The Spanish Match that Lit the Fire

Charles' Diary – Jennifer Townsend
….I accompanied Buckingham to the gardens and pondered King Philip's conditions [1] from the day before. I had always felt drawn by Catholicism, but to convert so as to marry Maria would not be allowed by parliament, there would be open rebellion, Buckingham had told me as much. He felt he had let my father down, and he had always thought of King James dearly.
He had been in a foul mood all day, and as such had probably drunk a touch too much wine at dinner. As we sat down in the walled garden, I attempted to raise his spirits, joking about what a poor wife the Infanta would make. Perhaps I went too far. I forget the details, but from over the wall we heard a cry of rage and were promptly greeted with the image of the prince Philip, sword drawn.
“You dare insult the royal family of Spain, rulers of the world. You shall pay dearly for your remarks,” growled the prince-ling.
In a rashness, no doubt compounded by the alcohol coursing through his veins, Buckingham stood, drawing his own sword. “By the grace of God I shall put you back in line, you Spanish dog.”
And with those as his last words, Buckingham launched into the duel. It was cruelly short. The valiant duke had both his age and drink against him. After a couple of parries, Philip piece him through, and George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham fell to the ground, dead.
Realising too late what his impetuousness had caused, the prince dropped his sword and called....

The Spanish Match – George Parring
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, took it upon himself to conclude negotiations for the marriage to the Infanta Maria, and travelling incognito with Prince Charles, went to Spain in 1623. It was quickly realised that King Philip III would only agree to the marriage if Charles converted to Catholicism. This of course was unacceptable. However events took an unexpected turn when Buckingham was killed in a duel with the prince of Spain, Philip [2]. Charles was unceremoniously packed onto a boat and shipped back to England. Both king [3] and prince took the death of the court favourite badly, however many at the court and in parliament saw his death as a blessing.
Immediately calls for war were heard, mostly encouraged by Prince Charles, with Parliament insisting heavily that any war should be focused on attacking the Spanish colonial empire. James at first refused to declare war. He had maintained a policy of peace throughout his reign, and no longer felt fit to lead a war. However, with the lack of any favourite at court, James was becoming increasing influence by his son, who's sudden hatred of the Spanish was all being channelled into efforts for war.
Even before war was declared, Charles persuade Vice-Admiral Henry Mainwaring to take up his old profession of piracy [4] and commissioned an attack on Cadiz. Landing further up the coast, he and his men marched on the city [5]. They occupied the port long enough to burn the fleet harboured there, plundering all they could and sailing off before any reinforcements could arrive. Mainwaring returned to England a hero, but the attack was not without consequence. The Spanish claimed, correctly, that the. Charles used the plunder from the raid to raise and army on the continent, while parliament commissioned a fleet, under the now Lord High Admiral Mainwaring, to sail to America.
With his state of health rapidly declining, and control of policy now in the hands of Charles, James stopped appearing in court. He died soon afterwards from a stroke in November 1624 [6].

[1] Philip of Spain insisted on Charles converting to Catholicism and also to remain a year in Spain as an effective political hostage
[2] It has been suggested that the rudeness of Buckingham jeopardised the entire Spanish match, I merely imagined him going further
[3] According to some Buckingham and King James were lovers
[4] A former pirate, so feared by the Spanish that he was pardoned by them in return for leaving them in peace, he eventually joined the Royal Navy and rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral, which he remained in OTL.
[5] This was the OTL plan of Buckingham's attack on Cadiz. However his men were unruly, and finding a warehouse of wine, promptly got themselves drunk.
[6] OTL he died in March 1625, however the death of Buckingham has hit him hard.

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As you can see the POD is the death of the Duke of Buckingham in Spain. You can expect great changes during the 30 years war, and of course the English Civil War (if it even happens;)). And lots of other things too...
 
His Birth to His Afterlife: Charles I – Robert Thistlethwaite

Charles I was crowned king at Christmas 1625 during a grand but somewhat badly organised ceremony. His courtiers and Parliament suggested that he should take the opportunity to marry. However following the disaster that was the Spanish match, he was sorely against it at the time. Impatient as he was to exact revenge on the Spanish, Charles raised an army of 12000 men, mostly mercenaries, during the winter months and placed them under Ernst von Mansfield.
Mansfield was a mercenary who had been fighting for the protestants despite he himself being catholic. He was very much prominent during the early stages of the war standing in the way of the Hapsburg advances throughout Germany, although until then he had ultimately been unsuccessful.

