Luxemburg-Lorraine Union?

OTL, such a thing nearly happened. The youngest son of Jan the Blind, King of Bohemia and Count of Luxemburg, Wenceslas, was born in 1337. From 13 December 1337 he was to marry a princess of Lorraine (either the then duke's sister, Marguerite) or a daughter should the duke, Raoul, have one by his second wife (Raoul had twin girls born in 1343, but both died young).

Now, Jan died at the Battle of Crècy in August 1346. As did Raoul. However, the contract had been broken just a month before that (3 July 1346).

Here's my question...say Jean of Lorraine is born female, and assume a butterfly net until after Crècy. The contract seems unlikely to be broken. Raoul had no brothers, and his father's brothers had likewise died with no issue. In fact, you have to go all the way up to Ferry I's fifth son, Henri 'le Lombard' to find a legitimate male line of the house of Lorraine that is still extant (and the direct male line of Henri dies out in 1347). Nor can anyone predict in February 1346 that Raoul will be dead in six months.

Wenceslas and his Lorrainer bride likely get married - Johanna of Brabant is a widow since September 1345 already and until 1352, when her youngest brother Godefroi dies, no one can know she'll succeed her dad. What happens next?
 

VVD0D95

Banned
OTL, such a thing nearly happened. The youngest son of Jan the Blind, King of Bohemia and Count of Luxemburg, Wenceslas, was born in 1337. From 13 December 1337 he was to marry a princess of Lorraine (either the then duke's sister, Marguerite) or a daughter should the duke, Raoul, have one by his second wife (Raoul had twin girls born in 1343, but both died young).

Now, Jan died at the Battle of Crècy in August 1346. As did Raoul. However, the contract had been broken just a month before that (3 July 1346).

Here's my question...say Jean of Lorraine is born female, and assume a butterfly net until after Crècy. The contract seems unlikely to be broken. Raoul had no brothers, and his father's brothers had likewise died with no issue. In fact, you have to go all the way up to Ferry I's fifth son, Henri 'le Lombard' to find a legitimate male line of the house of Lorraine that is still extant (and the direct male line of Henri dies out in 1347). Nor can anyone predict in February 1346 that Raoul will be dead in six months.

Wenceslas and his Lorrainer bride likely get married - Johanna of Brabant is a widow since September 1345 already and until 1352, when her youngest brother Godefroi dies, no one can know she'll succeed her dad. What happens next?

I imagine the French would panic, after all, this places a potential rival right on their front door no?
 
I imagine the French would panic, after all, this places a potential rival right on their front door no?

Not exactly. Wenceslas' mom is a Bourbon, Wenceslas himself is half-brother to the queen of France. And after Crecy, the French are probably more worried about Edward III than Lorraine.
 

VVD0D95

Banned
Not exactly. Wenceslas' mom is a Bourbon, Wenceslas himself is half-brother to the queen of France. And after Crecy, the French are probably more worried about Edward III than Lorraine.

Hmm, this is true, in which case I could see a peaceful ascension of Wenceslas to Lorraine, he'd probably need some time to consolidate etc.
 
Wenceslas and his Lorrainer bride likely get married - Johanna of Brabant is a widow since September 1345 already and until 1352, when her youngest brother Godefroi dies, no one can know she'll succeed her dad. What happens next?
Joanna is still in her 20s, so it's not out of the question that she might remarry (William II, Duke of Jülich is available at the time) and have a son. Margaret of Flanders won't be born for another 4 years so she might be butterflied into a son.

Wenceslas' dispute with Edward of Guelders might be butterflied away (heck, Edward deposing his brother might be butterflied away), meaning he doesn't get killed in battle and the War of the Succession of Guelders doesn't happen.
 
heck, Edward deposing his brother might be butterflied away), meaning he doesn't get killed in battle and the War of the Succession of Guelders doesn't happen.
Considering that their mom - Edward III's sister - played a big role in setting them up against one another, I suspect that those wars would still happen, even if Eduard winds up not dying
 
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