Mathias I of Austria having a child with his wife - 30 years war postponed?

[Valena]

An idea for my sideline TL project dealing with PoD of Margot Valois dying in 1577 in her Netherlands adventure, and Henry of Navarre remarrying.
The TL involves Mathias I marrying to a different lady than OTL, and having a son (called preliminary Andreas). If Mathias has 9-years old son before he kicks the bucket, would said son have priority over OTL Ferdinand II in Imperial elections?
And will no ultra-Catholic reign of Ferdinand II prevent 30 years old war as we know it?

 

[JonasResende]

An idea for my sideline TL project dealing with PoD of Margot Valois dying in 1577 in her Netherlands adventure, and Henry of Navarre remarrying.
The TL involves Mathias I marrying to a different lady than OTL, and having a son (called preliminary Andreas). If Mathias has 9-years old son before he kicks the bucket, would said son have priority over OTL Ferdinand II in Imperial elections?
And will no ultra-Catholic reign of Ferdinand II prevent 30 years old war as we know it?

Any son of Mathias or Albert VII would have precedence over Ferdinand. It was only due to the fact that none of them had surviving issue that the Treaty of Onate was signed, recognizing Ferdinand as being the candidate to be supported in the next imperial election.

Also, it would probably depend. If he's 9 at his father's death, then the senior member of the house of Habsburg would become regent in Hungary & Bohemia (the idea of a regency in the Empire is a mystery) - so in other words, Albert VII is emperor (most likely), and regent. But then in 1622 (assuming Albert dies on schedule), the boy's only 12/13, IDK what majority age is, but Ferdinand might still end up wielding power as regent until majority is reached.

 

[Alpha Trion]

In TTL, Andreas would have inherited the archduchies of Austria and Further Austria upon the death of Mathias. Albert would have had the right to rule in his behalf as regent and most likely Mathias would have arranged for the Austrian Estates to recognize Albert as regent. I do not know what the age of majority was in Austria, but Emperor Albert II assumed power in Austria in 1411 when he was thirteen, so Andreas could use that as a precedent. Bohemia and Hungary are trickier due to the elective nature of their monarchies. Mathias could try to get Andreas elected king in both countries but I can not imagine the estates of either kingdom wanting to go through with a lengthy regency. In OTL, Ladislaus the Posthumous was elected to the thrones of both Bohemia and Hungary as a child in 1444 and had a different regent for each kingdom. Even if Mathias were able to select Albert as a regent for his son in both Bohemia and Hungary, upon Albert’s death the estates of both kingdoms would chose their own regent.

Mathias would also probably attempt to have Andreas elected king of the Romans. If Mathias were successful in his efforts and Andreas became emperor, then by virtue of the Golden Bull the imperial authority would be held by Imperial vicars until Andreas was 18 years old. According to the Golden Bull, those vicars would be the Elector Palatine Frederick V (oh the irony!) and the Elector of Saxony John George I. Although Frederick V may have liked the idea on being imperial vicar, I can not see the three spiritual electors electing Andreas knowing that two Protestants would share the imperial regency during his minority. This fact leaves an opening for OTL’s Ferdinand II to be elected emperor in TTL. Upon Mathias’s death, the three spiritual electors and Albert (in his position as regent of Bohemia) could cast their votes for Ferdinand. Albert would not want a non Habsburg emperor and Andreas could contend for the imperial crown in future elections. Not having Ferdinand as ruler of either Bohemia or Hungary would have a lot of repercussions on European history.

 

[Juan de Mariana]

In TTL, Andreas would have inherited the archduchies of Austria and Further Austria upon the death of Mathias. Albert would have had the right to rule in his behalf as regent and most likely Mathias would have arranged for the Austrian Estates to recognize Albert as regent. I do not know what the age of majority was in Austria, but Emperor Albert II assumed power in Austria in 1411 when he was thirteen, so Andreas could use that as a precedent. Bohemia and Hungary are trickier due to the elective nature of their monarchies. Mathias could try to get Andreas elected king in both countries but I can not imagine the estates of either kingdom wanting to go through with a lengthy regency. In OTL, Ladislaus the Posthumous was elected to the thrones of both Bohemia and Hungary as a child in 1444 and had a different regent for each kingdom. Even if Mathias were able to select Albert as a regent for his son in both Bohemia and Hungary, upon Albert’s death the estates of both kingdoms would chose their own regent.

Mathias would also probably attempt to have Andreas elected king of the Romans. If Mathias were successful in his efforts and Andreas became emperor, then by virtue of the Golden Bull the imperial authority would be held by Imperial vicars until Andreas was 18 years old. According to the Golden Bull, those vicars would be the Elector Palatine Frederick V (oh the irony!) and the Elector of Saxony John George I. Although Frederick V may have liked the idea on being imperial vicar, I can not see the three spiritual electors electing Andreas knowing that two Protestants would share the imperial regency during his minority. This fact leaves an opening for OTL’s Ferdinand II to be elected emperor in TTL. Upon Mathias’s death, the three spiritual electors and Albert (in his position as regent of Bohemia) could cast their votes for Ferdinand. Albert would not want a non Habsburg emperor and Andreas could contend for the imperial crown in future elections. Not having Ferdinand as ruler of either Bohemia or Hungary would have a lot of repercussions on European history.

Can Maximilian I of Bavaria become Holy Roman Emperor after Matthias' death? He was proposed as a candidate in both the 1612 and 1619 imperial elections by his brother Ferdinand of Bavaria, elector of Cologne, but he refused to accept the throne. If the archduke of Austria, king of Hungary, Bohemia, ect. is a minor, then he would have been a good candidate for the spiritual electors in 1619. Andreas would have become emperor upon Maximilian's death.