WI: George of Clarence had married Mary of Burgundy?

I am currently reading Josephine Wilkinson's biography of the young Richard III and she mentions that George of Clarence was mooted as a husband for Mary of Burgundy before Margaret of York ever married Charles of Burgundy. Now I know for a fact that Margaret of York was keen to marry her brother to her stepdaughter once Isabel Neville died, so that's twice the match was mooted.

What if it had actually gone ahead in 1477, after Isabel Neville died in the December of 1476? What might that have done for the House of York, if Clarence had become jure uxoris Duke of Burgundy? In the period leading up to Edward's death, but most especially in 1483, when Edward IV died? And what would it have done for Burgundy. George and Mary both seem to have been fertile OTL, so I'm assuming they would have had kids, which would have kept Burgundy out of the HRE for at least another generation...

Thoughts?
 
For starters it means George is out of England and not messing up there - this raises Edward's prospects at controlling his lords.
Secondly I have to wonder if George might not just have "an accident" while out hunting after siring 2 sons.
 
I wonder whether, since being out of England will save George in 1478, he might try to use Burgundy to push his claim to the English throne after Edward IV dies in 1483...
 
Well it means a surviving Edward V - as everyone will be united in preventing George claiming the throne on Edward IV's death
 
So Richard preventing Clarence from taking the throne by protecting his nephew or simply getting rid of his brother and wedding Edward V to someone strong to defend england's interest?
 
On the other hand, when/if opposition to the regime arises, they won't need to turn to an exiled Henry Tudor for a plausible figurehead, they'll have a powerful neighboring ruler ready to pull a Louis VIII...
 
Yes but if Mary still goes for a ride and ends up dead as in OTL - then George is going to be desperately trying to defend his wife's inheritance for his children (without the help of a major foreign power) and might be a bit too busy.
 
This is all true, although I'm not so sure Edward wouldn't help George and Margaret defend Burgundy for George's children, you know. He's still alive when Mary dies in 1482 and family seems to have meant a lot to him - as you can expect after everything the York siblings have been through together. Although I like the idea that a surviving George might protect Edward V in 1483, because Richard is more worried about George than seizing power for himself. Who might Edward V have married in that scenario? One of Isabella of Castile's daughters? A Princess of Portugual? Or someone Scottish?
 
This is all true, although I'm not so sure Edward wouldn't help George and Margaret defend Burgundy for George's children, you know. He's still alive when Mary dies in 1482 and family seems to have meant a lot to him - as you can expect after everything the York siblings have been through together. Although I like the idea that a surviving George might protect Edward V in 1483, because Richard is more worried about George than seizing power for himself. Who might Edward V have married in that scenario? One of Isabella of Castile's daughters? A Princess of Portugual? Or someone Scottish?

The name often thrown out for Edward V is Anne of Brittany, with Spain and Scotland getting one of Edward's sisters (I believe Cecily for James III or IV and Anne/Catherine for the Prince of Asturias)
 
Yeah, Anne of Brittany does seem likely, I guess. My goodness, England are really screwing with France here, aren't they? A Yorkist Duke of Burgundy who won't want to give his lands to France/the HRE and Anne of Brittany snapped up by Edward V, who will no doubt protect his wife's lands with all he has, so no unification for at least another generation!
 
On the other hand, France isn't exactly going to sit quietly here either; both trying to foment distrust between George and Edward, supporting pretenders/local dissent if that doesn't work (and if you think the Woodvilles, Richard of Gloucester and George of Clarence aren't going to have some interesting friction going on between them, I don't know what to tell you) and intervening more directly in Brittany (Anne wasn't engaged to Charles originally OTL either). Not to mention reaching out to form foreign alliances of their own. Which likely means much more significant foreign expeditions than Henry VII saw, with a much less solid treasury. Should be interesting times.
 
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