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Plantagenet Burgundy

I am working on a new TL re: 15th century England.

For a long time I have wished there was a way to have England win the 100 Years War and preserve the result. I even did a TL on it, my first contribution to this board. Alas, after much thought and constructive advice from people on this board and elsewhere, as it stands right now I don't see a way around the pitfalls of an Anglo-French state.

One of the main sticking points I see can be summed up in one word: Burgundy. This realm, or rather the textile cities of its northern region, was the primary export market for English wool. In any conflict between a Plantagenet France and Burgundy, the Duke could put the hurt on the Roi by cutting off the importation of wool, which would hurt English merchants and they'd apply pressure to the king of France who is also the king of England. Of course this is just one of many obstacles, but that is the one that always jumps out in my mind.

But then I got to thinking: Burgundy and England have similar national interests - they both are locked in an adversarial relationship with France, they both are heavily involved in the textile trade, they are both prominent maritime powers. They were also allies for at least part of the 1400s; hell, Burgundy supplied refuge to Edward IV in 1470!

So I have come up with a new idea: unite England and Burgundy. The way I see it, there is one window in time where this could be effected most easily; or, rather, when events could be most easily set in motion.

As mentioned above, in 1470-71 Edward IV of England sought refuge in Burgundy at the court of Charles the Bold. I am thinking to have Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, marry Mary of Burgundy, sole heiress to Charles.

This is a win-win for Charles - either he has a male heir and a competent, trustworthy son-in-law, or he does not, and he has a competent, trustworthy heir. Edward IV would approve as this would strengthen the alliance with Charles. At the time, Anne Neville was married to the Lancastrian Prince Edward, so Richard is available. Everybody wins!

Of course this does not immediately unite England with Burgundy, but it could create knock-on effects leading to more success for Charles the Bold, or else, if things go as OTL, either Richard stages a coup as OTL and doesn't kill the Princes (leading to greater popularity for him in England) or perhaps a child of Edward V marries a child of Richard and Mary (kind of gross I know, cousins and all, but these things happened - in OTL Henry VIII wanted Mary Queen of Scots to be betrothed to his son Edward VI, her cousin once removed). There's a few directions I could go with this, but generally I see much potential for a personal union between the two. Of course, there could easily be problems I'm not seeing here as well.

Even if there is not any sort of union of England and Burgundy, a continuing local dynasty would change things in the Low Countries, I'd think.

Thoughts? Critiques?
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