Vivat Rex Henricus IX: A Tudor Timeline

[spamage]

A few months ago I started a Timeline called "The Tragedy at Westminster, the Death of King Henry VII". I abandoned it for awhile however, due to personal issues and therefore I decided to redo alot of it as looking back it was both sloppy, and on some level implausible to be true Alternate History. So I present without further ado "Vivat Henricus Rex". This will be the same POD and initially some of the reactions will be similar, but in the long run a different story will develop.
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Vivat Rex Henricus IX: A Tudor Timeline
January-July 1511

The two time widow, Catherine of Aragon

On January 1st, 1511 Queen Catherine of Aragon, the wife of the young and beloved King Henry VIII, gave birth to a son, soon named Henry by the joyous Queen in honor of the child's father. The King was ecstatic and ordered celebrations, jousts, and parties to be held all throughout the Kingdom in honor of "New Years Hal". Henry VIII himself would participate in the festivities, and organized a jousting tournament in which he would participate in at Westminster.

The day of the tournament started normal enough. Catherine and Henry were deeply affectionate for one another and the King jousted under the banner of "Sir Loyal Heart". Suddenly however, the crowd assembled would see a horrific scene. The King fell from his horse and upon landing was surrounding by a growing puddle of blood. Panic took hold of many, but surprisingly not Catherine who ordered her husband taken inside the Palace and attended to. The King had numerous cuts on his exterior but the real danger was internal bleeding, which was occurring fairly rapidly, much to the Court's dismay. Catherine and several of King Henry's closest associates, including Thomas Howard (his uncle), Thomas Wolsey (one of his advisers), and several other men close to the King. Henry was largely unconscious but there was supposedly several times on which he regained consciousness. It was not known whether not he was lucid during these periods but regardless Catherine and the King's men used loose interpretations of whatever he said to plan the prospective regency for Henry, the Duke of Cornwall. It was agreed that Catherine would serve as regent as long as she remained unamarried, but also (largely due to the urgings of Wolsey and Howard) that there would be a Council of Advisers which would help the Queen govern at her discretion. Catherine opposed the implementation of the Council but found herself outnumbered by Henry's supporters while drawing up the plans. Also, she knew that the Council would make the regency of a foreign princess more favorable to the English people.

Throughout the day rumors spread throughout London on King Henry VIII's condition. Some said the King was hardly injured and would make a full recovery while others stated that the King was dead and Catherine was biding her time before taking the reigns of England. The latter one was closer to the truth. Henry VIII passed away quietly close to 3 in the morning and the Queen held back held grief and instead moved to collect her son from Richmond Palace. Sh had learned from Elizabeth Woodville and wanted immediate control over her son so her regency could progress as planned. Henry, now Henry IX, the month old King of England had gained the throne on January 27th, 1511.

Henry IX was in a precarious position upon assuming the throne. While he was indeed the crowned King, numerous pretenders existed elsewhere. Richard de la Pole, the nephew of the long vanquished King Richard III, was the Yorkist claimant despite the House being extremely weakened. Richard was in France, at the Court of Louis XII who was largely holding him there as a potential pawn. Another potential Yorkist claimant was Margaret Pole, a cousin of Richard, who was descended from George, the Duke of Clarence. Margaret's father had been murdered for treason against his brother, and Margaret's uncle, Edward IV and her brother had been executed by Henry VII. A third claimant existed in Margaret Tudor, the Queen of Scotland. Unlike the other two potential claimants, Margaret had an entire nation's backing but her claim to the throne was rather weak and relied on Henry IX being a bastard, something which was clear to many he was not.

Catherine worked to resolve the would be Civil War before it developed. Margaret Pole swore her allegiance to the House of Tudor and Henry IX and was kept close to the Queen Mother at Court. Surprising to many, Margaret Pole and her family were staunchly loyal to Catherine and Henry IX despite Catherine of Aragon often being blamed for her younger brother's execution. Louis XII was discouraged from trying anything with Richard de la Pole for the time being by the threat of Catherine's relatives in Spain and the Hapsburgs in Austria. Margaret, who had never even indicated any intent so seize the throne, would be hindered by the Treaty of Perpetual Peace if she were to try. With her first minor crisis semi-averted, Catherine set out to mourn her husband and give him the proper burial he deserved.

