Very much in the planning stages - but thought I'd put up some ideas for early thoughts and comments.
POD - Princess Elizabeth of Clarence is born healthy in 1820 and survives to succeed her father King William IV as Queen in 1837.
Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Ireland (dau of William IV and Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen)
b1820 r1837 d1903
m 1840
HRH Prince William Alexander Frederick Constantine Nicolas Michael of The Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland (cr 1840) - second son of William II of The Netherlands.
B1818 d1856
(although his health was poor different treatment in this TL will extend his life slightly)
The marriage of Elizabeth II to Sascha of The Netherlands was a popular one. It had been the wish of her father that she consider one of the Dutch Prince's and she found Sascha to be the most pleasant of the sons of William II. Other suitors had included the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's sons, her cousins George of Hanover and George of Cambridge. The British largely admired the Prince for his modest lifestyle and his lack of political involvement (at least in public). The Queen tended to ask his opinions and advice, but he was careful to keep his thoughts and views private. He was a democrat and encouraged his wife in the views of the superiority of the British system of government, which he greatly admired. The Prince did not have the best of health and sadly he died before his 40th birthday shortly after the birth of his youngest daughter. The Queen was devastated by his death, but took great comfort in her children and grandchildren and her royal duties.
Issue:
1) HRH Prince William Alexander George of Great Britain and Ireland, Prince of Wales, Prince of The Netherlands and Prince of Orange-Nassau (later William V of Great Britain and Ireland)
b 1841 r 1903 d 1913
m 1866
Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar of Denmark (later Queen Mary of Great Britain and Ireland)
b 1847 d 1928
issue
a) Prince George William of Wales b 1868
b) Princess Elizabeth Anne of Wales b 1872
c) Princess Alexandra Sophia of Wales b 1873
d) Prince William Alexander of Wales b 1876
e) Prince Edward Christian of Wales b 1880
f) Princess Louise of Wales b 1882
Note:
The Prince, known as Willy within the family, had great personal style and took an eager interest in things about him but as his sister fondly said of him "there's not much going on within."
It was generally accepted that the Prince was delightful company but not an intellectual. He also had an eye for an attractive lady. The truth was the Prince had been rather spoiled in his youth by both his devoted grandmothers in particular. His family thought his wife would need to be attractive to hold his attention and one courtier said she'd also need to be bright enough for the two of them.
A list was compiled by the Queen with the aid of her elder daughter and her cousins the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Alexandrina Victoria of Kent who had married her cousin Ernst II in 1843) and the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Augusta of Cambridge).
Naturally her German connections favoured a German match - the list was a who's who of the German Courts - other candidate's included the daughter's of the heir to the Danish throne.
The preferred choice on the German side was Princess Victoria Marie Elizabeth, the Queen's goddaughter, and eldest daughter of the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
By 1860 it was regarded as a done deal in many of the German courts. The King of The Belgians wrote the was delighted that finally a member of "our family" will sit on the British Throne, however the problem was the party's involved had no desire for the match at all. Victoria is reputed to have burst into tears at the news, the Prince of Wales wrote to his uncle the Dutch King "All favour her, but for myself I would prefer to make the choice and not be forced into an unhappy match. She is pretty and jolly enough, but I have never been fond of Aunt Drina which gives me some concerns. Anyway I have told Mama she won't do and I want to wait. What do you think?"
The Duchess of Saxe Coburg Gotha was furious as she thought the match agreed - "Eliza gives in to the boy, he is of course thoroughly indulged in all things and must have his own way. I thank the Lord none of my children are so disobedient," she wrote.
The Prince of Wales would be introduced to the daughter's of Prince Christian of Denmark in 1862 while on a trip to Germany.
His sister the Crown Princess of Prussia wrote to her mother that her brother seemed "quite attached" and that the girls were both "attractive, though the younger is the brighter I believe," but warned any match might be problematic in Germany due to the political situation.
In the end the Prince made no firm overtures and the girls' mother Princess Louise returned to Copenhagen with little hope of a firm offer.
In 1863 the girls father became King of Denmark and among those who now came courting his daughters was the Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovitch the heir to the Russian Imperial Throne - he was soon taken with the Princess Alix and with his father's approval made a formal offer the couple were formally engaged just months before the Second Schleswig war broke out in 1864.
The marriage would take place in St Petersburg in April 1864, though there was no Russian support for Denmark militarily and it would go on to lose the war. The British Ambassador's wife having a loose connection with the Queen's Mistress of The Robes - wrote - "The Queen is in her element amid the preparations for the marriage and is overjoyed that she has pulled it off, If there is a royal interest in the younger daughter it needs to come sooner rather than later I think - there is talk of a double match as the sister's are close and there are lots of Grand Duke's. Because of the war all is desperate here."
The British Queen was reluctant though due to her numerous connections with Germany - Writing to her cousin Augusta, "I know that Willy had a tenderness for both girls, but a match at the present time would put darling Addie (the Crown Princess of Prussia) in a most difficult position, her brother marrying 'the enemy' so to speak."
Denmark's defeat though brought matter's to the fore again and tentative proposals were made to the Danish King and the Prince of Wales and his brother the Duke of York were formally invited to visit the Danish Court . The Crown Princess of Prussia was furious "Can you not imagine Mama the position this puts me in here?"
The Queen immediately wrote to her daughter "I am in despair dearest girl but Willy shows no interest in anyone we have suggested but the Danish girls and you know this yourself. What am I to do?"
The visit was a great success and with his mother's consent a formal offer to the Princess Dagmar was made - the Prince's left Denmark and to the fury of both sides visited their sister in Berlin - the Prince of Wales wrote to his mother of a "very cool reception from all though Addie was glad to see us."
The marriage would take place in May 1866. The Prussian Crown Prince and Princess did not attend though sent gifts as to avoid embarrassment.