The Frankish Anarchy - Louis VII dies on crusade

Which would you prefer to see?

  • Henry Capet becomes King of France and marries.

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • Henry Capet becomes king only until Marie comes of age.

    Votes: 1 6.7%
  • Marie becomes Queen of France.

    Votes: 9 60.0%
  • Simon of Dreux becomes King of France.

    Votes: 1 6.7%

  • Total voters
    15
  • Poll closed .
1148 AD would be known in France as the Year of Tragedy. King Louis VII took up the cross to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and to defend the Holy Land. While travelling across the rugged landscape of Anatolia, the French crusaders were ambushed by the Seljuk Turks near Mount Cadmus. In the chaos of the battle, King Louis, while climbing a rock, was hit on the head by a stray stone. This left him dazed long enough to be purposefully shot in the neck. Seeing their king fall, the French's already low morale collapsed, and they fell into a route. Among the slain were Louis' brothers, Robert of Dreux and Peter. Sources clash on the exact fate of Louis' wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Some say that she was killed in the rout. Some say that she was captured and died in captivity. Others believe that she escaped but fell ill and died trying to get home.

In a single day, the flower of the House of Capet had been cut down. The king had left behind him his three-year old daughter, Marie, his nephew, Simon of Dreux, his sister, Constance (married to Eustace of Blois), and his younger surviving brothers, Henry and Philip. When news filtered back to France of the catastophe at Mount Cadmus, it became apparent that a new king needed to be elected. Unfortunately, Louis had not elected a successor, so their was some heated debates about who it should be.

Marie? - She was Louis VII's only child, and now Duchess of Aquitaine. But she was underaged, and no woman had ever ruled France in her own right.

Simon of Dreux? - Robert's son was only seven years old, and his father had been a younger brother of the king.

Henry? - Henry, aged twenty-seven, was now the oldest surviving member of the direct House of Capet, but he had spent the last two years as a Cistercian monk. Did that mean he had renounced his claim to the throne? Even if he hadn't, could a man of the clothe renounce his vows without offending God?

Eventually, the nobles came to an agreement, and they sent messages to...
 
Very stupid question. Is it possible the nobles will completely skip the Capetians in this situation and elect another house? Or even go back to the Caroligian line? It has not been very long since Hugues Capet was elected at this point.
 
Very stupid question. Is it possible the nobles will completely skip the Capetians in this situation and elect another house? Or even go back to the Caroligian line? It has not been very long since Hugues Capet was elected at this point.

By 1148, the last/most recent branch of the Carolingians had married into the Capet family. The current Count of Vermandois, Raoul, is the son of Hugh Magnus, the younger son of King Henry I, and Adelaide, daughter of Herbert IV, a descendant of one of Charlemagne's illegitimate grandsons.

As for the poll, I knew it was a bad time to post just before The Great Upgrade (that is what we're calling the last three days, right?). So far, one vote for Henry becoming king and marrying, and two for Marie becoming Queen. Any particular reasons why? I'm all ears.

If Henry is released from his vows, I could see him marrying either Sibylla of Burgundy or Constance of Castile. I could also see Marie marrying one of her first cousins (Simon of Dreux, Raoul II of Vermandois or a son of Henry II of France).
 
I can see Henry II of England (and Duke of Normandy) grease some palms and have Marie, daughter of Louis VII and now Duchess of Aquitaine be made Queen of France with Henri made regent in order to keep the other major French nobles onside. As for marriage, I'll marry her either to one of Henry II's TTL younger sons or Raoul II, Count of Vermandois in order to keep either Simon of Druex or any surviving male Capetians from getting any ideas about trying to usurp the French throne.
 
After much thought, I've decided to go with both of the majority votes.

