country.
[2] He was the only son of his parents, and grew up constantly in a state of acquiescence to the domineering women in his life: his mother, six full sisters, and two paternal half-sisters. All of his sisters ruled as co-regents during his adolescence as he was not yet an adult. France's pacification under his proper rule, when he reached adulthood, laid a lot of the ground for the country's rise to European hegemony. Tensions with Spain were tense to the point of war, despite his marriage to the Spanish infanta Maria, daughter of Philip III and Margaret of Austria, with whom he was deeply in love with. He fought his parliament and eventually compromised on a Spanish policy that basically entailed mutually leaving each other alone. The couple had five children, though only three lived to adulthood. He began a trading alliance with King Henry IX Fredrick and betrothed his son to his daughter Elizabeth. He financed several expeditions to what is now known as America, and set up trading relations with Asian countries. He was nicknamed le bon roi due to his kind-hearted and friendly personality, as well as peaceful policies. He died of cancer, and was succeeded by his son Charles.
[3] Charles was the second son of Marie and François. He was quite eccentric boy, loving powdered wigs and long sweeping capes. Rumors of his sexuality ran wild with his enemies trying to portray him as a weak wiled boy. Although Charles did have his fair share of male favorites, he still did his duty, having four surviving children with his wife, Elizabeth.
With his older brother, Francois dying in early childhood, Charles was quickly thrust into the position of Dauphin. When his father died, he was only eleven years old. His regency started off with a Huguenot rebellion that would last from 1622 to 1629 when the Peace of Alès reinstated the privileges and rights of the Huguenots enjoyed under King Henry III.
Once he came of age, Charles came to the conclusion that religious tolerance was the key to a peaceful kingdom. He also felt that should the Holy Roman Empire ever decided to try and steal France's Italian states, to make friends of their enemies. He arranged the marriages of his siblings and later his children to the Dutch Republic, to German Protestant states, Sweden and Denmark. It would be a toss up over which were successful as it brought resentment and some animosity with the pope.
To soothe the ruffled feathers and keep his relations with Italy warm, Charles had his heir Henri marry Caterina Farnese, daughter of the Duke of Parma.
He would die in a hunting accident when his horse got spooked and he was sent tumbling off the hill.
[4] Born in 1633 as the firstborn son of Charles X and Elizabeth of England, Henri (named after his maternal grandfather) was a sickly child form birth. Upon becoming King of France at the age of 20, many courtiers predicted that he won't be on the throne for long. They were right as he died on Feburary 25, 1654 of tuberculosis, days after his 21st birthday. As Henri's marrage to Caterina Farnese of Parma didn't produce any children, his brother Charles became the new King.
[5] He was the second son of Charles X and Elizabeth of England, born in 1637. Handsome and athletic, he was considered a bit of a playboy, already having four bastard children before he acceded the throne at the age of seventeen. He married his brother's widow, Caterina Farnese, and with her he had seven children who lived to adulthood. After her death due to childbirth complications, he remarried to Tsarevna Eudoxia of Russia, daughter of Michael I with whom he had another seven children. He decided to establish trading relations with the Holy Roman Empire, and issued a proclamation that he would not compel his subjects to follow his religion. The weather during the years of his reign were consistently wet, leading to flooding and eventual famine. Nowadays, historians portray Charles XI as a short-tempered, occasionally indecisive ruler who enjoyed more than his fair share of good luck, but his charisma and hard-working attitude in an era when government was ramshackle and limited, and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardized their thrones was never denied. When he was killed in a hunting accident, he was widely mourned in France. His forty-six years on the throne provided a sense of security and identity to his subjects who previously had rulers with short and unstable reigns.
Claim thread starter rights as the Slavic TL has timed out. Am going to try something different with this one.
The Little Dukedom That Could : What If Arbella Stuart and William Seymour were permitted to marry by her cousin, James VI and I?
Rules: We are following the senior claimant to the Dukedom of Somerset, traditionally "heirs male of the body" - but an Act of Parliament and stipulation in the Letters Patent could allow a female to inherit (see the Dukedom of Fife). The Dukedom may not be made monarch or effective ruler of any state - but can dance around the edges (siblings of the claimant may marry a King/Queen but the senior claimant must not)
The Duke's of Somerset
1660 to 1660 : William Seymour (House of Seymour)
1660 to 1675 : Matthew Seymour (House of Seymour) (1)
(1) Matthew (after his ancestor, the 4th Earl of Lennox) was the second son of Arbella and William, born 1615. His elder brother William survived to adulthood, but remained childless (at least, legitimate ones) and predeceased their father in 1652. Matthew married Lady Grace Darcy of Holderness (his sister-in-law) in 1651, when he was 36, and they had the first of four children to survive to adulthood in 1652. He succeeded his father at the age of 45, and had until then been known as Lord Beauchamp. He had been a cavalier and was imprisoned during the Civil War but his loyalty was rewarded by the King with money and land upon his coronation in 1654* and in 1672, Matthew saw the marriage of his daughter, Rachel, to the King's illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth. At this point, Matthew himself was falling lower down the line of succession - even if the King had no legitimate children, his brother had numerous (Charles, Mary, James, Anne, Edgar and Isabel) and rumour had it that Anne, Duchess of York, was pregnant once again, so the marriage, even to an illegitimate son of the King, gave the Dukedom of Somerset some precedence again. In 1672, after the Monmouth Wedding, the Queen died and the King was encouraged to marry once more, despite his brothers large number of healthy children, and Matthew positioned his widowed half-sister, Susan, Dowager Viscountess Boyle of Kinalmeaky, as an acceptable English protestant candidate. In 1674, the King married the widowed Susan Seymour and by 1675, she was pregnant - but Matthew would never find out whether the child was a boy or a girl as he died, and the Dukedom passed to his __________
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, b. 1588, d. 1660, m1. Lady Arbella Stuart (1675 to 1630), m2. Lady Anna Sophia Herbert
* - the Civil War is much shorter here, from 1649 to 1653 (ie, the Commonwealth collapses before Cromwell is first proposed as Lord Protector)
Rules: We are following the senior claimant to the Dukedom of Somerset, traditionally "heirs male of the body" - but an Act of Parliament and stipulation in the Letters Patent could allow a female to inherit (see the Dukedom of Fife). The Dukedom may not be made monarch or effective ruler of any state - but can dance around the edges (siblings of the claimant may marry a King/Queen but the senior claimant must not)
The Duke's of Somerset
1660 to 1660 : William Seymour (House of Seymour)
1660 to 1675 : Matthew Seymour (House of Seymour) (1)
(1) Matthew (after his ancestor, the 4th Earl of Lennox) was the second son of Arbella and William, born 1615. His elder brother William survived to adulthood, but remained childless (at least, legitimate ones) and predeceased their father in 1652. Matthew married Lady Grace Darcy of Holderness (his sister-in-law) in 1651, when he was 36, and they had the first of four children to survive to adulthood in 1652. He succeeded his father at the age of 45, and had until then been known as Lord Beauchamp. He had been a cavalier and was imprisoned during the Civil War but his loyalty was rewarded by the King with money and land upon his coronation in 1654* and in 1672, Matthew saw the marriage of his daughter, Rachel, to the King's illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth. At this point, Matthew himself was falling lower down the line of succession - even if the King had no legitimate children, his brother had numerous (Charles, Mary, James, Anne, Edgar and Isabel) and rumour had it that Anne, Duchess of York, was pregnant once again, so the marriage, even to an illegitimate son of the King, gave the Dukedom of Somerset some precedence again. In 1672, after the Monmouth Wedding, the Queen died and the King was encouraged to marry once more, despite his brothers large number of healthy children, and Matthew positioned his widowed half-sister, Susan, Dowager Viscountess Boyle of Kinalmeaky, as an acceptable English protestant candidate. In 1674, the King married the widowed Susan Seymour and by 1675, she was pregnant - but Matthew would never find out whether the child was a boy or a girl as he died, and the Dukedom passed to his __________
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, b. 1588, d. 1660, m1. Lady Arbella Stuart (1675 to 1630), m2. Lady Anna Sophia Herbert
a1) Lady Arbella Seymour, b. 1612
a2) Lord William Seymour, b. 1613, d. 1652, never married, no legitimate children
a3) Matthew Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset, b. 1615, d. 1675, m. Lady Grace Darcy of Holderness (b. 1633)
x) four children to survive to adulthood from 1652, these include ...
