WI: Margaret I of England

[Violet Rose Lily]

1510
​

Disaster strikes. Just months after his coronation and wedding, King Henry the Eighth falls ill. By January, he is at death's door and his wife gives birth to a stillborn daughter. Everyone prays he will recover but alas by late February he dies: it is said that minutes before he died, he apologized to his father for failing him and leaving England in the hands of women.
Naturally now everyone is fighting over who shall be the next ruler of England. Princess Mary is fourteen and therefore can be controlled quite easily, perhaps marry her off to Plantagenet cousin. The Duke of Suffolk [1] is in France and is already preening to return to England to be declared King.
But as the discussions continue, someone is marching towards England with her husband riding beside her: Queen Margaret of Scotland.
Historians will never know exactly when King James and Queen Margaret decided to press her claim to the English throne but preparations started as early as January 31[2]. Some of Queen Margaret's detractors will insist that she poisoned her brother and her sister-in-law in order to gain the throne but that is unlikely as reports from Scotland tell us that Margaret collapsed upon hearing her brother was gravely ill, crying out "Not again! Not again!" which many have taken as the Queen's devastation that she was to lose another brother. Another indicator of the love she bared her brother was naming her third son [3] Henry.
Upon arriving at the House of Parliament Queen Margaret declares herself, the oldest legitimate remaining heir of the grand house of Tudor Queen Regent of England, Wales and France. King James then kneels at her feet, calling out for all the lords to do the same for the Queen of England. Many historians speculate that King James's act of kneeling at his wife's feet was to show that he had no plans of ruling through her something he stuck to until his death in 1543[4].
As Margaret has two sons already, the English Lords are swayed to accept her as their Queen as long as her Scottish husband stays out of English business and the Duke of Rothsey (soon to be Prince of Wales) follows the English custom of being sent to Wales once he turns ten.
When hearing about her sister's arrival to claim the throne, fourteen-year-old Mary has Sir Charles Brandon [5] escort her to London on the fastest horse so she may bow to her sister, proclaiming that she is but a child and her sister was always a better Queen. Letters between the two sisters shows that Mary was being completely sincere, telling Margaret that she was glad to be spared the headaches that came with ruling.
The Dowager Queen Catherine of Aragon is sent packing as she has lost two husbands early in marriage and some people are beginning to believe she is cursed. She returns home to Aragon where she stays until her father finds her a new groom.
In May, Margaret is crowned the first Queen regent of England much to the anger of the exiled Duke of Suffolk who promises to knock the bastard Queen off of her throne the moment he gets the chance.
Margaret just smirks when she learns of the declaration of war as she has an ace up her sleeve and she requests someone bring the Duke of Suffolk a gauntlet and throw it down. In other words, "bring it."

1. That would be Edmund de la Pole who should be in the Tower of London right now but I have decided that he and his brother Richard are hanging out in France.
2. That would be the day in real life Catherine loses her baby, depending on how long it takes messages to get from London to Scotland, in this timeline, it could have been a little earlier.
3. To make Margaret a more attractive candidate as all her rivals are childless, I have decided that all three of her firstborn children are alive and well which of course means that her third son who RL James V would need a new name anyway.
4. No war with England and Scotland, no death for James IV. Also means he dies around the same time Margaret does.
5. He didn't even get his Dukedom until around 1514 so even I hadn't left Edmund de la Pole alive, he still wouldn't be anything higher than a knight for now.

Family tree:
King James of Scots m Queen Margaret I of England

Prince James Duke of Rothesay and Cornwall future Prince of Wales. b. February 21 1507
Princess Margaret b. July 15 1508
Prince Arthur Duke of Ross. b. October 20 1509

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

Scene from the award winning The Queen of Roses starring Margot Robbie as Margaret Tudor [1].


(The scene opens on King James who played by an actor in his twenties to lessen the age gap between Margaret and James. He is in deep conversation with three other men).
​

King James of Scots: Then once my wife has been proclaimed Queen Regnant in London, our son will be brought to England for her coronation so all of England can see that their future monarch, a boy who shall unite our kingdoms. I have no doubt England will not accept me as a co-ruler so we must be sure that they do not see me as a threat least it backfire on poor Jamie. Furthermore I want to speak to the French Ambassador---

(The doors are thrown open and Queen Margaret storms in)
​

Queen Margaret(glaring at the councilors): GET OUT!

(The councilors look at King James, uncertain whether they should leave or stay)
​

King James(sighing): Do as your queen demands. (The three men scurry out, looking quite relived not to be on the receiving end of the famous Tudor Temper). Darling don't be upset.

Queen Margaret: Upset! Upset! Why would I be upset! My brother isn't even dead yet and you have risen an army to invade England.

King James(soothingly): Not an army. Just a squadron of men, sweetheart, to protect you when you claim the throne.

Queen Margaret: The King of England is not dead and his wife could give birth to his heir.

King James(shakes his head sadly); I received this letter from London just this morning. Queen Catherine of Aragon has miscarried. (He shows her a letter which she rips out of his hand. Once she reads it, her anger fades and she puts a hand over her mouth, muffling a sob). Margaret, if your brother dies, we must be ready to fight for your crown. I know I must seem callous but we have to be prepared.

Queen Margaret(her face crumbling): Oh God, my father had such plans for his dynasty. Such high hopes. He had defeated every obstacle, fought so hard to get and then keep his crown. Now it is all over. The Tudors are all gone.

King James(kneels down and takes her hand in his, kissing the back of it): Nay, there is a remaining Tudor. You, the Rose without Thorns. You will be Queen Margaret of England and our son will continue your legacy as well as mine. I will not rest until it is so.

1. Margot Robbie played the most recent Queen Elizabeth I so I thought it was kinda fitting.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

Once she is settled in Greenwich Palace, Queen Margaret arranges for her son to be declared Prince of Wales and for her husband to be declared King Consort of England and head of the Council of the North, informing her council that while her husband had no right to rule England, he was still an experienced not to mention savvy ruler and they would be fools to not recognize his skills.

Prince James, Duke of Rothesay traveled to England in the month of June, put in a litter so all of England could see him. He was a boy of three but he seemed to enjoy being on display, waving at the common folk who flocked to the roadsides just to catch a glimpse of him. The boy had gained the coloring of the Tudors to his mother's subjects pleasure.

"His surname might be Stewart but he has the looks of a Tudor thanks be to God." The Earl of Surrey {1} remarked in a letter to his wife.

Riding in a carriage behind James was his siblings, two-year-old Princess Margaret [2} and baby Prince Arthur, Duke of Ross.

While she awaited her children's arrival, Queen Margaret had to take care of what her brother had left behind. Her father's minsters[3] had been tried and found guilty but King Henry VIII had not gotten around to signing their death warrants. Unwilling to start her reign with bloodshed, although she was fully aware that there would be some bloodshed eventually, Queen Margaret decided to pardon them so long as they paid a large fine which would be donated to the poor relief (in her name of course). They were then sent home to their families.

Queen Margaret then turned to the royal treasury noting with displeasure that her brother had already spent a chunk of it. "Two men languished in the Tower, scapegoats for my father's tax laws which he had done so Harry would be a King of a prosperous country. My brother would have squandered all of his hard work within ten years time if not less." Queen Margaret observed in a letter to her husband. She and James lived rather modestly for royals and they made sure not spend too much on trivial things: the exception being celebrations for their children.

The next thing Margaret did was procure English husbands for her unmarried Scottish women and visa versa for her English ones. She wanted England and Scotland to be as united in all of things and her ladies taking after the example of her and her husband was a good start. There was also some talk of her finding a English bride for Prince James who was proclaimed the Princes of Wales in a grand ceremony on June 26th, just two days before what would have been his Uncle's nineteenth birthday.

Meanwhile the Holy Roman Emperor was worried that England will now side with France thanks to the Auld Alliance [5], so they send their ambassadors to discuss to make sure that England would still honor the marriage pack between Princess Mary and Archduke Charles[6].

It is noised about in the English court that Queen Margaret will refuse in fear of upsetting her husband or the Scots but the young Queen surprises them all by accepting the proposal. However she has a stipulation: England cannot be forced to take sides in the War of the League in Cambrai [7]. The Imperial and Spanish Ambassadors try to argue with her, perhaps thinking that they can sway the young queen with bribes or threats but like any true Tudor Queen Margaret stands firm. Eventually a compromise is reached, Princess Mary, with an increased dowry will be sent to Flanders in two years to marry Archduke Charles.

