War of the Roses

What would have happened during the War of the Roses if Henry VI had had more than one child.
I am in the process of writing an alt time line where Henry VI had a daughter as well as a son.
But I was also wondering what other people thought would occure if the House of Lancaster had had more heirs.
 
Henry VII would be forced to marry the Lancaster Heiress if Prince Edward of Lancaster still dies... to solidify his control of the Lancaster faction
 
Henry VII would be forced to marry the Lancaster Heiress if Prince Edward of Lancaster still dies... to solidify his control of the Lancaster faction

Only if she is still unmarried, and who is going to be doing the forcing? When Edward was killed in action, it was basically a massacre of the surviving Lancastrian leadership.

A more interesting, perhaps, idea is that Henry VI would use his daughter (or more likely his wife would) to bolster his position with a prestigious marriage overseas. This would then introduce another player into the dynastic wranglings

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
Only if she is still unmarried, and who is going to be doing the forcing? When Edward was killed in action, it was basically a massacre of the surviving Lancastrian leadership.

A more interesting, perhaps, idea is that Henry VI would use his daughter (or more likely his wife would) to bolster his position with a prestigious marriage overseas. This would then introduce another player into the dynastic wranglings

I had thought of that. And the most likely candidate would be Rene II the Duke of Lorraine (who would also be the princesses fist cousin), there were some other suitable suitors but given the time line everything becomes very dependent on when she comes of age.
After the Battle of Tewkesbury any foreign marriage comes off the table pretty quickly.
 
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Here is the start of my time line.

1458- Queen Margaret gives birth to a daughter, named Catherine after her paternal grandmother. One week later, on March 25 King Henry VI holds a lavish baptism in hopes to reconcile the court; the Duke and Duchess of York serve as Godparents. Later at the Grand Council, the Archbishop of Canterbury manages to work out a complex peace accord to settle all grievances. King Henry also makes the newborn princess the Duchess of Lancaster. The peace does not last.
1459-War breaks out once more when on September 23, the Battle of Blore Heath, the Yorkists army under the Earl of Salisbury defeats the larger force under the Barons of Audley and Dudley.
October 12 the Battle Ludford Bridge, the Lancastrian forces win after Sir Andrew Trollope defects to their cause.
With this lost, the Duke of York and his sons flee to France while the Earls of Warwick and Salisbury flee to Ireland and they are declared traitors.
1460-Catherine is sent to France to the Court of Rene I, the Duke of Anjou, her grandfather, to be educated.
By June the Earls of Warwick and Salisbury along with the Duke of York's son Edward return and are successful at raising an army.
July 10 the Battle of Northampton, Yorkists under Warwick defeat the Lancastrians. The King is found alone in a tent much like the First Battle of St Albans; once again he has fallen mentally ill.
The Duke of York goes to London to press his claim to the throne expecting a warm welcome but the other lords are taken aback by his actions. York quickly produces documents validating his claim to the throne. With this new information, the Lords have no problems with passing the Act of Accord in October; Henry will remain king but York will act as Regent from now on. The Act also removes both of Henry's children from the line of succession instead the Duke of York and his children will inherit the throne.
Queen Margaret is furious with decision and she and Prince Edward flee to Scotland. In exchange for help from the Scots Margaret agrees to hand over the contested town of Berwick and to marry Catherine to James III and Edward to Princess Margaret.
December 30 the Battle of Wakefield; The Duke of York boldly rides out to meet the Lancastrian forces instead of waiting for reinforcement to arrive from the Earl of Warwick. The Lancastrians win and York, his son Edmund and Salisbury are killed. Quee Margaret had their heads are displayed on the City of York's walls.
 
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Interesting start, but one significant problem. Henry VI wouldn't have created Catherine as Duchess of Lancaster for two reasons:

1) Catherine being female wouldn't get a title upon her birth. If she were to marry an English noble then that might result in her husband being elevated to a Duke by right of his wife, if he wasn't one already. However as she is the only daughter of the King, the choice of husband would be a foreign ruler or heir to form an alliance with England before that of an English nobleman.

2) There is no way Henry VI or Margaret would give away the Duchy of Lancaster to a younger son, let alone a daughter and her future husband. The Duchy of Lancaster was Henry VI's primary source of income and it was Edward of Westminister's righful inheritance.
 
Interesting start, but one significant problem. Henry VI wouldn't have created Catherine as Duchess of Lancaster for two reasons:
This was going to be a major plot point but became irrelevant with changes. I will be removing it in the next edit. However...
1) Catherine being female wouldn't get a title upon her birth. If she were to marry an English noble then that might result in her husband being elevated to a Duke by right of his wife, if he wasn't one already. However as she is the only daughter of the King, the choice of husband would be a foreign ruler or heir to form an alliance with England before that of an English nobleman.

2) There is no way Henry VI or Margaret would give away the Duchy of Lancaster to a younger son, let alone a daughter and her future husband. The Duchy of Lancaster was Henry VI's primary source of income and it was Edward of Westminister's righful inheritance.
Females being granted titles in their own right DID happen. A famous example would be Anne Boleyn who was the Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Technically Catherine should be styled Duke of Lancaster then. Moves like this were done for VERY political reasons. It was rare but there were lords who's titles were at least partially dependent on their wives. This was originally intended to have been a last ditch effort by the Lancasters but as I said that part of the story has changed though this was left in.
Thanks for the feedback; after your post I realized that this point was not well explained. I hope this explains it better and as I said I will be revising it.
 
I never actually said that women couldn't hold titles in their own right, I said Catherine wouldn't get a title upon her birth because she was female.

Some rare cases of men's titles dependent on their wives:
Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury
Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick "The Kingmaker" (son of Salisbury)
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster by right of his wife Blanche of Lancaster, only surviving daughter of the Earl of Lancaster

The Duchy of Lancaster was the Lancastrians main source of income and as a herditary title would first go to Catherine's brother Edward of Westminister, the heir to the throne. By giving the Duchy away as his daughter's dowry, Henry VI would have basically gutted his son's future royal income. Henry VI might have mental problems, but he wouldn't be that crazy.

Now if your plan is for Edward of Westminister to die like OTL and the House of York rule England then I won't argue with Catherine styling/proclaiming herself Duchess of Lancaster while she maneuvers towards the throne (Edward IV played the same card in 1471). But while Edward of Westminister is alive, Catherine can't be Duchess of Lancaster. It's not my opinion its the political, economic, and social norms of the day.
 
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