By March, despite the protests of Parliament, Charles was in Holland. Here he joined up with his brother-in-law, Frederick V, elector palatinate of the Rhine. Frederick had been ousted from his lands by imperial armies after he was given the crown of Bohemia by the protestants there. His army had been utterly defeated at the battle of White Mountain, and he had been on the retreat ever since, finally fleeing to the United Provinces[1]. Having been the King of Bohemia for only one winter, he was known as the “Winter King”. He, his son Henry Frederick[2], and Charles sought to reclaim at least the Palatinate from the empire. However, before they launched their campaign, the Stadtholder, Maurice of Nassau, implored the English army to join him in relieving the city of Breda, which was under siege from the Spanish.

When the joint armies arrived, they found the city surrounded by extensive fortification set up by the besiegers. However morale was low in the Spanish camp. Food had run low over the winter, and many of the soldiers had gone unpaid. Despite promises of reinforcements, non had arrived, but General Spinola maintained the siege. The English-Dutch army firstly besieged the besiegers. They believed that the Spanish would soon surrender, and the presence of the Stadtholder boosted morale in the city. However, with the siege entering April, Maurice died during a strategic meeting. Knowing what such news would do to the soldiers, von Mansfield insisted the the death be kept secret, and an attack launched quickly, before anyone found out. However the Stadtholder had to be present for such an attack to lead the Dutch troops, and so the sly mercenary made plans, not unlike those of El Cid[3]. Henry Frederick was suited up in the armour of the Stadtholder, while the troops were told to prepare for an assault.

Being of a similar build, and speaking fluent Dutch, Frederick Henry led the troops from the front, inspiring the Netherlanders during the attack. The mixed force fell upon the Spanish fortifications, which despite the odds held. They were held back for a day and a half before troops led by the imposter Stadtholder were able to open up a breach. The relieving army poured into the lines, which now started to collapse, and were joined by soldiers from the city. By evening, Spinola surrendered. The majority of Spanish forces in the Netherlands had been placed under his command, and many Spanish possessions nearby were left with only minimal garrisons. The Infanta Isabella, governor of the territory was furious, and was forced to plead Madrid for men to replace those lost. As for Spinola, disgraced and disillusion with the Spanish[4], he offered his services to the King of France.

Spurred on by his success at Breda, something which he had very little to do with, Charles marched what remained of his army south to the occupied Palatinate. At this time, Denmark had joined the war, and thus the German forces were occupied elsewhere. The army enjoyed initial success, managing to defeat the majority of the garrisons in the territory and liberating Frederick's lands. The army itself swelled, after the loss of so many men, by protestants from England, Holland and Germany. The renown that Charles had earned for himself in the campaign made him popular at home, but made him enemies on the continent. Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, ordered Albrect von Wallenstien and his newly raised army of 20,000 men to confront Charles. Upon hearing the news, Mansfield tried to persuade Charles to withdraw back to Holland, however Charles was sure he could win. Mansfield left shortly before the arrival of imperial troops along with 2000 men, and was instrumental in ending the siege of Groenlo[5].

Despite Charles' wish to meet them on the field of battle, Frederick persuaded Charles that a siege would weaken their enemy, and give reinforcements chance to arrive. Picking Heidelberg as the place to make their stand, the protestants were promptly placed under siege by Wallenstien in September 1626. Despite the high hopes of Charles, the siege was a disaster for the troops inside. Having had little time to prepare, food quickly became scarce and many of the men died of hunger. Those that didn't soon became prey to disease which spread through the city. Fredrick himself fell ill. Charles however remained healthy, probably in part due to his insistence on remaining on the ramparts in order to watch the enemy. Disease also spread to the besiegers, which may explain how, four months later, the city was still standing. Frederick had survived the winter, but was greatly weakened by his sickness. Charles had become a gaunt shadow of himself. He ate little and slept even less, while he stood on the walls staring out into the snow at the enemy.

By the end of January, reinforcements had arrived for Wallenstien, while none had come for Charles. An assault was launched, and while the outer walls fell quickly, the protestants barred themselves up in the castle. The castle held out for a further two days before a very weak Frederick surrendered. The city had been badly damaged by the attack, and over half the population had died over the course of the siege. And Charles himself had disappeared. The men who were under his direct command insisted he'd been hit by a canon ball during the initial assault, however his remains were never found.

In England it was assumed he was dead, and his death was a shock to the country. He had no heirs himself, and as such the throne passed to his sister Elizabeth of Bohemia, wife or rather widow of Frederick, who never survived long enough to get to England[6]. And the story of Charles lived on in legend. Throughout Germany, folk tales told of the “Gaunt Englishman”, who stood staring with deep sunken eyes and a skeletal body, looking out for the Hapsburgs.

