Margareta domina: A Margaret of Austria TL

[UnaiB]

Philip of Charolais could also marry Catherine of the Palatinate, the youngest daughter of the Elector Palatine Philip, or a daughter of Vladislaus II of Hungary and Maria of Aragon.

 

[kasumigenx]

I think Philip of Charolais can marry an ATL daughter of Elizabeth of Bavaria of Landshut, a descendant of Hedwig Jagiellon.

 

[curlyhairedhippie]

I think Philip of Charolais can marry an ATL daughter of Elizabeth of Bavaria of Landshut, a descendant of Hedwig Jagiellon.

Anna of Brandenburg (or, indeed, Catherine of the Palatinate) would be a better match. Plus, Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut is dead and I'm keeping her kids as OTL because it's just...too much.

 

[isabella]

Anna of Brandenburg (or, indeed, Catherine of the Palatinate) would be a better match. Plus, Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut is dead and I'm keeping her kids as OTL because it's just...too much.

Catherine would be likely better. If Margaret had another son (and that son received substantial lands of his own) or another daughter then a match with Brandenburg would complete the round of alliances with the electors

 

[curlyhairedhippie]

Catherine would be likely better. If Margaret had another son (and that son received substantial lands of his own) or another daughter then a match with Brandenburg would complete the round of alliances with the electors

I was planning on Margaret finally having a second son, who will be duke of an independent Burgundy, in 1504. So maybe he marries Anna of Brandenburg and then Philip marries Catherine of the Palatinate. Keeping Anna of Brandenburg's birth date at 1507, this actually makes more sense.

 

[isabella]

I was planning on Margaret finally having a second son, who will be duke of an independent Burgundy, in 1504. So maybe he marries Anna of Brandenburg and then Philip marries Catherine of the Palatinate. Keeping Anna of Brandenburg's birth date at 1507, this actually makes more sense.

Then you have all the weddings planned. Obviously everyone would understand the reasons behind that matches but well that is a smart way for get the support of the electors and get the imperial crown again in Austria

 

[curlyhairedhippie]

Then you have all the weddings planned. Obviously everyone would understand the reasons behind that matches but well that is a smart way for get the support of the electors and get the imperial crown again in Austria

Yep. It's a good situation for Margaret and Charles, the secular electors all have children relatively of age with their own and their kids are (I assume) some of the most desirable matches in Europe.

 

[isabella]

Yep. It's a good situation for Margaret and Charles, the secular electors all have children relatively of age with their own and their kids are (I assume) some of the most desirable matches in Europe.

The boy would get valuable lands, the girls would bring rich dowries so yes, Margaret’s kids are pretty high in the list of good matches available around

 

[curlyhairedhippie]

1504​

The year begins with some unfortunate developments in the duchy of Savoy. In January 1504, Duke Philibert dies at the age of 23. He leaves behind a pregnant widow, a daughter named Philippa, and a son named Louis [1]. Young Louis of Savoy is quickly proclaimed duke with his mother, Charlotte of Naples, and his uncle, Charles, Count of Geneva [2], sharing the Regency. Moves are also made to secure Louis’s future as he is betrothed to Jeanne d’Orléans, the young daughter of the Duke of Milan. Charlotte of Naples delivers a second daughter, Anne of Savoy, in May.

In April 1504, Queen Giovanna III of Naples dies in Naples at the age of 25. She leaves behind her two sons, with Carlo, Duke of Calabria becoming Carlo IV, King of Naples. Carlo and Infante Ferdinand remain in Spain in the immediate aftermath of their mother’s death, but in September Carlo departs for Naples with the Castilian general and statesman Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba. Córdoba serves for the next eight years as Viceroy of Naples in the name of Ferdinand II of Aragon, who has declared himself regent. He also is made responsible for the upbringing of young King Carlo and will send regular reports back to the boy’s grandparents in Spain.

​

Beginning in early 1504, Margaret of Austria turns her attention back to the Low Countries, which she and her husband have admittedly been neglecting since her father’s death. She knows that the Burgundians aren’t happy with being governed by an absentee ducal couple. The States General have shown themselves to be more than a little wary of Charles of Guelders’s bid for the crown of the Holy Roman Empire. Margaret, of course, is hardly going to change her mind on that but she still wants to reassure her Burgundian subjects, and the nobility in particular.

To this end, in summer 1504 Margaret permanently reestablishes the Great Council at Mechelen in Flanders. The Great Council is the highest ranking court of the Burgundian territories, and its permanent establishment will allow for Margaret’s lands to run more smoothly even when she is away. Margaret also begins construction on a new palace in Mechelen that will house the Great Council as well as being a ducal residence. Today, the building is still known as the Hof van Oostenrijk (Court of Austria) in her honor.

