WI: Albert Frederick has a son before his death

What if Albert Frederick of Prussia was able to have male charge before his death in 1618?

What would this mean for Brandenburg and Prussia?

With this, the merger of Brandenburg and Prussia is avoided (at least for the moment), although it could happen in the future.
 
What if Albert Frederick of Prussia was able to have male charge before his death in 1618?

What would this mean for Brandenburg and Prussia?

With this, the merger of Brandenburg and Prussia is avoided (at least for the moment), although it could happen in the future.

Let`s assume that his second son, Wilhelm of Prussia (23 June 1585 – 18 January 1586), lives much longer. Let's say, 65 years as AF himself.

But much earlier, AF will become unfit to rule as in OTL. Margrave George Frederick of Brandenburg-Ansbach will be Regent of Prussia from1539 to his own death in 1603. Then, Wilhelm will be 18 yo and take over the regency for his father, become duke himself when AF dies in 1618.

That way, Duke Wilhelm will be the ruler of Ducal Prussia during the 30YW. He will probably have less trouble with the local nobility than the Brandenburger had, since the Junkers were especially opposed to the rule from far away Berlin.

Ducal Prussia will, of course, remain a Polish fief. The same time, the Brandenburg Hohenzollern will remain the heirs for the case that the Prussian Hohenzollern die out.

There is no logic that would tell us who the wife of Duke Wilhelm would be. Plausibility is the best to go for. Maybe a Polish or Swedish princess?

All in all, an interesting PoD, but one that IMO ultimately leads nowhere remarkable. If Prussia somehow remains separate for many decades more, that might hinder the rise of Brandenburg. But it also might as well just lead them on other paths - like a bigger attempt to secure all of the Cleve-Julich-Berg inheritance. Or even a bigger attempt to control Franconia.
 
Top