No "Great Matter" for Henry VIII

Suppose Catherine of Aragon died around the time Harry met Ann. (Maybe wholly naturally maybe wit h assistance from 'friends' of the King but nobody knows or any poison)

1) Does this wholly butterfly England's Reformation.

2) What difference does it make to the Union of the English and Scottish crowns?
 
1) Yes, Henry VIII was a traditionalist at heart, and whatever conversations he might have with the courier (and possible mistress) Anne Boleyn on the subject of religion, he won't toss the Catholic faith out on it's ear because he has no reason to do it. Especially since he'll have his pick of the litter of European princesses as wife number 2.

2) The union happened in RL because the Tudor line died out and the Scottish Stuarts had the best claim on the English crown. In this TL? It won't happen in Henry's lifetime. Scotland might be drawn into England's orbit, or it might pull a Portugal and stay independent into the modern era. Either option is equally viable.
 
1) It butterflies a "top-down" reformation - Henry's was indeed a traditionalist in all things and his decision to reform was based purely on his need to find a reason to free himself from Catherine in order to marry Anne - however England had strong trade links with the Low Countries so Protestant thought was already spreading into England particular areas connected to the continent through trade links, Henry and More as Chancellor were burning heretics and banning certain works in the 1520s - Henry himself was still attempting to put the religious genie back into the bottle during his later years long after Anne Boleyn was dead and cold. What it doesn't discount is a "bottom-up " reformation which comes from growing groups of people influenced by Lutheran thought resulting in civil war, rebellion etc as happened with the Scots reformation.
2) There is no guarantee that union can't happen - the first plan was Henry VIII's own plan to marry his heir to Mary Q of Scots after James V's death - a change in England might well butterfly James V's early death and he may go on to have male heirs by his wife etc - there's no guarantee that Henry won't only have daughters survive him one of who could marry the Scots King - or the Tudor line eventually dies out leaving the throne to the Stuart's at some point in the future - or both realms become republics and vote to unite at some point. After the Stuart succession in England - James VI and I tried to force unification of both realms and union took over a century to get sorted
 
1) It butterflies a "top-down" reformation - Henry's was indeed a traditionalist in all things and his decision to reform was based purely on his need to find a reason to free himself from Catherine in order to marry Anne - however England had strong trade links with the Low Countries so Protestant thought was already spreading into England particular areas connected to the continent through trade links, Henry and More as Chancellor were burning heretics and banning certain works in the 1520s - Henry himself was still attempting to put the religious genie back into the bottle during his later years long after Anne Boleyn was dead and cold. What it doesn't discount is a "bottom-up " reformation which comes from growing groups of people influenced by Lutheran thought resulting in civil war, rebellion etc as happened with the Scots reformation.
2) There is no guarantee that union can't happen - the first plan was Henry VIII's own plan to marry his heir to Mary Q of Scots after James V's death - a change in England might well butterfly James V's early death and he may go on to have male heirs by his wife etc - there's no guarantee that Henry won't only have daughters survive him one of who could marry the Scots King - or the Tudor line eventually dies out leaving the throne to the Stuart's at some point in the future - or both realms become republics and vote to unite at some point. After the Stuart succession in England - James VI and I tried to force unification of both realms and union took over a century to get sorted

I agree with this, though the thought of a republic horrifies me aha.
 
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