In France, King Louis [8] is reported to be furious when he learns of the future marriage between Princess Mary and Archduke Charles, threatening to end the Auld Alliance if King James doesn't get his wife in line. Smelling the blood in the water, the Duke of Suffolk arranges to meet with King Louis, hoping to get his support for an invasion of England. A meeting that guarantees his bloody return to England.

1. The Real Life Duke of Norfolk---grandfather of Anne Boleyn. Whether or not he will regain his Dukedom remains to be seen but as of right now, he won't be getting it before 1520, that is for sure.
2. So I just thought to let all of Margaret's kids live for now especially when Margaret Douglas will not be born. So this Margaret of Scots was born in 1508.
3. RL Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley---grandfather of RL Elizabeth's lover Robert Dudley.
4. That would be Emperor Maximilian.
5. France and Scotland had this treaty quite a long time before the one made between England and Scotland. It was because of this treaty that Scotland went to war with England.
6. RL Future Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain. I am not sure if he will marry Mary or if I will go with Isabella of Portugal as his bride as she was in real life.
7. That would be the Italian war that went from 1508 to 1516. I believe England went in about 1512 hence why Margaret is saying she won't be participating.
8. King Louis XII whose youngest daughter is going to be very important for this timeline.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

Thomas Wolsey found himself with a problem. King Henry viewed him as a father figure and was planning on rising him quite high, in fact if Wolsey played his cards right, he might of become Lord Chancellor instead of merely being on the Privy Council. The new monarchs did not have a close relationship with him and while they did not look down at his humble roots, they were both very pious and therefore were not pleased by his acknowledged mistress and bastard. Another thing that separated Queen Margaret and her brother was unlike Henry, Margaret was determined to be involved with the governing of her realm, refusing to leave the reigns of government in his hands.
Perhaps the only thing keeping his place on the privy council was the fact that he was a Canon of Windsor [1], not as high as Bishop Foxe or Archbishop Warham, but high enough that the new monarchs were willing to keep him.

Knowing he could not rely on royal favor, Wolsey began to search for new ways to rise higher in his position, so he made a suggestion of merging the crowns of the British continent together so they could be one kingdom much like the crowns of Castile and Aragon were merged to form Spain. [2]. Although it would take some time for the countries of Britain to get behind the move, the future Cardinal Wolsey is credited with being the one to start the discussion.

In more personal matters, Queen Margaret's relationship with her sister is tested when Mary is discovered in compromising position with Sir Charles Brandon. Although she insists she was only comforting him over the loss of his wife [3], Queen Margaret still decides to send Sir Charles to Calais, officially to become Lord Deputy of Calais. Unofficially to keep him far away from her sister as possible.

Mary is quite distraught and she and her sister engage in a screaming match where Mary swears she will never marry anyone but Charles Brandon to which Margaret responded that is a fool if she would throw away a chance to be the future Holy Roman Empress to be the wife of a knight. King James, freshly returned from business in Scotland, plays mediator between both sisters, gently reminding Margaret how apprehensive she was about marrying him, convinced he was a womanizing brute until they got to know each other and then assuring Mary that they would never force her to marry anyone she didn't want to but also pointing out that her mother, sister and brother were all arranged to be married and they fell in love with their chosen spouses.

The two sisters eventually reconcile and Mary promised to give Archduke Charles a chance. Something she will be glad she does in years to come.

As the year comes to a close, Queen Margaret makes an announcement, in April she shall give birth to her fourth child.[4]

Meanwhile in Spain, Catalina of Aragon has emerged from her almost year-long seclusion in a nunnery, weeping over her shattered dreams to return to her mother's court, where her father has named her regent. Although some are worried that like her sister, grief had turned Catalina mad, the twice widowed Spanish Princess proves to be a capable ruler like her mother and wins the love of her sister's people within weeks. She writes to her father, that she knows what her purpose is now, mantining her mother's legacy. She also writes that when she left England she thought she would never be a mother or a wife again. Now she understands that she married Castile and its' subjects are her children.

Over in France, the Duke of Suffolk enters the French court and is treated like he is already King, with King Louis ordering his subjects to refer to the Duke as Your Majesty, throwing him a lavish party where King Louis assures the Duke that if he can get an army, the French shall the back the true ruler of England. He even suggests a marriage agreement between one of his relatives and Edmund.

The Duke of Suffolk is pleased by the French King's support and when he hears of the suggested Union of Crowns, he is certain that God is showing favor to his enterprise as England and Scotland will never accept such a proposal. Even the news of the Queen's pregnancy does little to damper his mood. He writes to his brother that the False Queen with birth her brat in the Tower of London.

1. He was made the Dean of Windsor in 1511 OTL but I decided to have him be it a little earlier.
2. I was discussing this with @VVD0D95 and while I think it would take just as long as it would in OTL, I might shorten the time. Nobody is calling it the United of Kingdom of Britian or Great Britian just yet.
3. Charles Brandon had two wives before Mary Tudor. One he divorced and the second who died in 1511.
4. OTL James V, in this TL Henry Stewart.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

An excerpt from chapter Eight of The Thistle and the Rose by Jean Plaidy
​

King James had only just returned from Scotland, fresh from settling a dispute between the Earl of Angus {1] and the Earl of Lennox [2]. He had not expected to be brought into another petty squabble, this time one between his wife and her foolish sister.

"You would give up a chance to be a Holy Roman Empress for a social upstart who only became a knight because our brother was found of him!" Margaret shouted.

"I love him," Mary cried, unshed tears shining in her eyes.

"You only think you love him. You are but a silly little girl, you couldn't possibly know anything about real love," Margaret exclaimed.

"What do you know about real love? You married for duty!" Mary countered, her voice rising. "Well I won't be forced into a marriage with a man I have never met!"

"Then you shame your family for not doing your duty as I did," Margaret shouted.

"And were you not scared, my love? Did you not feel afraid of being in a strange country, married to man over a decade older than you? Did you not look at me as though I was a savage brute who might gobble you up?" James asked gently, giving his wife an encouraging smile as if to assure her that he would not be offended if she said yes.

"I was fifteen and yes, a little nervous but then I got to know you and realized what a noble and loving man you are," Margaret replied, smiling fondly.

James kissed her hand before walking over to Mary, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Of course we would never force you to marry anyone but look at the history of arranged marriages in your family, each one blossomed into love. Your mother and father. Your brother and Katherine of Aragon. Even Margaret and I. Perhaps if you would give Archduke Charles a chance, you might fall in love with him," James suggested. "Will you at least try for us?"

Mary chewed her lip, searching James' earnest expression for a hint of guile. For her, James was a second father, coming into her life so shortly after she had lost both her father and her favorite brother, going out of his way to dote on her as if she was one of his daughters.

She found it wasn't as easy to argue with him as it was her older sister.

"For you, I'll try."

1. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus a.k.a OTL Margaret's second husband.
2. John Stewart Earl of Lennox, a distant cousin of the King of Scots. Great-Grandfather of OTL King James VI.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

(OT: I updated everything else so it seemed only fair).

As it turned out Queen Margaret did not birth her fourth child in the Tower of London but instead in Palace of Richmond. It was a third boy. Queen Margaret decided he would be Prince Henry of Richmond, making him his grandfather's namesake in more ways than one. King James is understandably thrilled that he now has three sons, declaring that God has blessed all of Britain.

In her letter to her fiance, Mary writes of how lucky she is to be a witness to her sister's joy for there has been little to celebrate these past years and now it seems that England is growing stronger by the day. She is certain that not even the dreadful Duke of Suffolk can ruin this most splendid golden age England, Scotland and Wales were in.

King James decides to get to work uniting all four kingdoms and he starts negotiations with Ireland's remaining Chiefs to see what would take to bring them under the ruler ship of Queen Margaret. Although he waits untill Margaret is churched before he heads off to Ireland.

The Duke of Suffolk was pleased that James of Scots is busy with Ireland as that means he will not be interfering with the Yorkist invasion. With his brother at his side, he rallies his army to England, landing on the south coast shores of London. As they marched towards central London, they are greeted by England's army headed by an armor clad Queen Margaret.