Henry VIII was greatly mourned in London, with many citizens saddened that such a young and promising King was struck down so young. He was laid to rest in Westminster with Archbishop William Warham presiding over the funeral. Catherine was distraught during the ceremonies but composed herself following and the now 2 times widow set out to govern the country in the name of her son, King Henry IX.

In her first few weeks of rule Catherine intentionally made very little changes to domestic policy. In foreign policy, great changes were made however. Catherine was the daughter of the King of Aragon, and regent over Spain Ferdinand II and just by being so dynamically changed the way England was viewed by the rest of Europe. While Henry VIII was loyal to his allies in Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, the King had not been related to them and there had been the chance for reconciliation with the French on some level. Under Catherine however, a strong Francophobe, any thought of good relations with France was met with great scorn. While Ferdinand may not have been the best father, nor was he the best diplomat, he understood the advantages of Catherine's position as regent of England and Catherine understood the advantages of having Spain by her side.

While initially having a foreign regent didn't bother many of the English people, a series of incidents began to make them start to do so. Early on Catherine sent for Spanish nurses to raise the infant King. Not only were some nobles enraged by this decision, and the subsequent dismissal of the English nurses, but the people soon caught wind of it as well and for the first time in England Catherine was a risk of unpopularity. The English people had almost always resented English regents, not to mention foreign ones. John of Gaunt took a big hit when ruling in the name of Richard II, Richard III was viewed with disdain when he took over for his nephew King Edward V, and English shuddered at hearing upon how other nations had been lead astray by regents. Catherine didn't back down however, and some nobles began to quietly whisper in opposition to her, nothing came of this however, as a new incident would not only prove Catherine's merit, but it would also endear her to the English people who were united by a common enemy.

Shortly after the death of Henry VIII rumors surfaced at the Scottish Royal Court that Henry IX was illegitimate and in order to hide her affair from the King, Catherine had had him killed. While these were entirely unbased, and didn't even go in depth enough to name who Catherine's supposed "lover" would be, they caught the ear of James IV who was eager to take on the now, in his view, weakened Kingdom of England treaty or not. He assembled an army which included many prominent nobles, the King's illegitimate son Alexander, his cousin and heir John Stewart, the third in line for the throne John Douglas, and many other individuals. The army moved south with surprising rapidity and high morale and without prior announcement crossed the English border and moved South to take our Catherine of Aragon, King Henry IX, Thomas Howard, Thomas Wolsey, and any other loyal nobles to the House of Tudor and most importantly, crown his wife Margaret Queen of England.

Catherine took news of the invasion extremely well and for the first time in her regency called upon her Council of Advisers to assist her in the planning of the war. Thomas Howard, who was young yet an able military commander, was designated to lead the army which Catherine set north from London just 2 weeks after news had reached her of James IV's breaking of the Treaty of Perpetual Peace. In the meantime the Queen Mother sent several envoys, including Thomas Wolsey, to the Vatican to present the case against James IV for breaking the long established treaty and urge for his excommunication should he not be slain by the English forces.

James IV, King of the Scots and Husband of Margaret Tudor
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[spamage]

Vivat Rex Henricus IX: A Tudor Timeline
August 1511-March 1512

The Battle of Carlisle (1511)

In preparing for his attack on England James IV had requested French aid in the conflict both in finances and manpower. While, at the time, Louis had promised to do so, the French King began to second guess himself. He already had Richard de la Pole at his disposal and should Scotland inherit England, what would prevent them from turning against France? Only a small band of 250 men was sent north to Scotland where they met an extremely disappointing James IV shortly after the Scottish King had crossed into England. The second reason Louis went back on his word was the fact that Catherine's ambassadors to Paris hinted heavily that England, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire would join the ongoing was of the League of Cambrai should he meddle too much in their affairs. This was a prospect which worried Louis and so the King also sent much less money to the Scots than he had initially promised.

