The Medici Duchess of Richmond

I did say IF - and Caterina is pregnant. She's got a 50/50 chance of popping out a boy at this point in time... And also, that aside, I quote: "When Caterina arrives in England, her looks are considered unremarkable, so Henry VIII doesn’t issue the weird little piece of marital advice about not sharing his wife’s bed. But Tudor is as Tudor does, and sure enough, although Fitzroy dies on schedule, Caterina is pregnant. Five months later, she is delivered of a little son, named Henry for his late father. And unlike him and the Prince of Wales (son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour), the little boy is absolutely healthy." Your own post, my dear...

Fair enough.I admit to not actually having planned this idea out, so my bad on that part.

Still, if Caterina plays her cards right, she could see her son included in the succession. I mean, Fitzroy's final illness was pretty sudden and while the common theory is that it was tuberculosis, I (and others) are not so sure. IIRC Caterina always kept the best medical staff around her - part of the reason she lived as long as she did - so what the English call "poisons" and "potions" etc could just as easily be remedies and the "sorcery" is medicine. I admit it IS a bit of a stretch, although I did read a book where an alt-ruling family of Florence (with an identical crest to the Medici OTL) are the de Chimici, and the "palle" on their CoAs are representative of pills - although the other symbol of the family is a glass with a snake wrapped around the stem), so Caterina refusing Henry VIII's physicians in favour of her own Italian ones seems possible.
 
Fair enough.I admit to not actually having planned this idea out, so my bad on that part.

Still, if Caterina plays her cards right, she could see her son included in the succession. I mean, Fitzroy's final illness was pretty sudden and while the common theory is that it was tuberculosis, I (and others) are not so sure. IIRC Caterina always kept the best medical staff around her - part of the reason she lived as long as she did - so what the English call "poisons" and "potions" etc could just as easily be remedies and the "sorcery" is medicine. I admit it IS a bit of a stretch, although I did read a book where an alt-ruling family of Florence (with an identical crest to the Medici OTL) are the de Chimici, and the "palle" on their CoAs are representative of pills - although the other symbol of the family is a glass with a snake wrapped around the stem), so Caterina refusing Henry VIII's physicians in favour of her own Italian ones seems possible.

Are you saying she might be able to keep Fitzroy alive at least a little longer than OTL? But even if not, any son of Fitzroy's WILL be in the Succession, most likely after Edward but before Mary and Elizabeth. Henry's bound to favour the male lines over his legally bastardised daughters, dubious parentage or not.
 
A longer lived Henry Frizroy would be fascinating. If he lives longer, he and Caterina could have a couple more kids.
 
Are you saying she might be able to keep Fitzroy alive at least a little longer than OTL? But even if not, any son of Fitzroy's WILL be in the Succession, most likely after Edward but before Mary and Elizabeth. Henry's bound to favour the male lines over his legally bastardised daughters, dubious parentage or not.

Well, the goggle-eyed Italian girl might not cause him to "exhaust himself in the bedchamber" (à la Louis XII and what Henry VIII had feared did Arthur in) - hence Harry's failure to tell his son to keep it in his pants.
Caterina is well aware of her precarious position at the Tudor court (especially once she notes how swiftly first KoA and Anne Boleyn fell from grace if they failed to deliver) so she'd want to cement that ASAP by having a kid. If its a boy - great. A girl proves she's fertile. And her being pregnant/having a sexual relationship with Fitzroy means that there's a different dynamic than JUST politics. Fitzroy might be more inclined to listen to her/take her advice (medically speaking, at first) to humor a pregnant wife. So if she says that her doctor (who refused to be involved with Jane Seymour's pregnancy - à la Baron Stockmar with Princess Charlotte - for fear that as an Italian and a Catholic he'd be blamed if anything wrong) suggests remedy A for Fitzroy's cough, he MIGHT (Tudor stubborness aside) at least take the suggestion. And if it works, she's got credit for "saving" him - even if she just prolongs the inevitable.

Sorry if that sounds confused.

A longer lived Henry Frizroy would be fascinating. If he lives longer, he and Caterina could have a couple more kids.

Wouldn't it just? Fitzroy was also interested in military matters OTL, so if he lives longer, he might make his influence felt there.
 
The other Medici heir is Caterina's cousin, the now hastily defrocked cardinal Ippolito. There are rumours that he had a role in the death of Alessandro, but considering that he himself was absent from Florence at the time, this is unlikely. His clerical benefices now return to the church, where Pope Paul III bestows them on his eldest grandson almost as quickly as he allowed Ippolito out of his cardinal's skirts.

How should Karl V react to the idea of Ippolito becoming duke of Florence? And would he order Margarethe of Austria to remarry to her husband's cousin, or would Ippolito look elsewhere for a wife. (Alessandro made overtures about Margaret Douglas, so that could be fun :) )

@isabella @mcdnab @FalconHonour @Cate13
 
How should Karl V react to the idea of Ippolito becoming duke of Florence? And would he order Margarethe of Austria to remarry to her husband's cousin, or would Ippolito look elsewhere for a wife. (Alessandro made overtures about Margaret Douglas, so that could be fun :) )

@isabella @mcdnab @FalconHonour @Cate13
Good question. In OTL Cosimo was not good enough for Karl so we will see what he will think about Ippolito. As Duke of Florence Ippolito will surely marry well and both Margaret of Austria and Leonor of Toledo have good chances to be choised, unless Ippolito will not go for a French alliance (and then some noble and wealthy lady, maybe with some kinship to the King, will be offered)

Edit: Ippolito is born illegitimate but is still a direct male line grandson of Lorenzo de’ Medici so maybe he will get Margherita’s hand (and she would be much happier remaining in Florence than marrying her OTL husband)
 
Good question. In OTL Cosimo was not good enough for Karl so we will see what he will think about Ippolito. As Duke of Florence Ippolito will surely marry well and both Margaret of Austria and Leonor of Toledo have good chances to be choised, unless Ippolito will not go for a French alliance (and then some noble and wealthy lady, maybe with some kinship to the King, will be offered)

Edit: Ippolito is born illegitimate but is still a direct male line grandson of Lorenzo de’ Medici so maybe he will get Margherita’s hand (and she would be much happier remaining in Florence than marrying her OTL husband)

Well, Ippolito even tried for Kristina of Denmark and the Milanese title before he died (cardinal's skirts be damned), plus he was of some use militarily AFAIK, so he demand that investiture as payment for his services - or else we'll go talk to the French, kinda thing.
 
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