That is not the only surprise the Edmund and Richard de la Pole get. Instead of going into formation, the French soldiers instead surrounded the mercenaries the Poles have brought with them.

"King Louis promised you that he would send an army to bring you back to England but he never said he was going to let you win the war," the French general remarked with a toothy grin.

Not one drop of blood was shed that day and the Londeners cheer when Queen Margaret brings the traitorous de la Poles back to London in chains, sending them to the Tower of London, their rebellion over before the day was even out.

Although King James does not mange to get through to the Irish chiefs he and Queen Margaret were pleased to announce the betrothal between the Princess Reene and Prince James of Wales, ending the Hundred Year War for good.

In a short letter to her fiance, Princess Mary notes that it could not be clearer to her that King James and Queen Margaret had plotted this from the beginning, making plans with King Louis even before the French Princess was born. "My sister is a clever woman and my brother is shrewd man. Put them together and all of Europe better watch out for they are a power couple like no other."

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

In Spain, Catalina, former Queen of England, works hard to repair the relationship between her sister Juana and her father. It seems that with her sister at her side, Juana's madness subside and she comes out of where she is confined and once again walks among her people. Catalina suggest her father that perhaps Joanna can be co-monarch of Spain with her son Ferdinand. Her father is still weary that Juana's mental faculties are not up to the task of ruling so he makes Catalina promise to never leave her side. Oddly enough, Juana doesn't seem to mind having the one person who actually believes in her at her side at all times.

In France, King Louis is eager to make the Treaty of Perpetual Peace offical [1]. He suggests they meet in Calais next year to do so. Although the marriage betrothal between Prince James and Princess Renee will stand both his and his wife's deaths will prevent the meeting for another five years.

In Burgundy, Princess Mary Tudor arrives to meet her future husband, Archduke Charles. Although Mary is four years older than him, the thirteen-year-old is instantly smitten, stating that her portrait does not do justice to her beauty. It is a good start to a happy and fruitful marriage. As for Emperor Maximilian, he arranges a betrothal between Louis of Hungary and Bohemia and his granddaughter Maria. As for Anna of Hungary and Bohemia, there is some debate on who the young girl should marry. In order to mantian the alliance as Louis is not so healthy, Maximilian finally decides that he will marry the girl himself despite their age difference.

In England, Scotland, and Wales, Queen Margaret and King James are quite pleased with themselves, having secured a dynastic match with France and the Holy Roman Empire. They are now searching for brides and husbands for their young sons and daughters. James suggests that perhaps the remaining lord of Ireland would be willing to come under their rule if they offered their daughter or one of their sons for a marriage. Margaret recalls Thomas Boleyn from France and sends him to Ireland to search for a suitable Irish bride for Arthur or Irish husband for Princess Dorothea [2]. In other news, the Duke of Suffolk and his brothers are tried and executed for treason, ending the Yorkiest claims.

1. Yes, the one King Francis and King Henry tried to make in 1520 in OTL
2. Not mentioned, but Princess Dorothea was born in May 1513. In OTL Margaret did actually having a daughter named Dorthea with her third husband.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

In England, Queen Margaret and King James are pleased to welcome their fourth son Prince Alexander. King James declares it a blessing from God as he had given Britain four princes, for each corner of their parents' kingdom. This causes King James to become even more determined to have a united kingdom and he sends a letter to the new Pope Leo, requesting for he and Margaret to be recognized as the King and Queen of Ireland. Something that irks the Irish Lords. King James issues an ultimatum, either submit the their authority or he will take it by force. Although James is not a violent man by nature, he is now convinced that his son will become King of a United Britain and he is determined to see it through.

For her part, Queen Margaret summons her council to discuss an official union of the crowns. The Duke of Norfolk notes that there is still much animosity between Scotland and England. Four years had not been nearly long enough to wipe away centuries of feuds. Margaret understands, however she still wishes to introduce the idea, allowing the Scots and the English to consider it.

In Spain, Catalina and Juana travel to Portugal to reunite with their sister Maria and discuss plans for a marriage between Infante Ferdinando and Infanta Isabel of Portugal. Maria is bit hesitant as she knows her older nephew Carlos might press his claim to the Spanish thrones and she does not want her elder daughter to be married to a second son. Catalina assures Maria that they along with their father have stubbornly resisted the efforts of young Charles to convince his grandfather to name him as heir and that Ferdinaind the Younger will be King of Spain as a joint monarch with his mother.

In France, Anne of Brittany dies, leaving King Louis without a wife or a male heir. He is desperate for a new, young and fertile wife. Unfortunately there are few women of suitable age and in the time it takes to look for one, the old monarch's health is growing worse by the day. By the end of the year, nobles of the French court are flocking to young Francois, the next King of France.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

In 1515, Francois becomes King of France after the death of his cousin. His reign begins with a victory, reestablishing French control over Milan. His wife Claude gives birth to two daughters, Louise and Charlotte before giving birth to a son, Francois, in 1518 and a second son in 1519. Unlike his cousin, Francois is not quite sure about the English alliance, fearing that with Queen Margaret's sister as future Holy Roman Empress, not to mention the fact that Queen Margaret insists on using the title Queen of France, despite the absurdity of that notion, they might decided to side with France's enemies. However, despite his misgivings, he renews the betrothal agreement between Reene and Prince James and wholeheartedly agrees to meeting the British monarchs.

On October 8, 1516, Margaret gives birth to another daughter who she names Mary after her sister. With four sons growing strong in the nursery, all of Britain is ecstatic to welcome the new Princess none happier than King James himself who would call Mary the pearl of his world. As she is the couple's last child, she is doted up greatly.

Wanting to expand Britain's riches, King James and Queen Margaret began to invest in explorers, compelling them to search for new land to colonize. They also expend their trading routes and looking for new alliances to make and finding dynastic matches for their younger children.

In 1518, the two monarchs travel to France for the Field of the Cloth of Gold where they met the new King Francois, his wife Queen Claude and Prince James' fiancee, Princess Renee. The meeting in France goes splendidly, with Prince James, a boy of eleven, treating his bride to be warmly. It is decided that Princess Renee will take the French Ambassador, Thomas Boleyn's daughters as her companions so she can learn about English culture while she is still in France. Renee will especially become friendly with younger daughter, Anne.

When King Ferdinand of Spain becomes ill, his grandson Charles tries to convince him to declare him heir instead of his younger brother. However, his aunt Catherine, knowing that her younger nephew is the preferred heir among the Spanish people, quickly takes steps to stop his efforts. First, she sends a letter to her former sister, now niece, Mary, asking for her help in convincing Charles that this isn't a good idea. She then sends a letter to Maria, reminding her that if Ferdinand became King of Spain, Isabel would become his Queen so perhaps Portugal might want to support him. Then she, Maria, and Joanna, who has grown quite close to her second son, tag team their father, strong-arming him into agreeing to call his second-born his heir. When the old king dies, Infante Ferdinand is quickly crowned with his mother, becoming King Ferdinand VI of Spain, marrying his cousin Isabel just a few months later. Catherine continues to work with her sisters to strengthen the bound between the countries of Iberia. Unfortunately, the Aragon Trinity is cut short by a heartbreaking loss.

In Portugal, Maria of Aragon dies in 1517, shortly after the wedding of her eldest daughter and the new King of Spain. After spending a long time in mourning, King Manuel searches for another wife. He suggests marrying Catherine of Aragon, having become fond of her when she and her sister were reconnecting. Another option was Bona Sforza, granddaughter of the King of Naples, a suggested bride of the King of Poland before he married Eleanor of Austria. Despite keeping a warm friendship with Catherine, Manuel decided that his third wife would be the younger Bona Sforza.

The Holy Roman Emperor knew his grandson was not pleased that he had been passed over in his inheritance of Spain, and worked extra hard to make sure Charles succeeded him, making him the King of the Romans and having him meet with the electors of the empire so they could get to know their future monarch. Charles's temper was also cooled by his loving wife who gave birth to a son in 1516, named Maximiliano after his great-grandfather. She also gave birth to a daughter, who they chose to name Anna, after Charles' step grandmother.