[1] OTL Frederick and his family remained in exile in The Hague until his death. Of course Princes Rupert and Maurice went to England some time later....
[2] Henry Frederick actually drowned in OTL, I felt it only fair he should have a somewhat more glorious death here
[3] El Cid of course led his armies while dead, his body having been strapped to his horse.
[4] The Spanish weren't very good to Spinola despite everything he'd done for them. They robbed him of his fortune, refused him the compensation he asked for his children, and was hindered at every move by envious Spanish statesmen.
[5] Groenlo fell anyway in OTL, however this time it will fall that much quicker
[6] In OTL he died in 1632, however TTL he has been greatly weakened by his illness.
 
I'm not sure how likely if to have Charles' actually leading armies in the 30 Years War, but this scenario looks really interesting. And bonus points by making Elizabeth queen (and therefore having a Wittelsbach England). I'll follow this TL, please continue!;)
 
I'm not sure how likely if to have Charles' actually leading armies in the 30 Years War, but this scenario looks really interesting. And bonus points by making Elizabeth queen (and therefore having a Wittelsbach England). I'll follow this TL, please continue!;)

Thanks!

as for Charles, he of course was a bit rubbish when it came to war. That's why to start with he takes Ernst von Mansfield, who is actually leading the armies at the siege of Breda and later on in the Palatinate (sorry if that's not clear). But then he leaves. Massive cock-up ensues :rolleyes:
 
Interesting. So basically we have England directly engaging in the 30 years war, and (presumably) Spain in the near future, given how they are now at war with england. Maks me wonder which way france jumps, and when. Perhaps a more general european war means an earlier intervention.
 
Ahh, Anglo-Palatinate Personal Union, another of my personal favourites. It's very implausible, but I do like to speculate on the results of this match and a somehow overwhelming Protestant effort resulting in Bohemia and the Upper Palatinate joining the union too ;)

I'll be following this. Looks very interesting.
 
British Naval History of America – Thomas Hardy (1954)

.The heightened tensions with Spain led to an increase in naval activity for the Islanders[1]. New ships were built, most famously by the Pett shipbuilders, and those already existing were formed into fleets of different sizes to tackle the Spanish threat. The English Parliament commissioned a large number of privateers to attack Spanish colonial possessions in America and even the coast of Spain proper. It has been suggested that the raid on Lisbon in 1628, may have been a catalyst of the Portuguese Restoration. Also, a major raid on Barcelona in 1634 had the same effect of the Catalonians. This increase in English pirate activity was matched by that of the Barbary raiders, who, learning of the success of raids, launched their own. This is why the English and the Berbers were often synonymous in the Spanish consciousness of the time...

.However the main aim of parliament and the Lord High Admiral was the Spanish colonies in the Caribbean. A fleet was assembled at Southampton in the spring of 1626. Notably, the first English regiment of marines were raised for the expedition, called the Lord High Admiral's Regiment of Marine Infantry[2]. Led by Sir Henry Mainwaring, the ships set sail for America, followed by 14 ships carrying colonists and supplies. The Virginia company[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][3][/FONT], had received special permission to sail with the fleet, providing for their ships an escort. After an uneventful crossing, the fleet sailed up the James river to Jamestown. The recent Jamestown Massacre[4], whereby the native Powhatan Indians had attacked the English settlers, had left the colonists in shock, and the arrival of a large fleet and colonists did much to boost the survivors. Sir Francis Wyatt, then governor of Virginia, pleaded with Mainwaring for an attack on the Indians in retaliation. While he was initially reluctant to use men he would need in the war against the Spanish, he eventually agreed. 500 marines, along with a number of armed settlers, sailed upriver to the Powhatan capital[5]. The Indians were caught by surprise. What followed was a massacre of vengeance, as the whole settlement was burnt down. All those not killed were taken captive and returned to Jamestown to work in the plantations. The settlers kept up attacks on the Indians, in some cases stealing equipment meant for the marines. It is notable that within two years a peace treaty was signed with the Powhatan granting the English settlers the right to settle along the James and York rivers.

Using the English settlements as a base, numerous raids were launched throughout the Caribbean. The extra men and supplies needed to support the fleet initially put a strain on the colony. However it provided the stimulus for growth, and throughout 1627, numerous supply ships and new colonists helped it to flourish. A large dock was constructed on the Elizabeth river[6], as per a recommendation from John Wood, a shipbuilder. This town in particular saw an explosive growth, as many sailors chose to settle here, and with the plunder from raids going into the building of the town.

In June 1627, Mainwaring led an attack on the island of Enchantment[7], then known as Puerto Rico. The capital of Richport or San Juan, was still recovering from a terrible Dutch raid two years before. The English landed, and while meeting some resistance, wrested control of the island from the Spanish, along with 15 ships. However, soon after a bout of disease weakened the fleet, and in the battle of Grand Bahama several ships were lost to a Spanish fleet. Undeterred, Mainwaring returned to England, leaving some of his ships behind to defend Enchantment and the Virginian colony...