a) Lady Rachel Seymour, Duchess of Monmouth, b. 1654, m. James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (b. 1649)
a4) Lady Honora Seymour, b. 1619, m1. Richard Molyneux, Viscount Molyneaux, m2. Lord Conyers Darcy, 2nd Earl of Holderness
x) probably some children by one or both of the marriages
a5) Lord Edward Seymour
b1) Lady Sophia Seymour, b. 1630
b2) Susan Seymour, Queen of England. 1639, m1. Lewis Boyle, 1st Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky, m2. Charles II of England, Scotland (...)
a) no children from marriage to Lewis Boyle
b) pregnant in 1675 with child of Charles II
b2) Lord Phillip Seymour
* - the Civil War is much shorter here, from 1649 to 1653 (ie, the Commonwealth collapses before Cromwell is first proposed as Lord Protector)
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The Little Dukedom That Could : What If Arbella Stuart and William Seymour were permitted to marry by her cousin, James VI and I?
Rules: We are following the senior claimant to the Dukedom of Somerset, traditionally "heirs male of the body" - but an Act of Parliament and stipulation in the Letters Patent could allow a female to inherit (see the Dukedom of Fife). The Dukedom may not be made monarch or effective ruler of any state - but can dance around the edges (siblings of the claimant may marry a King/Queen but the senior claimant must not)
The Duke's of Somerset
1660 to 1660 : William Seymour (House of Seymour)
1660 to 1675 : Matthew Seymour (House of Seymour) (1)
1675 to 1733: William Seymour (House of Seymour) (1)
(1) Matthew (after his ancestor, the 4th Earl of Lennox) was the second son of Arbella and William, born 1615. His elder brother William survived to adulthood, but remained childless (at least, legitimate ones) and predeceased their father in 1652. Matthew married Lady Grace Darcy of Holderness (his sister-in-law) in 1651, when he was 36, and they had the first of four children to survive to adulthood in 1652. He succeeded his father at the age of 45, and had until then been known as Lord Beauchamp. He had been a cavalier and was imprisoned during the Civil War but his loyalty was rewarded by the King with money and land upon his coronation in 1654* and in 1672, Matthew saw the marriage of his daughter, Rachel, to the King's illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth. At this point, Matthew himself was falling lower down the line of succession - even if the King had no legitimate children, his brother had numerous (Charles, Mary, James, Anne, Edgar and Isabel) and rumour had it that Anne, Duchess of York, was pregnant once again, so the marriage, even to an illegitimate son of the King, gave the Dukedom of Somerset some precedence again. In 1672, after the Monmouth Wedding, the Queen died and the King was encouraged to marry once more, despite his brothers large number of healthy children, and Matthew positioned his widowed half-sister, Susan, Dowager Viscountess Boyle of Kinalmeaky, as an acceptable English protestant candidate. In 1674, the King married the widowed Susan Seymour and by 1675, she was pregnant - but Matthew would never find out whether the child was a boy or a girl as he died, and the Dukedom passed to his eldest son, William, Lord Beauchamp.
[2] William Seymour, 3nd Duke of Somerset, was born in 1652, a few days before his uncle untimely death.
For education his father would arrange the tutor to be their cousin, William Seymour, fourth son of Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet, and his wife Anne Portman, and a descendant of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, in the senior line.
At the age of 8, William was just finishing his education for the day, when news came of his grandfathers death, meaning he succeeded to the title of Lord Beauchamp, following his father becoming the new Duke.
In 1670, with the blessing from King Charles, 18 year old William would marry 17 year old, Lady Margaret Sackville of Dorset, one of the six daughters of Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset and Lady Frances Cranfield (herself a daughter of daughter of Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex)
This marriage was blessed with many children, with lots surviving into adulthood.
At the age of 23, William’s father died. Upon arriving at London to perform Oath of Allegiance to King Charles I, he had arrived to find that his half-aunt, Queen Susan Seymour, had given birth to a healthy prince, Charles, Duke of Cornwall and would stand as a godparent to the young prince.
Upon arriving home, he would set about arranging marriages for his unwed siblings.
For Arbella Grace, he would arrange in 1677, her to be married to Charles Granville, Lord Lansdown (b. 1661) he was the eldest son of John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath and his wife, the former Jane Wyche.
His younger brother would be married to a local politicians daughter.
Another thing, William became famous in Somerset for was investing in the infrastructure and buildings. The duke brought Taunton Castle, building a new state house on the grounds and linking major cities with local towns with improved roads.
In 1685, news was received that King Charles II had died and his eldest son, the prince of Wales was now, Charles III.
During the funeral of the King, it was discussed that Dowager Queen Susan and Prince James, Duke of York would act as Regents for him. At 33, William was offered the position of Lord President of the Council and served the office even after Charles III came to age, asking for his half-uncle to carry on the office being the longest serving Lord President.
His would retire from his service in 1722, at the age of 70, having served for 37 years. Spending the last 11 years between his home in London and his estates in Somerset.
Following his death in 1733, Charles III allowed him a State Funeral in Westminster Abbey, followed by another service in Wells Cathedral before being buried in Church of All Saints, Wiltshire, the principal burial place of the Dukes of Somerset.
He was succeeded by his _______________, ______________.
Family Tree
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, b. 1588, d. 1660, m1. Lady Arbella Stuart (1675 to 1630), m2. Lady Anna Sophia Herbert
Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland (1600-1649) m. 1625, Henrietta Maria of France (1609–1669)
* - the Civil War is much shorter here, from 1649 to 1653 (ie, the Commonwealth collapses before Cromwell is first proposed as Lord Protector)
Rules: We are following the senior claimant to the Dukedom of Somerset, traditionally "heirs male of the body" - but an Act of Parliament and stipulation in the Letters Patent could allow a female to inherit (see the Dukedom of Fife). The Dukedom may not be made monarch or effective ruler of any state - but can dance around the edges (siblings of the claimant may marry a King/Queen but the senior claimant must not)
The Duke's of Somerset
1660 to 1660 : William Seymour (House of Seymour)
1660 to 1675 : Matthew Seymour (House of Seymour) (1)
1675 to 1733: William Seymour (House of Seymour) (1)
(1) Matthew (after his ancestor, the 4th Earl of Lennox) was the second son of Arbella and William, born 1615. His elder brother William survived to adulthood, but remained childless (at least, legitimate ones) and predeceased their father in 1652. Matthew married Lady Grace Darcy of Holderness (his sister-in-law) in 1651, when he was 36, and they had the first of four children to survive to adulthood in 1652. He succeeded his father at the age of 45, and had until then been known as Lord Beauchamp. He had been a cavalier and was imprisoned during the Civil War but his loyalty was rewarded by the King with money and land upon his coronation in 1654* and in 1672, Matthew saw the marriage of his daughter, Rachel, to the King's illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth. At this point, Matthew himself was falling lower down the line of succession - even if the King had no legitimate children, his brother had numerous (Charles, Mary, James, Anne, Edgar and Isabel) and rumour had it that Anne, Duchess of York, was pregnant once again, so the marriage, even to an illegitimate son of the King, gave the Dukedom of Somerset some precedence again. In 1672, after the Monmouth Wedding, the Queen died and the King was encouraged to marry once more, despite his brothers large number of healthy children, and Matthew positioned his widowed half-sister, Susan, Dowager Viscountess Boyle of Kinalmeaky, as an acceptable English protestant candidate. In 1674, the King married the widowed Susan Seymour and by 1675, she was pregnant - but Matthew would never find out whether the child was a boy or a girl as he died, and the Dukedom passed to his eldest son, William, Lord Beauchamp.
