WI: Mary the Rich of Burgundy died before her marriage?

So I've recently become interested in the early Valois-Habsburg rivalry while researching ways to get the Burgundian inheritance into the hands of the Kings of France and came up with an idea that I don't believe has been explored before: What if Mary the Rich had died before marrying Maximilian von Habsburg and after the death of her father Charles the Bold?

If Mary died at this juncture the succession to the entire Burgundian inheritance is thrown wide open. As neither Mary nor her father Charles had any (legitimate) siblings, there's no obvious heir, and sense this is before her marriage, Maximilian can't claim her inheritance as her widower. This leaves the descendants of John the Fearless's brother Philippe II de Nevers and his daughters Marie (Duchess of Cleves) and Agnes (Duchesss de Bourbon) as closest blood relatives. So what happens in such a scenario? Would one of the distant claimants successfully secure the bulk of the inheritance (Louis XI had already seized Burgundy, Franche-Comté, Picardy and Artois in the aftermath of Charles's death)? Would Louis XI successfully take control of the entire Burgundian inheritance? Or would we see the the Netherlands divided among the contenders?
 
So I've recently become interested in the early Valois-Habsburg rivalry while researching ways to get the Burgundian inheritance into the hands of the Kings of France and came up with an idea that I don't believe has been explored before: What if Mary the Rich had died before marrying Maximilian von Habsburg and after the death of her father Charles the Bold?

If Mary died at this juncture the succession to the entire Burgundian inheritance is thrown wide open. As neither Mary nor her father Charles had any (legitimate) siblings, there's no obvious heir, and sense this is before her marriage, Maximilian can't claim her inheritance as her widower. This leaves the descendants of John the Fearless's brother Philippe II de Nevers and his daughters Marie (Duchess of Cleves) and Agnes (Duchesss de Bourbon) as closest blood relatives. So what happens in such a scenario? Would one of the distant claimants successfully secure the bulk of the inheritance (Louis XI had already seized Burgundy, Franche-Comté, Picardy and Artois in the aftermath of Charles's death)? Would Louis XI successfully take control of the entire Burgundian inheritance? Or would we see the the Netherlands divided among the contenders?
The Dukes of Cleves gain the Burgundian inheritance.
 

krieger

Banned
If Mary the Rich died before the marriage, who else could Maximilian marry? And if there is no Burgundian inheritance for Max and his descendants, he couldn't afford to be so cocky in foreign policy. His position in struggle for Hungarian crown after the death of Matthias Corvinus is going to deteriorate. He wouldn't force Vladislaus II "rex-bene" to disinherit his brothers from Hungary and TTL Max is no threat for Louis XII. It means, that there is no attempts from France to be friendly towards Jagiellons and there is no marriage between Anne de Foix and Vladislaus II. And it means that Hungary is going to develop completely different that IOTL @Fehérvári @Jan Olbracht
 
If Mary the Rich died before the marriage, who else could Maximilian marry? And if there is no Burgundian inheritance for Max and his descendants, he couldn't afford to be so cocky in foreign policy. His position in struggle for Hungarian crown after the death of Matthias Corvinus is going to deteriorate. He wouldn't force Vladislaus II "rex-bene" to disinherit his brothers from Hungary and TTL Max is no threat for Louis XII. It means, that there is no attempts from France to be friendly towards Jagiellons and there is no marriage between Anne de Foix and Vladislaus II. And it means that Hungary is going to develop completely different that IOTL @Fehérvári @Jan Olbracht
What about his cousin Joanna of Portugal, he can be King of Portugal if his brother in law dies without children.
 
Actually, the other fiancee Maximilian who is a Jagiellon married into Brandenburg, so she might have married Max ITTL

Let's say Sophia and Maximilian marry in 1479 (when Sophia married IOTL and giving enough mourning time for Mary of Burgundy) and have the following kids:
  1. Frederick (1480)
  2. Elizabeth (1483 - 1546)
  3. Maximilian (1484 - 1556)
  4. Eleanor (1486 - 1535)
  5. Sophia (1488 - 1491)
  6. Alexandra (1491 - 1528)
Would we see an OTL-esque double betrothal between Juan and Juana of Castile with Elizabeth and Maximilian of Austria?
 
The Dukes of Cleves gain the Burgundian inheritance.

Him and what army? I mean if Louis XI wants the inheritance he can grab it as he lacks a strong opposition. Much of the ducal army had been destroyed during Charles the Bold's wars and its not like John I of Cleves had an army in his pocket to challenge the French with. Plus the various nobles and estates that made up the Burgundian Netherlands hated the centralization made under the Dukes and John I was closely associated with the former regime, so I can easily see Louis XI being able to carve off parts of the inheritance.

If Mary the Rich died before the marriage, who else could Maximilian marry? And if there is no Burgundian inheritance for Max and his descendants, he couldn't afford to be so cocky in foreign policy. His position in struggle for Hungarian crown after the death of Matthias Corvinus is going to deteriorate. He wouldn't force Vladislaus II "rex-bene" to disinherit his brothers from Hungary and TTL Max is no threat for Louis XII. It means, that there is no attempts from France to be friendly towards Jagiellons and there is no marriage between Anne de Foix and Vladislaus II. And it means that Hungary is going to develop completely different that IOTL @Fehérvári @Jan Olbracht

I think a Jagiellon could be likely. Or perhaps a German noblewoman who could bring some lands to the Habsburgs. As for no Franco-Hungarian rapprochement, I wouldn't be so sure. France and Hungary traditionally had good relations (a French cadet branch even ruled Hungary for nearly a century), so I can see a marriage alliance as still happened.

But I think your getting ahead of yourself; the POD is 1477. With such an early divergence, we have no guarantee that Louis d'Orléans would EVER ascend the French throne, or that the Jagiellons would again gain the Hungarian crown. We could easily see Matthias Corvinuslive long enough to be succeeded by his illegitimate son, as an example.
 
The Imperial lands only. The King of France will try to take all the French ones for himself (maybe he will give some of them to Agnes’ heir if he is his own son-in-law Peter)

Mostly yes. However the county of Flanders and to a lesser degree Artois, are possibly staying with the rest of the Low Countries, depending on how their Estates will vote, and the Flemish Estates certainly weren't fond about annexed by France. Whereas an Imperial Fief such as Franche Comté is a lot more vunerable for French expansionism. IMHO Franche Comté is more likely to end up French than Flanders. If Cleves somehow gets Imperial help, then I'm sure he will need to cede Franche Comté in return to the Emperor. Or a bit more likely Franche Comté becomes the dowry of a Cleves princess, when she is married to a French prince. It most likely will only confirm the actually situation, but it is a nice way to save the face of everyone involved.

IMHO a pod, where Mary the Rich and Maximilian of Austria are allowed to grow old together, like Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon, would be nice too.
 
Top