.With much of the fleet gone, the English possessions were open to reprisal raids from the Spanish. That the Spanish would attack was unlikely, as they were constantly harried by Dutch and other English pirates. However the Virginians became nervous, and led by Sir Francis Wyatt, persuaded a number of sailors left behind by Mainwaring to actively defend the colony. A mutiny followed, leaving a George North in command, of whom very little is known. Any gaps in the crews were filled with colonists (and a few Indians). Acting as pirates (although they claimed to be privateers as they were under orders from the duly appointed governor) they captured a number of ships; mostly Spanish, but also Dutch and French. North and his fleet quickly gained a fearsome reputation, especially for his cruelty of captured commanders. They are however most famous for the capture 4 Spanish treasure galleons in a battle off Havana. One third of the captured mariners were killed outright while the rest were press ganged. It is said that from this point onwards North flew his infamous blood-soaked flag...

.Mainwaring returned in August 1628, bringing with him his repaired fleet as well as two, new, powerful warships: HMS Leopard and HMS Lion. He also brought the news of king Charles' death in Germany. The port the fleet docked at was named Charleston[6] in his memory. He was shocked to hear of George North's exploits but nonetheless impressed. He assured the pirates of a full pardon if they surrendered their ships to him and sent the treasure back to England. North refused, and gathering a crew, he stole a ship and fled. The others however conformed, and when the admiral resumed his campaign he had with him an assortment of over 30 ships.

After a series of successful skirmishes throughout 1629, Mainwaring launched his most daring raid on Veracruz. Intending to surprise the Spanish, they sailed up to the city and landed over 1500 men who pillaged anything they could carry. A number of Spanish ships were caught in the harbour. All of them were set alight except for one, Nicolás de Bari, which was captured and renamed the St Nicholas. However the initial success of the raid had made the marines overconfident and many were caught far from the coast when reinforcements arrived. Many of the ships in the fleet fled at the sight of trouble, leaving behind 500 men along with Mainwaring. Of those left behind, only 146 made it back to the shore before the rest of the fleet sailed off. Sir Henry Mainwaring was not among them, nor is he recorded as being taken prisoner by the Spanish. It is widely believed he died in the fighting. However legend has it that he was rescued the next day by George North further up the coast, having fled Veracruz, and that he spent the rest of his days as quartermaster on board the infamous Sea Dragon....

.When the fleet returned to England, in early 1630, they were greeted as heroes. Samuel Filmer had taken command of the fleet at this time and was presented before queen Elizabeth[8], when he was knighted. Parliament were overjoyed at the success of the expedition, and used the money raised to update the navy with a large number of new warships. Their policy of naval action as opposed to sending armies to the continent had not only proven less expensive, but profitable. The conflict continued throughout the 1630s, however engagements were reduced to small skirmishes and piracy. A large Spanish fleet was sent to the Caribbean to better protect the colonies there in 1633, and activities were swiftly curtailed. However the increase in Spanish shipping that this brought about, induced some extremely risky, and not always successful, attacks. Over time, lack of funds left the Spanish ships in bad shape and piracy entered it's golden age from 1640 onwards.

...In March 1636 , the treaty of Lisbon was signed between Spain and England, transferring Enchantment and also the Isles of Pity[9], which had been captured in the Mediterranean. Trade concessions were also made for the port of Santo Domingo, allowing English ships to trade there. The war with England had been a small side-war for Spain, while they concentrated on the larger conflict in Germany. Nonetheless, it had costed them dearer than they realised, in the long term...

[1] Islanders is a modern TTL term for inhabitants of the British Isles
[2] OTL English marines first appeared in 1664, but I reckoned a large naval expedition would need some proper infantry, and the Spanish, Portuguese and French already had marines by this time
[3] OTL, Virginia had become a crown colony by 1624 after the Jamestown Massacre (see [4]) however James I never revoked their charter TTL, being a little too distracted at the time
[4] Jamestown Massacre in 1622, was a coordinated surprise attack on the colonists in Jamestown and in nearby settlements. Many of the smaller settlements were so devastated they were abandoned after this
[5] The Powhatan capital was situated on the site of OTL Richmond
[6] The port of Charleston is near the site of OTL Portsmouth
[7] OTL Puerto Rico, which has also been known as “Isla del Encanto” or “Island of Enchantment”, thus the TTL English name. It is thought to originate from belief that the call of the native Coqui frogs is an enchantment.
[8] By now of course Elizabeth of Bohemia has been crown Queen Elizabeth II
[9] TTL's Isles of Pity are the OTL islands of Ibiza and Formentera. OTL they are otherwise known as the “Pityuses”, thus the TTL English name.
 
Very good:), did the English pull anything like this in OTL?

It also seems like the English colonies will be alot more militarised, and also focused even more on the Triangle trade that the Carribbean was a key part in.
 
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