As it says on the box - Afonso, Prince of Portugal, only legitimate son of Joao II of Portugal, leaves a wife to discover that she is in the family way shortly before/after his demise. A healthy son is born 9 months later. What happens next?
As it says on the box - Afonso, Prince of Portugal, only legitimate son of Joao II of Portugal, leaves a wife to discover that she is in the family way shortly before/after his demise. A healthy son is born 9 months later. What happens next?
One assumes that as OTL, Afonso dies in 1491, and that the widow is Isabella of Aragon. Her son will be heir to Portugal, and to Spain if her brother dies childless as OTL. In OTL, Isabella was so distressed by Afonso's death that she spent the rest of her life fasting and scourging herself. This contributed to her death in childbirth in 1498.
One assumes that as OTL, Afonso dies in 1491, and that the widow is Isabella of Aragon. Her son will be heir to Portugal, and to Spain if her brother dies childless as OTL. In OTL, Isabella was so distressed by Afonso's death that she spent the rest of her life fasting and scourging herself. This contributed to her death in childbirth in 1498.
If she avoids this immediate fate, having a child may cheer her up. In any case, Afonso's uncle doesn't succeed in Portugal. Instead Afonso's son succeeds to all three kingdoms.
This knocks out the inheritance of the Spanish empire by Charles, son of Isabella's sister Juana la Loca, OTL's Charles V of Habsburg. Aragon held Sicily and Naples in this period.
What else? With the union of Spain and Portugal in train, Spain may not feel any need to compete with Portugal's maritime explorations and discoveries. So Columbus doesn't get funded, and the discovery of the New World is put off by many years. Portuguese mariners will find Brazil soon, and poke around South America, but it will be many years before they reach Central America. French and English mariners may explore North America.
The conquistadors may instead devote their ferocious energies to ventures in Africa and the Indies. There will be no flood of Mexican and Peruvian bullion into Spain's coffers.
The Infante Miguel would be an interesting candidate for the hand in marriage of his aunt the Infanta Catalina (Catherine of Aragon) after she was widowed in 1501, which might serve to soothe Ferdinand's financial woes (he could demand her dowry back from the Tudors, for starters) and strengthen Miguel's succession rights in Aragón and Castille.
He would simultaneously be a good match for Princess Mary Tudor (five years his junior), especially if relations remained sour between Henry VII and Ferdinand, and Henry decided to circumvent Ferdinand by matching his available daughter to Ferdinand's eventual heir.
The most fun scenario will be the one in which Alfonso die and had posthumous son and Juan some years later die as OTL and his posthumous daughter also survive... How much time will be spent trying to secure a match between Miguel and Juana Isabel?
I must admit, I like the sounds of that idea. But wouldn't Fernando try his OTL shenanigans to try and leave a male heir? Or would he be fine with seeing Aragon/ese Empire absorbed into Portugal-Castile?
I'm confused, I was under the impression had a salic-law thing going on? For instance, while she succeeded as Queen of Naples and Sicily (not sure about Sardinia), Juana never succeeded as queen of Aragon proper, that title is listed as being held by Karl V from Fernando's death, in which case, wouldn't a son of Fernando, even if born of a second marriage, be likely to end up AHEAD of Juana Isabella in the Aragonese succession?
I'm confused, I was under the impression had a salic-law thing going on? For instance, while she succeeded as Queen of Naples and Sicily (not sure about Sardinia), Juana never succeeded as queen of Aragon proper, that title is listed as being held by Karl V from Fernando's death, in which case, wouldn't a son of Fernando, even if born of a second marriage, be likely to end up AHEAD of Juana Isabella in the Aragonese succession?
Out of curiosity, wasn't Joao more "independently" minded than Manuel? I mean, Manuel and his kids/grandkids basically bent over backwards for the Trastamara and then the Habsburgs, while both Fernando and Isabel regarded Joao with suspicion. So, might he not be more likely to ally with France/Navarre/an anti-Spanish England than Manuel/'s kids?
Plus, might Joao live longer than OTL? And who might be regent for the infant *Miguel? Manuel? Princess Isabella? Queen-Dowager Leonor? (I'm not sure how Joao died OTL - i.e. is it butterfly proof or not)
Ferdinand and Isabella will make certain who Joao II will not have any chance to rule their kingdoms but I really do not see a reason for which Joao will have to throw away half of his grandson inheritance antagonizing Ferdinand and Isabella. As regent for young John II in Portugal likely either Leonor or Manuel... Isabella will became Queen Regnant of Castile after her mother's death and either Queen regnant or regent of Aragon after her father's death (if Ferdinand die while *John III still need a regent)