Emperor Maximilian died in 1519, leaving Charles and Mary to become the Emperor and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire. The young couple were completely devoted to each other even though Charles would often be away at war. Mary would often be trying to keep the peace between her husband and his brother, she would also try to maintain warm relations with England despite them becoming decidedly friendly with France.

The Dowager Holy Roman Empress, Anna of Hungary and Bohemia, was now a sixteen-year-old widow. At first her relationship with her step grandson was warm and he promised her that he would find a suitable husband for her, something he would regret being lax about seven years later when Anna eloped with an unlikely suitor.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

In late 1520, the Duke of Buckingham gets into a fight with James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton [1] which ended with the two men brawling. No one knows exactly why the fight started, but the end result was Edward Stafford being banished from court, nursing a grudge against the Earl and the Queen who had sided with her husband's subject over her own.
However, it was not Queen Margaret, he spoke out against, but instead he began to stir up anti-Scottish feelings, proclaiming King James as a knave who was controlling his wife, using her as a mouthpiece for his own agenda. He called for men to rise up against the Scottish mongrel and chase back to the cold wastelands where he belonged.
King James was furious, but he shrewdly said nothing, allowing his wife to take charge. "After all he is your fool, not mine," he said to Margaret during a state dinner. Queen Margaret was just as angry if not more so. After all, Buckingham's anti-Scottish fervor would not just affect her husband, but also their children. She ordered the Duke of Buckingham to come to court to answer for his actions.
In April of 1521, the Duke of Buckingham [2] started his journey to London, but he did not come alone. He decided to take a leaf out of his father's book and incite a rebellion against an unworthy King, using King Richard's reputation to convince his followers that history was repeating and King James intended on ruling England for himself and they needed to rescue Queen Margaret from his evil clutches least she disappear like the princes of the Tower.
Prince James had been on route to London for his brother's birthday when this happened and there was a bit of a mad scramble to intercept him before his household could be captured by the traitorous duke. To everyone's surprise, the fourteen-year-old Prince of Wales ignored his parents' frantic message and instead continued to march towards London, saying that he would rather be captured than allow the Duke of Buckingham to harm a hair on his parents and siblings' heads while he hid away like a coward.
Word of the Prince's approach spread through neighboring towns and many soldiers raced to his side, wanting to protect their future liege.
King James and Queen Margaret weren't exactly unprotected as they had their own army to defend them. Despite only having a few weeks warning of Buckingham's rebellion, the royal army was still made up of thousands and was led by King James and Queen Margaret to meet with the rebels.
"By God, we have our own King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella," the Earl of Derby wrote to his son after seeing the monarchs dressed in their armor and giving a speech to the troops.
Meanwhile, Prince James and his men had caught up with Buckingham's forces in Northhampton. The Duke was dismissive of the young prince, calling him a foolish boy, trying to play hero, pointing out at that he was not even a man yet and he was greatly outnumbered as well as outmatched.
Prince James conceded the Duke's points before making some of his own. He would legally be a man in less than a year's time, his father had chosen the most skilled men to guard him and teach him the ways of war. Besides he would gladly die for his future kingdoms if he had to.
To everyone's great relief, Prince James did not fight in the battle that took place, although years later, he would note it had taken the pleading of his teacher and mentor Thomas Cromwell [3] for him to ignore Buckingham's taunting.
Just when it looked like Buckingham would win, the royal army came marching to the field, attacking the rebels before they had a chance to catch their breathes. While King James entered the fry, Queen Margaret went straight for her son and after checking to make sure he was unharmed, smacked him hard enough, several soldiers could swear they had heard it from the battlefield. "Not even his Uncle Henry had ever been so foolish," Margaret notes in a letter to her sister who reportedly sent her nephew armor for the next time he decides to go racing off into battle.
After the defeat of Buckingham, he and his allies were carted off to the Tower, King James, Queen Margaret and Prince James were welcomed back to London with cheers. As impulsive as his actions had been, the young prince's bravery had won over many English hearts.
On May 21 1521, the Duke of Buckingham was executed for his crimes, his lands and titles stripped from him.
King James managed to improve his standing with the English people when he wrote a pamphlet defending the Catholic Church from Martin Luther, receiving the title of Defender of the Faith [4]. King James and Queen Margaret had little tolerance for Lutheranism and would work hard to keep it from spreading, even pressing Lord Chancellor Lord Thomas Wolsey to be harsher on those who refused to recant their heresy.
There had been talk of betrothing Princess Margaret to the son [5] of King Christian II of Denmark, but the exile of Christian and his family [6] made those talks moot. His successor Fredrick [7] had a son [8] who was just a few years older than Margaret. Or perhaps the new King of Sweden [9]. James decided that it would be better to wait and see where the land lay before making any commitment.
Although their oldest and youngest daughters' marriages were yet to be decided, a betrothal agreement between the Duke of Ferra's son [10] and Princess Dorothea was drawn up, strengthening the relations between Britain and Italy.
As for the couple's younger sons, Margaret felt that her father had the right view and to avoid another civil war, it would be better to keep her sons unmarried for the time being. King James who had two young brothers proceed him and of course was well aware of how his wife got to the English throne, disagreed. They argued for a while before deciding on a compromise, they would wait until Prince James and Princess Renee were living together as man and wife, before they would look for suitable wives for their younger sons.

Much like Emperor Charles, they would regret being so lax when one of their sons took matters into his own hands.

1. James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton was married to King James' illegitimate daughter, Catherine and I always like to believe that Margaret has some sort of friendship with her stepchildren.

2. Think of the Earl of Essex and his coup d'état against Queen Elizabeth's councilors.

3. Yes, I know he is a bit early, but I think he is clever enough to have impressed both the Queen and King and convinced them to make him the Prince of Wales' tutor.

4. This is based off of King Henry VIII doing the same thing. King James was historically very religious as was his son (who again is Prince Henry of this timeline) and I assume his wife is the same way.

5. That would be Prince John who lived from 1518-1532.

6. In 1523, King Christian was removed from the Danish throne as well as Sweden gaining its independence.

7. His Uncle Fredrick was elected to the crown of Denmark and Norway soon after.

8. That would be Christian III of Denmark who was born in 1503 and I can't for the life of me figure out when he was betrothed to his future wife.

9. King Gustav of Sweden born in 1496. His sons were not of sound mind.

10. Ercole II d'Este was Renee's real life husband and I don't think it would be that out there for a second princess to marry an Italian duke.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

Act I, Scene III
​

Enter PRINCE JAMES and CROMWELL. (Stage directions: PRINCE JAMES should be trying to join the battle off stage while CROMWELL does his best to stand in his way every time).

PRINCE JAMES: That vile traitor Buckingham calls me a foolish boy. I cannot let his insults stand, Crumb. Let me pass so I may cut him down to size.

CROMWELL: Your Highness, many men, both trained soldiers and peasants with only hoes and pitchforks as weapons have run to your side because they know that you are too precious to England and Scotland to be on a battlefield.

PRINCE JAMES: I am the Prince of Wales, Duke of Rothsmey and Cornwell. I am old enough to lead my armies to victory. Stand aside, Crumb, I will not allow these brave men to die for me while I stay safely out of the way.

CROMWELL: If you die, sire, you will have caused these brave men's sacrifice to be in vein. Your kingdom, your subjects, and your parents need you alive. (aside) and I need you alive as I am certain you will be the monarch who frees us from the shackles of Rome.

PRINCE JAMES(facing offstage): Hark, I hear the sound of drums and trumpets. Look there, Crumb, it is the royal army. My father has now joined the battle while my mother comes this way.

Enter QUEEN MARGARET. CROMWELL bows as QUEEN MARGARET rushes to embrace PRINCE JAMES.

QUEEN MARGARET: Oh, my darling boy. Are you well? Are you unharmed?

PRINCE JAMES; I am most well, Mother. I---

QUEEN MARGARET slaps her son and then uses her hat to hit him.

QUEEN MARGARET: Oh, you wretched child, how you could be so cruel? Putting yourself in danger like that, terrifying me. Did you not know how afraid I was that Buckingham would capture you and kill you? How I swooned when I heard that you were seeking to engage that traitorous duke.

