WI: Ferdinand Wenzel of Austria Lives

Ferdinand Wenzel was the elder of two sons born to Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, and his wife/niece, Margarita Teresa of Spain. Born in September 1667, he died the next January at the age of less than four months. His younger brother, Johann Leopold, and his youngest sister, both died on the day of (Johann Leopold) or shortly after birth (Maria Anna was two weeks old when she died). His only surviving full sister, Maria Antonia, inherited their mother's rights to the Spanish inheritance of the sickly Carlos II, but died before Carlos. Her only surviving son was tipped as a potential successor to the Spanish empire, but likewise died (not without suspicion of poison) before Carlos.

What if Ferdinand Wenzel had survived? If his sister and mother are anything to go by, the auguries don't look good for a long life (in fact, he might even predecease his dad). Would this change anything in the long run? Especially if he were to leave surviving issue?
 

Vitruvius

Donor
Probably would depend on how long he survives, would he outlived Charles II for example. Up until that point he's just a convenient potential heir like Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria was OTL. Like you said I'm not sure that he'd make it that long. The marriage between his parents was the culmination of some really atrocious Habsburg family marriages. On the other hand his sister managed to birth a son with Max Emmanuel of Bavaria who was pretty closely related to her through all the Austrian marriages in the Bavarian line (he was definitely her 2nd cousin, and I think also possibly her 2nd cousin once removed and a double third cousin depending on which of several common ancestors you count down/back from). So there's no accounting for random luck in the genetic lottery. Maybe if you found him a wife he wasn't related to, a challenge for the Habsburgs, he could have a son before he dies. Maybe a younger sister of his step mother like Maria Anna of Dorothea Sophia of Palatine Neuburg.

Even if he doesn't live longer than say 1700 I suppose his very existence could upset the scheming and plotting surrounding the Spanish Succession just enough to alter the outcome when the OTL factions contest the throne. OTL the anti-French faction at the Spanish court was split between the Queen Regent Mariana of Austria, who favored her grand daughter Maria Antonia's son Ferdinand Joseph, and the pro-Austrian faction behind Maria Anna of Neuburg who favored her nephew, the Archduke Charles. I suppose if they don't split but form a united front behind Ferdinand Wenzel they wouldn't loose so much support and credibility so even if he does die they could more seamlessly transfer their support to another candidate. Also if Ferdinand Joseph is never heir Max Emmanuel probably isn't made Governor of the Spanish Netherlands and probably doesn't have a falling out with Leopold so he wouldn't be in a position to aid the French if a war broke out. Its possible he might not even marry Maria Antonia as she'd be a less attractive bride. Which opens the door to the absurd marriage of Maria Antonia to Charles II as his second wife (don't rule it out, given what came before I wouldn't be surprised). No one would expect them to have a child so the marriage would just be a way to eliminate her line as a rival to any sons of Leopold, including his younger sons by his second wife.
 
I like the Ferdinand Wenzel marrying Maria Anna of Neuburg. And as to Maria Antonia, her grandmother scrapped her relatively early as a potential wife for Carlos II, and even Leopold realized the idea wasn't really gonna grow legs. Most likely candidates for Maria Antonia's hand were the duke of Savoy and the Bavarian elector, OTL.

Maybe Carlos II marries Anna Maria Ludovica de Medici after his first wife dies. Somehow, I feel like Michelangelo's David and the rest of the Medici art collections adorning the Escorial is a sort of an interesting thought - but that could just be my love of dark humor for seeing all those dudes from the Inquisition meeting all those Renaissance/Baroque nudes
 
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