Marriage for Elizabeth Tudor? (The Virgin "Princess")

Supposing Elizabeth's younger brother, Edward VI, lives past 1553 and continues to reign for an extended period of time (having never undergone the malady that killed him OTL), who might he select as a suitor for his older sister Elizabeth?


Legally she and Mary both are only considered the bastard daughters of Henry VIII, but I believe he might see some advantage in wedding one if not both of Henry's daughters off. Mary, given her profession of the Catholic faith and refusal to convert would likely be married off domestically, but the Protestant Elizabeth could be used abroad.


Also, who might he select as matches for the Grey sisters? Given their place in the line of succession they’re not permitted to wed without royal consent.
 
I believe that Prince Frederick, (Later Frederick II, King of Denmark and Norway,) is the best option, having wooed Queen Elizabeth I of England, IOTL an initiative which made him Knight of the Garter.

If you wanted to make Portugal better, you could have Elizabeth, marry one of Manuel I of Portugal's other sons, in hope of continuing the line, either Louis, Duke of Beja or Edward, Duke of Guimarães, would work. Although, being catholic, this could cause problems further down the line, regarding a Catholic Monarch for England

Either of Gustav's sons would work out:
- Eric XIV of Sweden
- John III of Sweden

Another catholic suitor, who is less harmful the Philip II of Spain, is Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy.
A German suitor:
- John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony (Looks like her father, could be his first or second wife)
- Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (Looks like her father again and is the nephew of Anne of Cleves, Elizabeth's step-mum who is still alive)
- John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
- Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Prince of Wolfenbüttel
- Christopher, Duke of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch
- William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
- Charles II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach (widowed in 1558)
 
I'd say either Frederick II of Denmark or, depending on how things go wth Scotland, John Hamilton (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hamilton,_1st_Marquess_of_Hamilton), second (and sane) son of James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hamilton,_Duke_of_Châtellerault) and next-in-line for the Scottish throne.


In terms of Scotland, I want to say that Mary Stuart remained and was educated there until the age of sixteen under the regency/guidance of her mother, Marie of Guise and Lieutenant James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran. The engagement with the dauphin, François of Valois, went underway as originally planned in the Treaty of Haddington, but the queen was to remain in her homeland until she became of-age. French reinforcements arrived per terms of the agreement, and the Rough Wooing was successfully snuffed out. The continued presence of the young queen and resistance against England brought about a sense of unity among the Scots, and support for the Protestant faith in Scotland faltered. Marie and her daughter supported religious tolerance, partly out of necessity and to maintain the good-will of the people; however, they were careful to align themselves with and to empower Catholic families.


***Note: Contrary to OTL, Edward VI and François de Valois (François II) are both healthy individuals like their fathers.
*** Suggested Brides for Edward VI? Perhaps an arrangement with Elisabeth de Valois (François's sister; like in OTL?)
 
In terms of Scotland, I want to say that Mary Stuart remained and was educated there until the age of sixteen under the regency/guidance of her mother, Marie of Guise and Lieutenant James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran. The engagement with the dauphin, François of Valois, went underway as originally planned in the Treaty of Haddington, but the queen was to remain in her homeland until she became of-age. French reinforcements arrived per terms of the agreement, and the Rough Wooing was successfully snuffed out. The continued presence of the young queen and resistance against England brought about a sense of unity among the Scots, and support for the Protestant faith in Scotland faltered. Marie and her daughter supported religious tolerance, partly out of necessity and to maintain the good-will of the people; however, they were careful to align themselves with and to empower Catholic families.


***Note: Contrary to OTL, Edward VI and François de Valois (François II) are both healthy individuals like their fathers.
*** Suggested Brides for Edward VI? Perhaps an arrangement with Elisabeth de Valois (François's sister; like in OTL?)

Some people on this forum seem to think Mary would have converted to Protestantism if Edward were still alive and Francis still died.
 
Some people on this forum seem to think Mary would have converted to Protestantism if Edward were still alive and Francis still died.

Honestly, I don't see Mary ever converting to Protestantism herself. Several sources, including her biography by Antonia Fraser, among others, say she was a very devout individual. Not to mention, if she remains under the care of her Guise family, whether Marie de Guise or her uncles in France for the first portion of her life, those beliefs would likely remain deeply rooted. After all, if it were just that easy she'd have done so after returning from France to Ultra-Protestant Scotland OTL and made peace with Elizabeth and likely kept her throne.

In the event that François II were to die childless, Mary would more than likely agree to a marriage proposal from Edward VI, based on her own personal vanity and ambition; however, I see her stipulating that she be allowed to maintain her Catholic faith. Her OTL sense of tolerance and openness paired with Edward VI's Protestantism may even provide a certain balance.
 
In the event that François II were to die childless, Mary would more than likely agree to a marriage proposal from Edward VI, based on her own personal vanity and ambition; however, I see her stipulating that she be allowed to maintain her Catholic faith. Her OTL sense of tolerance and openness paired with Edward VI's Protestantism may even provide a certain balance.

I'm not certain Edward would allow that, unless he ends up being tempered by his advisors. But IOTL he thought he could convert Elisabeth of Valois, and honestly, who's going to say 'No' to a young monarch with absolute power?

I'd like to think a compromise could be worked out, but I'm not ultra Catholic or ultra Calvinist.
 
I'm not certain Edward would allow that, unless he ends up being tempered by his advisors. But IOTL he thought he could convert Elisabeth of Valois, and honestly, who's going to say 'No' to a young monarch with absolute power?

I'd like to think a compromise could be worked out, but I'm not ultra Catholic or ultra Calvinist.

Another young monarch with absolute power in her own right.
 
In terms of Scotland, I want to say that Mary Stuart remained and was educated there until the age of sixteen under the regency/guidance of her mother, Marie of Guise and Lieutenant James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran. The engagement with the dauphin, François of Valois, went underway as originally planned in the Treaty of Haddington, but the queen was to remain in her homeland until she became of-age. French reinforcements arrived per terms of the agreement, and the Rough Wooing was successfully snuffed out. The continued presence of the young queen and resistance against England brought about a sense of unity among the Scots, and support for the Protestant faith in Scotland faltered. Marie and her daughter supported religious tolerance, partly out of necessity and to maintain the good-will of the people; however, they were careful to align themselves with and to empower Catholic families.


***Note: Contrary to OTL, Edward VI and François de Valois (François II) are both healthy individuals like their fathers.
*** Suggested Brides for Edward VI? Perhaps an arrangement with Elisabeth de Valois (François's sister; like in OTL?)
Really really unlikely... Mary Stuart was sent in France mostly because that was the only way for having her married in France and not in England...
If Mary stay in Scotland she will be very likely married to Edward VI

Plus with a surviving Edward VI Elizabeth Tudor will likely be married abroad to one of Edward’s allies but Mary Tudor will never ever be allowed to marry anyone
 
Really really unlikely... Mary Stuart was sent in France mostly because that was the only way for having her married in France and not in England...
If Mary stay in Scotland she will be very likely married to Edward VI

And if she returns to Scotland after Henry II and Francis II die? She and Catherine de Medici didn't get along from what I remember.
 
And if she returns to Scotland after Henry II and Francis II die? She and Catherine de Medici didn't get along from what I remember.
She would be in the OTL situation, and her relationship with Catherine plus her having her own kingdom were reason for which she returned in Scotland OTL. With Edward alive and without any reign of Mary Tudor Scotland will be likely an almost full Protestant kingdom and she would have never claimed the English Crown but still...
 
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