WI: Eduard, Count Palatine Has a Surviving Son?

Interesting. Are you thinking right away (1686) or circa 1688? Or even predeceasing Charles II?
I was thinking predeceasing Charles II (I called him Duke of York and not James II for this reason)...
Mary is here in England, with a nice Protestant husband and children so why suffer the religious folly of her father?
 
I think once the first Protestant grandson of James is born on English soil (I'm thinking Mary marrying Frederick August of Hanover circa 1680 and the 1st child circa 1681-1682), the Exclusion Bill would gain more traction, but formulated differently, with no mentioning of Duke of Monmouth (a non-entity in such situation).
Or, otherwise, an assasination of James in 1683 (a succesful version of Rue House plot focusing on Duke of York) may take place.
 
I think once the first Protestant grandson of James is born on English soil (I'm thinking Mary marrying Frederick August of Hanover circa 1680 and the 1st child circa 1681-1682), the Exclusion Bill would gain more traction, but formulated differently, with no mentioning of Duke of Monmouth (a non-entity in such situation).
Or, otherwise, an assasination of James in 1683 (a succesful version of Rue House plot focusing on Duke of York) may take place.
OTL Mary married William of Orange in November 1677, likely here will be married at the same time (she would 15 and her ATL husband 16) for securing the succession... Maybe Mary’s protestant and domestic wedding will prevent the “Popist plot” and the exclusion crisis who followed while maybe the Duke of York had many strange accidents in this years (aka escaping to at least a couple tentative of accidentally killing him) before dying in suspicious but never proved circumstances after the birth of Mary’s second child in 1680...
 
I think 1679-1680 is more realistic date for TTL wedding, as OTL was tied to peace negotiations with Dutch, thus unusually young (for a Protestant princess of the time, who usually married later in life than their Catholic counterparts) wedding date.
 
Karl I, Elector Palatine of the Rhine [1648-1683] (1617-1683) m: 1650 Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel (1627-1686)

1. Karl II, Elector Palatine of the Rhine [1683-1685] (1651-1685) m: 1680 Vilhelmina Ernestine of Denmark (b.1650)

2. Elisabeth Charlotte [Liselotte] (b.1652) m: 1671 Christian V, King of Denmark (1646-1699)

a. Charlotte Sophie (b.1672)

b. Frederik IV, King of Denmark (b.1674) m: 1690 Luise of Poland (see below)

c. Elisabeth Christine (b.1675, d.1694)

d. Anna Dorothea (b.1676) m: 1696 Josef I, Holy Roman Emperor (b.1678)

e. Carl Christian (b.1678)​

Eduard, Count Palatine of the Rhine (1625-1663) m: 1645 Anna Gonzaga (1616-1684)

1. Luise Marie (b.1647) m: 1666 Pedro II, King of Portugal & the Algarves (b.1648)

a. João Duarte Francisco, Prince of Portugal (b. 1668)

b. Catarina (b.1670, d.1671)

c. Ana Maria (b.1671, d.1699)

d. Maria Eugenia (b.1673)

e. Francisco Carlos Jaime, Duke of Beja (b.1677)

f. Luiza Isabel Teresa (b.1681)​

2. Anna Henriëtte Julie (b.1648) m: 1663 Henri III, Prince de Condé (b. 1643)

3. Friedrich Emanuel Ludwig, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania [as Ludwik II from 1673], Elector Palatine of the Rhine [as Friedrich VI from 1685] (b.1650, d.1707) m: 1668 Eleonora Maria of Austria (b.1653)

a. Karl Kasimir V Leopold, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania [from 1707] (b.1670) m: 1683 Elisabeth Helene Lubomirska (b.1669)

b. Maria Katharina Theresia (b.1671) m: 1690

c. Friedrich VII Eduard Christoph, Elector Palatine of the Rhine [1707-] (b. 1673) m: 1690

d. Luise Maria Eleonora (b.1674) m: 1690 Frederik IV, King of Denmark (b.1671)

e. Anna Karoline [Charlotte] Katharina (b.1678) m: 1695 Maximilian II, Elector of Bavaria (b.1661)

f. Ludwig Ferdinand Sigmund, Count Palatine of the Rhine (b.1681)

g. Sophie Amalie Elisabeth [Amelise] (b.1683) m:
4. Benedikte Henriëtte Philippine (b.1652) m: 1673 Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (b.1643)

a. Anne Élisabeth (b.1674, d.1676)

b. Charles Édouard Louis Jean Casimir Marie Silvestre (b.1675)

c. Henriëtte Christine (b.1677)

d. François Jean Joseph Antoine Ignace Félix (b.1679)

e. Charlotte Sophie (b. 1680)

f. Louiae Bénédicté (b.1685)​
 
1. Luise Marie (b.1647) m: 1666 Pedro II, King of Portugal & the Algarves (b.1648)
So, the coup against Alfonso happens earlier TTL/Alfonso dies natural death leaving his brother as the King?

