Questions re Rupert of the Rhine

That depends, though I think he'll try not to be an absentee ruler. After all, Palatinate is not some small insignificant principality like Neuchatel, and moving from Royal Duke to Sovereign is quite a big upgrade.
 
This is very true, I suppose it’s be a completely different thing if he were king of Britain. Hmm this would be interesting especially if he’s a British army officer as well
 
I think that our Charles Robert Frederick would be an army officer, cavalry being most likely, maybe even serving as a volunteer in 1683 at the Siege of Vienna.

Regarding the marriage circumstances, and if the Eve Scott's story is based on true facts, I propose the PoD is Mary Villiers, Dowager Duchess of Richmond, entering her third marriage a year or two earlier than OTL - say in 1662. That leaves no objections to Rupert's courtship of "a French Royal lady" (Charlotte de Dunois, a would-be bride of the Duke of Gloucester, is the most likely candidate, as I don't think Rupert would be too interested in overzealous Papist like OTL Duchesse de Guise) in 1663-1664, and the marriage goes ahead, butterflying away Charlotte's untimely death of pneumonia in 1664, though with fragile constitution I'm not sure how long she will live and how many childbirths she will be able to survive. Rupert may, like Duke of York, face 1670ies a widower with a bunch of kids.

With marriage preparations and related buzz Rupert does not volunteer to lead an expedition to Guinea, does not hit his head agaist the door in dumb accident, and thus does not require trepanning surgeries which SEVERELY impacted his performance in Second Anglo-Dutch War.
The marriage being in 1664 also butterflies Rupert's relation with Francis Bard, though he may still meet her/keep as a mistress on sideline.
 
I think that our Charles Robert Frederick would be an army officer, cavalry being most likely, maybe even serving as a volunteer in 1683 at the Siege of Vienna.

Regarding the marriage circumstances, and if the Eve Scott's story is based on true facts, I propose the PoD is Mary Villiers, Dowager Duchess of Richmond, entering her third marriage a year or two earlier than OTL - say in 1662. That leaves no objections to Rupert's courtship of "a French Royal lady" (Charlotte de Dunois, a would-be bride of the Duke of Gloucester, is the most likely candidate, as I don't think Rupert would be too interested in overzealous Papist like OTL Duchesse de Guise) in 1663-1664, and the marriage goes ahead, butterflying away Charlotte's untimely death of pneumonia in 1664, though with fragile constitution I'm not sure how long she will live and how many childbirths she will be able to survive. Rupert may, like Duke of York, face 1670ies a widower with a bunch of kids.

With marriage preparations and related buzz Rupert does not volunteer to lead an expedition to Guinea, does not hit his head agaist the door in dumb accident, and thus does not require trepanning surgeries which SEVERELY impacted his performance in Second Anglo-Dutch War.
The marriage being in 1664 also butterflies Rupert's relation with Francis Bard, though he may still meet her/keep as a mistress on sideline.
Sounds solid to me, Seeing his son grow as a man and as a soldier and then leader will be fascinating. He won’t need to convert to Catholicism will he for the palatinate? And as regards Charles Roberts marriage, would he be considered for someone such as Anne?
 
I think Anne is likely, since it moves a popular Prince up in succession line, and by 1680 nobody knew that Karl II of Palatinate will die young (only that he had a bunch of mental issues preventing him from doing his marital duties, or just plain hated his wife).

Palatinate was Protestant. Under Karl Ludwig it was open to all Protestant faiths, then Karl II during his short reign made it Calvinism uber alles. I think our potential Karl III/Rupert IV will again return to "all Protestant creeds are tolerated" policy installed by his uncle, being likely raised as Anglican himself.
 
I think Anne is likely, since it moves a popular Prince up in succession line, and by 1680 nobody knew that Karl II of Palatinate will die young (only that he had a bunch of mental issues preventing him from doing his marital duties, or just plain hated his wife).

Palatinate was Protestant. Under Karl Ludwig it was open to all Protestant faiths, then Karl II during his short reign made it Calvinism uber alles. I think our potential Karl III/Rupert IV will again return to "all Protestant creeds are tolerated" policy installed by his uncle, being likely raised as Anglican himself.
Alrighty I wonder if Anne and Charles will have a better fertility success than Anne and George did. And seeing how Ann does in the palatinate will be fascinating
 
Alrighty I wonder if Anne and Charles will have a better fertility success than Anne and George did. And seeing how Ann does in the palatinate will be fascinating

IMHO Anne's problem, most likely, was syphilis given her by husband. Keep Charlie "clean" and she might do a smidge better. Not much, it's those pesky cousin marriages, but I'd say she shouldn't be above two maybe three kids who survive infancy at least.
 
