As most know, the Act of Settlement , 1701, settled the crown of England (and Scotland Ireland etc) on Sophia of Hanover and her descendants (failing descendants of Will III , Mary II and Ann).
In OTL 1701 Sophia was alive , 71 years old , and had a numerous brood of children.
But, what if, in 1660, a young Sophia did a Princess Charlotte , died in childbed, giving birth to the OTL future George I. And the infant died with her?
Now this would probably pass relatively unnoticed in England at the time. The Restoration, succession of James II, marriage of the latter, Revolution, succession of Will III, Mary, then Ann, all proceed as OTL. But, what are the Parliament to do, in 1701, when they come to consider where to settle the crown. There is no Sophia, or descendants thereof. And I , for one, am perplexed where they might seek for another Protestant heir.
There is a living female descendant of Sofia's brother Karl-Ludwig of the Pfalz, who has issue . But she is Roman Catholic (as are her children) and married to the Duc d'Orleans , Quite unsuitable.
There is a living daughter of Sophia's other brother Edward :Bendicta-Henrietta, daughter of Edward, Count Palatine. But she is also Romish, and married to John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, also a Papist (the only one of his line), older brother of OTL Sofia's husband. Also unsuitable, not being Protestant.
And Benedicta's older sister , married to the insane Prince de Conde. Roman Catholic, wife of a great French peer, quite unsuitable.
Other than that, the line of Elizabeth of Bohemia, the Winter Queen, is extinct.
There are descendants of Charles II's sister Henrietta Anne. Anne Marie d'Orleans, Queen of Sardinia, and her children, Queens of Spain, Dauphine of France, Kings of Sardinia. All Roman Catholic, all great princes, all quite unsuitable.
I can identify no other descendant of James I & VI . There are a few noble families with tenuous links to the Tudor royal line, a few with even more tenuous Plantagenet claims. And , of course, the exiled James II & VII, and his children.
Your challenge : What will the Parliament do ? If they abandon the "being Protestant" clause, then it is well nigh impossible to deny the claims of James II & VII, and his issue. If they insist on a Protestant prince, where is one to be found ?
In OTL 1701 Sophia was alive , 71 years old , and had a numerous brood of children.
But, what if, in 1660, a young Sophia did a Princess Charlotte , died in childbed, giving birth to the OTL future George I. And the infant died with her?
Now this would probably pass relatively unnoticed in England at the time. The Restoration, succession of James II, marriage of the latter, Revolution, succession of Will III, Mary, then Ann, all proceed as OTL. But, what are the Parliament to do, in 1701, when they come to consider where to settle the crown. There is no Sophia, or descendants thereof. And I , for one, am perplexed where they might seek for another Protestant heir.
There is a living female descendant of Sofia's brother Karl-Ludwig of the Pfalz, who has issue . But she is Roman Catholic (as are her children) and married to the Duc d'Orleans , Quite unsuitable.
There is a living daughter of Sophia's other brother Edward :Bendicta-Henrietta, daughter of Edward, Count Palatine. But she is also Romish, and married to John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, also a Papist (the only one of his line), older brother of OTL Sofia's husband. Also unsuitable, not being Protestant.
And Benedicta's older sister , married to the insane Prince de Conde. Roman Catholic, wife of a great French peer, quite unsuitable.
Other than that, the line of Elizabeth of Bohemia, the Winter Queen, is extinct.
There are descendants of Charles II's sister Henrietta Anne. Anne Marie d'Orleans, Queen of Sardinia, and her children, Queens of Spain, Dauphine of France, Kings of Sardinia. All Roman Catholic, all great princes, all quite unsuitable.
I can identify no other descendant of James I & VI . There are a few noble families with tenuous links to the Tudor royal line, a few with even more tenuous Plantagenet claims. And , of course, the exiled James II & VII, and his children.
Your challenge : What will the Parliament do ? If they abandon the "being Protestant" clause, then it is well nigh impossible to deny the claims of James II & VII, and his issue. If they insist on a Protestant prince, where is one to be found ?
