WI: A daughter for Charles II of England

[HRH Cecily]

If there is no de jure clause against Catholic consorts, and if the political climate is anything resembling OTL and Liz is not as stubbornly pro-French as her uncle was, an Austrian archduchess is a go. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduchess_Maria_Magdalena_of_Austria_(1689–1743) I think this one.

Yeah, I'm trying to figure out to what extent anti-Catholic violence would have broken out, having Elizabeth standing in the way of a Catholic ascension to the throne and having a James who's only heirs are Mary and Anne. I know it isn't realistic to erase all of it but nor is it likely everything would happen OTL.

A de jure against Catholic consorts wouldn't change Lizzy's marriage to Max but are there really any viable Protestant matches for Charles? The two I managed to dredge up married other people OTL, Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz, b. 1691, or Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, b. 1687.

I like Maria Magdalena for Charles.

And even if she would favor French, there are plainly no Princesses of suitable age in French Royal Family. The Orlean girls may be rejected due to their mother born out of wedlock.

One of the Orleans girls could be good for James or Henry. Could Princess Elizabeth (or Henrietta) marry one of the younger sons of Louis, Grand Dauphin, either Philippe, Duke of Anjou (later King of Spain) or Charles, Duke of Berry, Alençon and of Angoulême? Maybe Infante António of Portugal, b. 1695, for Princess Henrietta or Princess Anne or Infanta Francisca Josefa of Portugal, b. 1699, for James or Henry?

I'm imagining Princess Charlotte never marries or makes a domestic match.

 

[mcdnab]

A surviving Protestant Stuart dynasty means there is not going to necessarily be a dearth of eligible princesses because marriages and alliances will change - does Elizabeth and her government still support one side in the Nine Year War and the War of the Spanish Succession etc. There will still be an issue with a catholic marriage though and I suspect there will be an expectation of Charles' wife to convert if she is a Catholic which probably rules out a French or Imperial marriage but not necessarily.

French options - any of the older daughter's of the French regent - Marie Louise Elizabeth (1695), Louise Adelaide (1698) - being the most likely if Charles doesn't marry until his twenties say by which time their father is regent and they are more attractive - their mother aside their grandmother was ambitious enough to try the match and her good relationship with Maximilian's mother Sophia might help - given her own conversion from Lutheran to Catholicism she might counsel her granddaughter's that the British Crown was worth it.
Another option will be Maria Luisa of Savoy b 1688 if you can avoid her betrothal to Philip V of Spain (assuming he still becomes King of Spain in this TL)- She was the granddaughter of Henriette sister of Charles II.

other options of a more Protestant flavour
His cousin - Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (b1687)
Marie Louise of Hesse b 1688 or her younger sister Wilhelmine Charlotte b1695

 

[HRH Cecily]

A surviving Protestant Stuart dynasty means there is not going to necessarily be a dearth of eligible princesses because marriages and alliances will change - does Elizabeth and her government still support one side in the Nine Year War and the War of the Spanish Succession etc. There will still be an issue with a catholic marriage though and I suspect there will be an expectation of Charles' wife to convert if she is a Catholic which probably rules out a French or Imperial marriage but not necessarily.

Nine Years' War - I think Elizabeth and her government would still end up siding with the European Coalition against France. Even the very French-friendly Catholic James went to war against Louis and Elizabeth is not Catholic nor does she have the French familial ties her father and uncle had. I imagine she'd also be even more welcoming of Huguenots in England than James was, who would still promote an even more anti-French atmosphere than already existed in England. Having Elizabeth on the throne eliminates the William III-James II aspect of the war which also eliminates the Jacobite risings and the Williamite war in Ireland. It'd be nice to see Monmouth making a name for himself as a commander during the war. The conflict in North America seems likely to go along more or less as OTL. Might it be called King Louis' War by the Americans in TTL? My guess would be that the biggest change to come out of this for England would be that the country involve itself less in the conflict and not emerge financially exhausted the way it did OTL.

Prince Charles is 12 in 1701, which seems the absolutely latest he could be betrothed to a French princess before War of Spanish Succession breaks out at which point I think the engagement would be broken off and that's assuming Queen Elizabeth would be pushing a French match and I'm not really sure why she would be. It seems likely Charles wouldn't marry until after the war is concluded, at which point he's 26. However, Elizabeth, Princess Royal could marry Philip, Duke of Anjou instead of his OTL wife Maria Luisa of Savoy in 1701.

War of Spanish Succession - Based on the outcome of the Nine Years' War, England is in a more advantageous place before war breaks out than in the OTL. I'm less certain about how things might change here exactly but being better off from the events of the previous war, might England continue to fight on longer than 1713? Begin the conflict from a better perspective? Maybe Princess Elizabeth is married to the future King of Spain during the negotiations? The Hanover aspect will probably not come into play since George is quite a bit farther down the succession than he was OTL at this time. More ideas on how this might go down?

If Austria emerges from the conflict much as OTL, I think Archduchess Maria Magdalena is probably still the best option for Prince Charles. If Austria wins the conflict, this is probably an even better match. Prince James could marry Wilhelmine Charlotte of Hesse, Princess Anne and Prince Henry could wed in a double marriage with the Infante António and the Infanta Francisca Josefa of Portugal, which just leaves Princesses Catherine Henrietta and Charlotte unmarried. Unless Princess Catherine Henrietta marries Archduke Charles in 1708 instead of his OTL wife Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel? Then depending on whichever way the conflict goes, the Queen of Spain is an English princess? Idk, that might be stunning unrealistic.

Thoughts? Advice?