Modern day view of the inner courtyard at the Hof van Oostenrijk.
​

By this point, Margaret is also pregnant for a fifth time. She and Charles of Guelders have grown more distant as of late and there are rumors of infidelities on both sides; Charles has most definitely taken to bed other women, and there are whispers regarding Margaret and her devoted chamberlain, Antoine de Lalaing [3]. Nonetheless, Margaret and Charles are determined to produce at least one more son, and so they do their conjugal duties by one another.

Moving on from the Low Countries, there is great joy in England when Katherine, Princess of Wales delivers a seemingly healthy son in June 1504. The Catholic Monarchs are also delighted, and Queen Isabella even orders the Te Deum sung throughout Castile. The joy, unfortunately, will be short lived. The young prince, who is named Henry in honor of his paternal grandfather, dies towards the end of July, at not even two months of age. Katherine and Arthur are even more devastated than they were following the stillbirth of their daughter the previous year, and it will be some time before they conceive again.

In August 1504, Charles, the heir of Milan and Orléans, is betrothed to his French cousin Princess Charlotte, who is still the only child of King Charles VIII. Charlotte is an incredibly desirable bride, being the heiress of her mother’s duchy of Brittany, and her engagement to Charles reflects the ambition of his parents, who hope to see their son as king one day. In honor of the occasion, Charles d’Orléans is also created Duke of Valois by the King, his future father-in-law.

Similarly, the Duke and Duchess of Orléans arrange for the engagements of the Duchess’s two children from her first marriage. François, Duke of Angoulême is engaged to Catherine of Navarre, the second oldest daughter of Queen Catherine and thus next in line for the throne after her sister Magdalena, while Marguerite d’Angoulême is engaged to Gaston of Foix, a nephew of Duke Louis and a cousin of Catherine of Navarre. These matches place François quite close to the throne of Navarre, and ensure that a child of Louise will sit on the throne of Milan no matter what. Louis also takes this time to issue a proclamation establishing the Salic Law in Milan, thus prohibiting his daughter and stepdaughter from having a claim to the duchy.

In September 1504, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick IV finally marries Elisabeth of the Palatinate, to whom he has been betrothed since shortly after his election in spring 1502. Charles of Guelders is in attendance at the wedding, but Margaret is absent as she is due to deliver her next child in October.

And in October, Margaret finally gives birth, in Luxembourg, to a second son, whom she and Charles choose to name John and is bestowed with the title Count of Hainaut. Meanwhile, Margaret and Charles look to the future of one of their children in particular: their eldest daughter, Mary. Portugal has been an ally of Burgundy ever since the marriage of Isabella of Portugal to Duke Philip the Good in 1429-1430. And there is a mutual interest in alliance between the Low Countries and the Iberian peninsula as a whole, especially given the Portuguese and Castilian colonies in the New World and the trade connections of the Low Countries. So, in November 1504 Mary of Burgundy is betrothed to Infante João, Prince of Portugal. Considering the course of events up until now, this is Margaret’s shining moment: she has two sons to secure her succession, her younger children are poised to make advantageous matches throughout the Holy Roman Empire, hopefully paving the way for her husband’s election as Holy Roman Emperor, and her eldest daughter will be Queen of Portugal.

Meanwhile, the current Queen of Portugal, Juana of Aragon, delivers a third son, Infante Fernando, titled Duke of Beja, in November 1504. King Manuel also arranges for his eldest daughter, Infanta Leonor, to be betrothed to the new King of Naples, with the full approval of their mutual grandfather in Aragon.


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[1] Named after the Duke of Orléans and Milan, who is also his godfather.
[2] OTL successor of Philibert as Duke of Savoy.
[3] Unfortunately, no primary sources survive that can confirm one way or another whether Margaret and Antoine actually had an affair. It would certainly be a foolish thing to do on both of their parts, and Margaret was no fool. However, she and Antoine were apparently quite close, at least close enough to start the rumors. Whatever the truth of the matter is, Antoine continued to serve Margaret of Austria and her family (including her husband) for many years so Charles of Guelders certainly put no stock in the rumors himself. Still, the possibility of an affair between one of the most powerful women of the 16th century and her chamberlain will intrigue ATL historians and writers alike for ages.

 

[Cate13]

Love how things are going! I am having a little trouble tracking people, if we could see family trees that would be epic!

