WI: Edward VI born a girl?

Assuming no physical differences other than sex (so a sickly girl rather than a sickly boy), how does Jane Seymour dying giving birth to a daughter affect Henry VIII and the rest of his reign? Assuming he is as unable to gather a son ITTL as he was unable to gain a 'spare heir' IOTL, does he name Mary his successor or does he go for someone else?
 
Interesting! I guess that if he was unable to have a son via any later marriages then he'd have to name Mary his successor as I'm not sure who else he could name. Also, even if he did name someone else, Mary would still have strong grounds (and probably a lot of support) for taking the throne herself.
 
Isn't he dead by this point? Fitzroy died in 1536, Edward was born in 1537.

Yes he is. Our Princess Margaret* is going to struggle for the throne with her elder sisters, both of whom have theoretically better claims than her. If Mary's legitimate, then she'd the heir as the eldest daughter. If Mary isn't, then Elizabeth is and is thus the heir as the eldest legitimate daughter. To make Margaret the Queen, you need to make it so both girls will step down.
 
If other events go as in OTL, then Henry hangs on to Anne of Cleves, who is Queen when he dies. Would that make a difference?
 
I'd imagine that he'd stay with Anne, who is robustly healthy, in the hopes of a son. They most likely get married a year or two earlier, so that they can have a good start. Married at the latest mid 1539, most likely sometime in 1538 if Cromwell can get the negotiations done quick. That's help them have more chance for a son. If that happens, he most likely meets Catherine Howard while married rather than beginning their romance a few months prior to meeting Anne, so that might remove the impetus for some of his objections (no pretty teenage girl to compare her to).
 

Deleted member 96349

Well, if you butterfly away Henry VIII's embarrassment of Anna of Cleves not recognizing him in disguise, then he might not dislike her.
The idiot tried to flirt with her prior to their official meeting, dressed as a servant, and Anna was not impressed...
Eustace Chapuys
On New Year’s Eve the duke of Norfolk with other knights and the barons of the exchequer received her grace on the heath, two miles beyond Rochester, and so brought her to the abbey of Rochester where she stayed that night and all New Years Day. And on New Years Day in the afternoon the king’s grace with five of his privy chamber, being disguised with mottled cloaks with hoods so that they should not be recognized, came secretly to Rochester, and so went up into the chamber where the said Lady Anne was looking out of a window to see the bull-baiting which was going on in the courtyard, and suddenly he embraced and kissed her, and showed here a token which the king had sent her for New Year’s gift, and she being abashed and not knowing who it was thanked him, and so he spoke with her. But she regarded him little, but always looked out the window…. and when the king saw that she took so little notice of his coming he went into another chamber and took off his cloak and came in again in a coat of purple velvet. And when the lords and knights saw his grace they did him reverence…. and then her grace humbled herself lowly to the king’s majesty, and his grace saluted her again, and they talked together lovingly, and afterwards he took her by the hand and led her to another chamber where their graces amused themselves that night and on Friday until the afternoon.
 
This was actually a courtly love scenario; the idiocy comes in persisting in it AFTER being told how sheltered her upbringing had been. He was, in effect, believing his own publicist.
 
The Second Succession Act of June 1536 (passed just after Anne's execution and Henry's marriage to Jane) declared his marriage to Catherine invalid and Mary illegitimate. It also declared his marriage to Anne invalid and Elizabeth illegitimate. Then it further declared that the succession would be to males begotten with Jane, or any other lawful wife, or heirs of the bodies of such males, and if no such males were born, then to females begotten of Jane or any other wife.

So the question was answered. As to the effect - Henry might be more determined to marry again and beget a son. Edward did little enough in his life, and Edwina wouldn't either - unless she lives longer, which is in someways a second PoD.
 
Top