James IV was furious and vocally announced to his soldiers that he believed France to have betrayed the long standing Auld Alliance. His men, seeing the lack of French assistance as well as hearing stories of the oncoming English Army, began to lose morale. Over the next few evenings many were able to sneak out of the Scottish camp under the cover of darkness and return home where they would keep their heads low and attempt to not draw attention to themselves. Those who did remain with the King took to looting and destroying the land in their free time, something the local English citizens did not appreciate in the slightest.

These residents, angered by Scotland's conduct on their land, gave away the location of James IV's men to Thomas Howard and the English Army. The citizens also gave Howard's men vital information on the size, condition, and location of the Scottish forces. The English were not only better that the Scots in all 3 categories, but they were also better supplied and had high morale. Just outside of Carlisle the Scottish and English armies met on the morning of August 18th, 1511.

Initially the Scots held the repeated English advances back but by mid afternoon the men grew tired and an increased number fell with each successive English advance. In an attempt to rally his cousin's men John Stewart, the cousin and heir of the King, led a charge into the English lines. He fell halfway in the advance, but his death was not known until the completion of the battle. Therefore King James IV, seeing his men grow weary, took to the field himself completely unaware he was the last member of the House of Stewart alive. Hand to hand combat against the English had taken its toll on his men, but seeing their King charge forward gave many a last burst of energy. By the time they arrived at the English lines however, James IV had been struck by a stray arrow and they turned and fled. The English, having many more horses that the Scots, gave chase and killed many of those trying to flee the field and captured the rest. Among those captured was King James IV's illegitimate son Alexander who was also the Archbishop of Edinburgh. Only a small amount of the original Scottish army survived, let alone escaped capture by the English. Thus the Battle of Carlisle was completed.

James IV's body, as well as the Scottish prisoners of the Battle were sent south to London and were presented to the Court of Henry IX. Catherine had all of the Scots who were not nobles (the vast majority of those captured) released and those who were of royal blood incarcerated in the Tower of London. Alexander Stewart was treated amicably, despite the fact he was illegitimate and that he had made war against England, but he too was sent to the Tower. James IV's body meanwhile was given a quiet burial in London at St. Paul's Cathedral. Catherine was very forgiving towards the now dead King but she was also at war against his country. James' garments were sent north in order to dispel survivor myths and Catherine began to organize an invasion of Scotland.

It took several weeks for the news of James IV's death and the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Carlisle to reach the Court of the King and when it did a great uncertainty fell upon Edinburgh. One of the few survivors John Douglas, a distant relative of James IV's and one of the few survivors who had evaded capture, technically should've became King immediately but Margaret Tudor began to display signs of pregnancy. It was agreed therefore that John would be regent during the period of Margaret's pregnancy but upon the birth of the child, the next monarch of Scotland, she would take control of the Kingdom.

While on the outside it appeared that the line of succession the the Scottish throne was secure and that Margaret's child would undoubtedly become King or Queen, the reality was much different. The odds of the child dying in infancy, like Margaret's other 2 children had done, were high and Margaret knew this. It was also clear to many of those at Court that John Douglas would likely take action if the child was a female as well and he had a legitimate chance at seizing the throne. He was respected by many after his service in the Battle of Carlisle and also was the nearest adult male in relation to Margaret's now slain husband. With all of this in mind Margaret could only sit and wait as her pregnancy progressed slowly throughout the winter of 1511.

Catherine decided to halt the English advance into Scotland as news of their domestic crisis began to reach her ears. Instead the army was to remain near the border and would only take action against Scotland if it became clear who the new King would be and succession there became secure. It no stability emerged she would instead pick a side in the looming Civil War and use it as a way to turn Scotland into a pro-English nation and remove the age old influence of the French in their government. John Douglas meanwhile, as regent, organized a new army composed of the few nobles who had survived and those who were unable to participate in the Battle of Carlisle. It was merely a defensive force, as much of the Scottish offensive ability for quite some time had been devastated with the death of James IV and most of his army, but still a small army was better than no army.

Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland
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[spamage]

Vivat Rex Henricus IX: A Tudor Timeline
April-September 1512

John Douglas, painted posthumously

In early April Margaret Tudor withdrew from Court and went into the expected period of isolation prior to giving birth. The Court was tense and everyone was watching both Margaret as well as John Douglas extremely closely. The Queen Dowager of Scotland spent much of her time praying for St. Margaret of Scotland to intercede for a healthy and easy birth as well as for the survival of the child. After 2 weeks of quiet isolation she went into labor.

A relatively smooth birth did occur and by midday a child had been born. The child was a girl, much to the Queen Dowager's disappointment, and she was named Margaret in honor of St. Margaret (Her ancestor), Margaret Tudor (herself), Margaret of Denmark (her grandmother), and Queen Margaret I. The child was healthy and her screams were reported to be heard several rooms down. The Bishop of Edinburgh, James Stewart (King James IV's illegitimate son), who had been newly appointed following the capture of his older half-brother, coronated his young half sister as Margaret II, Queen of the Scots. Only after the child had been coronated was her birth announced to the Court and the Kingdom. To some it brought joy, others uncertainty, but to John Douglas it brought confidence.

Douglas quietly slipped out of Edinburgh and moved north at a time when much of the other nobles were going towards the capitol, not away, in order to honor the birth of the Queen. His actions did not go unnoticed by Margaret, who used her new found authority as regent to call for his capture just hours after giving birth. News traveled slow however, even that of the birth of a monarch so it was likely that John would be able to sway many individuals to his side before they could even know he was wanted by the government.

Catherine of Aragon, as well as the rest of England, was surprised on the sudden turn of events in Scotland. While Catherine wished to punish Margaret due to the chaos and panic her husband had caused, she also understood an English regency for an infant to the north was much better than having an adult, male, pro-French King there. Therefore alongside Thomas Wolsey, who had decided to return to England instead of going to Rome following the death of James IV, Catherine began to draft several diplomatic solutions which would benefit England in the long run. While Wolsey was one of the people at Court who Catherine favored the least, he was also a stellar diplomat and therefore she bit her tongue and worked with him. She drafted several plans, but took no action regarding the Scottish Crisis to the north, except to order the army under Thomas Howard to refrain from advancing into Scotland.

Douglas fled into the Highlands where he capitalized on opposition to women taking the throne as well as isolation to gather a following among the various clans. In exchange for protection and military support Douglas promised riches and a hands off policy towards the Highlanders. In the meantime a small band of his most loyal supporters was sent to Paris where a formal request was given to Louis XII for a small amount of aid.

While Louis sympathized with Douglas' bid for the throne, he doubted that it could have real success and so he held off on responding announcing that he would remain out of the conflict until there was a decisive victory. The choice regarding the conflict was tough for Louis as he didn't want to alienate the House of Stewart (even though he had already done so partially by not sending enough aid in their attempt at the English throne) but he also feared that Margaret Tudor would take a strong pro-English stance and the only way to remove the increasing pro-English sentiments in Edinburgh would be to take her out or remove her from her position.

In the meantime Douglas moved south with a surprisingly formidable force. Margaret, not wanting the rebellion to get anywhere near herself, her daughter, or the capitol sent the army, ironically, that John Douglas had organized himself northward. She knew that the force was meant for defense, but she needed protection and was afraid that if the rebels reached the city, their support would snowball and she would be displaced, or even executed.

The two armies met just to the east of Stirling on the night of September 17th. While the numbers were even, the rebels had an advantage as John Douglas himself would be present while Margaret II was far away in Edinburgh under the protection of her mother and her Court. Douglas sent several of his men to offer the Scottish nobles in the army to join him and much to the staunch Stewart loyalist's dismay, many did. The amount of men switching sides shifted the numbers heavily in Douglas' favor.

