Questions in Search of Answers for my TL

I'm in need of help as I plan out the future of my timeline, To Wear A Crown. While I have a pretty good idea of everything that will happen in the next 10 years of said timeline, I need to make sure I don't make decisions that will hinder some of my long term plans 30-50 years down the road.

Here's a brief synopsis of my TL: Henry VI of England dies in August 1453 and Margaret of Anjou suffers a miscarriage because of the circumstances of his death. Both Richard, Duke of York, and Edmund, Duke of Somerset, claim the throne and after a six-month war it is York, now Richard III, that emerges victorious.

1) What is the realistic maximum age difference of a royal marriage with the bride older than the groom? (For example, Margaret Beaufort, b.1443, and James III, b.1451/2)

Based on Henry VIII marriage to Catherine of Aragon, it seems to be six, however there were other circumstances say her dowry and alliance that seemed to have affected it. The eight year difference between Margaret and James III rules out my first idea, but leads to my second question...

2) Would a King of Scots, lets say James IV, marry a Scottish noblewoman if she were the heir to the Earl of Angus (the Red Douglas) and had a claim to the English throne?

Richard III is looking to diplomatically "get rid" of Margaret of Anjou from England so she doesn't marry someone in his realm like Catherine Valois (the Tudors) or Jacquetta of Luxembourg (the Woodvilles) had done in the last 30 years. He's about to arrange the marriage of Joan of Portugal to his son Edward, in OTL Joan wed Henry IV of Castile, so...

3) How would a marriage between Margaret of Anjou and Henry IV of Castile effect the Catalonian Civil War/War again John II?

4) And how would a child(ren) by this couple, legitimacy undisputed, effect the dynastic dynamics between Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and Portugal?

Any thoughts you have to these questions would be most welcome, especially those concerning the Iberian kingdoms since my knowledge is pretty bad. And don't hesitate to ask me questions either, though I don't want to give everything away so I might be a little evasive in my answers if it gets close to a major plot point.

[Shameless plug] And if you're inclined read my TL blog :) [/Shameless plug]
 
I'm in need of help as I plan out the future of my timeline, To Wear A Crown. While I have a pretty good idea of everything that will happen in the next 10 years of said timeline, I need to make sure I don't make decisions that will hinder some of my long term plans 30-50 years down the road.

Here's a brief synopsis of my TL: Henry VI of England dies in August 1453 and Margaret of Anjou suffers a miscarriage because of the circumstances of his death. Both Richard, Duke of York, and Edmund, Duke of Somerset, claim the throne and after a six-month war it is York, now Richard III, that emerges victorious.

1) What is the realistic maximum age difference of a royal marriage with the bride older than the groom? (For example, Margaret Beaufort, b.1443, and James III, b.1451/2)

Based on Henry VIII marriage to Catherine of Aragon, it seems to be six, however there were other circumstances say her dowry and alliance that seemed to have affected it. The eight year difference between Margaret and James III rules out my first idea, but leads to my second question...

2) Would a King of Scots, lets say James IV, marry a Scottish noblewoman if she were the heir to the Earl of Angus (the Red Douglas) and had a claim to the English throne?

Richard III is looking to diplomatically "get rid" of Margaret of Anjou from England so she doesn't marry someone in his realm like Catherine Valois (the Tudors) or Jacquetta of Luxembourg (the Woodvilles) had done in the last 30 years. He's about to arrange the marriage of Joan of Portugal to his son Edward, in OTL Joan wed Henry IV of Castile, so...

3) How would a marriage between Margaret of Anjou and Henry IV of Castile effect the Catalonian Civil War/War again John II?

4) And how would a child(ren) by this couple, legitimacy undisputed, effect the dynastic dynamics between Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and Portugal?

Any thoughts you have to these questions would be most welcome, especially those concerning the Iberian kingdoms since my knowledge is pretty bad. And don't hesitate to ask me questions either, though I don't want to give everything away so I might be a little evasive in my answers if it gets close to a major plot point.

[Shameless plug] And if you're inclined read my TL blog :) [/Shameless plug]
I think a marriage between Henry IV and Margaret of Anjou is similar to the marriage between Isabella and Ferdinand, because both have stronger claims to the Aragonese crown because it combines the Valois and the Trastamara claim to the Aragonese throne.
 
I think a marriage between Henry IV and Margaret of Anjou is similar to the marriage between Isabella and Ferdinand, because both have stronger claims to the Aragonese crown because it combines the Valois and the Trastamara claim to the Aragonese throne.

Thanks for the information, I'll look into that during my research as my TL progresses. It would definitely change things during the War against John II, from what little I've read.
 