Also, who ends up the second Madame, then? (If Benedicte is unmarried by 1670, she is a candidate, unless the OTL Queen of Portugal is taken for her duchies(.
 
So, the coup against Alfonso happens earlier TTL/Alfonso dies natural death leaving his brother as the King?

I was inspired by your "killing" of Alfonso in Mazarinettes/the coup in @Velasco's TL. Or Alfonso just dies ahead of schedule.

Also, who ends up the second Madame, then? (If Benedicte is unmarried by 1670, she is a candidate, unless the OTL Queen of Portugal is taken for her duchies

For the second madame, I was considering either the OTL queen of Portugal or duchess of Savoy. OTOH, Maria Anna Ignatia of Württemberg might do if Louis' looking for a German alliance, although it seems pretty ASB. I'm not sure who else was considered for a second madame OTL
 
Me thinks, that for post 1670 match it makes the most sence to make Benedicte the 2nd Madame (to keep her brother from leaning too pro-Austrian; as this would be post his Austrian match) and Duke of Lorraine being married to OTL Duchess of Julich (to secure Austrian support; so no double Julich-Habsburg match TTL).

Fun things that can be done with Lorraine:
  • Ferdinand Philippe survives, marries Marie Mancini; Charles of Lorraine is but a cadet princeling sojourning at the French court. Needs the different outcome of 1659 skirmish.
  • Charles IV of Lorraine dies sometime pre 1661 (during his imprisonment in Spain?), no Treaty of Monmartre is signed, and it's Charles V who is restored. In this situation he keeps the marriage to Marie Jeanne of Savoy; while the OTL Queen of Portugal becomes the Duchess of Savoy. Given low fertility of Savoyard girls, the situation may end up with succession bottleneck.
 
Me thinks, that for post 1670 match it makes the most sence to make Benedicte the 2nd Madame (to keep her brother from leaning too pro-Austrian; as this would be post his Austrian match) and Duke of Lorraine being married to OTL Duchess of Julich (to secure Austrian support; so no double Julich-Habsburg match TTL).

Fun things that can be done with Lorraine:
  • Ferdinand Philippe survives, marries Marie Mancini; Charles of Lorraine is but a cadet princeling sojourning at the French court. Needs the different outcome of 1659 skirmish.
  • Charles IV of Lorraine dies sometime pre 1661 (during his imprisonment in Spain?), no Treaty of Monmartre is signed, and it's Charles V who is restored. In this situation he keeps the marriage to Marie Jeanne of Savoy; while the OTL Queen of Portugal becomes the Duchess of Savoy. Given low fertility of Savoyard girls, the situation may end up with succession bottleneck.

While I like the idea of Ferdinand Philippe surviving and wedding either Marie/Hortense, I'm not sure. Alternatively, if the king of Poland wants a pro-French match without going native (French), maybe proposing his sister for duchess of Savoy when Françoise Madeleine dies? I'm not saying that Benedicte will get it (Françoise Madeleine died in 1664, when Benedicte is 12) and Carlo Emanuele married Jeanne Baptiste in 1665 (maybe if he weds the OTL queen of Portugal instead, and said lady gives him a son (around 1667/1668) but dies in the process, Benedikte might be suitable for wife no. 3. Which is when the Madame spot in Paris opens up. And the Savoyard and French courts are competing for Benedikte (Orléans as a non-sovereign would require a smaller dowry, although Savoy would be more "useful" - as well as prevent putting all the Polish eggs in one basket).

Alternatively, we eliminate the need for Orléans to remarry by simply allowing Minette's son to survive - he can wed a surviving Marie-Thérèse de France (too poor health so no-one outside France wants to wed her, and too important to wed just anyone in France).

I like Maria Anna Josepha of Austria for duchess of Lorraine in lieu of a Mazarinette. The Savoy-Nemours girls could likewise have their importance negated by their uncle, Henri II, having children with his wife, the Princess of Neuchatel, but perhaps this is overkill? Otherwise, Jeanne Baptiste to Monsieur (if the duc de Valois still survives) and Françoise Élisabeth to Longueville or Lorraine.
 
Ludwik II (and not his family) will only start having a say in his sisters' matches circa 1669 realistically, until then he is merely a heir presumptive for PLC; Benedicte is the only match he can realistically have a say in, and his mom (a friend of Duc d'Orleans) would very much like to see her daughter as Madame).

Jeanne Baptiste was the love of Duke of Savoy, who only married his first wife instead of her due to his mother's meddling. The only way it can go differetly is if Jeanne is already taken (Charles IV dies while prisoner in Spain or otherwise before 1663 so no Treaty of Monmartre). That way it's likely Françoise Élisabeth going to Savoy.
 
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