PRINCE JAMES(as he uses CROMWELL as human shield): Mother, forgive me, but when I learned of Buckingham's wicked plot, I knew I would never forgive myself if I hid while you, Father and my siblings were in danger.

QUEEN MARGARET(sighs): A foolish act, but a most noble one.

A HERALD runs onstage.

Herald: Buckingham has fallen. King James is victorious!

QUEEN MARGARET: Come. I am certain that your father will want to speak to you. Let us make haste.

CROMWELL, THE HERALD, PRINCE JAMES AND QUEEN MARGARET exit.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

(Upon stumbling on the magnificent TL by @curlyhairedhippie, I felt the urge to write a scene about the Aragon trinity).

Maria (enters and hurries over to hug her sister): Juana, I am so pleased to see you. I am so happy that you are well.

Juana(smirking): I am fine thanks to my knight in shining armor.

Catalina: Oh, Juana, really, I did nothing.

Juana: Even my own sons were perfectly content to leave me to rot in that nunnery. Although at least, little Freddie had the deceny to be guilty about it. The only people who decided I wasn't crazy were my youngest sisters.

Maria(as she hugs Catalina): I'm just glad we are all together again. Although I wish that you did not have to suffer so much before coming home to us, dear Lina.

Catalina(her face crumbles and she looks as though she is fighting back tears): I will not lie and say I am not bitterly disappointed over my failures---

Juana(angrily): Your failures! England and the Tudors failed you not the other way around!

Catalina(sends her sister an annoyed look before continuing): I believe God had another plan in mind for me. I will be a mother to the people of Castile, and make sure they have the ruler they want.

Juana: Ah, yes, the matter for which we came to Portugual. We need your help, Maria. As you know, my oldest son, Carlos is Maximilian's heir and has grown up in Flanders making him a foreigner in the eyes of Spain. However, being our father's grandson, he does not care a wit for such semantics and despite the agreement that Freddie shall be my co-monarch in Spain, he insists on being our father's heir.

Maria(raises an eyebrow): And you expect me to help you because if I don't I won't be able to marry my eldest daughter to the King of Spain.

Catalina: That's why we expect you will help, but we hope you will help because you are our sister and you love us very much.

Maria(unsure): Well I do love you very much and with Carlos already being married, I most certinally have few options for an unmarried heir for my oldest girl. But do you really think we can convince Father not to give into Carlos' demands.

Juana: Not to worry, my knight in shinning armor has friends in Flanders, a former sister-in-law of hers.

Catalina(fighting a smirk): I have asked for nothing nor do I expect anything. Mary is just a dear girl who is very eager to help me in any way she can.

Juana: Such modesty, Lina, we all know that you only have to bat your pretty eyes at Father and he will give in instantly. Why you need Maria and I to do anything is beyond me.

Catalina: Because we are sisters, our sainted mother's daughters, sweet Juana, and we must stick together.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

In March 1524, Princess Renee, aged 13, arrived in Dogmersfield, much like her unfortunate precedessor, Katherine of Aragon. Prince James was now a tall and dashing man of seventeen who was now spending every two years in each of his parent's domain. He greeted his bride with a kiss on the hand, smiling charmingly at her, speaking to her in fluent French. Renee, for her part, was a friendly and warm girl who wanted nothing more than to fit in with her new family. She also seemed quite taken with her soon to be husband, finding him very wonderful.

The wedding of Renee and James would not be for another three years, but in the meantime the couple would live together and get to know each other. First they spent some time in Northumberland, with James' childhood friend, the son of the Earl of Northumberland. Among the ladies with Renee came Anne Boleyn. It is not known just how much Renee and James know of Hal Percy's courtship of Anne Boleyn. What is known is when the Earl of Northumberland rejected the idea that Anne would be his daughter-in-law, the Prince and Princess of Wales were quick to speak up in favor of the marriage.

As the future Lady Percy wrote in her letters: "It is always useful to have someone in your corner, but when those people happen to royalty, you suddenly find yourself winning every match."

Despite the good beginning, it soon became clear that helping his friend with the woman he loved was not the only reason, James had wanted to stay in Northumberland for a time. Joan North[1] was a silkwoman and had somehow charmed the Prince of Wales. In August of 1524, it was discovered that Joan was carrying the Prince's baby much to the heartbreak of his wife who had been kept in the dark about her husband's affairs.

Queen Margaret was furious as was King James. Although the Scottish King had his fair share of mistresses and bastards, he had remained faithful since the day Margaret had arrived in Scotland. Both parents urged Prince James to find a husband for his mistress and not acknowledged the child.

Prince James only did half of what his parents demanded, he found a husband for Joan, a wealthy Londoner, but when she gave birth to a baby girl, named Joan, James wasted no time celebrating the birth of his baby daughter. Renee surprised everyone by showing up at the feast, even drinking a toast to little baby's health. However, despite her brave face, it was clear that her feelings for the prince had cooled considerably as she wrote to Queen Margaret, requesting to spend some time in Wales while her husband was in Scotland. Officially because as the Princess of Wales, it was her duty to get to know the Welsh people. Unofficially, she did not want to be in the same room as James, let alone the same country.

Over in Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella welcome their first-born child, a daughter named Catalina. Much to his brother's ire, Ferdinand refuses to get involved in third Italian war, deciding instead on exploration and colonization much like his brother-in-law King John. Both Katherine and Juana try to change his mind, but he simply tells them: "I respect both of you very much, but I will not involve myself in petty squabbles to inflate my own ego. If Francis dares to attack Naples or Sicily, I shall put the rogue down, but for now I wish to distance myself from such matters." To his shock, it would not be France who decided to attack Sicily.

Emperor Charles was not happy. He had a son and two daughter with Mary. He was the ruler of a vast Empire, but he still felt cheated by not getting his grandfather's lands despite being his mother's oldest son. When Ferdinand refused to help him in the Italian war, he decided to press his claim on the Naples, and Sicily. If he thought this would intimidate Ferdinand or cow him into submission, he was wrong. His normally gentle brother was enraged at his betrayal and promised retribution if his brother tried.

If Ferdinand was angry, King Francios of France and King Henri of Navarre were overjoyed by Charles' threat. A divided Hapsburg house was perhaps the best thing for France. They sent letters to the younger Hapsburg, suggesting treaties and alliances. To his mother and aunt's dismay, Ferdinand accepted both alliances. The union would bear fruit when a timely rescue by King Ferdinand saved King Francois from being captured in Pavia.

Just when Emperor Charles was certain things could not get worse, King Louis II of Hungry and Bohemia died. His stepgrandmother, Anne was elected queen and she reveled a shocking secret. She had eloped with his distant cousin, Ernest of Bavaria [2], removing any chance for Charles to have her married to a Hapsburg supporter. No one knew exactly when Anna and Ernest eloped, or how the couple had even pulled it off. Many historians wonder if it was a romantic love story or if Anna had simply not wanted to be a pawn in the Hapsburg politics and had thought marrying a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty would get her much support.

Things were getting out of hand, and unfortunately they would not get better for the Emperor as Martin Luther's reforms were spreading throughout Germany.

1. Joan North was the sister of Edward North, the First Baron North and she was actually a silkwoman for Anne's household when she was queen.

2. John Zápolya a.k.a OTL disputed King of Hungary. Ernest of Bavaria (1500-1560), third son of Duke Albert IV of Bavaria-Munich and his wife, Kunigunde of Austria, daughter of Fredrick, Holy Roman Emperor.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

(Author's note: I decided to change Anna of Hungary's husband see previous post for more).

Queen Anna of Bohemia and Hungary gives birth to her first born child, a son who she called Maximilian in honor of her first husband. She and her husband Ernest make Charles the godfather as a peace offering. They would go on to have fifteen children.

Emperor Charles is in no mood to be flattered. Not even the birth of his third daughter makes him any less angry at both his stepgrandmother's actions, nor his brother's betrayal. Even worse is the pope's stanch refusal to intervene on his behalf. To make matters even more humiliating, with the combined strength of France, Spain and England, he is forced to concede Flanders as well as Milan to the French as part of the peace agreement. He returns to Vienna, to lick his wounds. [1].

Sigsmund of Poland is not thrilled that he was passed over in inheriting Hungary and Bohemia for his niece and her husband. However, he accepted the outcome so long as his daughter was able to marry the new Prince Maximilian and a future daughter married his son Sigsmund. [2].