Thanks for the information, I'll look into that during my research as my TL progresses. It would definitely change things during the War against John II, from what little I've read.
I think Isabella could be married to a Valois as well..I think the Duke of Guyenne or the OTL Louis XII could marry Isabella of Castile and Mary of Burgundy marries Nicholas of Anjou.
 
meries said:
1) What is the realistic maximum age difference of a royal marriage with the bride older than the groom? (For example, Margaret Beaufort, b.1443, and James III, b.1451/2)

Based on Henry VIII marriage to Catherine of Aragon, it seems to be six, however there were other circumstances say her dowry and alliance that seemed to have affected it. The eight year difference between Margaret and James III rules out my first idea, but leads to my second question...
I would place the limit for the age gap between a bride and her groom as having a bride 16 years older than her groom. Given the fact princesses often married at that age (if not a bit younger) and could even have given birth in a few cases, that age gap would appear as marrying a Prince to someone "who could be his mother". In practice, this probably rules out every bride that is more than 12 (if not 10) years older than the groom. I'm no expert on this question, but that's what I would say...

meries said:
2) Would a King of Scots, lets say James IV, marry a Scottish noblewoman if she were the heir to the Earl of Angus (the Red Douglas) and had a claim to the English throne?

Richard III is looking to diplomatically "get rid" of Margaret of Anjou from England so she doesn't marry someone in his realm like Catherine Valois (the Tudors) or Jacquetta of Luxembourg (the Woodvilles) had done in the last 30 years. He's about to arrange the marriage of Joan of Portugal to his son Edward, in OTL Joan wed Henry IV of Castile, so...
I'd say that depends on the King of Scots' ambition regarding England. If he wants the crown of England, he should definitely go for the marriage with the Angus heiress as he would have a valid claim. Another factor that plays on the question would be the alternative brides he could get: if another King propose him his daughter, she might be more interesting to marry than the Angus heiress. Kings that are likely to propose Princesses to the King of the Scots would be those of France (alliance against England), England (Anglo-Scottish peace) or Denmark.
 
Thanks for the reponses, kasumigenx and Yorel.

I think Isabella could be married to a Valois as well..I think the Duke of Guyenne or the OTL Louis XII could marry Isabella of Castile and Mary of Burgundy marries Nicholas of Anjou.

Those are some interesting possibilites for Isabella if her brother & Margaret have issue that push her down the line of succession thus opening up her up to being used diplomatically. I can't comment on Mary of Burgundy because she might not exist due to butterflies.

I would place the limit for the age gap between a bride and her groom as having a bride 16 years older than her groom. Given the fact princesses often married at that age (if not a bit younger) and could even have given birth in a few cases, that age gap would appear as marrying a Prince to someone "who could be his mother". In practice, this probably rules out every bride that is more than 12 (if not 10) years older than the groom. I'm no expert on this question, but that's what I would say...

Well we have to keep in mind of the fact that the thinking back then was from around 16 to 35ish was considered the childbearing years, maybe 14 to 40 for certain women though the younger the girl the higher the risks for her and the child during childbirth. Also from the age of 20-30 were generally considered the prime years. So if a Prince, or young King, were to get married at 15 to a bride 10 years his senior we're talking 25. So even if they started having sex right away, his wife's childbearing years are halved at worst. Not that your opinion is wrong, but that's my concern when asking the question because the greater the difference in ages between bride and groom the smaller window to bear children which is important.

I'd say that depends on the King of Scots' ambition regarding England. If he wants the crown of England, he should definitely go for the marriage with the Angus heiress as he would have a valid claim. Another factor that plays on the question would be the alternative brides he could get: if another King propose him his daughter, she might be more interesting to marry than the Angus heiress. Kings that are likely to propose Princesses to the King of the Scots would be those of France (alliance against England), England (Anglo-Scottish peace) or Denmark.

One of the reasons I asked the question is because the Earls of Angus were some of the most powerful men in Scotland from around 1450 to 1515/25, from what brief research I've started doing. I don't know if that was because of young monarchs and their regency councils, the Earls being personally charasmatic, or because of the Earls wealth via their extensive lands (if they had them) which interacted with the already listed reasons. The King of Scots might see marrying this heiress more for the wealth and lands she would bring the crown then the claim to the English throne (that could be used as potential bargaining chip later on), primarily to consolidate power at home. Better the King marry the Angus heiress than an ambitious nobleman, who might be his brother or cousin of royal blood, who could rival him or his future son in power later on.

My plan is to get the Beaufort claim to the English throne through Margaret into the Scottish royal family some how, unfortunately there aren't any cadet branches of the House of Stewart in the 1450s that I can marry her into and get onto the throne. So I started looking for powerful noble families that the King of Scots might think to marry an heiress for their wealth and lands.
 
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