Long Term Ramifications of a surviving Prince William, Duke of Gloucester

Prince William Duke of Gloucester was the only surviving son of Queen Anne of Great Britain and Prince George of Denmark. Threw-out his life, He was the second on line to the Thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland. His early death at the age of 11 destabilized the protestant Succession and allowed the House of Hanover to inherit Britain after his mothers death. So what if he didn't die at 11 and instead succeeded his mother in 1714 as William IV of Great Britain? (before anyone asks, it is unknown what he died of. Some of the doctors thought scarlet fever while others thought smallpox.) What would be the long-term consequences of a surviving House of Stuart-Oldenburg? What would British policy look like without Hanover tying Britain down? Who would William IV marry? Would British colonial policy be the same as it was under the Hanovarians or would it change?
 
Prince William Duke of Gloucester was the only surviving son of Queen Anne of Great Britain and Prince George of Denmark. Threw-out his life, He was the second on line to the Thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland. His early death at the age of 11 destabilized the protestant Succession and allowed the House of Hanover to inherit Britain after his mothers death. So what if he didn't die at 11 and instead succeeded his mother in 1714 as William IV of Great Britain? (before anyone asks, it is unknown what he died of. Some of the doctors thought scarlet fever while others thought smallpox.) What would be the long-term consequences of a surviving House of Stuart-Oldenburg? What would British policy look like without Hanover tying Britain down? Who would William IV marry? Would British colonial policy be the same as it was under the Hanovarians or would it change?


A lot depends how long William IV lives and whether he has kids or not.

If not, then w may get c1744 the same situation as arose OTL in 1714, whether to recall the Stuarts or send for the Elector of Hanover. However, there will be one crucial difference. In 1714 there was only one Pretender, and when he refused to become Protestant, it was all over bar a couple of risings. In 1744, OTOH, there are two - and the Young Pretender is far less deeply religious than his father. If he decides that "London is worth a Book of Common Prayer" we might get a restored (and Anglican) Charles III.
 
A lot depends how long William IV lives and whether he has kids or not.

If not, then w may get c1744 the same situation as arose OTL in 1714, whether to recall the Stuarts or send for the Elector of Hanover. However, there will be one crucial difference. In 1714 there was only one Pretender, and when he refused to become Protestant, it was all over bar a couple of risings. In 1744, OTOH, there are two - and the Young Pretender is far less deeply religious than his father. If he decides that "London is worth a Book of Common Prayer" we might get a restored (and Anglican) Charles III.

Now THAT would be interesting:D. Hell there might not even be a pretender in the first place. Charles Edward could convert and become William IV's heir. But for the sake of argument, lets say William IV has kids. Who would he marry?
 
Now THAT would be interesting:D. Hell there might not even be a pretender in the first place. Charles Edward could convert and become William IV's heir. But for the sake of argument, lets say William IV has kids. Who would he marry?


One possibility might be Sophia of Hanover, daughter of OTL's George I.

OTL, she married FWI of Prussia and became mother of Frederick the Great, so the butterflies are sizeable.
 
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One possibility might be Sophia of hanover, daughter of OTL's George I.

OTL, she married FWI of Prussia and became mother of Frederick the Great, so the butterflies are sizeable.

A far out possibility I thought of would be his half-aunt, Louisa Maria Theresa. In OTL Queen Anne had the idea of marrying her to either George I or II (I can't remember which) but it fell threw because of her being in exile and her early death. Perhaps her brother the old pretender dies instead of her when they get the measles in 1708.
 
It MIGHT be possible to marry La Consolatrice (James II's youngest daughter) to Gloucester, BUT there is one teensy problem.

In catholic countries a papal dispensation was needed to marry an uncle to his niece/vice versa (see Portugal, and the Bourbons), but some Jacobites view Maria Beatrice of Sardinia (Mary III)'s marriage to her uncle, the duke of Modena, as invalid under English canon law, and say the Stuart succession passed to her younger sister, the duchess of Parma. And the only similarity in post-Reformation England is Henry VIII's marriage to Katherine Howard (cousin of Anne Boleyn).

