WI: Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk Doesn't Marry The French Queen

In Chapman's bio of Mary, she writes that François was actually betting on just such a situation - Claude dying in childbed - but that Mary wouldn't stick around indefinitely. But, removing all of Claude's health issues from the Valois genes could be a nice touch though. Maybe she gives birth to her daughter in August, but dies in the birth, Mary's still in France because they're wrangling over her jewels/plate, and Brandon hasn't stepped in to cut the Gordian knot as it were. Henry VIII sees the opportunity and offers his sister to François and says he's willing to waive his claims to the plate/jewelry.

Now, the canon lawyers might have a hard time here. Since church law doesn't differentiate between affiliation by blood vs by marriage, which means Mary IS Claude's mother, and François' by extension. Can/will Leo X grant the dispensation? Or would Mary stand a better chance marrying a prince du sang (who? Alençon's the only other Valois left, and he's married. As is the Constable de Bourbon AND the duc de Vendôme; not sure about the duc de Montpensier though).
Suzanne de Bourbon, the wife of constable is already sick and deformed at this point.
 
Henry's entire purpose in wedding Mary to Louis was to usurp Francis (who had replaced Henry as the youngest buck king in the world); Leo X would extract a lot of money from both sides and be worse than Clement at making a decision. There wouldn't be much of a dowry left for either Henry or Francis. I think Henry, just for the points, would require his sister be returned (along with the dowry) before ANY decision be made. Claude was how Francis got the throne and she was quiet and demure and let him do what he would. Mary wouldn't put up with it; she'd been spoiled her whole life and only went to France after Henry promised her choice the second time around.
 
almost all the prince's of the blood were married - Charles III Duke de Bourbon (cousin to Francis) married to his cousin Suzanne de Bourbon (dau of Anne of France and Peter of Bourbon), his younger brother (who was killed in 1515) might have been unmarried - François. Alencon is married to Francis' sister, Charles Duke de Vendome was married etc
The dispensation would be tricky and would depend on Francis' relationship with the Papacy in 1515 which was poor - only in the December did Francis and Leo come to terms over Italy at which time no doubt he would demand a dispensation for his marriage to the widowed Queen Mary.
 
By December, if Mary is not back in England, Henry VIII and a couple of thousand of his closest friends will be in France, partying until Francis surrenders Mary.
 
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