The following morning Douglas was so confident of minimal losses he lead his men onto the field himself. The reduced Stewart force, mostly composed of staunch loyalists was determined to fight hard however, and they put up a surprising amount of resistance. John Douglas himself was injured in the fighting, receiving a cut on his leg which would hinder his mobility for the rest of his life. It wasn't life threatening however and much to the amusement of his men, he drank with them that evening to celebrate despite being barely able to walk.

News of Douglas' victory in the Battle of Stirling spread rapidly across the British Isles and then across Europe. Within several weeks John's envoys in Paris were boasting about how the odds were in his favor and Louis XII, true to his word, announced that the Kingdom of France officially recognized John Douglas as King John II of Scotland. Margaret II's ambassadors were expelled and Douglas' took their quarters. The announcement of French support, as well as the news of the Battle of Stirling, forced Catherine of Aragon to act. She sent several diplomats to Edinburgh who offered English support for the House of Stewart on several conditions. Margaret II (the most eligible bride in Europe despite being only a few months old) was to be married to King Henry IX upon both of them reaching the age of consent, Margaret Tudor would withdraw any claims she had to the English throne, and if the English prevailed the Auld Alliance would be declared officially dead. Margaret Tudor accepted immediately and the Court officially fled from Edinburgh under the cover of darkness in order to not arouse alarm of suspicion.

With the defeat of Margaret's sole army to the North Edinburgh was basically free for the taking and so, upon hearing that Glasgow had fallen, Margaret II moved to the English city of York. It only took hours for the citizens to realize that the House of Stewart had abandoned the city and panic broke out. None of the citizens knew that England had entered the war, and so chaos reigned. Hundreds fled the city for the countryside, fearing retribution for supporting Margaret II and preferred to face the elements instead of admitting defeat. For those who remained the city was hell on Earth. Looting, suicide, and thievery took over their lives as news of the approaching army became more and more common.

Anarchy in Edinburgh
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[Pericles]

Interesting TL, though as I'm part-Scottish I'm sad.

 

[spamage]

Interesting TL, though as I'm part-Scottish I'm sad.

Thanks for reading!

The next few years are going to be extremely rough for Scotland.

 

[Sanderford]

Thanks for reading!

The next few years are going to be extremely rough for Scotland.

I can already see that one coming. I'm not Scottish, and a good portion of my historical family were English, but I've always liked Scotland.

This makes me sad, but it is a very engaging timeline.

 

[Jammy]

It's a good start. I look forward to the rest with interest.

I know it won't since the TL is about him but should Henry IX fall, who would be the most likely to take the throne?

 

[spamage]

It's a good start. I look forward to the rest with interest.

I know it won't since the TL is about him but should Henry IX fall, who would be the most likely to take the throne?

I think those in his Court would push for Mary Tudor, who remains unmarried, to be crowned Queen but there's a legitimate chance Louis XII would push for Richard de la Pole to be crowned and he could restore the House of York.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

I think the (arch)bishop present at the birth of princess is Alexander Stewart, not James. He would also be bishop of StAndrews, not of Edinburgh, which latter seems not to exist, as far as i can tell. The James, illegimate son of James iv was made an earl, not a bishop.

Also, I really doubt that Louis would name Douglas King of FRANCE.

 

[twovultures]

I didn't start reading with high expectations, but a long-term Catherine of Aragon regency over England is a fascinating and original idea! Catherine was a strong and intelligent woman, and it's interesting to see her take center stage of history.

 

[spamage]

I think the (arch)bishop present at the birth of princess is Alexander Stewart, not James. He would also be bishop of StAndrews, not of Edinburgh, which latter seems not to exist, as far as i can tell. The James, illegimate son of James iv was made an earl, not a bishop.

Also, I really doubt that Louis would name Douglas King of FRANCE.

