Who does Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales marry?

A feat Gustavus Adolphus failed in.
By the way, TTL he (Gustavus) is likely getting OTL Princess of Transylvania, who was childless in both her marriages. Swedish succession crisis looming?

I was thinking of giving him to Catherine, and you are right, no children. Which would be interesting to see where that would go. And, with Maria Eleanora married to Henry and Catherine to Gustavus, a line of communication between Britain and Sweden could be opened.
 
I was thinking of giving him to Catherine, and you are right, no children. Which would be interesting to see where that would go. And, with Maria Eleanora married to Henry and Catherine to Gustavus, a line of communication between Britain and Sweden could be opened.
Which plays into Henry's ambitions just right, Swedish-British alliance I mean.
 
Which plays into Henry's ambitions just right, Swedish-British alliance I mean.

Considering the never ending conflict's between Sweden and Denmark, he may try and mediate between the two and attempt to unite the protestant powers against the Habsburg's. How successful he would be is up for debate.
 
OK I've read through this a bit and @Harriamelia and @Valena , I feel that you two are way off marriage-wise. First off, James I saw himself as a peacemaker, a bridge between the Catholics and the Protestants. For that reason he wanted Elizabeth to marry a Protestant and his heir to marry a Catholic. So there's no way in hell that James I would consider a second or third rate German power for his son and heir when daughters of Spain and France are available instead. So some kind of Catholic bride is highly likely, unless you handwave James I to die shortly after Elizabeth's marriage. As for Catholic brides, there's the (in)famous Spanish Infanta (which is pretty out-there but not impossible), Elisabeth, Christine or Henrietta Maria of France (if the POD is before Henri IV's death, as the Spanish negotiations were done under Marie de' Medici; plus not sure when the Savoyard talks began) or Medici/Savoyard Princess (both were offered at one point as proxy brides during the Spanish Match).

In my opinion the best bet would be a marriage to Madame Royale Elizabeth, with a POD of a surviving Henri IV. Henri was a former Protestant, so he's someone that the English could do business with; and Elizabeth would be the closest in age. As for the other bridegrooms, we'd simply move Christine to Spain and Henrietta Maria to Savoy. Henry Frederick wouldn't be happy but I can't imagine that he would openly tell his father no and open up a major domestic crisis in Britain.
 
By the way, TTL he (Gustavus) is likely getting OTL Princess of Transylvania, who was childless in both her marriages. Swedish succession crisis looming?

Not necessarily, as he was sniffing around the Elector Palatine's sister OTL. Besides, Katharina of Brandenburg, Princess of Transylvania is not necessarily barren. She married Bethlen in March 1626, he died in November 1629. The marriage is also described per wikipedia as unhappy, with both sides taking lovers.
It's not impossible that Katharina was infertile, since of her sisters, Maria Eleonora is the only one to have had kids IIRC.
 
OK I've read through this a bit and @Harriamelia and @Valena , I feel that you two are way off marriage-wise. First off, James I saw himself as a peacemaker, a bridge between the Catholics and the Protestants. For that reason he wanted Elizabeth to marry a Protestant and his heir to marry a Catholic. So there's no way in hell that James I would consider a second or third rate German power for his son and heir when daughters of Spain and France are available instead. So some kind of Catholic bride is highly likely, unless you handwave James I to die shortly after Elizabeth's marriage. As for Catholic brides, there's the (in)famous Spanish Infanta (which is pretty out-there but not impossible), Elisabeth, Christine or Henrietta Maria of France (if the POD is before Henri IV's death, as the Spanish negotiations were done under Marie de' Medici; plus not sure when the Savoyard talks began) or Medici/Savoyard Princess (both were offered at one point as proxy brides during the Spanish Match).

In my opinion the best bet would be a marriage to Madame Royale Elizabeth, with a POD of a surviving Henri IV. Henri was a former Protestant, so he's someone that the English could do business with; and Elizabeth would be the closest in age. As for the other bridegrooms, we'd simply move Christine to Spain and Henrietta Maria to Savoy. Henry Frederick wouldn't be happy but I can't imagine that he would openly tell his father no and open up a major domestic crisis in Britain.

