The many sons of Philip the Handsome

IOTL Philip the Handsome and Joanna the Mad had 06 children. Four of them were girls (Eleanor, Queen of Portugal and France; Isabella, Queen of Denmark; Mary, Queen of Hungary; and Catherine, Queen of Portugal). The two boys (Charles and Ferdinand) divided the Habsburgs territories between them, with Spain, Italy and Netherlands going to Charles' branch and Austria and the Empire to Ferdinand's.

But WI the proportion had been the opposite, and the couple had 04 boys (let's call them Charles, Ferdinand, Maximilian and Philip) and two girls (Eleanor and Isabella). How would the Habsburg territories have been divided between four heirs? Could we see an independent branch in Netherlands?
 

Susano

Banned
Thing is, Ferdinand did not get Austria at Philip's death. Nominally he was just his brotehrs governor in Austria. Only during Charles reign he became de facto independant and I think that only was truely confirmed after Charles abdication in 1556... mind, the same might happen with, say, a governor in the Netherlands or in Naples - but its not guaranteed.
 
But WI the proportion had been the opposite, and the couple had 04 boys (let's call them Charles, Ferdinand, Maximilian and Philip) and two girls (Eleanor and Isabella). How would the Habsburg territories have been divided between four heirs? Could we see an independent branch in Netherlands?

So would Charles still be the oldest?

Anyway, the oldest would inherit the whole thing, the entire 'Universal Empire'. How his brothers ended up would be interesting. The Kingdom of Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Kingdom of Naples are all possible seats for different brothers. Add in a possible steal of Bohemia-Hungary or a grab of the Polish throne, all of which had electoral monarchies, so that those could be a fourth kingdom.

Spain as the jewel of the Hapsburg crown was mainly due to its American wealth and pre-existing connections to Italy. Spain was the logical crown to do most of the heavy lifting for the Hapsburg empire. Therefore it would stay in the eldest brother's line. I have always felt that the Burgundian Inheritance should go on its own, so there is another possibility. The problem with spinning the Burgundian Inheritance off is that the line who inherits that seat will become a competitor to the Austrian line for the Holy Roman Emperors' election.

I think that at least one and probably two of the brothers will end up without hereditary title. The brother who ends up the governor of the Burgundian Inheritance stands an excellent chance of being the Hapsburg who finally jumps and becomes an open Lutheran. Perhaps a younger brother?

A younger brother who is the governor of the Burgundian Inheritance and a Lutheran is logical- it makes sense in terms of politics. The French want the Burgundian Inheritance, but it would make more trouble for the Hapsburg to support a heretical brother than it would to invade that territory and keep the Hapsburg unified.

With the rapid spread of Lutheranism I think you could see the idea of Luther as a Catholic reformer instead of a heretic take root. Especially if the Burgundian brother is a religious man who agrees with Luther and patronizes him before any anti-Hapsburg German princes.
 
Thing is, Ferdinand did not get Austria at Philip's death. Nominally he was just his brotehrs governor in Austria. Only during Charles reign he became de facto independant and I think that only was truely confirmed after Charles abdication in 1556... mind, the same might happen with, say, a governor in the Netherlands or in Naples - but its not guaranteed.

Sure, but if it does probably soon or later the "governor" of Netherlands or Naples would marry and have children, and would do anything possible to ensure a piece of the Habsburg territory to his heirs. Of course, at least one of them would probably end as a member of the Church, but the idea of independent Habsburg rulers in Naples, Netherlands and Austria is too good to be wasted.:p
 
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