King Francois was feeling pretty happy with all that he had accomplished. He installed his old friend Monty to Flanders to act as governor. After the passing of Claude, Francois had been reluctant to marry again, preferring just to spend time with his mistress. However, wanting more allies to curb the Hapsburg's influence, he decided to marry Hedwig Jagiellon [3], daughter of King Sigsmund of Poland. She was fifteen-years-old when she came to France. She greeted her stepchildren and husband warmly, showing a maturity and wisdom beyond her years. She even went out of her way to befriend Francois' mistress, Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly, saying: "I come to this country as a stranger, I will need your guidance to navigate the court and the king." King Francois and Mademoiselle Anne were oddly charmed by her bluntness and honesty. She also managed to befriend her stepchildren in record time, perhaps using the same methods, her own stepmother had used to win her over.

Despite Ferdinand occupying some of his lands [4], King Henri of Navarre bore him no ill will. He even decided to betroth his newborn daughter Jeanne with Ferdinand and Isabella's son, Infante Juan who was born in the year before. This would end up paying off in the future. But for now the two monarchs struck up an odd friendship. Even more amusingly, theirs wives did too. Although Marguerite and Isabella were as different as day and night, they managed to grow quite close, writing to each other every other week.

England was not quite as happy. Just when King James had finally managed to get the Irish lords to surrender, the sweating sickness broke out, starting from London before spreading through the country. King James was forced to stay in Ireland, closeted with the newly named Earl of Tyrone which was uncomfortable for both men. Prince James was in Scotland which mercifully was spared the disease. Wales was not and he sent hundred of letters to his wife to make sure she was well, promising to return to Wales as soon as he could---without his mistress. Thankfully Princess Renee did not fall ill.

Prince Arthur, Prince Henry, Prince Alexander, Princess Margaret, Princess Dorthea and Princess Mary also escaped the deadly touch of the sweat, although it is a close call when one of Prince Arthur's companions falls ill after playing with him.

Unfortunately, the sweat does get one member of the family. Queen Margaret herself. Refusing to flee London, Margaret suddenly collapses one day, and spends days in bed, on the brink of death. The physician fears the worst and the remaining members of the council scramble begin to plan for Prince James' accession. "At least he is of age," one courtier notes grimly. "This way, we won't have to deal with the headache of a regency council."

Miraculously, Queen Margaret recovers to the relief of the entire country and none are as happy as her husband and children. "Oh, my Margaret, I am ashamed. despite knowing how strong you are, I doubt you and feared I would lose you forever," King James wrote.

Once things are settled and the sickness has finally been abated, the royal family make a beeline for London, ready to embrace the queen, mourn for the lives lost and celebrate those who survived.

In 1529, when England was recovering from the epidemic, Princess Renee would discover she was pregnant. It was agreed that she would give birth in Wales, some people even suggested Pembroke castle when the late King Henry VII was born. Thinking it might be a good omen, Queen Margaret agreed. James returned to his wife's side, wanting to take of her during her long months of pregnancy.

In November, Renee would give birth to a daughter [5] much to everyone's disappointment. The girl was named Anne after Renee's mother Anne of Brittany and her friend Anne Percy who was the girl's godmother.

1. Butterflied the Sack of Rome. No prisoner pope.

2. In real life, Sigsmund the Old's son did marry Anna's daughters. Catherine of Poland, his youngest daughter, married Prince John of Sweden. Here she is marrying Maximilian.

3. Hedwig of Poland was Sigsmund's daughter from his first marriage. She was born in 1513. Originally she was to marry King Gustav of Sweden but the marriage fell through because of his reformer leanings.

4. Ferdinand's grandfather, Ferdinand of Aragon managed to occupy half of Navarre in the 1510s. As you may have guessed, that's not going to matter in the long run.

5. Based off of OTL Anne d'Este who was born in 1531.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

King James of Scots m. Queen Margaret I of England

1. Prince James Duke of Rothesay and Cornwall, Prince of Wales b. February 21, 1507 m. Renee of France b. October, 1510

1. Princess Anne born November 16, 1529​

2. Princess Margaret b. July 15,1508 m. Luís of Portugal, Duke of Beja b. March 3, 1506
3. Prince Arthur Duke of Ross. b. October 20, 1509
4. Prince Henry, Duke of Richmond, Earl of Pembroke b. April 10, 1512
5. Princess Dorothea, Duchess of Ferra, b. March 3, 1513
6. Prince Alexander Stewart, Duke of Somerset, Earl of Mar b. April 30, 1514
7. Princess Mary b. October 8, 1516.

Mary of England b. 1496 m. Holy Roman Emperor Charles b. 1500
1. Archduke Maximilian b. 1516
2. Archduchess Mary b. 1517
3. Archduchess Eleanor b. 1519
4. Archduke Felipe b. 1522
5. Archduke Charles b. 1525
6. Archduchess Joanna b. 1528

King Ferdinand III of Aragon and VI of Castile m. Isabella of Portugal b. 1503
1. Princess Catalina b. 1524
2. Princess Isabel b. 1526
3. Prince Juan b. 1527 will be married to Jeanne of Navarre b. 1528.
4. Princess Maria b. 1528

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

The start of the new decade brought much change to England. Firstly, Princess Margaret and Princess Dorthea left their home country to marry Luis of Portugal, Duke of Benja [1] and Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara [2] respectfully. The two princesses were sent off with a fond and tearful goodbye.

There was also the matter of Prince Arthur and Princess Mary's marriage. As Margaret and James had already found domestic brides for the older sons, they sought to find a wife from the daughters of the German princes. Margaret sent a letter to his sister, asking for suggestions, making it clear that any duke with Lutheran sympathies was out of the question. As for Princess Mary the younger, they decided to betroth her to Sigismund Augustus of Poland. Now that their children were all married or engaged, they turned their sights on a greater matter.

In the spring of 1530, King James and Queen Margaret began to push for the union of crowns. To show a unity, they decided to marry Henry to Helen Stewart [3], the daughter of the late Earl of Lennox, and Alexander to Anne Bourchier [4], the only heir to the Earl of Essex in order in order to show that Scotland and England were equally important.

Cardinal Wolsey [5] and Alexander Stewart, Bishop of St. Andrews [6] worked tirelessly to convince both parliaments to accept the union of crowns. The discussion would last months turning into a years. Although, there was still hostility, King James and Queen Margaret's work for the past twenty years to entwine their two countries went a long way to making the official union an attractive prospect.

On November 22 1531, Prince Alexander was born much to cheers and joy of the people. He was named Alexander after Alexander the Great, one of James' personal heroes. (There was some grumbling by the English lords that he had chosen a name that had was shared by three kings of Scotland. He was called the Duke of Cornwall and the Duke of Rothsay. Although he was born in Wales, he was taken to London to be christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury. His godparents were the Holy Roman Emperor and the Holy Roman Empress along with the King and Queen of France.

After the christening, there was a full week of jousts and feasts. Then James and Renee would travel to Stirling where they would spend two years with Anne and Alexander.

Over in Navarre, while England was celebrating, the king and the queen had just suffered a blow. Prince Jean had been his mother's miracle as many thought she was too old at age thirty-nine. Jean of Navarre died in December, breaking his parents' hearts and making it almost certain that his sister Jeanne would succeed him.

Considering Jeanne was engaged to Prince Juan of Spain, this worried King Francois and he strongly suggested to his brother-in-law that they break break the betrothal and marry Jeanne to someone else, perhaps someone French. King Henri disagreed, noting in a letter that if he did so, it could insult King Ferdinand to the point that he might break the alliance and reconcile with Emperor Charles.

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were also worried, but for different reasons, and suggested that Jeanne should brought up alongside her groom to be. This was rejected by Marguerite and Henri who did not want to loose custody of their only child. Instead it was agreed that Jeanne would go to Spain when she turned fourteen.

Queen Hedwig of France gave birth a son. who Francois named Louis after his predecessor and his ancestor. Meanwhile the union of Brittany is finally complete and the son of Francois and Claude, Dauphin Francois is sent to Brittany to govern. He is engaged to Archduchess Mary in hopes of gaining peace, and allowing Burgundy to be eventual run by a descendant of Mary of Burgundy. His brother, Henri, is engaged to Catherine de Medici.