[2] William Seymour, 3nd Duke of Somerset, was born in 1652, a few days before his uncle untimely death.
For education his father would arrange the tutor to be their cousin, William Seymour, fourth son of Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet, and his wife Anne Portman, and a descendant of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, in the senior line.
At the age of 8, William was just finishing his education for the day, when news came of his grandfathers death, meaning he succeeded to the title of Lord Beauchamp, following his father becoming the new Duke.
In 1670, with the blessing from King Charles, 18 year old William would marry 17 year old, Lady Margaret Sackville of Dorset, one of the six daughters of Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset and Lady Frances Cranfield (herself a daughter of daughter of Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex)
This marriage was blessed with many children, with lots surviving into adulthood.
At the age of 23, William’s father died. Upon arriving at London to perform Oath of Allegiance to King Charles I, he had arrived to find that his half-aunt, Queen Susan Seymour, had given birth to a healthy prince, Charles, Duke of Cornwall and would stand as a godparent to the young prince.
Upon arriving home, he would set about arranging marriages for his unwed siblings.
For Arbella Grace, he would arrange in 1677, her to be married to Charles Granville, Lord Lansdown (b. 1661) he was the eldest son of John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath and his wife, the former Jane Wyche.
His younger brother would be married to a local politicians daughter.
Another thing, William became famous in Somerset for was investing in the infrastructure and buildings. The duke brought Taunton Castle, building a new state house on the grounds and linking major cities with local towns with improved roads.
In 1685, news was received that King Charles II had died and his eldest son, the prince of Wales was now, Charles III.
During the funeral of the King, it was discussed that Dowager Queen Susan and Prince James, Duke of York would act as Regents for him. At 33, William was offered the position of Lord President of the Council and served the office even after Charles III came to age, asking for his half-uncle to carry on the office being the longest serving Lord President.
His would retire from his service in 1722, at the age of 70, having served for 37 years. Spending the last 11 years between his home in London and his estates in Somerset.
Following his death in 1733, Charles III allowed him a State Funeral in Westminster Abbey, followed by another service in Wells Cathedral before being buried in Church of All Saints, Wiltshire, the principal burial place of the Dukes of Somerset.
He was succeeded by his _______________, ______________.
Family Tree
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, b. 1588, d. 1660, m1. Lady Arbella Stuart (1675 to 1630), m2. Lady Anna Sophia Herbert
a1) Lady Arbella Seymour, b. 1612
a2) Lord William Seymour, b. 1613, d. 1652, never married, no legitimate children
a3) Matthew Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset, b. 1615, d. 1675, m. Lady Grace Darcy of Holderness (b. 1633)
a) William Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset, b. 1652, m. Lady Margaret Sackville of Dorset, b. 1653
x) Issues
b) Lady Rachel Seymour, Duchess of Monmouth, b. 1654, m. 1661, James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (b. 1649)
x) Issues
c) Lord Matthew Seymour, b. 1657, m. Lady Anne Popham of Littlecote
d) Lady Arbella Grace Seymour, b. 1660 m. Charles Granville, 2nd Earl of Bath (1661-1701)
a4) Lady Honora Seymour, b. 1619, m1. Richard Molyneux, Viscount Molyneaux, m2. Lord Conyers Darcy, 2nd Earl of Holderness
x) probably some children by one or both of the marriages
a5) Lord Edward Seymour
b1) Lady Sophia Seymour, b. 1630
b2) Susan Seymour, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. 1639, m. a) Lewis Boyle, 1st Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky, m. b) Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland (1630–1685)
1b) Charles III of England, Scotland and Ireland b. 1675 (see Royal Family Tree)
b2) Lord Phillip Seymour
Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland (1600-1649) m. 1625, Henrietta Maria of France (1609–1669)
1) Charles James, Duke of Cornwall (b.&d. 1629)
2) Charles II (1630-1685) m. a) Catherine of Braganza (1638–1672) m. b) Susan Seymour
a) No legitimate issue.
1b) Charles III b. 1675
?b) Possibly more issues?
?) illegitimate issues, including:
- James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (b. 1649) m. Lady Rachel Seymour, Duchess of Monmouth, b. 1654
3) Mary, Princess Royal ( 1631-1660) m. 1641, William II, Prince of Orange (1626–1650)
4) James, Duke of York (1633-) m. 1659, a) Anne Hyde (1637–)
5) Elizabeth (1635-1650)
6) Anne (1637-1640)
7) Catherine (b.&d. 1639)
8) Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1640-1660)
9) Henrietta (1644-1670) m. 1661, Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans (1640–1701)
* - the Civil War is much shorter here, from 1649 to 1653 (ie, the Commonwealth collapses before Cromwell is first proposed as Lord Protector)
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It doesn't impact your installment at all, but Anne Hyde was still alive until at least 1672 ITTL (and reportedly pregnant at that point), thus the Duke of York probably never married Mary of Modena, or married her a little later than OTL.
Ah yes. Sorry forgot that I’ll change my Royal Family List just to keep it all in order.
Charles, Duke of Orleans, b. 1522, d. 1565, m. Anna of Austria (1528-1590)
- 1) François III of France, b. 1547, r. 1589-1606, m. Catherine of Lorraine (b. 1552)
- 3) five other children
- 1) François III of France, b. 1547, r. 1589-1606, m. Catherine of Lorraine (b. 1552)
a) six older daughters
b) François IV of France, r. 1606-1622, m. Maria of Spain
- 1) François, Dauphin of France
- 2) Charles X of France, b. 1611, r. 1622-1653, m. Elizabeth of England
a) Henri IV of France, b. 1633, r. 1653-1654, m. Caterina Farnese of Parma
- 1) no issue
b) Charles XI of France, b. 1637, r. 1654-1700, m1. Caterina Farnese of Parma, m2. Tsarevna Eudoxia of Russia (b. 1637)
- a1) seven children
- b1) seven children
- 3) unnamed daughter
- 4) one other non-surviving child of François IV
- 2) unnamed son, m. Anna of Nassau- 3) five other children
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The Little Dukedom That Could : What If Arbella Stuart and William Seymour were permitted to marry by her cousin, James VI and I?
Rules: We are following the senior claimant to the Dukedom of Somerset, traditionally "heirs male of the body" - but an Act of Parliament and stipulation in the Letters Patent could allow a female to inherit (see the Dukedom of Fife). The Dukedom may not be made monarch or effective ruler of any state - but can dance around the edges (siblings of the claimant may marry a King/Queen but the senior claimant must not)
The Duke's of Somerset
1660 to 1660 : William Seymour (House of Seymour)
1660 to 1675 : Matthew Seymour (House of Seymour) (1)
1675 to 1733 : William Seymour (House of Seymour) (2)
1733 to 1761 : Alexander Seymour (House of Seymour) (3)
(1) Matthew (after his ancestor, the 4th Earl of Lennox) was the second son of Arbella and William, born 1615. His elder brother William survived to adulthood, but remained childless (at least, legitimate ones) and predeceased their father in 1652. Matthew married Lady Grace Darcy of Holderness (his sister-in-law) in 1651, when he was 36, and they had the first of four children to survive to adulthood in 1652. He succeeded his father at the age of 45, and had until then been known as Lord Beauchamp. He had been a cavalier and was imprisoned during the Civil War but his loyalty was rewarded by the King with money and land upon his coronation in 1654* and in 1672, Matthew saw the marriage of his daughter, Rachel, to the King's illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth. At this point, Matthew himself was falling lower down the line of succession - even if the King had no legitimate children, his brother had numerous (Charles, Mary, James, Anne, Edgar and Isabel) and rumour had it that Anne, Duchess of York, was pregnant once again, so the marriage, even to an illegitimate son of the King, gave the Dukedom of Somerset some precedence again. In 1672, after the Monmouth Wedding, the Queen died and the King was encouraged to marry once more, despite his brothers large number of healthy children, and Matthew positioned his widowed half-sister, Susan, Dowager Viscountess Boyle of Kinalmeaky, as an acceptable English protestant candidate. In 1674, the King married the widowed Susan Seymour and by 1675, she was pregnant - but Matthew would never find out whether the child was a boy or a girl as he died, and the Dukedom passed to his eldest son, William, Lord Beauchamp.
