Who does Le Grande Conde marry if Louis XIII stays childless?

If Grande Conde is heir, who does he marry in 1642/3?

  • Same as OTL, Richelieu's niece; too much pressure not to

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Luisa Christina, Savoy - forget peace over regency, he can be regent, take Savoy later

    Votes: 3 30.0%
  • Anna de Medici - just so a Tyrolese Hapsburg can't marry her

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • Anna Catherine Vasa, Poland - so what if her dad wanted Sweden

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • The Queen of Sweden - she might hold her nose and accept

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • One of John Casimir, Count Palatine's, daughters

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • One of Denmark's King Christian's daughters - though far down the list of his children

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Anne Gonzaga - Mantua not good but he could revive name as Bourbon-Gonzaga

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • Elizabeth or Louise of the Palatinate, Winter King/Queen's daughters

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Le Grande Mademoiselle - keeps all the power, money in France

    Votes: 7 70.0%
  • Someone from an enemy nation as a token peace gesture

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Other, someone I've forgotten

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    10
Poll will be with this but will take a moment to write.

In pondering a TL where Bourbons and Hapsburgs die out in 1670, I need Le Grand Conde - who would have been Louis XIV if Louis XIII remains childless - to marry, but to plausibly have no male heirs who make it to 1670. I've got 2 small parts written, the 2nd of which explains the many possibilities. This won't be ready for quite a long while if I ever choose tos start it - remember I don't like to start a TL till I know I'll be able to get through it pretty well; I just had a bit more time than I thought now before thigns get busy again.

The possibilities all have flaws, but some he might ignore and some he might not; a great general, I see him as not the greatest politician, especially since he wouldn't have been trained as such till late, even with Gaston dying in the revolt of 1632 and leaving only Le Grande Mademoiselle.

Of course, he wants to continue the war; he's an expansionist and a general, after all. But, who if anyone would be a good suitor, considering lots of the Catholics are fighting against France? Then again, might he take a Protestant wife considering his grandfather served alongside Henri of Navarre? Other Catholic nobles took Protestant wives after all?

And, I leave the infamous "other" if I've left someone out.

Also, I've made it multople choice. Let's face it, there could be a few possible candidates. He might not take the most plausible. Though I doubt he takes the one he did OTL (besides, Armand can have her.)

Thanks; this will be up a while. Oh, as to why no Lorraine, Louis XIII after anne of Austria dies, marries the heiress who was named in her dad's will, Nicole, and occupies it, getting Lorraine into French hands earleir and eliminating their senior branch. Which means when the Bourbons do fall it will be even more interesting to see who trie to claim it.

And, someone else can feel free to try this kind of TL, too. I chose 1670 since it's easier to take France, Spain, and Austria out all at oncce. Plus, there's a greatbattle brewing as it is (and much more detailed than I could ever do) in "A More Personal Union," anyway. I wish I could do one that good.
 
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Wouldn't Louis XIII and TTL Henry V be the ones determining his bride prior to his accession? Similarly, would they really permit him to remain a bachelor until 1646?
 
Good point; I hadn't thought they might want him marrying *earlier* than in OTL's 1642.

he can always refuse, he does seem to hve been rather stubborn, but that's why there's plenty of voting options.

Of course, another thing that throws me is that just becuse a potential spouse wouldn't be of age to consumate the marriage doesn't mean they wouldn't marry. That's another part of the fun of thinking outside the box with a TL set this early. It's just freaky compared to today. (nd the Hapsburgs, well, I won't get into that. Let's just say that anytime anyone tries to make a hillbilly joke about interbreeding I will correct them and point to the Hapsburgs, saying that should be the term used because they did it over and over, much more and in worse ways than others did. it's no wonder Don of Austria thought he could suggest marrying a half-sister to the dying Philip IV.)
 
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I'll assume there are no Hapsburg women available, but how about Mary, Princess Royal, daughter of Charles I and mother of William III.
 
Yeah, she's one i forgot about becasue of the age thing, they wouldn't be able to consumate it till 1644 or so. Of course, that woudl mean Elizabeth woudl likely be moved to Orange and a betrothal arranged isntead, since Charles II's financial situation was part of the reason for the early betrothals.

I did, however, discover Conde was an agnostic apparently, but also very distrustful of Catholics. So, he would support the Huguenots quite a bit, which might make things in Savoy very interesting even before 1670, The Year Things Go Haywire."
 
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