Personal Union Reagent

Suppose in a European Kingdom A from the 800s to the 1700s has its monarch be heir presumptive to nearby Kingdom B. People in Kingdom B recognizes the succession, but that doesn't matter too much since B's king is young and healthy. B's King also recognizes the succession if he should die heirless, so no one is opposing it. He is on good terms with the King of A.

Oh... B's King died young and heirless. Welp, The King of A is now a duel king.

So the King goes over and holds a coronation, a feast, and then gives some gifts to some of his new aristocratic vassals that he likes, while not doing anything positive or negative to the ones he didn't like. The treasury is running a surplus and doesn't need any new taxes. Then he appoints some random relative count/Earl of the previous king (relative from the non-royal mother side obviously, most primogeniture systems would have the closer related relative inherit if it was related from the royal side) as regent and says "so uh, if anyone needs anything done, ask him because I'm going back to my birthplace to see my wife and children. I'll come back in a few years"

How would the nobles take this?

How would the nobles take this if the random relative was a female countess and cousin to the old king?

Edit: Regent not Reagent
 
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Most kings appointed regents or governors for parts of their territory anyway.
A lot depends on how the nobles's role in government has changed on the succession, and how much leeway has been granted to the viceroy/regent.
 
Most kings appointed regents or governors for parts of their territory anyway.
A lot depends on how the nobles's role in government has changed on the succession, and how much leeway has been granted to the viceroy/regent.

Is appointing a countess the new king got along with before his ascension (as fellow aristocrats not as a man and woman) over the many available nobles at court with dongs going to raise eyebrows? Or would they give the new king and regent a chance depending on the nobles' role in government post succession?
 
Oh I see "reagent" is Regent!

As for the question, I imagine it was done a lot, especially when established kingdoms merged, eg Hungary and Bohemia

As for female, well in most history that is a no-no unless the female is the mother, wife, or daughter of the monarch. An example, Ferdinand of Aragon's second wife was regent in Aragon for a while, and Catherine Parr arguably in England for Henry VIII.

I can't see an occasion outside of the modern era when appointing a female cousin as Regent would work unless they were already powerful in their own right for some reason - eg as the heir of their late husband
 
Is appointing a countess the new king got along with before his ascension (as fellow aristocrats not as a man and woman) over the many available nobles at court with dongs going to raise eyebrows? Or would they give the new king and regent a chance depending on the nobles' role in government post succession?
As catalfalque says it will depend on how powerful the countess is.
If she was the previous king's lieutenant at court anyway then her position won't have risen above the other nobles.
If she was relatively powerful already and is the new king's compromise candidate among the factions then it will depend how good she is politically.
If she's a random floozy then she'll last months at most before being removed. By force if need be.
 
It doesn't seem that controversial for the nobles, maybe toss them a few gold coins every now and then and they'll stay loyal. But if she was Female, you better make sure that she can hold her own and is Cersei Lannister times ten otherwise they'll ignore her at best or rebel at worst.
 
I think he means something like chief advisor or something. Like Empress Matilda's unofficial position with Henry II's early years.

Fun fact: she was often his regent when he went away. She was also his tactician in a few battles when there were minor uprisings in England (lower scale than the Baron's war so they never even got a Wikipedia article). Henry always followed the advice of his mother except when she said not to appoint Thomas Becket a Bishop.
 
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