IMHO Anne's problem, most likely, was syphilis given her by husband. Keep Charlie "clean" and she might do a smidge better. Not much, it's those pesky cousin marriages, but I'd say she shouldn't be above two maybe three kids who survive infancy at least.
Man what is it it with these men and giving their wife’s syphilis
 
IMHO Anne's problem, most likely, was syphilis given her by husband. Keep Charlie "clean" and she might do a smidge better. Not much, it's those pesky cousin marriages, but I'd say she shouldn't be above two maybe three kids who survive infancy at least.
Cousin marriage itself doesn't drastically reduce fertility etc it's repeated cousin marriage that does it.
If Charles is clean there's no reason she couldn't be as successful kidwise as the cousins Victoria and Albert were.
 
Cousin marriage itself doesn't drastically reduce fertility etc it's repeated cousin marriage that does it.
If Charles is clean there's no reason she couldn't be as successful kidwise as the cousins Victoria and Albert were.

This is very true, and a House of Wittelsbach within Britain is fascinating. And later, seeing them rule the Palatinate, and maybe have to fend of Louis XIV would be fascinating as well
 
I do imagine that either James will toe a more cautious line when it comes to foreign policy, if his daughter and son-in law are threatened by Louis's ambitions. Which might well stop the erosion of trust in him
 
Louis' position is complex there. In OTL the claimant to the Palatinate he opposed was a random Duke who also happened to be a father-in-law to the Austrian Emperor.

TTL the legal heir is a son-in-law of British King, son of a very popular admiral whom Louis (despite Rupert's opposition to France in politics) rather liked, and half-French via his mother, being related to the Conde clan (grandnephew of the Grand Conde, and Duc and Duchesse d'Enghien being his maternal first cousin once removed and paternal first cousin respectively) and likely heir to 3 dukedoms in France and sovereing principality in Switzerland, if his maternal Longueville male relatives die as OTL.

So this is a claim Louis would think twice to oppose, as it's very easy to ruin carefully cultivated relations with England.
 
Louis' position is complex there. In OTL the claimant to the Palatinate he opposed was a random Duke who also happened to be a father-in-law to the Austrian Emperor.

TTL the legal heir is a son-in-law of British King, son of a very popular admiral whom Louis (despite Rupert's opposition to France in politics) rather liked, and half-French via his mother, being related to the Conde clan (grandnephew of the Grand Conde, and Duc and Duchesse d'Enghien being his maternal first cousin once removed and paternal first cousin respectively) and likely heir to 3 dukedoms in France and sovereing principality in Switzerland, if his maternal Longueville male relatives die as OTL.

So this is a claim Louis would think twice to oppose, as it's very easy to ruin carefully cultivated relations with England.

Hmm this is very true, which means as you said before could well stop the Nine Years War in its tracks? Which could provide a fig leaf for James himself.
 
If Britain is not involved in any major wars before Spanish Succession, the worst case scenario for James is deposal in favor of his infant son (with Protestant regency council for him), sorta like Edward II, but no foreign invasion is likely in the cards. James can likely do something stupid, but the consequences are varying, up to and including assassination plots.
 
If Britain is not involved in any major wars before Spanish Succession, the worst case scenario for James is deposal in favor of his infant son (with Protestant regency council for him), sorta like Edward II, but no foreign invasion is likely in the cards. James can likely do something stupid, but the consequences are varying, up to and including assassination plots.

Oh that's going to be quite interesting, I wonder who would serve on a potential regency council for James, with Anne out of the country as it were
 
I think that the situation would be rather weird in hindsight.
Assuming our Charles Robert is born in 1665 and has at least one surviving sibling (I propose a girl, to be married to Danish crown prince), he is married to Anne circa 1682, to ensure Protestant succession (I think Anne will treat her British cousin she'd grew up with better than plain and dull George of Hannover). By 1680 it is clear that Charles is heir presumptive to Palatinate, but nobody expects Karl II to die quickly.
The inheritance is rather... mismanaged, to say the least. There is ongoing border dispute with France, ruined finances of the Electorate and other consequences of Karl II to f*ck up his father's legacy. So I think that Charles by 1685 WILL be obliged to go to Palatinate in person. Yes, he'll be a foreigner, but at least the one who speaks German better than George I spoke English. But the situation will require that Elector is to be present.

