I'm brainstorming events for Europe in a US centered timeline I'm working on, and I came across the attempted assassination of King Louis Philippe of France in 1835. From what I've gathered, his successor would most likely have been his eldest son, Prince Ferdinand Philippe. I don't know much about him other than he was more liberal than his father, and in 1835 he wasn't married. I'm also given to understand that the Orleanists were pro-British. This leads me to the then Princess Victoria.
At this time Princess Victoria is unmarried, and is considered the heir apparent to her uncle William IV. In 1835 she would be 16, and Philippe would be 25. The age gap is a little on the large side, but it's not unheard of, especially if the male partner is the more senior. However, there are a few things I need to check the plausibility on before anything like this could occur.
First off, would either Victoria or Philippe have any interest in this match? If they wouldn't, than this rabbit hole ends. Of course, if the two parties were keen on the match there is also the issue of their respective governments. What say would they have in this, and would they be on board?
If we assume that all, or enough, of the above parties are ok with the match, what happens to issues of succession in the UK? In France it's simple enough; Philippe doesn't have any children yet, so if something happened before that could happen, his brother Prince Louis would be next in line. However, the question of succession in the UK is a bit trickier. If Victoria converts to Catholicism as part of her marriage, then she is automatically out of line for succession. However, if she chose to remain a member of the Church of England (or perhaps joined a French Protestant Church), how would her marriage to Philippe impact her place in the line of succession? Would she be automatically kicked out, putting Ernest Augustus as the heir apparent to William IV, or would she remain in the line?
Personally, I can't imagine the rest of Europe being ok with a situation in which Victoria is still in the line of succession for the British throne. A nightmare scenario for the rest of Europe would the crowns of France and Britain being unified under a single monarch, or most likely in a kind of dual crown scenario like in Austria-Hungary. If this hypothetical match between Victoria and Philippe were to occur I could only imagine it being accepted by the rest of Europe if Victoria was required to either convert to Catholicism, or renounce her claim to the throne, assuming she could keep her place in the line of succession while remaining a protestant and being married to the King of France. Of course, if marrying a foreign/non-protestant monarch kicks her out of the line of succession in the UK, then the opinions of the rest of the crowns of Europe are a bit moot.
At this time Princess Victoria is unmarried, and is considered the heir apparent to her uncle William IV. In 1835 she would be 16, and Philippe would be 25. The age gap is a little on the large side, but it's not unheard of, especially if the male partner is the more senior. However, there are a few things I need to check the plausibility on before anything like this could occur.
First off, would either Victoria or Philippe have any interest in this match? If they wouldn't, than this rabbit hole ends. Of course, if the two parties were keen on the match there is also the issue of their respective governments. What say would they have in this, and would they be on board?
If we assume that all, or enough, of the above parties are ok with the match, what happens to issues of succession in the UK? In France it's simple enough; Philippe doesn't have any children yet, so if something happened before that could happen, his brother Prince Louis would be next in line. However, the question of succession in the UK is a bit trickier. If Victoria converts to Catholicism as part of her marriage, then she is automatically out of line for succession. However, if she chose to remain a member of the Church of England (or perhaps joined a French Protestant Church), how would her marriage to Philippe impact her place in the line of succession? Would she be automatically kicked out, putting Ernest Augustus as the heir apparent to William IV, or would she remain in the line?
Personally, I can't imagine the rest of Europe being ok with a situation in which Victoria is still in the line of succession for the British throne. A nightmare scenario for the rest of Europe would the crowns of France and Britain being unified under a single monarch, or most likely in a kind of dual crown scenario like in Austria-Hungary. If this hypothetical match between Victoria and Philippe were to occur I could only imagine it being accepted by the rest of Europe if Victoria was required to either convert to Catholicism, or renounce her claim to the throne, assuming she could keep her place in the line of succession while remaining a protestant and being married to the King of France. Of course, if marrying a foreign/non-protestant monarch kicks her out of the line of succession in the UK, then the opinions of the rest of the crowns of Europe are a bit moot.