View attachment 721936
[2] William Seymour, 3nd Duke of Somerset, was born in 1652, a few days before his uncle untimely death.
For education his father would arrange the tutor to be their cousin, William Seymour, fourth son of Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet, and his wife Anne Portman, and a descendant of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, in the senior line.
At the age of 8, William was just finishing his education for the day, when news came of his grandfathers death, meaning he succeeded to the title of Lord Beauchamp, following his father becoming the new Duke.
In 1670, with the blessing from King Charles, 18 year old William would marry 17 year old, Lady Margaret Sackville of Dorset, one of the six daughters of Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset and Lady Frances Cranfield (herself a daughter of daughter of Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex)
This marriage was blessed with many children, with lots surviving into adulthood.
At the age of 23, William’s father died. Upon arriving at London to perform Oath of Allegiance to King Charles I, he had arrived to find that his half-aunt, Queen Susan Seymour, had given birth to a healthy prince, Charles, Duke of Cornwall and would stand as a godparent to the young prince.
Upon arriving home, he would set about arranging marriages for his unwed siblings.
For Arbella Grace, he would arrange in 1677, her to be married to Charles Granville, Lord Lansdown (b. 1661) he was the eldest son of John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath and his wife, the former Jane Wyche.
His younger brother would be married to a local politicians daughter.
Another thing, William became famous in Somerset for was investing in the infrastructure and buildings. The duke brought Taunton Castle, building a new state house on the grounds and linking major cities with local towns with improved roads.
In 1685, news was received that King Charles II had died and his eldest son, the prince of Wales was now, Charles III.
During the funeral of the King, it was discussed that Dowager Queen Susan and Prince James, Duke of York would act as Regents for him. At 33, William was offered the position of Lord President of the Council and served the office even after Charles III came to age, asking for his half-uncle to carry on the office being the longest serving Lord President.
His would retire from his service in 1722, at the age of 70, having served for 37 years. Spending the last 11 years between his home in London and his estates in Somerset.
Following his death in 1733, Charles III allowed him a State Funeral in Westminster Abbey, followed by another service in Wells Cathedral before being buried in Church of All Saints, Wiltshire, the principal burial place of the Dukes of Somerset.
He was succeeded by his nephew, Alexander.
(4) Whilst his paternal uncle was made Lord President of the Council, under the request of his half cousin, Charles III, Alexander's father, Lord Matthew Seymour, was made Ambassador to the Court of the Duchy of Savoy and took up residence there for the majority of his life (negotiating the marriage of Charles III and Victoria Adelaide under the instruction of his aunt, Dowager Queen Susan). However, Matthew died in 1720, having seen the marriage of his son, Alexander (after his maternal grandfather), to Jeanne Angelica Scaglia. Jeanne Angelica (commonly just Jeanne) was the daughter of the mistress of the Duke of Savoy (whose own wife was a distant relation to Alexander and may have encouraged the match), by her husband, the Count of Verua. There was no way that Matthew, no matter how much he flattered the Duke, or how much he had his "cousin" flatter her husband, that a marriage to a legitimate child, or even an illegitimate one, would be permitted - those children were useful and Matthew had no title of his own, though with his brothers ability to produce only daughters, he was clearly his brother's heir presumptive.
Matthew died of pneumonia in 1722, and then in 1733, the Fourth Duke died at the age of 81, leaving Alexander as the Fifth Duke of Somerset and his infant son as Lord Beauchamp. Alexander would spend much of his life in Savoy at the fringes of the Piedmontese Court, but now with a title of his own, he was a much more attractive guest in his own right than his father had been. Despite being the owner of the lands and properties of the Dukedom, he allowed his maiden cousin, Dorothy, to take charge of the finances and in return allowed her an allowance.
Alexander would die in 1761, aged 58, and the Dukedom would be inherited by ________
Family Tree
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, b. 1588, d. 1660, m1. Lady Arbella Stuart (1675 to 1630), m2. Lady Anna Sophia Herbert
Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland (1600-1649) m. 1625, Henrietta Maria of France (1609–1669)
* - the Civil War is much shorter here, from 1649 to 1653 (ie, the Commonwealth collapses before Cromwell is first proposed as Lord Protector)
Rules: We are following the senior claimant to the Dukedom of Somerset, traditionally "heirs male of the body" - but an Act of Parliament and stipulation in the Letters Patent could allow a female to inherit (see the Dukedom of Fife). The Dukedom may not be made monarch or effective ruler of any state - but can dance around the edges (siblings of the claimant may marry a King/Queen but the senior claimant must not)
The Duke's of Somerset
1660 to 1660 : William Seymour (House of Seymour)
1660 to 1675 : Matthew Seymour (House of Seymour) (1)
1675 to 1733 : William Seymour (House of Seymour) (2)
1733 to 1761 : Alexander Seymour (House of Seymour) (3)
(1) Matthew (after his ancestor, the 4th Earl of Lennox) was the second son of Arbella and William, born 1615. His elder brother William survived to adulthood, but remained childless (at least, legitimate ones) and predeceased their father in 1652. Matthew married Lady Grace Darcy of Holderness (his sister-in-law) in 1651, when he was 36, and they had the first of four children to survive to adulthood in 1652. He succeeded his father at the age of 45, and had until then been known as Lord Beauchamp. He had been a cavalier and was imprisoned during the Civil War but his loyalty was rewarded by the King with money and land upon his coronation in 1654* and in 1672, Matthew saw the marriage of his daughter, Rachel, to the King's illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth. At this point, Matthew himself was falling lower down the line of succession - even if the King had no legitimate children, his brother had numerous (Charles, Mary, James, Anne, Edgar and Isabel) and rumour had it that Anne, Duchess of York, was pregnant once again, so the marriage, even to an illegitimate son of the King, gave the Dukedom of Somerset some precedence again. In 1672, after the Monmouth Wedding, the Queen died and the King was encouraged to marry once more, despite his brothers large number of healthy children, and Matthew positioned his widowed half-sister, Susan, Dowager Viscountess Boyle of Kinalmeaky, as an acceptable English protestant candidate. In 1674, the King married the widowed Susan Seymour and by 1675, she was pregnant - but Matthew would never find out whether the child was a boy or a girl as he died, and the Dukedom passed to his eldest son, William, Lord Beauchamp.
View attachment 721936
[2] William Seymour, 3nd Duke of Somerset, was born in 1652, a few days before his uncle untimely death.
For education his father would arrange the tutor to be their cousin, William Seymour, fourth son of Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet, and his wife Anne Portman, and a descendant of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, in the senior line.
At the age of 8, William was just finishing his education for the day, when news came of his grandfathers death, meaning he succeeded to the title of Lord Beauchamp, following his father becoming the new Duke.
In 1670, with the blessing from King Charles, 18 year old William would marry 17 year old, Lady Margaret Sackville of Dorset, one of the six daughters of Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset and Lady Frances Cranfield (herself a daughter of daughter of Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex)
This marriage was blessed with many children, with lots surviving into adulthood.
At the age of 23, William’s father died. Upon arriving at London to perform Oath of Allegiance to King Charles I, he had arrived to find that his half-aunt, Queen Susan Seymour, had given birth to a healthy prince, Charles, Duke of Cornwall and would stand as a godparent to the young prince.
Upon arriving home, he would set about arranging marriages for his unwed siblings.
For Arbella Grace, he would arrange in 1677, her to be married to Charles Granville, Lord Lansdown (b. 1661) he was the eldest son of John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath and his wife, the former Jane Wyche.
His younger brother would be married to a local politicians daughter.
Another thing, William became famous in Somerset for was investing in the infrastructure and buildings. The duke brought Taunton Castle, building a new state house on the grounds and linking major cities with local towns with improved roads.
