WI: Henry Tudor married Katherine of Aragon in 1505?

December 1531

It had been the year of lost children. January, Isabella miscarried a daughter, then Lilianne was lost in February, in May Beatrice gave birth at six months to a son who never breathed, and finally, Mary miscarried a son in October. But war had been avoided, Francis taking his troops south towards Italy instead before turning around and coming home without engaging.


May 1532

Katherine’s marriage to Francis’ son was spectacular, held in Paris, hosted by Francis I. The French King went out of his way to show off. Not that Henry had been any slouch in the material department, Katherine’s dress was cloth of gold and silver and her trousseau was just as impressive; all of her attendants were attired as richly as their stations allowed – all paid for by the crown. Beatrice had not come to France, she was due the next month and both Henrys were hoping for a son, as was she. She had desperately wanted to go to France for the wedding, but had remained at home with Renee, who had NOT wanted to go to France unless she had the protection of a husband – and perhaps not even then. Eleanora was there, half-way through her third pregnancy (and hoping for a girl this time).
 
August – November 1532

Beatrice had given birth to Isabella on the 19th of June, while her only son John almost died during a fever he’d caught from his sister Joanna, who did not survive it, dying on June 30. Eleanora got her wish: on the 16th of August, she had Leanor, her third child and first daughter. Mary, Duchess of Suffolk was seriously ill once more and the physicians Henry sent held out little hope of her seeing in the new year.

Renee again received a summons from Francis I commanding her to leave England and return “home” for her official betrothal to Ercole II d’Este (a grandson of Pope Alexander VI). Henry took out his anger at getting an Isabella instead of an Isaac for a grandchild on Francis, repeating emphatically that Renee had the rights of any widow in England, which included the right to raise her children on their father’s estates; and since her late husband’s estates were in England, she could remain. He further wrote the Holy Father himself on her behalf, claiming that with so many of his daughters gone, he could hardly bear the thought of Renee leaving without tears and that she had children of tender years who needed their mother’s love and oversight. The matter, however, was settled by Renee herself; with the help of the Queen and Princess of Wales, she wrote directly to d’Este. Upon learning the proposed bride was reluctant to leave her children, he asked Pope Clement to withdraw approval for the union, something His Holiness readily did.

Francis was apparently not taking the decision without a fight; he appealed to the Pope, describing himself as a true son of the church and that the daughter of King Louis XII deserved an illustrious match and should not be wasted in widowhood in England. (Since d’Este had withdrawn from the field, it begged the question of just whom Francis had in mind and started rumors that his marriage to Isabella was over: she’d miscarried every child she’d conceived.)
 
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January –September 1533

Isabella presented Sigismund with another daughter, whom they named Henriette, in January; along with Katherine, who gave birth to another Francis the same month; followed by Beatrice’s miscarriage of a son in February.

Mary, Dowager Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk, lasted until mid-March, dying at home with husband and family about her. There were rumors that Suffolk would break his son’s betrothal to heiress Catherine Willoughby and wed her himself as soon as decency permitted, but Francis intervened (inadvertently). In April, he insisted that Henry VIII return Renee to France for her wedding to a man Francis refused to name. Since his wife, Isabella, had died on the last day of February, hemorrhaging from her last miscarriage, the rumor was he was going to wed her himself. Renee, pleaded for Henry to find her a husband and Henry offered the Duke of Suffolk (without consulting Brandon). To ensure Brandon’s cooperation, Henry made him Duke of Buckingham as dowry for the marriage.

The news in June was that Eleanora had miscarried, but in August, Henry’s daughter Mary gave birth to her first daughter, Catriona.

The last week of September found Brandon wedding Renee, and Francis again expelled the English Ambassador, this time for a year (at least that was his statement to the Ambassador when it happened). Catherine Willoughby, whom Henry had been concerned Brandon would wed before he could arrange the marriage to Renee, found favor in the most unusual place: Brandon’s wedding. She was introduced to Prince Charles, Katherine’s twin and he was most interested in the intelligent beauty. Henry and Katherine, sure that he would never inherit the throne, allowed the pair to wed in November.
 
the fraternal twin of Katherine, the 12th pregnancy of Katherine the Queen. He was born in 1517 and the only surviving child beyond him is Natalia. At least, that's Prince Charles in this timeline.
 
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