Typo, sorry


Alexander Stewart was indeed the Archbishop at the start of this timeline, but he was captured following the Battle of Carlisle and therefore Margaret stripped him of the title as a way to still reap the income for the crown. This removal of Alexander is controversial however, and is one of several issues Scotland will cause with the Church.

 

[spamage]

Vivat Rex Henricus IX: A Tudor Timeline
October 1512-January 1513

The Entrance of John II into Edinburgh, notice how the unhappy citizens are put off in the distance

After about 3 weeks of anarchy had reigned over the city of Edinburgh following the flight of the House of Stewart to York, news began to spread that John Douglas and his army had departed from Glasgow and were en route to seize the Capitol. Chaos, already present quite heavily in the city, increased and thousands poured into whatever religious institutions they could find. They hoped, as was the case in the rest of Europe, that the sheer power and majesty of the Roman Catholic Church would prevent Douglas from punishing them or forcing them to do something that violated their personal beliefs in regards to the political situation in Scotland. They were wrong.

Douglas arrived on the outskirts of Edinburgh exactly 23 days after Margaret II had left. Him and his men had received some much needed rest in Glasgow where the citizens were largely indifferent to who controlled the country as they had yet to take a definitive side in the brief civil war, unlike Edinburgh. John expected to be lauded upon entering the city, but it was soon revealed by scouts that almost no one was out and the vast majority of the people were hiding quietly in the various churches in the area. Needless to say, John was disappointed and so he ordered several small groups of his army to enter the city and remove the people from the churches. What happened next would receive condemnation all across Europe.

John's men entered every church they could find in the area, and forced every citizen outside, making no distinction between the clergy and the laypeople. On top of this all the soldiers interupted masses to do so, much to the outrage of all those participating. Hundreds were thrown out into the dreary weather and those who refused to comply were either beaten (despite being on Church property) or tied up to be imprisoned.

The procession into the city was solemn. Many of Douglas' men were shocked to see how quickly the city had fallen into anarchy without a leader and John himself was busy reflecting on what he knew was about to occur. Upon arriving at the Cathedral it was soon revealed to Douglas that the Archibshop of Edinburgh John Stewart (the brother of his imprisoned predecessor Alexander) had fled alongside his half sister and step-mother for York. Wanting to coronated the same day as he entered the city, Douglas ordered his men to search for a priest in the crowd. After one was found, by the name of Robert Pennycook, he was appointed as the new Archbishop of Edinburgh, despite his protests, and he was forced to crown John Douglas King John II of Scotland.

Following the coronation many citizens returned home and there was little celebration among them. Among Douglas' men however festivities were many. John II paid his men by taking money out of the Scottish treasury and he promised them further payment if they would stay as a standing army in the city. John was not blind, he could see he was unpopular and the only thing holding his rule up was force, and therefore he had to keep it clear to the citizens of Edinburgh that he was powerful enough to control them.

News of John II's coronation spread around Europe with surprising haste. In London Catherine was furious upon hearing on how the citizens of the city had been forced out of the city and so, for the second time, she sent Thomas Wolsey to the Vatican with her thoughts on the issue. He arrived there after about a month of steady travel and Pope Julius II, who had already had heard the news and was equally as outraged, issued an excommunication against John Douglas and all of his followers. He also reaffirmed the Papacy's commitment to the House of Stewart on the Scottish throne, despite the fact that he was on the verge of excommunicating James IV for breaking the Treaty of Perpetual Peace just 2 years prior.

Meanwhile in Scotland, where news of the excommunication would take much time to arrive, John was reunited with his family for Christmas celebrations. His spies has alerted him that Thomas Howard had been ordered by Catherine to refrain from adavncing north during the winter, and so the mood of the King became much more relaxed. His family was not however, and his wife Janet and his eldest son James held grudges towards the Kings for what they viewed was abandonment. They held their anger in however, until it was revealed by sources in Court that John had taken a mistress. Whether or not this was true is still debated, but it caused Janet to fly into a rage and the following evening she and her 4 children snuck back to their estates, furious at the King.