In 1685, news was received that King Charles II had died and his eldest son, the prince of Wales was now, Charles III.
During the funeral of the King, it was discussed that Dowager Queen Susan and Prince James, Duke of York would act as Regents for him. At 33, William was offered the position of Lord President of the Council and served the office even after Charles III came to age, asking for his half-uncle to carry on the office being the longest serving Lord President.
His would retire from his service in 1722, at the age of 70, having served for 37 years. Spending the last 11 years between his home in London and his estates in Somerset.
Following his death in 1733, Charles III allowed him a State Funeral in Westminster Abbey, followed by another service in Wells Cathedral before being buried in Church of All Saints, Wiltshire, the principal burial place of the Dukes of Somerset.
He was succeeded by his nephew, Alexander.
(4) Whilst his paternal uncle was made Lord President of the Council, under the request of his half cousin, Charles III, Alexander's father, Lord Matthew Seymour, was made Ambassador to the Court of the Duchy of Savoy and took up residence there for the majority of his life (negotiating the marriage of Charles III and Victoria Adelaide under the instruction of his aunt, Dowager Queen Susan). However, Matthew died in 1720, having seen the marriage of his son, Alexander (after his maternal grandfather), to Jeanne Angelica Scaglia. Jeanne Angelica (commonly just Jeanne) was the daughter of the mistress of the Duke of Savoy (whose own wife was a distant relation to Alexander and may have encouraged the match), by her husband, the Count of Verua. There was no way that Matthew, no matter how much he flattered the Duke, or how much he had his "cousin" flatter her husband, that a marriage to a legitimate child, or even an illegitimate one, would be permitted - those children were useful and Matthew had no title of his own, though with his brothers ability to produce only daughters, he was clearly his brother's heir presumptive.
Matthew died of pneumonia in 1722, and then in 1733, the Fourth Duke died at the age of 81, leaving Alexander as the Fifth Duke of Somerset and his infant son as Lord Beauchamp. Alexander would spend much of his life in Savoy at the fringes of the Piedmontese Court, but now with a title of his own, he was a much more attractive guest in his own right than his father had been. Despite being the owner of the lands and properties of the Dukedom, he allowed his maiden cousin, Dorothy, to take charge of the finances and in return allowed her an allowance.
Alexander would die in 1761, aged 58, and the Dukedom would be inherited by ________
Family Tree
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, b. 1588, d. 1660, m1. Lady Arbella Stuart (1675 to 1630), m2. Lady Anna Sophia Herbert
a1) Lady Arbella Seymour, b. 1612
a2) Lord William Seymour, b. 1613, d. 1652, never married, no legitimate children
a3) Matthew Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset, b. 1615, d. 1675, m. Lady Grace Darcy of Holderness (b. 1633)
a) William Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset, b. 1652, d. 1733, m. Lady Margaret Sackville of Dorset, b. 1653
1) Lady Margaret Seymour
2) Lady Grace Seymour
3) Lady Arbella Seymour
4) Lady Frances Seymour
5) Lady Dorothy Seymour, caretaker of the estate of the Dukedom in Britain under the Fifth Duke
6) Lady Elizabeth Seymour
b) Lady Rachel Seymour, Duchess of Monmouth, b. 1654, m. 1661, James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (b. 1649)
x) has issue
c) Lord Matthew Seymour, Ambassador to the Duchy of Savoy. 1657, d. 1722, m. Lady Anne Popham of Littlecote
1) Alexander Seymour, 5th Duke of Somerset, b. 1703, d. 1761, m. Jeanne Angelica Scaglia
x) has issue, including one infant son as of 1733
x) several siblings
d) Lady Arbella Grace Seymour, b. 1660 m. Charles Granville, 2nd Earl of Bath (1661-1701)
a4) Lady Honora Seymour, b. 1619, m1. Richard Molyneux, Viscount Molyneaux, m2. Lord Conyers Darcy, 2nd Earl of Holderness
x) probably some children by one or both of the marriages
a5) Lord Edward Seymour
b1) Lady Sophia Seymour, b. 1630
b2) Susan Seymour, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. 1639, m. a) Lewis Boyle, 1st Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky, m. b) Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland (1630–1685)
1b) Charles III of England, Scotland and Ireland b. 1675, m. Victoria Adelaide of Savoy (b. 1785)
a) Charles IV of England, Scotland and Ireland, b. 1710, r
b2) Lord Phillip Seymour
Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland (1600-1649) m. 1625, Henrietta Maria of France (1609–1669)
1) Charles James, Duke of Cornwall (b.&d. 1629)
2) Charles II (1630-1685) m. a) Catherine of Braganza (1638–1672) m. b) Susan Seymour
a) No legitimate issue.
1b) Charles III b. 1675, m. Victoria Adelaide of Savoy
a) Charles IV
?b) Possibly more issues?
?) illegitimate issues, including:
- James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (b. 1649) m. Lady Rachel Seymour, Duchess of Monmouth, b. 1654
3) Mary, Princess Royal ( 1631-1660) m. 1641, William II, Prince of Orange (1626–1650)
4) James, Duke of York (1633-) m. 1659, a) Anne Hyde (1637–)
5) Elizabeth (1635-1650)
6) Anne (1637-1640)
7) Catherine (b.&d. 1639)
8) Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1640-1660)
9) Henrietta (1644-1670) m. 1661, Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans (1640–1701)
1) Anne Marie d'Orléans, m. Victor Amadeus, Duke of Savoy
a) Victoria Adelaide, Queen of England (...), m. Charles III of England (...)
1) Charles IV of England (...)
* - the Civil War is much shorter here, from 1649 to 1653 (ie, the Commonwealth collapses before Cromwell is first proposed as Lord Protector)
POD: The one where Charles II de Valois, Duke of Orléans isn't a moron.
Kings of France
1589-1606: François III "the Brutal" (House of Valois) [1]
1606-1622: François IV (House of Valois) [2]
1622-1653: Charles X (House of Valois) [3]
1653-1654: Henri IV (House of Valois) [4]
1654-1700: Charles XI (House of Valois) [5]
1700-1717: Louis XIII "the Unlucky" (House of Valois) [6]
[6] Louis was born in 1657 on August 25, the feast day of his namesake saint. In his youth, he was known to be much like his father. athletic, outgoing, and a lover of the finer things. The only difference between the two men was Louis' lack of temper. His mother, Catrina died when he was eleven years old, something that devastated the young prince. When his father remarried, he was initially weary of his new stepmother, but eventually he did warm up to her, around the same time she gave birth to his first half-sibling.
From a young age, he was engaged to the princess of Navarre, in hopes of reestablishing the long time friendship between the two countries. Princess Isabelle was five years younger than Louis, but when she arrived in France in 1678, she wasted no time charming her new husband, showing herself to be just as free spirited and playful.
Although, it was a loving marriage, it was plagued by fertility problems. Despite sharing his wife's bed every night since they were wed, there was no signs of pregnancy. Considering the Dauphin had two mistresses before he was married (discarding them almost immediately after the wedding), he never had a bastard, there were whispers that he was impotent. These rumors became so rampant that when after six years of trying the Dauphine did fall pregnant, the gossip became that she had a lover (much like her husband, Isabelle was a very flirty woman and had many friends of the opposite sex).
The normally easygoing prince was enraged when the rumors of his wife's infidelity reached his ears. Popular story dictates that he went straight to his father and demanded that those who dared slander his wife be banished from court, only to find that the equally angry and appalled King of France had already done so.
Louis' faith in his wife was rewarded when she birthed a son who had the appearance of the king. They named him Charles for his grandfather. Four years later, they would have Princess Catherine and Prince Henri five years after that. Unfortunately, both Catherine and Louis would die due to an outbreak of smallpox. It was a devastating blow to the family, sending Louis into a downward spiral where he began to overeat and gained several pounds.