However, if by 1688 the situation in England gets strange, Charles (being British first and foremost) will have to go there in person. And the situation WILL get strange - as there would be literally no Protestant Royal family members in Britain in between 1685-1688, the rumor of Papist tastes of James may reach Palatinate highly exagerrated. Anne may be left in Palatinate as regent for a time being.

The only saving grace is that Louis may still want war to consolidate the gains from the Wars of Reunion - then as I've said before James is in difficult position, and may take "Catholic but anti-French" position, in case France still starts the war. Reading of pre-text of the war: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Years'_War#Persecution_of_the_Huguenots I was convinced that the war will still happen, dynastic claims of a claimant be damned in favor of realpolitic.

Louis was known for being so power-drunk in 1680ies that he did stupid things that angered his key allies (like persecution of the Huguenots ruining pro-French opposition in the Netherlands and turning Brandenburg to the Imperial side). If he continues to do this TTL, he may lose Britain just as well as Brandenburg from the list of his allies.
 
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I think that the situation would be rather weird in hindsight.
Assuming our Charles Robert is born in 1665 and has at least one surviving sibling (I propose a girl, to be married to Danish crown prince), he is married to Anne circa 1682, to ensure Protestant succession (I think Anne will treat her British cousin she'd grew up with better than plain and dull George of Hannover). By 1680 it is clear that Charles is heir presumptive to Palatinate, but nobody expects Karl II to die quickly.
The inheritance is rather... mismanaged, to say the least. There is ongoing border dispute with France, ruined finances of the Electorate and other consequences of Karl II to f*ck up his father's legacy. So I think that Charles by 1685 WILL be obliged to go to Palatinate in person. Yes, he'll be a foreigner, but at least the one who speaks German better than George I spoke English. But the situation will require that Elector is to be present.

However, if by 1688 the situation in England gets strange, Charles (being British first and foremost) will have to go there in person. And the situation WILL get strange - as there would be literally no Protestant Royal family members in Britain in between 1685-1688, the rumor of Papist tastes of James may reach Palatinate highly exagerrated. Anne may be left in Palatinate as regent for a time being.

The only saving grace is that Louis may still want war to consolidate the gains from the Wars of Reunion - then as I've said before James is in difficult position, and may take "Catholic but anti-French" position, in case France still starts the war. Reading of pre-text of the war: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Years'_War#Persecution_of_the_Huguenots I was convinced that the war will still happen, dynastic claims of a claimant be damned in favor of realpolitic.

Louis was known for being so power-drunk in 1680ies that he did stupid things that angered his key allies (like persecution of the Huguenots ruining pro-French opposition in the Netherlands and turning Brandenburg to the Imperial side). If he continues to do this TTL, he may lose Britain just as well as Brandenburg from the list of his allies.

Oh that certainly makes things fascinating. James will be stuck between a rock and a hard place, especially if he gets on with his cousin, and wants to protect his daughter. Charles Robert likely having to act as a mediator in Britain for a time, when Louis does eventually declare war, he might urge war on France, only to be frustrated and have to return at once to Palatinate, or seek allies, if he's still in Britain.
 
An interesting thing may happen, if Charles is not only of gentler temper than Rupert, but also inherited his maternal granmother's diplomatic/intrigue master qualities, even if he is not as gifted military as say his father and maternal granduncle were. The management of situation on diplomatic front may be fun.
 
An interesting thing may happen, if Charles is not only of gentler temper than Rupert, but also inherited his maternal granmother's diplomatic/intrigue master qualities, even if he is not as gifted military as say his father and maternal granduncle were. The management of situation on diplomatic front may be fun.

OOOh Charles playing a spider King sort of scenario? Without obviously being a King
 
Well, he is a reigning monarch, as a Prince Elector, but not a King.
It would be ironic if Rupert's legitimate son turns out to have more in common with his uncle Karl Ludwig in terms of talents than with his father. A positive for Palatinate at the very least, and maybe for England.
 
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