Over in Austria, Emperor Charles was still brooding over his looses. He and Mary would experience tragedy when Archduke Maximilian died of consumption at age sixteen. He had been engaged to his first cousin Catalina of Spain arranged by his grandmother, Joanna who had hoped this would bring the two brothers together. Instead, Archduke Philip would be engaged to Catalina while his brother, Charles would marry the daughter of Queen Anna of Hungary and Bohemia also named Anna.

More tragedy would strike when Empress Mary would contract a fever while pregnant with her seventh child. She would give birth to a stillborn and die in 1533 at age thirty-seven. Charles was bereft for many months, having lost his heir and his wife within a year.

Amidst the English court's morning of Empress Mary, the parliaments of England and Scotland finally vote on the union of the crowns. On July 23 1533, it is decreed that King James and Queen Margaret are officially known as King James and Queen Margaret of Great Britain.

1. Second son of King Manuel. In history, he never married.

2. OTL Renee of France's husband.

3. Helen Stewart is the daughter of the Earl of Lennox who was distantly related to King James. She was born sometime in the late 1510s to the early 1520s.

4. Anne Bouchier was the wife of Thomas Parr, the Baron Parr. She is quite scandalous.

5. Thanks to butterflies and a lack of stress caused by the Great Matter, Thomas Wolsey lives longer.

6. King James' illegitimate son. Again, thanks to butterflies and no war between Scotland and England, he is alive and well.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

The year started off with a scandal, Prince Arthur revealed he had eloped with the childhood companion of his sister Dorthea; a young widow named Catherine Parr {1]. The king and queen were outraged by their son's gall, and there was a discussion about whether or not to annul the marriage. They would face several hurdles as Arthur was not already betrothed, loudly shouting at the top of his lungs that his marriage had been consummated, and was not closely related to his bride (they were fifth cousins). While it was not impossible, it was unlikely that an annulment would be granted.

However, royal permission had not been given and neither James nor Margaret were willing to let anyone even their son get away with such behavior. The couple were banished to Ireland where Arthur would act as Lord Deputy. Queen Margaret would comment to her husband that she had named Arthur for the wrong brother.

Meanwhile, Prince James and Princess Renee welcomed their second son to the world, they decided to name him Arthur after his uncle, showing their support for the bansihed prince. Later, James would obtain permission from his parents to set up his own court. He and Renee invited many reformers to their court, including John Calvin [2]. This unnerved James and Margaret who would often caution their against the evils of heresy. The Prince of Wales insisted that he merely wanted to hear the reformers reasoning, as he believed that part of the problem lay in the corruption of the church. He noted that the best way to defeat heresy was to make sure that there were no wolves pretending to be shepherds.

His parents had little time to dwell on it for a rebellion rose up in Scotland with disgruntled Scottish nobles fearing that the king and the prince had become far too English for their liking and protested against the union of the crowns. Prince James was at Falkland palace at the time, as it was his favorite residence, and was eager to led the army against the rebels. As he was now a man nearly thirty instead of a teenage boy as he had been during Buckingham's rebellion, his parents had no objections.

The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh [3] as an utter disaster for the rebels. Although the English calvary took heavy losses from the pikemen, the English still had a strong artillery by their side. King James had been clever, making sure that the royal army for his son was made up of English longbowmen and Scottish pikemen as well as soldiers skilled with rifles. Those who survived the battle were charged with treason, to either be hanged or beheaded.

Prince James returned home victorious. He, along with his family, would travel to London for a celebration in his name. Unfortunately, during the feast at Greenwhich castle, the prince would get into an argument with Sir Thomas More who believed that Thomas Cromwell and other Lutheran sympathizers were dangerous and he prevailed that they be arrested. The Prince of Wales was incensed at the notion and loudly told More that if he were a younger man he would have challenged him to a duel for that insult. More's son, John, offered to stand in his father's place. Thankfully, King James was quick to mediate the situation, but in private he cautioned his son against Cromwell and his ilk saying to be mindful.

Prince James's response to that was to make Cromwell his Lord Chancellor, all but declaring that he had nothing but faith in the man. This would cause a divide between father and son. It didn't help that the reformed faith was spreading through the usually conservative north, the faction being spearheaded by the Earl of Northumberland, or as some whispered, his wife.

The religious reformation was becoming a problem as it was leading to a divided Stewart family. Prince Henry [4] sided with his parents and agreeing with Sir Thomas More that they had been far too soft on the Lutherans. Prince Alexander, however, saw the Lutheran cause as just and that his brother was in the right to protect those of the reformed faith. Oddly, Prince Arthur, who was usually very vocal about pretty much everything, remained neutral. His wife wrote to her sister that in a way Arthur was relived to be banished because he didn't have to get involved. His sisters remained similarly mum about their opinions. Even Mary who had the misfortune of being the last Stewart daughter to remain in England was tight lipped about the situation, refusing to choose sides.

Although the tension was mounting, Queen Margaret ignored it to focus on getting her youngest married. She reached out to Emperor Charles, asking for his opinion of the matter. Charles suggested himself [5]. After all, he was seeking a new wife. Mary was of age, and it would renew the alliance between England and the Holy Roman Emperor.
Margaret and James agreed it would be a good match and made the arrangements.

They were married by proxy in May 1534 and Mary would leave for the Netherlands two months later.

[1] Yes, our dear Catherine Parr. I was thinking of giving her the name Margaret, but I figured Maud Parr would remember Katherine of Aragon fondly and want to honor her. Arthur is her second husband instead of Lord Laitmer.

[2] John Calvin did was in fact a guest of Renee of France in our history. Renee was one of his sponsors. His visit here is roughly the same time period.

[3] The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh was an actual battle in history. It ended similarly bad for the Scots, but here it is more of a case of the army being more trained and armed then their opponents.

[4] As Prince Henry is OTL King James V, I figured it would be fitting for him to be against the religious reforms.

[5] I figured it made sense with him being widowed and well, he wants to make sure he has an alliance with the newly formed Brittan, maybe crack that Auld Alliance.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

In 1535 would start off with tragedy. King James and Queen Margaret had organized a joust for Lady's Day. Prince Alexander, a man of twenty was eager to participate. Unfortunately, a cruel twist of fate would see him fall from his horse, hitting his head against the railing, dying just a few hours later. His abrupt death was a devastating blow to the entire court.

Both Prince James and Prince Arthur returned to London for their brother's funeral, the former reuniting and reconciling with Prince Henry. The Stewarts were united in their grief. But circumstances threatened to shatter the fragile peace.

Henry Percy, Lord of Northumberland died suddenly in May despite being of good health. Poison was suspected. Thomas Percy, his younger brother, came to Sir Thoma More, proclaiming the Dowager Countess Lady Anne, a witch, an adulterer, and a heretic. He accused her of murdering his brother, cuclkholding him, and trying to pass off her bastard son by Sir Thomas Wyatt as his heir.

Lady Anne, of course, turned the accusation around, calling Thomas Percy's words as a thinly veiled attempt to usurp his nephew, and accusing him of doing the dark deed. Despite most of the evidence being circumstantial, Sir Thomas More still encouraged the monarchs to arrest the dowager countess on suspicion of murder, adultery, and heresy. After some discussion, Queen Margaret agreed the lady would brought to London for questioning.

Doubting she would remain alive if she went to London, Anne choose to take her children and head for Stirling Castle to throw herself on the mercy of the Princess of Wales. Renee welcomed her old friend with open arms, promising protection. When a letter arrived from London, demanding Lady Anne be brought before the court, Renee and Anne turned to Prince James, beseeching him to protect her from the unjust and vicious slander spread by her enemies.

Prince James agreed, feeling that the Lord Chancellor had already made up his mind about Anne because of her religious views and would stack the court unfairly against her. He instead sent a letter to his parents, stating that Lady Anne was under house arrest, her children were in his custody, and he requested to take charge in the investigation.
Of course, this led to Prince Henry calling his brother out for his hypocrisy, subtly hinting at the crown prince's own heresy.

Finally King James put his foot down, reminding his sons that the last time he checked, neither he nor Margaret were dead. They were the ones in charge here, and Lady Anne best get herself to London before she proclaimed a traitor for disobeying her monarchs' command!