1148 AD - 1153 AD:

Eventually, the nobles came to an agreement, and they sent messages to Clairvaux Abbey where Henry Capet was residing as a monk, saying that they wanted him as the next King of the Franks. Henry briefly hesitated, but the temptation of becoming King was too much to overcome, and he agreed. So he was solemnly crowned in Reims, after which Henry asked Pope Eugene to renounce his vows so that he might marry. As a fellow former Cistercian, Eugene was loathe to release Henry from his vows, but he relented if only to, at least briefly, stave off a civil war like the one raging in England. Some nobles indeed saw this as their chance to gain some power or influence. One being the Duke of Burgundy, Odo II, who broke of the betrothal between his sister, Sibylla, and Roger, King of Sicily, offering her hand to the new king. Henry, unfamiliar with the overall political climate, and desperate for allies, accepted. Fortunately for both parties, the marriage turned out well. The two were just as closely related as Louis VII and Eleanor had been, but unlike Louis and Eleanor, the bride and groom were of similar temperaments, and Henry found he could trust Sibylla.

Then there was the matter of succession to settle:

Marie would become queen, but only as the wife of any sons of Henry and Sibylla's union, who would rule France and Aquitaine in both their names. If Henry and Sibylla failed to produce any sons, then she would be married to Simon of Dreux. If Simon died prior to the marriage, she would be married to Ralph, son of the Count of Vermandois, who was Henry's second cousin.

But there was still trouble at home. In 1150, Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, made his eldest son Henry Duke of Normandy. In response, King Henry recognised Stephen of Blois' son, Eustace, also King Henry's brother-in-law, as the rightful duke, and organised a coalition to remove the Angevins from the province. In August 1151, Geoffrey persuaded Henry to come to terms with the king. So Henry paid homage to King Henry and gave him lands around the Vexin in exchange for recognition as Duke of Normandy. Around the same time, Henry of Anjou had tried to get himself betrothed to Marie, but it had been rejected on the grounds that they were third cousins twice-removed. His plans to reclaim England from Stephen of Blois were waylaid by the death of his father in 1151 AD. His younger brother, Geoffrey, rose in revolt, claiming he had been dispossessed of his inheritance. Fearful of the power Count Henry could possess if he ever became King of England, King Henry organised another coalition, promising Geoffrey Anjou and Normandy. Unfortunately, the count proved superior than the king in matters of warfare, avoiding pitched battle and pillaging the Vexin. King Henry was not a military man, but he knew when he could not win. So he abandoned support for Geoffrey, who was forced to come to terms with his brother.

At the same time, Stephen of Blois placed the castle of Wallingford under siege. In 1153, Henry of Anjou was now confident enough to sail over to England. Unfortunately, his fleet was wrecked by a winter storm, and his body was lost at sea. King Henry II of France was now more determined than ever to resolve the Normandy-Anjou issue once and for all...
 
I would LOVE if at some point that entire line of Henry II of France died and/or Marie I of France manages to take the throne via rebellion. Idk, maybe it's just me, but the idea of a full female monarch in the 1100s is really interesting, particularly if she proves to be somewhat talented at military command.
 
I would LOVE if at some point that entire line of Henry II of France died and/or Marie I of France manages to take the throne via rebellion. Idk, maybe it's just me, but the idea of a full female monarch in the 1100s is really interesting, particularly if she proves to be somewhat talented at military command.

We'll see. Anything else?

I apologise to Angevin/Plantagenet fans for killing off Henry FitzEmpress early off, but I thought it might be interesting. Hardly anyone focuses on Henry's younger brothers, Geoffrey and William. And Henry did brave storms several times on his way to England IOTL. And, finally, I also have a soft spot for Stephen of Blois and his family.
 
I would LOVE if at some point that entire line of Henry II of France died and/or Marie I of France manages to take the throne via rebellion. Idk, maybe it's just me, but the idea of a full female monarch in the 1100s is really interesting, particularly if she proves to be somewhat talented at military command.

I think it would be better for the TL if Henri II dies without heirs, and Marie I after proving herself as a military commander becomes the Queen of France. You can do a Henri of Navarre scenario with her in that while the major French nobles will prefer a male on the throne, they'll accept her especially if she's seen as defending France against foreign invasion and the alternative to her as Queen is prolonged civil war. After her death, you can have a tradition develop that future ruling Queens of France look to her as their role model.
 
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