WI: George of Clarence had married Mary of Burgundy?

Plot Twist! Edward V marries Catherine of Navarre!
Out of question for Edward V. She is Louis XI’s niece after all so she can realistically marry her OTL husband, her cousin the Dauphin/Charles VIII or another French noble, at the worst Juan, Prince of Asturias but Edward V is not realistic (and neither is his brother Richard)...
 
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)
The reason for which some names are often thrown out for Edward IV’s children’s are their OTL engagement before his death:
Edward V was engaged to Anne of Brittany, Cecily was engaged to the future James IV of Scotland, Anne was engaged to Philip of Austria, Catherine was likely offered for Juan, Prince of Asturias while Elizabeth of York was engaged for years to the future Charles VIII of France before his engagement to Margaret of Austria...
 
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?
A wedding between Clarence and Mary can realistically go on only before his wedding to Isabel Neville.
After the death of Isabel George was really too compromised for being able to marry Mary with Edward IV supporting the match...
The only possible realistic Yorkist match for Mary of Burgundy is Richard, Duke of Gloucester either instead of his wedding to Anne Neville or better if his wife die early enough (between the birth of her son Edward of Middleham in 1473 and early 1477)
 
The split between Edward IV and Warwick seems to have started over whether England should ally with either France or Burgundy, Warwick agreeing with the former and Edward increasingly the latter. If George gets a rich Burgundian marriage, it puts him squarely in Edward's camp, foreign policy wise anyway. It seems Warwick will be less likely to entice him to disloyalty, and while Warwick was the most powerful magnate in England, having the king's brother on his side was very helpful.
 
A wedding between Clarence and Mary can realistically go on only before his wedding to Isabel Neville.
After the death of Isabel George was really too compromised for being able to marry Mary with Edward IV supporting the match...
The only possible realistic Yorkist match for Mary of Burgundy is Richard, Duke of Gloucester either instead of his wedding to Anne Neville or better if his wife die early enough (between the birth of her son Edward of Middleham in 1473 and early 1477)
Actually, Mary of Burgundy can marry Edward IV if Elizabeth Woodville dies after the birth of her second son Richard.
 
As has been pointed out narrow windows of opportunity.
The match was initially proposed in 1466 when Charles of Burgundy was contemplating marriage with Margaret of York. Edward IV's counter-proposal was a match between George and Mary.
The deal was delayed because of Charles' reluctance over Mary marrying George.
Louis XI also intervened wanting to prevent an Anglo-Burgundian alliance - making alternative offers to both sides.
Edward then looked for Margaret to marry Peter Constable of Castille but his death ended that.
In 1467 Edward and Warwick had fallen out and Charles was now the reigning Duke - so Edward reopened discussions and a match with Margaret was arranged with no mention of his marrying George to Mary by now.
The next opp was in 77 when Margaret the now Dowager Duchess pushed Mary into marrying Maximilian (rather than any of the other offers including that of the now widowed Clarence)
 
As has been pointed out narrow windows of opportunity.
The match was initially proposed in 1466 when Charles of Burgundy was contemplating marriage with Margaret of York. Edward IV's counter-proposal was a match between George and Mary.
The deal was delayed because of Charles' reluctance over Mary marrying George.
Louis XI also intervened wanting to prevent an Anglo-Burgundian alliance - making alternative offers to both sides.
Edward then looked for Margaret to marry Peter Constable of Castille but his death ended that.
In 1467 Edward and Warwick had fallen out and Charles was now the reigning Duke - so Edward reopened discussions and a match with Margaret was arranged with no mention of his marrying George to Mary by now.
The next opp was in 77 when Margaret the now Dowager Duchess pushed Mary into marrying Maximilian (rather than any of the other offers including that of the now widowed Clarence)
It seems the latter option may be more likely, what could make Margaret change her mind on Clarence?
 
It seems the latter option may be more likely, what could make Margaret change her mind on Clarence?
I don't think she did - Charles before his death was keen on Maximilian as Mary's husband - Margaret doesn't seem to have changed her opinion and encouraged Mary in that direction. Clarence himself tendered himself for Mary in the 70s and Edward IV himself opposed the idea (by then Clarence was hardly in favour with his brother)
 
Mary, or her younger sister? I could see a younger daughter of Burgundy becoming Duchess of Clarence. Possibly instead of Isabel Neville...
No, Mary would not be the only heir but heiress in the Netherlands and her other sister is the heiress to Burgundy proper.
 
No, Mary would not be the only heir but heiress in the Netherlands and her other sister is the heiress to Burgundy proper.

Good point... Although I still stand by the fact that either of them would make a good Duchess of Clarence. If George is only getting half Charles the Bold's wealth, Edward IV might be a bit more relaxed about allowing him a foreign match..
 
How would the foreign powers (Specifically France and Austria) react to this marriage? Would this start a war because I’d assume many would think England would be took powerful
 
How would the foreign powers (Specifically France and Austria) react to this marriage? Would this start a war because I’d assume many would think England would be took powerful

France would not be happy. Richard might get his war in France after all - which, depending on timing, might keep him out of Edward V's hair if things go as OTL back in England. I'm not sure Austria really was a power as such back then...
 
No, Mary would not be the only heir but heiress in the Netherlands and her other sister is the heiress to Burgundy proper.

Mary would also be the heiress of Burgundy proper, unless one does not recognize female inheritance (or through her line) there, in which case French will claim it as a reverted fief (and/or appanage). Which view will win, depends on tradition and strength, but the French position would have been strengthened, if a younger sister of Mary would have been married to the Dauphin.
 

Kaze

Banned
Looks like someone else is going to have to drown in a vat of wine... oops there goes George's wife.

The Duke of Buckingham, Edward V, and Duke Richard whistle innocently.
 
Mary would also be the heiress of Burgundy proper, unless one does not recognize female inheritance (or through her line) there, in which case French will claim it as a reverted fief (and/or appanage). Which view will win, depends on tradition and strength, but the French position would have been strengthened, if a younger sister of Mary would have been married to the Dauphin.
Yes, but she and her sister needs to partition Burgundy between them.
 
France contested Mary's inheritance of the Duchy of Burgundy and other bits such as Artois, Picardy etc. Louis XI firmly believed that they should revert to the French Crown as fiefs.
The whole inheritance was a mixture of inherited and bought lands - in some simple primogeniture would apply, proximity of blood etc had also been used.
Legally Mary had a strong claim on all bar the Duchy itself given how they'd been built up through inheritance and marriage.

It was always a case of if Mary married someone powerful enough to help her hold the territories of her father against France.
 
Yes, but she and her sister needs to partition Burgundy between them.
No they wouldn't in the most part. Mary as the eldest, would be treated as, the heir in the vast majority of the Burgundian French and Imperial fiefs. Her younger sister would be able to get a significant dowry though.
 
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