The Infamous Lady Rochford

With Henry VIII being so big on showing the world he didn't hold grudges against families (how do you think Norfolk slid by so many times?), I can easily imagine the young Earl being the young PoW's bosom buddy. It might actually help Edward VI's health to have someone to run about with. Elizabeth is three years older than Ned Boleyn and might put up a fight: she wasn't interested in wedding anyone. (However, her reluctance might spur E6 to action via parliament on the succession before he's too ill.)

Mary was said to believe Mark Smeaton was Liz's father. That might have been for public consumption, because if she'd really believed it, the first thing she would have done was change the succession.
 
It is unlikely that Lady Rochford has much to do with her son - after the death of his father he will technically be a royal ward - he is also heir to the Earl of Wiltshire (and Boleyn might have lost his posts but he was still landed and was quickly back in royal favour after Anne's fall). His wardship and care might have been awarded to Thomas Boleyn in 1536/7 quite easily and that means Jane's access to her son is dependent on her relationship with her father in law - after Thomas' death then the King could award the wardship to anyone who he wanted to benefit from the remaining Boleyn estates whilst the boy remained a minor - that could include keeping the wardship to himself or granting it to anyone he wanted to reward - again Jane's access would depend on what her relationship would be with whoever took her son's wardship - sometimes they were more than willing to allow the child to remain with its immediate family (only interested in the income it brought them and the potential marital alliance it might offer in due course) other times they opted to raise the child in their own household with their own children. A likely candidate for his wardship might well be Brandon - the boy being raised in close proximity to his sons by Catherine Willoughby - both Brandon's sons were close to Edward VI aswell as being of a similar age.
After Brandon's death it might be that he was declared of age or was passed to the control of the Seymour clan - an early betrothal might be on the cards amidst the Seymour and later Dudley plotting. There might also be a suggestion of a Butler marriage for the young Earl to try again to solve the dispute over the Ormond title - as in this tl there are still two earldoms - the one created for Thomas Boleyn and the original one restored to Piers Butler in 1538. Likely raised as a Protestant (especially if he was in Suffolk's household) he is more than likely to have either fled abroad like his ward's widow Catherine Willoughby on Mary's accession or made the mistake of getting himself caught up in Wyatt's rebellion. If he survives Mary's reign then he is likely to do well under his cousin Elizabeth's reign (unlike her paternal relations who were effectively rival claimants Elizabeth maintained excellent relations with her maternal family throughout her reign and all did quite well out of the connection).
 
If he survives Mary's reign then he is likely to do well under his cousin Elizabeth's reign (unlike her paternal relations who were effectively rival claimants Elizabeth maintained excellent relations with her maternal family throughout her reign and all did quite well out of the connection).

I wonder how the court will look spinning with an extra Boleyn - especially if he's half as suave as George was (Geordie was also apparently quite the skirt-chaser), with Anne/Thomas' brains, Jane's talent for court intrigue, and the Boleyn wit and flair for diplomacy (Thomas and George both did well in this aspect AIUI).
 
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