 

[curlyhairedhippie]

Love how things are going! I am having a little trouble tracking people, if we could see family trees that would be epic!

I can absolutely make some family trees!

 

[curlyhairedhippie]

As per request, here are some family trees for the main folks impacted by the butterflies of this TL.

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HOUSE OF HABSBURG
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1459, r. 1483-1501, d. 1501) m. a) Mary, Duchess of Burgundy (b. 1457, r. 1477-1482, d. 1482) in 1476, had issue; b) Bianca Maria Sforza (b. 1473) in 1494, had no issue

1a) Philip of Austria, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1478, r. 1482-1495, d. 1495)​

2a) Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Burgundy, Archduchess of Austria (b. July 1480, r. from 1495) m. Charles II, Duke of Guelders, Archduke of Austria (b. 1467) in 1497, has issue​

1) Mary of Burgundy (b. September 1498) eng. Infante João, Prince of Portugal (b. 1497)​

2) Philip of Burgundy, Count of Charolais (b. April 1500) eng. Catherine of the Palatinate (b. 1499)​

3) Catherine of Burgundy (b. February 1502) eng. Stephen Jagiellon of Hungary and Bohemia (b. September 1502)​

4) Isabelle of Burgundy (b. August 1503) eng. Johann Frederick of Saxony (b. 1504)​

5) John of Burgundy, Count of Hainaut (b. October 1504)​

3a) Francis of Austria (b. 1481, d. 1481)​

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HOUSE OF TRASTÁMARA
Isabella I, Queen of Castile (b. 1451, r. from 1474) m. Ferdinand II, King of Aragon (b. 1453, r. from 1479) in 1469, has issue

1) Isabel of Aragon and Castile, Princess of Portugal (b. 1470, d. 1503) m. Afonso, Prince of Portugal (b. 1475, d. 1491) in 1490, had no issue​

2) Juan of Aragon and Castile, Prince of Asturias and Girona (b. 1478, d. 1499) m. Giovanna III, Queen of Naples (b. 1478, d. 1504) in 1497, had issue​

1) Ferdinand of Spain, Prince of Asturias and Girona (b. 1498) eng. Magdalena of Navarre (b. 1494)​

2) Charles IV, King of Naples (b. 1500) eng. Leonor of Portugal (b. 1498)​

3) Juana of Aragon and Castile, Queen of Portugal (b. 1479) m. Manuel I, King of Portugal (b. 1469) in 1496, has issue​

See House of Aviz for issue​

4) María of Aragon and Castile, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia (twin of stillborn child; b. 1482) m. Vladislaus II, King of Hungary and Bohemia (b. 1467) in 1499, has issue​

See House of Jagiellon (Hungary and Bohemia) for issue​

5) Stillborn child (twin of Maria; b. and d. 1482)​

6) Catalina of Aragon and Castile, Princess of Wales (b. 1485) m. Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales (b. 1486) in 1502, has issue​

See House of Tudor for issue​

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HOUSE OF AVIZ
King Manuel I of Portugal (formerly Duke of Viseu; b. 1469, r. from 1495) m. Juana of Aragon and Castile (b. 1479) in 1496, has issue

1) João, Prince of Portugal (b. 1497) eng. Mary of Burgundy (b. 1498)​

2) Leonor of Portugal (b. 1498) eng. Charles IV, King of Naples (b. 1500)​

3) Afonso of Portugal (b. 1500, d. 1501)​

4) Isabel of Portugal (b. 1503)​

5) Fernando of Portugal, Duke of Beja (b. 1504)​

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HOUSE OF TUDOR
Henry VII Tudor, King of England (formerly earl of Richmond; b. 1458, r. from 1485) m. Elizabeth of York (b. 1466) in 1485, has issue

1) Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales (b. 1486) m. Catalina of Aragon and Castile (b. 1485) in 1502, has issue​

1) Stillborn daughter (b. and d. 1503)​

2) Henry Tudor (b. and d. 1504)​

2) Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots (b. 1489) m. James IV Stewart, King of Scots (b. 1473) in 1503, has no issue​

3) Henry Tudor, Duke of York (b. 1491, d. 1551) eng. Anne de la Tour d’Auvergne (b. 1494)​

4) Elizabeth Tudor (b. and d. 1493)​

5) Mary Tudor (b. 1496)​

6) Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset (b. 1499, d. 1500)​

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HOUSE OF JAGIELLON (Hungary-Bohemia)
Vladislaus II Jagiellon, King of Hungary and Bohemia (b. 1456, r. from 1471) m. María of Aragon and Castile (b. 1482) in 1499, has issue

