Rupert Wittelsbach, Duke de Rohan

One of the biographies of Rupert of Rhine I've read online notes that in 1638 his mother attempted to marry the young man off to Margot de Rohan, the richest adult heiress in France and second richest heiress in France in general, the only heir to elder branch of the House of Rohan.
In OTL the marriage proposal came to naught, Rupert remained single\in civil union by the end of his life\, Margot married to a nobleman way below her rank... but what if the young people took liking to each other?

The most obvious butterfly from the match is that Rupert (or Duc Robert de Rohan, Prince Palatine of Rhine) likely won't be able to participate in English Civil War, being a French general. Though his participation in 30 Years War will likely differ from OTL (no Linz imprisonment?).
 
His impact on the 30 Years War would be interesting; not sure if his loss would change the course of the Civil War or not (but then my knowledge of 17th century history is very shaky)
 
It's funny, I had the same idea just yesterday when I was busy armchair inventing.:D

I don't see why he wouldn't be allowed to participate in the English Civil War unless he's commanding French forces in wherever due to the 30YW, but that's not necessarily set in stone that he will join Condé and Turenne et al.

However, out of curiosity, would such a match be regarded as equal by Imperial standards? Because if things still run much like OTL, then Robert le Diable's kids with the Duchesse de Rohan could end up inheriting the Palatinate.

Although, I can see the Emperor being far more eager to press a match between Maria Leopoldina of Austria and Karl I/Friedrich VI as a way of trying to curb French influence in Germany. That in itself most likely rids us of Karl's pesky morganatic bigamous marriage to Mme von Degenfeld (because let's face it, he's more likely to keep her as a mistress then than risk offending the Emperor).
 
Friedrich is long dead by PoD date (drowned in 1629). And Rohans are Princes Etranger at French Court, being heirs to the sovereign Dukes of Britanny, so I don't see why the match won't be equal.
In 1643 (before Rocroi) the things weren't so happy and shiny for French. Though that depends on how Rupert gets along with Mazarin (if poorly, then he can be sent away to England - BUT unlike OTL with token French aid ("see, we love our relatives across the strait so much we're doing something to help"). How will this affect English Civil War - I dunno.
 
I think that if Rupert is allowed to partake in English CW on the side of his uncle but with contingent of French volunteers, his image will be a lot more...demonized by Puritan propaganda. Even if those volunteers will be drafted from loyal Huguenot clientelle of House of Rohan.
I wonder if holding French ducal title jure uxoris will prevent Rupert from getting English one.
But I believe that yes, Emperor will want to exert more control over situation in Palatinate. War of Mantuan Succession is fresh news, and with heir presumptive to Karl-Ludwig becoming French prince etranger... the repeat of thing is looming.
 
Any more ideas on impact of this PoD on English Civil War?
When asked on Russian forum, the answer was "Royalists do worse than OTL" when either Rupert is busy fighting Spaniards or Rupert goes to England with some French troops.
 
Also - if Karl-Ludwig I marries to the OTL Duchess of Mantua (Isabella-Clara of Austria) I see no difference in his family life from OTL - the wife is completely sidelined by mistress. In fact, there was a bit in my Russian major TL project I'm rewriting now (its PoD in 1649, but after working on Apollinis et Dianae I went for rewrite as some stuff I wrote was really ASB in hindsight) where the Karl/Isabella match happens and the only reason they have 2 kids is that TTL Liselotte is born before TTL Karl - once the heir is born he completely abandons his wife in favor of a mistress.
 
Well, I can't see Isabella being TOO bothered by Ms Degenfeld as a mistress and being sidelined, since from what I remember her OTL hubby was too concerned with a certain Margherita della Rovere. However she also took up with a gentleman after OT Gonzaga died AFAIK.
 
Well, I can't see Isabella being TOO bothered by Ms Degenfeld as a mistress and being sidelined, since from what I remember her OTL hubby was too concerned with a certain Margherita della Rovere. However she also took up with a gentleman after OT Gonzaga died AFAIK.
If they have OTL life expectancy, she'll outlive him by a couple of years most.
 
The thing is how this PoD changes the fates of Rupert's brothers - namely Maurice (Rupert's "shadow"), Edward (may still marry Anna Gonzaga) and Philip (in OTL fought in Fronde on royalist side, died in skirmish in 1650).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Frederick_of_the_Palatinate

If Rupert still goes to fight in England, maybe it's Maurice who TTL gets the Duke of Cumberland title?
And Philip may well go into his brothers' footsteps and try to marry a heiress. OTL Duchesse de Nemours is attractive money-wise but it's unclear whether Philip will convert just like Edward (Marie was adamant against marrying a non-Catholic).
 
Not too mention that the Winter Queen threatened to disown her children if they converted to Catholicism, marrying was fine though. A case in point was her daughter, Louise: when Liz heard that Henriette Marie was involved in her flight and conversion, she wrote to her very acidly asking how she would feel if Liz had abducted Minette and allowed her to convert to Protestantism.
 
Edward did pull it off and his mom reconciled with him, though. Kinda double boys/girls standards ("men have to make sacrifices to bring money home?").

Protestant heiresses (other that the titular Duchesse de Rohan) were not kinda thick on pro-French ground.
 
Bumping because I'm finally turning this in full TL.
PoD - expedition of 1638 is delayed (Lord Craven gets sick with whatever malady - I'm undecided so far), and Rupert gets more time to court Margot de Rohan, so the marriage happens in early 1638, thus extra funds get more resources for 1638 Westphalia campaign and it ends in less disastrous fashion.
The major can of butterflies will likely get opened in 1641 - because as was previously said, Maria Leopoldine match likely gets to happen, and the end stage of 30 Years War gets derailed - probably making it 25 Years War.
 
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