Prince James decided to escort Lady Anne to London himself, riding out in full armor in front of the procession like he was a knight defending an innocent maiden. His wife wanted to come as well, but Anne insisted she stay in Stirling with their children for she trusted no one more than her oldest friend to protect the new Earl of Northumberland and his two sisters.

Once the Prince of Wales and his entourage arrived at Whitehall, it could not be more clear that while the official feud was between Lady Anne and her former brother-in-law, Thomas Percy, the true fight was between those who supported the religious reforms and those who did not. Prince James stood by Anne's side while his brother Prince Henry stood by the side of Thomas Percy.

Prince Arthur wisely decided to return to Ireland, saying he much preferred arguing with Irish Lords than deal with his brothers' spat.

Despite Princes James, Princess Renee, and Lady Anne's fears while King James, Queen Margaret, and Sir Thomas More might have been well aware that at least one of the charges leveled against Lady Anne was most certainly true, they were willing to give her a fair hearing.

Sir Percy trotted out witnesses who would swear up and down that they saw Anne Boleyn practicing witchcraft, sleeping with various men, and so on and so forth. George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford nearly charged at one of the grooms who hinted at having seen him enter his sister's bedchamber and not come out until morning. A cook insisted that it was Anne's lady who had taken the plate containing Northumberland's supper, saying her mistress wanted to add something to it.

By the end of it, even Prince Henry was skeptical. After all, no one could be so blatant about their crimes. Cromwell acted as Anne's legal advisor and wasted no time tearing apart each of the witnesses' stories, then bringing out several witnesses including Sir Thomas Wyatt who swore up and down that for all his love for Lady Anne, he had never lain with her. Cromwell then interrogated Anne herself, who put on a touching show of a grieving widow who was terrified of what would happen to her and her children should she be found guilty of crimes she did not commit.

Then came the final nail in Sir Thomas Percy's coffin. Letters from him to the Earl of Talbot, plotting to murder of the Earl of Northumberland, and to tarnish Anne's reputation to the point where she and her children would be disgraced. Both Percy and Talbot denied the existence of these letters, but the tide was against them. They were outspoken in their hatred of Anne, and had clearly manufactured evidence against her.

They both were arrested on suspicion of murder and conspiracy, taking down two of Lady Anne's greatest opponents, allowing her and through her, Prince James, to continue to spread the reformation in the North.

It was a blow to the Catholic cause.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

Aside from his late brother, Prince Henry is the only member of his family unwed. Oh, he has had a number mistresses and a few bastards, but his betrothed Helene Stewert had died before they could consummate their marriage [1]. In 1536, the British monarchs were approached by the French ambassador whose master was discomforted by the marriage between Mary of Britain and Emperor Charles. He wanted to suggest a marriage between the young duke and a French noblewoman: Marie of Bourbon [2]. He also suggested a revision of the Auld Alliance. As the treaty specifically agreed to help each other when the countries were the defender and not the aggressor (and also wanting a good match for their son), Margaret and James agreed. The wording comes in handy when months later King Francois invaded Milan, allowing the British monarchs to maintain their neutrality on the Italian war of 1536.

The marriage took place in October 1536 in Calais, Arthur and James attended their brother's wedding along with their wives. Lady Katherine and Princess Renee befriended the young Mary Bourbon, accepting her as their new sister gladly. While the three ladies became fast friends, the three brothers were reconciling or more to the point, Arthur was threatening to knock James and Henry's heads together if they didn't get along.

While Mary and Henry stay in Calais for the honeymoon, the English court returns to London. Once there, Arthur and Catherine depart for Ireland while Prince James stays behind to discuss the matter of Prince Alexander's marriage. As the heir to United Kingdoms of Britain, Alexander was highly desirable. It was suggested that he might marry his first cousin, Archduchess Maria or perhaps one of the daughters of the monarchs of Iberia. A future King of France's granddaughter perhaps.

Prince James had his own idea: Princess Anna of Denmark[3]. He argued that she was perfect. She was a year younger, would renew the friendship between Denmark and the British Isles, and she would not overbalance the alliances they had made with the Valois and the Hapsburgs. Many suspected that the prince's true motive was the fact that the royal family of Denmark were now part of the reformed faith.

It was clear that the prince wanted to ensure that the next two queens of the British isles to be Protestants. King James and Queen Margaret could not allow that. Up until now, they had been tolerant of their son's continued Lutheran leanings, now they were putting their foot down. Their grandson would be a proper Catholic prince and would marry a Catholic princess.

Prince James had spent the last ten years, keeping his reformist tendencies under check so not to disturb his very Catholic parents and he had learned it was far better to acquiesce, suggesting they wait and see if King John had a living daughter. This did not stop him from sending secret letters to Denmark, promising that Anna would be his son's queen even if the match had to be done without the monarchs of Britain's consent. Prince James and Princess Renee secretly allowed the spread of Protestantism, building churchs where known Lutheran clergy would speak. They also allowed the distribution of Lutheran literature.

It was clear that while not openly declaring themselves Protestant, they were now only making a cursory attempt to hide it.

Either blissfully unaware or purposely ignorant of their son' plots, King James and Queen Margaret instead went to work, creating more prestige for their country. Through their daughter, Elizabeth, Duchess of Beja, they started negotiations with King John of Portugal and his daughter Maria [4] to marry Prince Alexander with several trade ports being part of her dowry.

Another effort is to fund several building projects around their four countries, and sponsor three adventures to get foothold in the Caribbeans, looking to colonize the islands, Spain and Portugal had left colonized. "By the time I die, I shall leave behind a thriving empire," Queen Margaret wrote to her eldest daughter. She and her husband focus on expanding the British reach.

1. I made a small error, forgetting that I had married Henry and Alexander to Helen Stewart and Anne Bouchier. Luckily Alexander was dead before his bride hit her teens and I just killed off Helen Stewert.

2. Mary of Bourbon was actually going to be James V's wife before he insisted on marrying Madeline Valois. Mary will live longer in this TL.

3. This Anne of Denmark was the OTL aunt of the Anne of Denmark who married King James VI of Scots and I of England. She married the Elector of Saxony and was quite famous for her work in agriculture.

4. The TTL version of Maria Manuela of Portugal. Time will tell if she is any healthier than her OTL version.

 

[Violet Rose Lily]

King James and Queen Margaret arranged the match between their grandson Prince Alexander and Princess Maria Manuela. Prince James is furious that his parents did so behind his back and quarreled with them over the matter. Finally he admitted that he had already made a betrothal between Alexander and Anna of Denmark in front of several witnesses.

His parents were understandably furious and the argument last for weeks with neither side willing to give ground. Eventually it is King Christian himself who came up with a solution when his daughter arrived in Denmark she would convert to Catholicism. In a private letter to James, he noted that Princess Anna would not be going to England for a very long time so they could work out a compromise later that would not force his daughter to falsely convert.

Hating fighting with her son, Queen Margaret agreed and coaxed her skeptical husband to agree as well. Thanks to the Duchess of Beja, King John of Portugal was not too angry by the broken betrothal offering Maria Manuela to Dauphin Francois. Meanwhile to sooth the Catholics, Princess Anne of United Britain is tentatively engaged to Prince Charles of France.

With tension high, Prince James and Princess Renee decided to take a progress around Britain, hoping to win their subjects over. They ensure to take their eldest children, Prince Alexander and Princess Anne are brought along with them. They spend the next year touring and wining and dinning with the various lords of England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.

During this time, Renee gave birth to two children, one in Ireland and the other in London, happily proclaiming she had given birth in every corner of her future kingdom. The girl is named Eleanor (1537) while the boy is named James (1538).

Meanwhile Emperor Charles and King Ferdinand finally reconcile (some believe that their mother Joana and their aunt Katherine grabbed them by the ears and forced them to apologize to each other), putting aside their differences to focus on the conquering Africa and defeating the Ottomans. Their brotherhood is reaffirmed during the seige of Tunnis.

It is further solidified in 1540 when Infanta Catalina married Archduke Felipe who is confirmed as King of the Romans, highlighting his status as his father's heir. With the Hapsburgs brothers reforging their bound, King Francois is getting rather nervous that the two brothers might decided to try to gain back the Low Countries.