1) Elisabeth Jagiellonica of Hungary and Bohemia (b. 1501)​

2) Stephen Jagiellon of Hungary and Bohemia (b. 1502) eng. Catherine of Burgundy (b. 1502)​

3) Anna Jagiellonica of Hungary and Bohemia (b. 1503)​

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HOUSE OF VALOIS
King Charles VIII of France (b. 1470, r. from 1477) m. Anne, Duchess of Brittany (b. 1477, r. from 1488) in 1491, has issue

1) Charles Orland, Dauphin of France (b. 1492, d. 1495)​

2) François of France, Duke of Normandy (b. 1493)​

3) Stillborn daughter (b. and d. 1494)​

4) Stillborn daughter (b. and d. 1495)​

5) Charles, Dauphin of France (b. and d. 1496)​

6) François, Dauphin of France (b. and d. 1497)​

7) Louise of France (b. and d. 1498)​

8) Charlotte of France (b. 1499) eng. Charles d’Orléans, Duke of Valois (b. 1501)​

9) Louis, Dauphin of France (b. and d. 1503)​

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HOUSE OF SAVOY and VALOIS-ANGOULÊME/VALOIS-ORLÉANS:
Philip II, Duke of Savoy (b. 1438, r. 1496-1497, d. 1497) m. Marguerite of Bourbon (b. 1438, d. 1483) in 1472, had issue (a); Claudine de Brosse (b. 1450) in 1485, has issue (b)

1a) Louise of Savoy (b. 1476, d. 1531) m. Charles of Valois, Duke d’Angoulême (b. 1459, d. 1496) in 1489, has issue (a); Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans and Milan (b. 1464) in 1499, has issue (b)​

1a) Marguerite d’Angoulême (b. 1492) eng. Gaston of Foix (b. 1489)​

2a) François, Duke d’Angoulême (b. 1494) eng. Catherine of Navarre (b. 1495)​

1b) Charles d’Orléans, Duke of Valois (b. 1501) eng. Charlotte of France (b. 1499)​

2b) Jeanne d’Orléans (b. 1502) [1] eng. Louis II, Duke of Savoy (b. 1501)​

2a) Girolamo of Savoy (b. and d. 1478)​

3a) Philibert II, Duke of Savoy (b. 1480, r. 1497-1504, d. 1504) m. Yolande Louise of Savoy (b. 1487, d. 1499) in 1496, had no issue (a); Charlotte of Naples, Princess of Taranto (b. 1479/1480) in 1500, has issue (b)​

1b) Louis II, Duke of Savoy (b. 1501) [2] eng. Jeanne d’Orléans (b. 1502)​

2b) Philippa of Savoy (b. 1502)​

3b) Anne of Savoy (b. 1504)​

1b) Charles of Savoy, Count of Geneva (b. 1486)​

2b) Louis of Savoy (b. 1488, d. 1502)​

3b) Philip of Savoy (b. 1490)​

4b) Assolone of Savoy (b. and d. 1494)​

5b) Giovanni of Savoy (b. and d. 1495)​

6b) Philiberta of Savoy (b. 1498)​

​

[1] Named after her father’s ex-wife, Jeanne of France, who was also named her godmother as an act of good feeling between her parents and Jeanne.
[2] Louis is named for his godfather, the Duke of Milan and Orléans
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And there we go. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!

 

[Awkwardvulture]

Things seem rather rough for Catherine, I bet her stillbirth and dead son may be putting a strain on her marriage with Arthur, hopefully they end up with a living child soon(though they're both young and have plenty of time) Hopefully Juan's sons will be able to cooperate with each other well enough to ward off the French. Great updates!

 

[curlyhairedhippie]

Things seem rather rough for Catherine, I bet her stillbirth and dead son may be putting a strain on her marriage with Arthur, hopefully they end up with a living child soon(though they're both young and have plenty of time) Hopefully Juan's sons will be able to cooperate with each other well enough to ward off the French. Great updates!

Well, things will definitely be different in regards to France ITTL, it’s mostly Louis d’Orléans and his sons (not necessarily the Kingdom of France) that Juan’s sons will have to watch out for. And yes, Katherine and Arthur’s marriage definitely isn’t a love match but I promise that things will eventually turn out ok for them.

 

[curlyhairedhippie]

Note: yes, this is short. The next few years will be pretty quiet.