It said something about Louis' luck that just three months after losing his father in 1700 and becoming king, France became embroiled in the Spanish succession crisis. Charles II of Spain was the last of the Spanish Hapsburg and had died heirless in November 1700. King Gaston I of Navarre (the brother-in-law of Louis) was the chosen heir as he was the son of Charles II's half-sister Maria Theresa. However, Archduke Charles of the Holy Roman Empire, declared himself the King of Spain as he was a male Hapsburg.
As King Charles XI's paternal grandmother was Maria of Spain, his sons and their descendants also had a claim to Spain, something some of Louis' relatives wanted him to take advantage of. However, Louis refused, citing that Gaston had the better claim as his mother was Carlos' sister. Privately, the fact that Gaston was his beloved wife's brother was also a factor in his decision to back Navarre. He did however marry his niece, Anne-Catherine (b 1687) to Gaston's son and heir Prince Jean (b. 1683) in hopes of uniting their claims.
This enraged the Holy Roman Empire and he cut off the trading agreement Louis' father had worked so hard to maintain. However, Louis did not sit around and mope at how he was undoing his father's hard work and instead reached out to England, the Dutch Republic, Russia, Denmark, and Sweden. Having thirteen siblings and a gaggle of nephews and nieces helped him in this endeavor.
Despite being out of shape, Louis decided to lead the troops himself. The nineteen-year-old Dauphin Charles wanted to fight by his side. As he was his parents only surviving child, he was denied. There were several screaming matches between the pair usually with various relatives being roped into the argument. Finally Isabelle stepped in, suggesting that Charles be named regent, allowing him to stay home protected, but able to rule his country while his father was away. Dauphin Charles accepted this compromise reluctantly and with bad grace, treating his father with coldly and with barely concealed resentment. When Louis left for war, he did not bother saying farewell to his son who had refused to come see him off. He would regret it bitterly for the rest of his life.
In 1706, while fighting against the Imperial forces in Italy, Louis received horrifying news, a battalion was headed for army. Worse, his son Charles had lead his own men to face the invaders, only to fall on the battlefield. Upon learning of his son's death, Louis had a near fatal heart attack, leaving him unconscious for days, leaving his brother to take charge of the army, splitting their troops so relief could be sent to Paris.
Louis remained bedridden, recovering both in body and spirit. When Paris was freed, he returned home, demoralized and devastated. In 1712, peace was established where Gaston was named King of Spain and Navarre while the Spanish Netherlands were given to Charles of Austria along with the Duchy of Milan and the Kingdom of Naples. Victor, Duke of Savoy became of King of Sicily. As the French ambassador put it, "France has done much for this war, and we have received nothing but heartbreak in return." However, King Louis was too far in his depression to complain about France's lack of rewards, ignoring the growing hostility between his wife's family and his own.
Over the next four years, the monarch's health continued to deteriorate until in 1717, he would have a stroke. Despite the efforts of the royal physician, the king died hours later, after saying goodbye to his wife and his_____.
Charles, Duke of Orleans, b. 1522, d. 1565, m. Anna of Austria (1528-1590)
- 1) François III of France, b. 1547, r. 1589-1606, m. Catherine of Lorraine (b. 1552)
a) six older daughters
b) François IV of France, r. 1606-1622, m. Maria of Spain
- 1) François, Dauphin of France
- 2) Charles X of France, b. 1611, r. 1622-1653, m. Elizabeth of England
a) Henri IV of France, b. 1633, r. 1653-1654, m. Caterina Farnese of Parma
- 1) no issue
b) Charles XI of France, b. 1637, r. 1654-1700, m1. Caterina Farnese of Parma (d. 1668), m2. Tsarevna Eudoxia of Russia (b. 1637)
- a1) Louis XIII of France, b. 1657, r. 1700-1717, m. 1678, Isabelle of Navarre b. 1662.
a) Dauphin Charles. b. 1684 d. 1706
b) Princess Catherine b. 1688 d. 1695
c) Prince Louis Henri b. 1693 d. 1695
- a2) unnamed son of Charles XI, married
a) Anne-Catherine, b. 1687, m. Jean of Spain and Navarre (b. 1683)
- a3) five other children
- b1) seven children
- 3) unnamed daughter
- 4) one other non-surviving child of François IV
- 2) unnamed son of Charles, Duke of Orleans, m. Anna of Nassau
- 3) five other children
Kings of France
1589-1606: François III "the Brutal" (House of Valois) [1]
1606-1622: François IV (House of Valois) [2]
1622-1653: Charles X (House of Valois) [3]
1653-1654: Henri IV (House of Valois) [4]
1654-1700: Charles XI (House of Valois) [5]
1700-1717: Louis XIII "the Unlucky" (House of Valois) [6]
[1] Charles, Duke of Orleans and his wife, Anna of Austria would have seven children including François in 1547. He was born just shortly after his uncle Henri became king. The relationship between his uncle and his father was contentious especially when Henri felt Milian rightfully belonged to him. It might have broken out into war had the other contender for Milan not decided to march his troops into Italy: King Philip of Spain (Anna of Austria's cousin). The two brother worked together to fight off Spain and their English allies with Charles seiging Calais, taking the last of England's foothold in France.
In 1559, Charles was sent to England to act as his brother's envoy to the new English queen , making a peace treaty. He returned just in time for the celebrations of the wedding between his niece Elizabeth and King Philip of Spain. That is when tragedy struck, King Henri was received a lance in the eye, dying of an infected wound on June 30. Charles would fight against the Dowager Queen Catherine de Medici and the new queen Mary of Scot's uncle, Francis, Duke of Guise. Luckily, he managed to win the Duke of Guise over, by marrying his son, François to Guise's daughter, Catherine. However, before the wedding could go through, King François II died of an ear infection.
Despite them loosing the backing of Mary of Scots who returned to Scotland soon afterwards, Charles thought it best to keep the Guises around as they were a strong Catholic faction. Thanks to the influence of his wife, Charles was quite eager to rid France of the Huguenots. He and the Duke of Guise would clash with Louis, Prince of Conde in the battle of Dreux of 1565. Unfortunately, Charles would die in the chaos of the fight.
François was eighteen when his father died and would despise all heathens from that point forward. He married Catherine of Lorraine as their fathers had planned on. Their enemies would call it a match made in hell. While it could not be denied that Anna of Austria and Catherine de Medici were Catholic to the core, they at least saw the sense in at least making a tenuous peace with the Huguenots. François and Catherine wanted to root out the heresy root and stem. They seemed to inflame each other's fanaticism. (It is often said that Shakespeare Lady Macbeth were based off of Catherine, with many of the actors playing her using the limp Catherine was known to have.
Although King Charles was good at keeping François on a tight leash, his brother and successor, Henri III, would have a harder time. This would come to a head when in 1588, François and his brother-in-law, Henri, Duke of Guise would accuse King Henri of plotting to assassinate them and they would rebel. In the end, the rebellion was rendered pointless when a monk assassinated King Henri, leaving François as the next king.
"Chistiandom will never have a more pious servant," François III promised the pope as he was crowned. One of the new king's first acts was to repeal the Edict of Beaulieu, revoking the rights of the Huguenots. He also passed a new law barring all non-Catholics from the act of succession, noting dryly that he would rather a Catholic woman on the throne rather than a heretic king. Despite the protests of his mother, who died one year after his accession, and his younger brother who was married to the Calvinist princess, Anna of Nassau, he ordered an inquisition, decreeing that all those who did not renounce their heresy would be burned.
It is said in England, Queen Elizabeth admonished one of her advisors for making a remark on how alike the late Queen Mary was to the new King François. "At least my sister tried to make peace with those she called enemies for the true faith."
Just like the hapless King Henri III, King François would meet his end at the hands of an assassin. A lone gunman would take aim at the king as his carriage went down the streets of Paris. The king was struck on the side of his head, dying in the arms of his wife. His son would succeed him, trying to bring peace to a divided country.
