What if William IV was killed in 1813?

Before he became King, William IV was visiting British troops in Belgium when he came under fire, and a bullet pierced his coat. What would have happened had he been killed. Would Ernst Augustus become regent to Victoria?
 
Before he became King, William IV was visiting British troops in Belgium when he came under fire, and a bullet pierced his coat. What would have happened had he been killed. Would Ernst Augustus become regent to Victoria?


No, her mother would - though from some stories I've heard, that might have been little improvement.
 
No, her mother would - though from some stories I've heard, that might have been little improvement.

Although she could i doubt that she would be allowed to... Her relationship with Conway was a source of nasty gossip and could hurt Victoria in the long run...
 
OK well assuming that everything else go's the same as OTL, and that's a big assumption, then Victoria would be the eventual heiress to the throne. Now this could mean several things. 1. When Edward Duke of Kent dies, George IV seizes custody of the baby heiress and she is raised a Hanovarian. I attempted to start a discussion about this vary topic but it didn't go anywhere. But a Hanoverian-raised Victoria would be a completely different person. For one I doubt she would marry Albert and even if she did I doubt he would amass as much power as he did OTL. We would also see a crown much more involved in the Government and foreign affairs. Finally, if George takes custody you can bet he'll name a regent that he is close to and likes (AKA a younger brother, either Sussex or Cambridge) rather than his sister-in-law. And yes I know she was named Regent by act of parliament, but George could easily make it known who he wants as Regent and get that person named regent.

2. George IV could decide to re-marry. It was a threat OTL but it could happen TTL. Remember George didn't like Victoria much. He wouldn't let any of his names be used at her baptism. If he was to remarry and have a son, then that would be a vary interesting succession. That would potentially mean a son on both the throne of the UK and Hanover.
 
Sorry, but this is the very example why butterflies have to be considered.
In 1813, Charlotte, the Princess Royal, was not even married and obviously not dead, so all her uncles were not married either - including the Duke of Kent.
The battlefield death of her uncle might change a lot. In two years, Charlotte might find another prospective husband than Leopold. She might marry a bit earlier or later, and the pregnancy might occur later or never at all, or run a different course. She might survive much longer than 1817, or at least her child might survive as royal heir.
All this might completely change, postpone or remove the scramble for brides among the other sons of George III.
Kent might marry someone else. perhaps the Prince of Leiningen lives a couple of years longer, so his OTL widow Victoria is not availabe for Kent. Anyway, there are 1:1 odds that the first child of the Duke of Kent and his wife might be a boy. Or the marriage might remain childless.

We are not just talking about concious decisions but also about natural processes nobody could have influenced. Simply stating "everything happens as in OTL" is not remotely plausible.
 
Sorry, but this is the very example why butterflies have to be considered.
In 1813, Charlotte, the Princess Royal, was not even married and obviously not dead, so all her uncles were not married either - including the Duke of Kent.
The battlefield death of her uncle might change a lot. In two years, Charlotte might find another prospective husband than Leopold. She might marry a bit earlier or later, and the pregnancy might occur later or never at all, or run a different course. She might survive much longer than 1817, or at least her child might survive as royal heir.
All this might completely change, postpone or remove the scramble for brides among the other sons of George III.
Kent might marry someone else. perhaps the Prince of Leiningen lives a couple of years longer, so his OTL widow Victoria is not availabe for Kent. Anyway, there are 1:1 odds that the first child of the Duke of Kent and his wife might be a boy. Or the marriage might remain childless.

We are not just talking about concious decisions but also about natural processes nobody could have influenced. Simply stating "everything happens as in OTL" is not remotely plausible.


OK I think your really overestimating butterflies here. It usually takes years for the first butterflies to occur. Also the Princess Royal was married in 1813. She got married in 1797. You are referring to Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales. I'll agree with you on Victoria being born a Victor or perhaps the Duchess of Kent's first husband surviving a little longer but the rest is unlikely. Changing a single event isn't going to change the rest of the players personalities and everything else all at once. That's like saying I was born a girl so that means Mccain won in 2008. Its unrealistic and not really fallowed in any TL this early in.
 
OK I think your really overestimating butterflies here. It usually takes years for the first butterflies to occur. Also the Princess Royal was married in 1813. She got married in 1797. You are referring to Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales. I'll agree with you on Victoria being born a Victor or perhaps the Duchess of Kent's first husband surviving a little longer but the rest is unlikely. Changing a single event isn't going to change the rest of the players personalities and everything else all at once. That's like saying I was born a girl so that means Mccain won in 2008. Its unrealistic and not really fallowed in any TL this early in.

Every member of the Royal family will not have a different personality BUT the sequence of events in the course of their lives from William's death onward are likely to entirely different. Some may follow similiar paths ,but the timing of the events will be completely different...hence the butterflies are immediate where they are concerned.

Ie..because they have had to attend and make funeral preparations for for William... the events that transpired for them OTL during that time they are attending to this will either not occur at all or will occur at a different time with entirely different repercussions available from the changed timing of events. If Charlotte lives for example... her pregnancy takes a different and effortless course for example. then all need for the others to marry evaporates and there never will be Victoria or a regency. Charlotte, even if she never has children will still be heir to the throne, and there will be no need for a regency whatsoever.

Even if her life trends back toward the same path as OTL, it will never be exactly the same path...thus the pregnancy that terminated her life will not be exactly the same either. it could be effortless....without complication.... or she could miss-carry before coming to term...the child could be male or female, the birth difficult but both mother and child survive...or one or the other... or neither as OTL or perhaps there is no pregnancy at all.
 
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