1505​

This year will see the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia and the Crown Princess of Denmark both deliver sons. The Queen of Hungary and Bohemia’s son, Andrew, proves to be quite healthy and by the end of the year Vladislaus II grants his younger son the title Duke of Slavonia. On the other hand, the Crown Princess of Denmark’s son, Francis, is sickly and dies after a little less than a month of life.

In May 1505, the 10 year old Anne de La Tour d’Auvergne arrives at the English court. She is given her own household and precedence immediately behind the Princess of Wales, being already considered Duchess of York. Henry, who is not yet 13, naturally takes little interest in his future wife. It doesn’t take long, however, for Anne to endear herself to Queen Elizabeth or her future sisters-in-law, Princess Katherine and Lady Mary, the King and Queen’s younger daughter.

Meanwhile, King Charles VIII of France begins to look to his monetary situation. His Italian campaigns left him nearly bankrupt, and recently one of his financial advisors has pointed out that there are major problems with the tax collection system in France. To that end, in fall 1505 Charles issues the Ordinance of Nantes, which tightens up the tax collection system and will go quite a ways towards France’s future recovery.

Charles and Queen Anne also experience another miscarriage in 1505. While Charles and Anne are disappointed, Louis d'Orléans and Louise of Savoy are admittedly not displeased, actually being happy to see themselves and their son closer to the French throne.

On 2 July 1505, a young student at the University of Erfurt in Thuringia named Martin Luther is caught in a particularly violent thunderstorm while traveling back to the university from his parents' home. After narrowly avoiding being struck by lightning, Luther makes a vow that he will enter a monastery and become a monk if he makes it out of the storm alive. Luther survives the harrowing experience and in August he makes good on his promise, entering St. Augustine’s Monastery in Erfurt.

 

[Awkwardvulture]

Oh, this is all rather intriguing.... Denmark's succession is not quite shored up while Hungary seems secure. Hopefully, the Ordinance of Nantes also makes French taxation fairer as well. Luther not leading the reformation is interesting, but I get the feeling it still may occur, if only later... Great update!

 

[curlyhairedhippie]

Oh, this is all rather intriguing.... Denmark's succession is not quite shored up while Hungary seems secure. Hopefully, the Ordinance of Nantes also makes French taxation fairer as well. Luther not leading the reformation is interesting, but I get the feeling it still may occur, if only later... Great update!

I was admittedly unsure of whether or not to have Luther being part of the Reformation. His path seemed...specific. But I also think that a world without Luther being a prominent theologian would require a different TL in and of itself! Perhaps I'll tackle that one day, but a world without the Habsburgs is more than enough for now.

 

[curlyhairedhippie]

1506​

In August 1506, Alexander I Jagiellon, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania and brother of Vladislaus II of Hungary and Bohemia, dies at age 45. Alexander was a relatively unpopular king in Poland, and in 1505 he had been forced to accept the Nihil novi act passed by the Sejm. This essentially placed the power in Poland-Lithuania in the hands of the nobility, to the detriment of the monarch. Nonetheless, Alexander is succeeded by his brother Sigismund. Sigismund will finally marry soon after his ascension, wedding with Catherine of Mecklenburg by the end of the year.

In Milan, in June 1506, Duchess Louise delivers a second son, named Louis in honor of both of his parents. Unfortunately, the little boy dies in September after just a few months, to the supreme disappointment of the Duke and Duchess.

1506 also sees the establishment of a trade treaty between England and the Low Countries, under the direction of Henry VII and Duchess Margaret. The favorability of the treaty to Flemish textile merchants will work to further cement Margaret’s appeal to her Burgundian subjects, which will come in her favor as she pursues the Imperial throne for her husband.

And in England on 13 August 1506, Anne de La Tour d’Auvergne is married to Henry Tudor, Duke of York in the chapel at Richmond Palace.

Contemporary manuscript illustration showing the marriage of Anne de La Tour d'Auvergne and the Duke of York. ​

 

[Jan Olbracht]

Generally it was not Alexander Jagiellon who was that unpopular but his wife, Helena of Moscow. Helena refused to convert to Catholicism, thus she was despised by Church hierarchy and by Queen Mother and was never crowned Queen of Poland as result and officially remained only Grand Duchess of Lithuania.

 

[krieger]

This essentially placed the power in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the hands of the nobility,

Hmmm such fine Commonwealth, such non-existent Commonwealth. PLC was created 1569, at the time of Sigismund the Old it was plain personal union (more advanced legal ties were broken in 1440 and they were about Lithuania being incorporated to Poland. The last attempt to restore it, so Mielnik Privilege was toppled by Alexander himself).