More Lancastrian Heirs

Henry VI was the only legitimate male in his generation (in male line), although his uncles had had children. Take a look:

Henry IV
Henry V
Henry VI
Edward of Westminster
Thomas, duke of Clarence
[illegitimate] John, bastard of Clarence (c.1409 +20.3.1431)
John, duke of Bedford
A Stillborn Child (November 1423)

[illegitimate] Richard, bastard of Bedford (*1415, +?)
[illegitimate] Mary, bastard of Bedford (*1420, +c.1462) m. Pierre de Montferrand (+1454)
Humphrey, duke of Gloucester
A Son (1424)
[illegitimate/2m.?] Antigone (*1425, +c.1461)
[illegitimate/2m.?] Arthur (*1426, +1447)

Now, what if any, or even if all, those children had been born alive or a different set of wives had been taken instead? How would this affect England's future both foreign and domestic?
 
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Henry VI was the only legitimate male in his generation (in male line), although his uncles had had children. Take a look:

Henry IV
Henry V
Henry VI
Edward of Middleham
Thomas, duke of Clarence
[illegitimate] John, bastard of Clarence (c.1409 +20.3.1431)
John, duke of Bedford
A Stillborn Child (November 1423)

[illegitimate] Richard, bastard of Bedford (*1415, +?)
[illegitimate] Mary, bastard of Bedford (*1420, +?) m. Pierre de Montferrand (+1454)
Humphrey, duke of Gloucester
A Son (1424)
[illegitimate/2m.?] Antigone

Now, what if any, or even if all, those children had been born alive or a different set of wives had been taken instead? How would this affect England's future both foreign and domestic?

Bumping bumping bumping
 
I think that a healthy child by John Duke of Bedford and his second wife Jacquetta of Burgundy was a real possibility, especially if he had lived a few years longer. With her now the mother of a potential heir to the throne, I don't think that she would have had the freedom to marry Richard Woodville.
 
She would probably have ended up rather like Katherine Valois perhaps - but it is highly likely that Cardinal Beaufort (who in OTL was friendly to the Woodville couple) would have engineered some agreement though the boy - say Henry 2nd Duke of Bedford - would have been handed over to someone else's custody.
 
Wasn't there a thing that Catherine de Valois originally wanted to marry the duke of Somerset or something? But the council refused permission for the marriage. Thus, Catherine stormed out in a bit of a huff and she said that she would find a man so low, but gently born that the council could have no objection.
 
You've got your Edwards mixed up. Middleham was Richard III's lad. Westminster was the one who died at Tewkesbury.

A legitimate child by Clarence, Bedford or Gloucester massively changes things if and/or when Henry VI falls ill. The protectorate or regency doesn't become a tug of war between the Beauforts and York. This doesn't guarantee that there'll be no upheaval, but it'll certainly be different.
 
I had no idea there were so many bastard Lancasters bouncing around. All the sources i've consulted only mentions that Antigone was the only grandchild of Henry IV to leave descent (and that there were only three - Henry V, Rupert of Bavaria and Antigone).
 
Is this that an uninteresting idea? Are the Triumvirate Royal Uncles historically boring compared with the idea of a surviving York, or Ricardian or Tudor dynasty?
 
Is this that an uninteresting idea? Are the Triumvirate Royal Uncles historically boring compared with the idea of a surviving York, or Ricardian or Tudor dynasty?

Well surviving Lancasterians throw a spike in the War of the Roses. One of the reasons the Duke of York rose so high was because he was so close to the throne. If Henry VI has Lancastrians cousins (some of whom could hold the Regency during his mad times) that is not the case. Also the House of Tudor never rises since the Beaufort line never becomes the default line for disaffected Lancastrian supporters. No Tudors makes for a very different England (and Scotland) no matter what happens.
 
Let's say Henry, 2nd Duke of Bedford is born in 1436 and his father dies in 1435/36, similar to OTL. He will be too young to play an active role in the Hundred Years War. Thus, Bordeaux will still fall in 1453 and Henry VI will still go mad at around the same time. Bedford won't have much power during the first bout, leaving York, Somerset and the Queen as the main players. Having had a taste of power in 53-54, York may still fight to retain it, possibly putting himself forward as the true heir to Richard II earlier than OTL. The level of support he receives depends entirely on how popular Bedford is - if he is seen as a suitable Regent during for Henry VI and potentially Edward of Westminster, fewer nobles will flock to York than they did when his main opponent was the Duke of Somerset.

Now for all the marriage stuff. Bedford might marry one of Richard of York's daughters to reconcile the two Houses, but they're probably too close to marry without papal dispensation. The same is true for the Scottish royal family and the Castillians and Portuguese. Maybe a match with the French or Burgundians?
 
Let's say Henry, 2nd Duke of Bedford is born in 1436 and his father dies in 1435/36, similar to OTL. He will be too young to play an active role in the Hundred Years War. Thus, Bordeaux will still fall in 1453 and Henry VI will still go mad at around the same time. Bedford won't have much power during the first bout, leaving York, Somerset and the Queen as the main players. Having had a taste of power in 53-54, York may still fight to retain it, possibly putting himself forward as the true heir to Richard II earlier than OTL. The level of support he receives depends entirely on how popular Bedford is - if he is seen as a suitable Regent during for Henry VI and potentially Edward of Westminster, fewer nobles will flock to York than they did when his main opponent was the Duke of Somerset.

Now for all the marriage stuff. Bedford might marry one of Richard of York's daughters to reconcile the two Houses, but they're probably too close to marry without papal dispensation. The same is true for the Scottish royal family and the Castillians and Portuguese. Maybe a match with the French or Burgundians?

Well, I was actually considering if John of Bedford and Anne of Burgundy's son had survived, which would make him roughly the same age as the king, and therefore more than the right age for a regent/protector.
 
What if the marriage of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou had been more fertile? Perhaps beginning within a year or two of their marriage?
 
IDK, I guess I always thought Henry's piety and his later whatever-it-was prevented there being more kids. I know before the break with Rome in the 1530s, the Tudors actually wanted to have Henry VI canonized, since there were reportedly several miracles worked around his tomb.
 
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