WI Flanders, Aquitaine and Anglo-Saxon England under personal union

WI Flanders, Aquitaine and Anglo-Saxon England under personal union instead of angevin empire in the 12th century, how would france react?
 
Roughly the same way it did to the OTL Angevin empire.

Flanders is not quite as threatening, speaking from the perspective of the so-called king of France (so-called given the weakness of royal authority), as Normandy and Anjou, but its not much better, either.

Not sure how an inheritance of all three would work - you'd need some lucky dynastic marriages of the sort the Habsburgs OTL exemplify.

Is there some reason for specifying Anglo-Saxon England? Not that I mind the idea, I'm just trying to think if there's a way that England would be different for purposes of the "empire".
 
What Elfwine said : you would probably see an ATL version of Philip Augustus showing up as King of France in your scenario. I'm not meaning in terms of personality but in term of politics : The Angevin Empire was basically owning the Western Half of France. The Angevin were Vassal to the French King in theory, but in reality they were stronger than him. Philip Augustus basically used the Angevins' weaknesses against them to dismember their Empire and asborb the most of it into the Royal Dosmaine or his Kingdom. In your scenario, a French King would probably do the same.

Not to mention Flanders and Aquitaine were two of the most richest areas of Medieval France. Flanders had a strong mercantile economy while Aquitaine was the largest and richest duchy of southern France. Which French King wouldn't wish for such prizes?
 

archaeogeek

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Considering this is the 12th century, you'd need a major change in mentalities to make it stick together, since it would very likely end up being split up between heirs.
 
WI Flanders, Aquitaine and Anglo-Saxon England under personal union instead of angevin empire in the 12th century, how would france react?

If England stay Anglo-Saxon, Normandy is still a loyal vassal of France because William of Normandy was killed at Hastings or didn't cross La Manche... Normandy could maybe expand in the west and Britanny could become a french province severals centuries before...

Flanders was a very rebellious region and the King of England will have the same difficulties to keep it that the King of France or the Duke of Burgundy had...

So you could have a big Duchy of Normandy - Britanny allied to the King of France, a rebellious Flanders and a tempting Aquitaine and you will have quickly a series of english - french wars...

If Normandy -Britanny was in this TL a sea power, the Hastings kind of invasion can happened after the conquests of English lands on the mainland.
 
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