[2] He was the only son of his parents, and grew up constantly in a state of acquiescence to the domineering women in his life: his mother, six full sisters, and two paternal half-sisters. All of his sisters ruled as co-regents during his adolescence as he was not yet an adult. France's pacification under his proper rule, when he reached adulthood, laid a lot of the ground for the country's rise to European hegemony. Tensions with Spain were tense to the point of war, despite his marriage to the Spanish infanta Maria, daughter of Philip III and Margaret of Austria, with whom he was deeply in love with. He fought his parliament and eventually compromised on a Spanish policy that basically entailed mutually leaving each other alone. The couple had five children, though only three lived to adulthood. He began a trading alliance with King Henry IX Fredrick and betrothed his son to his daughter Elizabeth. He financed several expeditions to what is now known as America, and set up trading relations with Asian countries. He was nicknamed le bon roi due to his kind-hearted and friendly personality, as well as peaceful policies. He died of cancer, and was succeeded by his son Charles.
[3] Charles was the second son of Marie and François. He was quite eccentric boy, loving powdered wigs and long sweeping capes. Rumors of his sexuality ran wild with his enemies trying to portray him as a weak wiled boy. Although Charles did have his fair share of male favorites, he still did his duty, having four surviving children with his wife, Elizabeth.
With his older brother, Francois dying in early childhood, Charles was quickly thrust into the position of Dauphin. When his father died, he was only eleven years old. His regency started off with a Huguenot rebellion that would last from 1622 to 1629 when the Peace of Alès reinstated the privileges and rights of the Huguenots enjoyed under King Henry III.
Once he came of age, Charles came to the conclusion that religious tolerance was the key to a peaceful kingdom. He also felt that should the Holy Roman Empire ever decided to try and steal France's Italian states, to make friends of their enemies. He arranged the marriages of his siblings and later his children to the Dutch Republic, to German Protestant states, Sweden and Denmark. It would be a toss up over which were successful as it brought resentment and some animosity with the pope.
To soothe the ruffled feathers and keep his relations with Italy warm, Charles had his heir Henri marry Caterina Farnese, daughter of the Duke of Parma.
He would die in a hunting accident when his horse got spooked and he was sent tumbling off the hill.
[4] Born in 1633 as the firstborn son of Charles X and Elizabeth of England, Henri (named after his maternal grandfather) was a sickly child form birth. Upon becoming King of France at the age of 20, many courtiers predicted that he won't be on the throne for long. They were right as he died on Feburary 25, 1654 of tuberculosis, days after his 21st birthday. As Henri's marriage to Caterina Farnese of Parma didn't produce any children, his brother Charles became the new King.
[5] He was the second son of Charles X and Elizabeth of England, born in 1637. Handsome and athletic, he was considered a bit of a playboy, already having four bastard children before he acceded the throne at the age of seventeen. He married his brother's widow, Caterina Farnese, and with her he had seven children who lived to adulthood. After her death due to childbirth complications, he remarried to Tsarevna Eudoxia of Russia, daughter of Michael I with whom he had another seven children. He decided to establish trading relations with the Holy Roman Empire, and issued a proclamation that he would not compel his subjects to follow his religion. The weather during the years of his reign were consistently wet, leading to flooding and eventual famine. Nowadays, historians portray Charles XI as a short-tempered, occasionally indecisive ruler who enjoyed more than his fair share of good luck, but his charisma and hard-working attitude in an era when government was ramshackle and limited, and when monarchs in neighboring countries faced internal problems that jeopardized their thrones was never denied. When he was killed in a hunting accident, he was widely mourned in France. His forty-six years on the throne provided a sense of security and identity to his subjects who previously had rulers with short and unstable reigns.
In 1559, Charles was sent to England to act as his brother's envoy to the new English queen , making a peace treaty. He returned just in time for the celebrations of the wedding between his niece Elizabeth and King Philip of Spain. That is when tragedy struck, King Henri was received a lance in the eye, dying of an infected wound on June 30. Charles would fight against the Dowager Queen Catherine de Medici and the new queen Mary of Scot's uncle, Francis, Duke of Guise. Luckily, he managed to win the Duke of Guise over, by marrying his son, François to Guise's daughter, Catherine. However, before the wedding could go through, King François II died of an ear infection.
Despite them loosing the backing of Mary of Scots who returned to Scotland soon afterwards, Charles thought it best to keep the Guises around as they were a strong Catholic faction. Thanks to the influence of his wife, Charles was quite eager to rid France of the Huguenots. He and the Duke of Guise would clash with Louis, Prince of Conde in the battle of Dreux of 1565. Unfortunately, Charles would die in the chaos of the fight.
François was eighteen when his father died and would despise all heathens from that point forward. He married Catherine of Lorraine as their fathers had planned on. Their enemies would call it a match made in hell. While it could not be denied that Anna of Austria and Catherine de Medici were Catholic to the core, they at least saw the sense in at least making a tenuous peace with the Huguenots. François and Catherine wanted to root out the heresy root and stem. They seemed to inflame each other's fanaticism. (It is often said that Shakespeare Lady Macbeth were based off of Catherine, with many of the actors playing her using the limp Catherine was known to have.
Although King Charles was good at keeping François on a tight leash, his brother and successor, Henri III, would have a harder time. This would come to a head when in 1588, François and his brother-in-law, Henri, Duke of Guise would accuse King Henri of plotting to assassinate them and they would rebel. In the end, the rebellion was rendered pointless when a monk assassinated King Henri, leaving François as the next king.
"Chistiandom will never have a more pious servant," François III promised the pope as he was crowned. One of the new king's first acts was to repeal the Edict of Beaulieu, revoking the rights of the Huguenots. He also passed a new law barring all non-Catholics from the act of succession, noting dryly that he would rather a Catholic woman on the throne rather than a heretic king. Despite the protests of his mother, who died one year after his accession, and his younger brother who was married to the Calvinist princess, Anna of Nassau, he ordered an inquisition, decreeing that all those who did not renounce their heresy would be burned.
It is said in England, Queen Elizabeth admonished one of her advisors for making a remark on how alike the late Queen Mary was to the new King François. "At least my sister tried to make peace with those she called enemies for the true faith."
Just like the hapless King Henri III, King François would meet his end at the hands of an assassin. A lone gunman would take aim at the king as his carriage went down the streets of Paris. The king was struck on the side of his head, dying in the arms of his wife. His son would succeed him, trying to bring peace to a divided country.
[2] He was the only son of his parents, and grew up constantly in a state of acquiescence to the domineering women in his life: his mother, six full sisters, and two paternal half-sisters. All of his sisters ruled as co-regents during his adolescence as he was not yet an adult. France's pacification under his proper rule, when he reached adulthood, laid a lot of the ground for the country's rise to European hegemony. Tensions with Spain were tense to the point of war, despite his marriage to the Spanish infanta Maria, daughter of Philip III and Margaret of Austria, with whom he was deeply in love with. He fought his parliament and eventually compromised on a Spanish policy that basically entailed mutually leaving each other alone. The couple had five children, though only three lived to adulthood. He began a trading alliance with King Henry IX Fredrick and betrothed his son to his daughter Elizabeth. He financed several expeditions to what is now known as America, and set up trading relations with Asian countries. He was nicknamed le bon roi due to his kind-hearted and friendly personality, as well as peaceful policies. He died of cancer, and was succeeded by his son Charles.
[3] Charles was the second son of Marie and François. He was quite eccentric boy, loving powdered wigs and long sweeping capes. Rumors of his sexuality ran wild with his enemies trying to portray him as a weak wiled boy. Although Charles did have his fair share of male favorites, he still did his duty, having four surviving children with his wife, Elizabeth.
With his older brother, Francois dying in early childhood, Charles was quickly thrust into the position of Dauphin. When his father died, he was only eleven years old. His regency started off with a Huguenot rebellion that would last from 1622 to 1629 when the Peace of Alès reinstated the privileges and rights of the Huguenots enjoyed under King Henry III.