I don't believe I am way off, for a few reasons. Firstly, I know that James saw himself as a peacemaker, and I have also stressed the fact that James wanted one protestant marriage (Elizabeth) and one catholic marriage (Henry). As I said above, if Henry is going to marry a Catholic bride, it is going to be Maria Apollonia of Savoy, the marriage negotiations were finalised the day he fell ill (James went so far as the give a knighthood, if I remember correctly, to the Savoyard living in London who arranged the marriage). It is Roy Strong's opinion that this marriage would have certainly happened, however, myself and other's disagree. Henry's faith, abhorrence to Catholics and increasingly strong willed behaviour would not have allowed it. And, Henry is not going to trade out one Catholic for another, the only catholic match I can see him giving in to, was to Christine of France, as long as she was raised in England (he believed that if he raised her in the Anglican faith that she would convert). That was his OTL demand, if Marie de' Medici allowed it, he would have agreed. But she didn't, so Henry refused. The fact that James accepted his refusal tells us that James wasn't too bothered about Henry having a French bride. The Medici match faltered because they received pressure from the Pope to call off negotiations. If they had not, Caterina de' Medici would have still been in the running (Henry and his household preferred her to Savoy). When he was ill, Henry was distressed that he couldn't appear before the council to argue against the match with Savoy. A Spanish match was absolutely never considered by Henry. He hated the Spanish.

My POD is the survival of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, not the survival of King Henry IV of France. That is not going to change.

So, if Henry is going to marry a catholic, it is going to be Maria Apollonia of Savoy. If Henry can get out of it, it is going to be Maria Eleanora of Brandenburg (who is the best of what is available).
 
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Elisabeth was destined to Savoy, then Henri died, Marie arranged the Spanish matches and Spain said they absolutely wanted the eldest daughter for reasons of prestige (as second was the most suited agewise) for their King and the bethrotals were switched.
Keep Henri IV alive and Anne of Austria (aka the OTL Queen of France) for the Prince of Wales is possible

The POD I am working with is the survival of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, not King Henry IV of France. And I don't think Spain is going to give away their eldest daughter to England, especially without Henry converting to Catholicism or the promise to do so.
 
Sounds like Edward VI's delusion about Élisabeth de Valois - if you ask me

Exactly. Honestly, from the little research I have done on Christine, there is nothing to indicate she would have converted. Although, at nine years old, he would have had a better chance than converting a 24 year old Maria of Savoy.

Side note, it is mentioned that the marriage of Henry and Maria not planned to take place until 1618, by which time they both would have been 24 years old. Unless I have misread this, or the information is incorrect, is there any reason why it would be held off for another six years after the marriage contract was finalised, considering they were both of age at the time?

I think I will go back and re-read the chapter on the marriage negotiations.
 
Side note, it is mentioned that the marriage of Henry and Maria not planned to take place until 1618, by which time they both would have been 24 years old. Unless I have misread this, or the information is incorrect, is there any reason why it would be held off for another six years after the marriage contract was finalised, considering they were both of age at the time?

I think I will go back and re-read the chapter on the marriage negotiations.

Never mind, I went back and re-read it and cannot seem to find 1618 mentioned. So, it's likely that had Henry lived he would have been married to Maria of Savoy within the following year if he did not manage to get out of it. Which is unlikely as he would not have long to do so.
 
"Maria Appolonia’s father Carlo Emanuele, eager to further legitimize his dynasty, searched for a suitably grand matrimonial match for his daughter, and tried to marry her to, among others, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1594–1612); the courtship began in 1603, but the premature death of the English prince precluded further negotiations. Even the grandest possible match was refused by Maria Appolonia, who appears to have been an unusually independent character, when Emperor Ferdinand II proposed to her."

- This is in reference to a biography about Maria. It seems that @Valena was right in that she too would have wanted to avoid the marriage, even resorting to running away to a nunnery, as the biography goes on to detail her piety and dedication to Catholicism. Rejecting Emperor Ferdinand, the Holy Roman Emperor and a catholic, certainly indicates that she would not want Henry, future King of England and a protestant.

Even if the Savoy match fell apart, of corse that does not mean James would give up hope on catholic match, and may look to Caterina d'Medici once more.

P.S. another reason the French match was not taken seriously, was that the dowry was considered too small, and they were outbid by the Savoyards by quite a margin.
 
Even if the Savoy match fell apart, of corse that does not mean James would give up hope on catholic match, and may look to Caterina d'Medici once more.

P.S. another reason the French match was not taken seriously, was that the dowry was considered too small, and they were outbid by the Savoyards by quite a margin.
Interesting, I'd say.
 
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