To the south, in England, Margaret Tudor too was facing awkward circumstances during Christmas in 1512. The Queen Mother of Scotland and the Queen were both invited to the Court of Henry IX to attend Christmas festivities, although Catherine had initially only intended to invite the 7 month old Queen but realized that having both the mother and the daughter together might make her goal of putting both of them in her orbit easier. Reception of Margaret was cold however, as the English Court viewed her as a traitor. Soon enough however, Margaret connected with her younger sister Mary, who was also her last surviving sibling, and the mood eased somewhat. Margaret and Margret II were both introduced to King Henry IX who was now occasionally speaking. Catherine meanwhile was busy planning her strategy on taking out the House of Douglas, but Margaret was unaware of this and took her standoffishness as a slight and due to this the 2 women would never have a truly warm friendship, only one of convenience.

Portrait believed to be that of Margaret II c. 1513


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[Unknown]

Good start.

How far are you planning on taking this?

 

[spamage]

Good start.

How far are you planning on taking this?

I've already handwritten all the way through most in this TL's Reformation, so its just a matter of typing it onto here. I would hope to take this at least a century, but it may be less, it may be more.

 

[othyrsyde]

Thanks to the Tudors show, I've fallen in love with this period. Good TL so far. Love Cathrine as a regent.

 

[spamage]

Vivat Rex Henricus IX: A Tudor Timeline
February-April 1513

His Holiness, Pope Leo X

In the midst of winter in the beginning of 1513 Pope Julius II, the man who had lead the Papal States in the war against France passed away suddenly. Conclave was soon held and Giovanni de Medici was chosen to be the next Pope. Without the French Cardinals he truly faced little opposition. Medici was a relative of Pope Innocent VI as well as Julius II and there was little chance any other cardinal, with the exception of Raffele Riario, would be able to mount an effective opposition to him. He took the name Leo X and, distraught seeing the foreign occupation of Northern Italy sent feelers to push for peace with France in order to end the war of the League of Cambrai.

As winter thawed and the weather began to become more favorable, Catherine of Aragon ordered the troops stationed at the border of Scotland and England to move north and engage John II in battle. Spies within the English camp alerted the Scottish King of Catherine's intentions and John gathered his troops and departed from the city in order to gain a more defensible position. He only left a small battalion of men to maintain the city and met up with the French troops sent by Louis XII to secure the House of Douglas' position, fresh of the boat, the very same evening.

During the previous winter John's men had slept in the houses of Edinburgh residents, which had only increased resentment towards the King. The citizens, seeing there chance, began to riot shortly after John had departed and they massacred the troops he had left behind. The corpses were thrown out of the city, much to the mob's amusement, and a procession marched towards the Cathedral, which was once again vacated as Robert Pennycook, the Archbishop, had been forced to accompany John's army. The people proclaimed their loyalty to the House of Stewart and took up arms, prepared to fight of John's army should it return, even if their chances of defeat were high, they could not stand living under "John the Usurper".

It was 3 days before John and the English met, just outside of the small town of Peebles which was a fair distance from Edinburgh. John II attended mass in his tent with Robert Pennycook presiding and then met with the various nobles supporting his cause to make a plan for how the battle would be handled. While defeat was a real possibility in John's mind, he put such thoughts out of his head and put on an outwardly confident face. While he wouldn't be able to take the field, due to the permanent damage his leg had sustained at the Battle of Stirling, his generals and attendants assured him his men were in capable hands.

In the English camp Thomas Howard was planning how the English army would arrange itself and was following Catherine's instructions, which were numerous, to a tee. In his eyes however, Catherine was begining to overstep her authority. She had not called her Advisory Council for 2 years, Thomas Wolsey had been sent away to Rome both for diplomatic relations with the Papacy as well as to get him out of Catherine's way, and the remaining nobles were either to weak to challenge Catherine's Spanish policies on raising her son, or they approved of them. Howard therefore decided that after the Scottish campaign was finished he would plan a way to cut Catherine down to size, both in the eyes of the people and the nobles. A letter was sent to Wolsey the night before the battle and he privately discussed his plans with his 2 sons, Thomas and Edmund.