Once he came of age, Charles came to the conclusion that religious tolerance was the key to a peaceful kingdom. He also felt that should the Holy Roman Empire ever decided to try and steal France's Italian states, to make friends of their enemies. He arranged the marriages of his siblings and later his children to the Dutch Republic, to German Protestant states, Sweden and Denmark. It would be a toss up over which were successful as it brought resentment and some animosity with the pope.
To soothe the ruffled feathers and keep his relations with Italy warm, Charles had his heir Henri marry Caterina Farnese, daughter of the Duke of Parma.
He would die in a hunting accident when his horse got spooked and he was sent tumbling off the hill.
[4] Born in 1633 as the firstborn son of Charles X and Elizabeth of England, Henri (named after his maternal grandfather) was a sickly child form birth. Upon becoming King of France at the age of 20, many courtiers predicted that he won't be on the throne for long. They were right as he died on Feburary 25, 1654 of tuberculosis, days after his 21st birthday. As Henri's marriage to Caterina Farnese of Parma didn't produce any children, his brother Charles became the new King.
[5] He was the second son of Charles X and Elizabeth of England, born in 1637. Handsome and athletic, he was considered a bit of a playboy, already having four bastard children before he acceded the throne at the age of seventeen. He married his brother's widow, Caterina Farnese, and with her he had seven children who lived to adulthood. After her death due to childbirth complications, he remarried to Tsarevna Eudoxia of Russia, daughter of Michael I with whom he had another seven children. He decided to establish trading relations with the Holy Roman Empire, and issued a proclamation that he would not compel his subjects to follow his religion. The weather during the years of his reign were consistently wet, leading to flooding and eventual famine. Nowadays, historians portray Charles XI as a short-tempered, occasionally indecisive ruler who enjoyed more than his fair share of good luck, but his charisma and hard-working attitude in an era when government was ramshackle and limited, and when monarchs in neighboring countries faced internal problems that jeopardized their thrones was never denied. When he was killed in a hunting accident, he was widely mourned in France. His forty-six years on the throne provided a sense of security and identity to his subjects who previously had rulers with short and unstable reigns.
[6] Louis was born in 1657 on August 25, the feast day of his namesake saint. In his youth, he was known to be much like his father. athletic, outgoing, and a lover of the finer things. The only difference between the two men was Louis' lack of temper. His mother, Catrina died when he was eleven years old, something that devastated the young prince. When his father remarried, he was initially weary of his new stepmother, but eventually he did warm up to her, around the same time she gave birth to his first half-sibling.
From a young age, he was engaged to the princess of Navarre, in hopes of reestablishing the long time friendship between the two countries. Princess Isabelle was five years younger than Louis, but when she arrived in France in 1678, she wasted no time charming her new husband, showing herself to be just as free spirited and playful.
Although, it was a loving marriage, it was plagued by fertility problems. Despite sharing his wife's bed every night since they were wed, there was no signs of pregnancy. Considering the Dauphin had two mistresses before he was married (discarding them almost immediately after the wedding), he never had a bastard, there were whispers that he was impotent. These rumors became so rampant that when after six years of trying the Dauphine did fall pregnant, the gossip became that she had a lover (much like her husband, Isabelle was a very flirty woman and had many friends of the opposite sex).
The normally easygoing prince was enraged when the rumors of his wife's infidelity reached his ears. Popular story dictates that he went straight to his father and demanded that those who dared slander his wife be banished from court, only to find that the equally angry and appalled King of France had already done so.
Louis' faith in his wife was rewarded when she birthed a son who had the appearance of the king. They named him Charles for his grandfather. Four years later, they would have Princess Catherine and Prince Henri five years after that. Unfortunately, both Catherine and Louis would die due to an outbreak of smallpox. It was a devastating blow to the family, sending Louis into a downward spiral where he began to overeat and gained several pounds.
It said something about Louis' luck that just three months after losing his father in 1700 and becoming king, France became embroiled in the Spanish succession crisis. Charles II of Spain was the last of the Spanish Hapsburg and had died heirless in November 1700. King Gaston I of Navarre (the brother-in-law of Louis) was the chosen heir as he was the son of Charles II's half-sister Maria Theresa. However, Archduke Charles of the Holy Roman Empire, declared himself the King of Spain as he was a male Hapsburg.
As King Charles XI's paternal grandmother was Maria of Spain, his sons and their descendants also had a claim to Spain, something some of Louis' relatives wanted him to take advantage of. However, Louis refused, citing that Gaston had the better claim as his mother was Carlos' sister. Privately, the fact that Gaston was his beloved wife's brother was also a factor in his decision to back Navarre. He did however marry his niece, Anne-Catherine (b 1687) to Gaston's son and heir Prince Jean (b. 1683) in hopes of uniting their claims.
This enraged the Holy Roman Empire and he cut off the trading agreement Louis' father had worked so hard to maintain. However, Louis did not sit around and mope at how he was undoing his father's hard work and instead reached out to England, the Dutch Republic, Russia, Denmark, and Sweden. Having thirteen siblings and a gaggle of nephews and nieces helped him in this endeavor.
Despite being out of shape, Louis decided to lead the troops himself. The nineteen-year-old Dauphin Charles wanted to fight by his side. As he was his parents only surviving child, he was denied. There were several screaming matches between the pair usually with various relatives being roped into the argument. Finally Isabelle stepped in, suggesting that Charles be named regent, allowing him to stay home protected, but able to rule his country while his father was away. Dauphin Charles accepted this compromise reluctantly and with bad grace, treating his father with coldly and with barely concealed resentment. When Louis left for war, he did not bother saying farewell to his son who had refused to come see him off. He would regret it bitterly for the rest of his life.
In 1706, while fighting against the Imperial forces in Italy, Louis received horrifying news, a battalion was headed for army. Worse, his son Charles had lead his own men to face the invaders, only to fall on the battlefield. Upon learning of his son's death, Louis had a near fatal heart attack, leaving him unconscious for days, leaving his brother to take charge of the army, splitting their troops so relief could be sent to Paris.
Louis remained bedridden, recovering both in body and spirit. When Paris was freed, he returned home, demoralized and devastated. In 1712, peace was established where Gaston was named King of Spain and Navarre while the Spanish Netherlands were given to Charles of Austria along with the Duchy of Milan and the Kingdom of Naples. Victor, Duke of Savoy became of King of Sicily. As the French ambassador put it, "France has done much for this war, and we have received nothing but heartbreak in return." However, King Louis was too far in his depression to complain about France's lack of rewards, ignoring the growing hostility between his wife's family and his own.
Over the next four years, the monarch's health continued to deteriorate until in 1717, he would have a stroke. Despite the efforts of the royal physician, the king died hours later, after saying goodbye to his wife and his_____.
Charles, Duke of Orleans, b. 1522, d. 1565, m. Anna of Austria (1528-1590)
- 1) François III of France, b. 1547, r. 1589-1606, m. Catherine of Lorraine (b. 1552)
a) six older daughters
b) François IV of France, r. 1606-1622, m. Maria of Spain
- 1) François, Dauphin of France
- 2) Charles X of France, b. 1611, r. 1622-1653, m. Elizabeth of England
a) Henri IV of France, b. 1633, r. 1653-1654, m. Caterina Farnese of Parma
- 1) no issue
b) Charles XI of France, b. 1637, r. 1654-1700, m1. Caterina Farnese of Parma (d. 1668), m2. Tsarevna Eudoxia of Russia (b. 1637)
- a1) Louis XIII of France, b. 1657, r. 1700-1717, m. 1678, Isabelle of Navarre b. 1662.
a) Dauphin Charles. b. 1684 d. 1706
b) Princess Catherine b. 1688 d. 1695
c) Prince Louis Henri b. 1693 d. 1695
- a2) unnamed son of Charles XI, married
a) Anne-Catherine, b. 1687, m. Jean of Spain and Navarre (b. 1683)
- a3) five other children
- b1) seven children
- 3) unnamed daughter
- 4) one other non-surviving child of François IV
- 2) unnamed son of Charles, Duke of Orleans, m. Anna of Nassau
- 3) five other children
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