What if Charles XII of Sweden was never killed, and was captured by the enemy, and was forced to make peace. What would his later life be? What would his Empire be like?
Let's say if he stays a healthy life, and survives more wars, he survives to the around 1750s-1760s
Didn't his health take a knock due to the campaigning or something? I think he might make the 30s, 40s at best. But for him to make 70/80odd in the 50s/60s seems a bit of a stretch.
Would he marry? What for? He's got a successor in his Holsteiner nephew. And if Carl leaves strict instructions about his successor (as opposed to OTL where it seems to have been a free for all between Ulrika and her nephew), and said successor is married (maybe even with kids), I can't see Ulrika getting a word in. Without Ulrika and the promises/concessions she made to the estates to be acknowledged as Carl's successor (plus Frederik I and Adolf Frederik's disinterest), most likely we have no Age of Liberty.
As to him being captured and forced to make peace. I don't think he'd honor it if it's made by what he would see as a dishonourable means/coercion. The only way (IMO) that Carl is making peace is on his own terms. Otherwise, I expect the war to go on or him to get turned out on his ass eventually. If Napoléon and Louis XIV taught us anything, its that as long as you're winning, the country is behind you (theoretically). The minute you start losing, the dissent is screamed from the rooftops (the satirical poem doing the rounds near the time of Utrecht "our father, who art in Versailles / thy name is no longer hallowed...give us the bread we can no longer obtain / forgive our enemies who have beaten us...etc"; or how quickly France turned Napoléon out after Leipzig and Waterloo). Carl, IIRC, was never winning per se (after he got back from Turkey), rather he was just keeping his head above water (and somedays it was only his hair IMO) but he stubbornly refused to treat. Pyotr the Great offered him favourable terms, he refused them. Englandd and the Netherlands offered to mediate, Carl refused. The Régent tried to get Carl to another round of peace talks, no dice.