Also, if the Act of Settlement still passes, by marrying Louisa Maria (who is a Catholic and who spent much time at the Convent of Chaillot with her mother, who the pope and Mme de Maintenon regarded as close to a saint) William of Gloucester removes himself from the succession and suddenly you have not one but two pretenders.

Another point to consider is that the English (in memory of the last Catholic queen they had - Mary of Modena) might shy away from a Catholic match. A match with "somebody big, somebody German" is unfortunately looking like an extreme possibility.

Just my thoughts.
 
Perhaps for extra butterflies he might marry Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel instead of John William Friso, butterflying half the current monarchs of Europe in one fell swoop.
 
It's out of left field, but Gloucester could marry Princess Ulrika Eleonora. better known as the sister of Charles XII and his successor upon his untimely death. She married quite late in life, and the two were born only a year apart. With the Wars of the Spanish Succession and the Northern Wars raging, Ulrika would made an attractive candidate as a bride for the prince as she is Protestant and of a suitably royal house.

Another big plus is that Sweden was quite pro-French in the 17th century, the absolutism of the king being bankrolled by French subsidies, much in the same way that Charles II ruled without Parliament for some years by accepting French money, although he never went the full step of quashing parliament in ruling.

In this anti-French atmosphere, he Whigs might see their chance to gain further influence in the Baltic. Russia isnt really recognizing on their radar, who certainly had more connections to the empire and Germany than England. The Whigs could also offer to sweeten the deal by offering subsidies to replace French ones. It'd have interesting effects on the Northern War as Sweden could still lose, yet with Charles XII still living. Ulrika would be a perfect Queen for England. She didn't meddle, was religious, and very charitable. They also share a relative: William of Gloucester's father is her uncle.

It could be interesting if such a match went through and was later regretted because of Charles XII's gaafes. It certainly wouldn't be the first time, such as Charles II with Catherine of Braganza, François Ier with his daughter-in-law Catherine de Médicis when her dowry went unpaid...

I would have the pair marry say in 1705, 1706. when they are between 15-16 for Gloucester and 17-18 for Ulrika. Charles XII at the height of his popularity. And as a butterfly effect talks are resumed for Charles XII to marry Princess Sophia of Denmark (who counts Queen Anne as her amongst her aunts; the duo were also betrothed and it was broken in 1697).

It's from there things could easily go up or down, such as say, Charles XII spent raised from the Riksdag for his sisters dowry being spent on military campaigns; Charles being taken prisoner and appealing to his sister for aid. Especially if William has succeeded his mother, it could create an uproar in Parliament if Ulrika sought to pawn her jewels to secure his release.

There is also that very tricky issue should Charles XII die without any heirs. IOTL, the so-called "Hesse" party secured Ulrike's election, based on her marriage to Frederick of Hesse, and her having served as Regent. IATL, there would be no such party and Ulrike would've never served in such a capacity. Charles XII had a second sister, Hedvig Sophia of Holstein-Gottorp. She was the eldest sister of the three and was actually the heiress presumptive until her death. She lived in Sweden following the death of her husband and headed the so-called Holstein Party to have her son Charles Frederick recognized as heir. In 1708 there was even talk of her remarriage (the OTL George II was a candidate!). It was his capture at a military camp that led to her early death.

Ulrike's marriage to William gives many butterflies. There's no chance of Charles XII suddenly dying (although given his lifestyle and fighting with his troops, I wouldn't rule it out). No marriage to Frederick of Hesse, which was a late marriage in 1715. Ulrike and William have chance issue. And thirdly,should Charles XII never marry, he will certainly pull a Christina and name his nephew by his eldest sister as his heir; she seemed to harbor no ambitions of being queen, but certainly had ambitions for her son.

Mostly importantly, this probably butterflies away rhe Age of Liberty in Sweden, although I could be wrong, which would be huge. If Sweden turns to be pro-English, it may lead the Russians to court the French even more so than OTL, and would definitely have great effects of British domestic policy if Charles XII proves himself ungallant such as, like I said, spending his sister's intended dowry to fight his wars, and even later on Queen Ulrike seeking an increase to her Parliamentary Annuity to pay her brothers ransom to be some juicy 18th century political scandals for the Whigs.
 
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