The Battle of Peebles commenced early the following morning. The Scots kept attempting to flank the English but failed miserably and many of John II's soldiers grew resentful upon seeing the French troops standing on the side of the field, waiting until later to engage. This seriously hurt his men's morale and the casualty rate gradually began to climb upward. The English then charged forward, stunning the Scottish lines which imploded, all while John II sat on the sidelines watching. The King, horrified at seeing his men massacred, gathered his generals (to whom he felt some resentment), the French Troops, and whatever Highlanders that hadn't taken the field yet and promptly fled back up north. His men, seeing their leader flee, surrendered, resigning themselves to imprisonment. However Thomas Howard was under strict orders from Catherine that all the Scots were to be pardoned so long as they declared their loyalty to Margaret II, Queen of the Scots. Everyone did so as resentment towards the House of Douglas ran high among John's abandoned men.

John fled north into the Highlands where he used the connections he had made early on in his attempt to gain the Scottish throne to give him and his men shelter. He had only been King for 106 days before losing the Battle of Peebles. By June, paranoid over being assasinated, John and his men returned alongside the French troops to Paris, landing in Normandy on June 17th, 1513. Upon arriving at the Court of Louis XII he was treated outwardly very kindly. The French adressed him as the King of Scotland, but their King was enraged and John reminded him of his failure with the Scottish situation. John fell ill 4 weeks after arriving in Paris, likely due to poisoning. In a great irony, it was likely Richard de la Pole, the claimant to the English throne, that complied with Louis wishes and ordered Douglas killed. He was not punished and in fact, he was given a large sum of gold several weeks later.

On April 12th, 1513, Queen Margaret II's 1st birthday, the Court of Stewart alongside the Queen and the Queen Mother landed back in Edinburgh where they were treated to much celebration. The infant Queen was paraded to the Cathedral where the royal retinue met a panicked Robert Pennycook who was immediately imprisoned by Margaret Tudor's men. Alexander Stewart, who had been captive in England, opted not to return to the title of Archbishop and instead allowed his brother to remain in the position. Janet Douglas and the 4 children of the King were captured at one of their estates and taken to be imprisoned. The conditions of their imprisonment in Edinburgh were deplorable and the eldest daughter of the deposed King, Agnes, died from inflection. Her siblings and her mother came to blame Margaret Tudor for her death. Shortly after Agnes' death they were allowed to return to their estate under house arrest after they pledged loyalty to Margaret II and renounced any claim to the throne of Scotland. They all complied, knowing that not doing so would mean death.

While the first few weeks back under Stewart rule were celebratory, it soon became clear that Margaret Tudor was not as capable of a regent as Catherine was. She announced that the Auld Alliance was finished the same day as she told the public that Margaret II was to marry Henry IX, thereby making Scotland inherited by England. Not only were both of these actions controversial and somewhat unpopular, but she released them at the worst time as it quickly ended the honeymoon stage of her regency.

King Henry IX, aged 3
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[Janprimus]

Who will Mary Tudor marry ITTL, like IOTL Louis XII of France, or will the Habsburgs succeed with their desired match, and will Charles V marry Mary Tudor ITTL?

 

[spamage]

Who will Mary Tudor marry ITTL, like IOTL Louis XII of France, or will the Habsburgs succeed with their desired match, and will Charles V marry Mary Tudor ITTL?

With Catherine having the key relationship to Charles V, it is likely she'll marry Mary off to him.

 

[twovultures]

With Catherine having the key relationship to Charles V, it is likely she'll marry Mary off to him.

How sustainable is an English/Spanish alliance do you think? Granted that (thus far) ITTL there won't be the religious split, but geography will drive both nations to develop a strong presence in the Atlantic, where they could come into conflict.

 

[othyrsyde]

A 16th century UK.