WI: The Duke of York's Regency, or Charles II of England Has an Heir, But Dies Soon After

As the title says. There are a lot of threads drifting on the site about Charles II having legitimate issue. And a lot about the duke of York having a son but dying soon after. So, what if we combine the two?

Catherine of Bragança carries one of her pregnancies (1666, 1668 or 1669) to term and produces a healthy Prince of Wales. I particularly find the story funny that during her illness in 1663 she thought she had given birth to a son and apologized to Charles that the boy was so ugly.

Charles dies of natural causes before the decade is out and leaves his Catholic wife and underage son behind. I imagine the duke of York is regent, but in the early 1670s has the glamour of a naval hero worn off? Or might he still be able to get some public sympathy? What part, if any, would Catherine play in a regency for young Charles III?

@Valena @Emperor Constantine @VVD0D95 @mcdnab @isabella @anyone else
 
As the title says. There are a lot of threads drifting on the site about Charles II having legitimate issue. And a lot about the duke of York having a son but dying soon after. So, what if we combine the two?

Catherine of Bragança carries one of her pregnancies (1666, 1668 or 1669) to term and produces a healthy Prince of Wales. I particularly find the story funny that during her illness in 1663 she thought she had given birth to a son and apologized to Charles that the boy was so ugly.

Charles dies of natural causes before the decade is out and leaves his Catholic wife and underage son behind. I imagine the duke of York is regent, but in the early 1670s has the glamour of a naval hero worn off? Or might he still be able to get some public sympathy? What part, if any, would Catherine play in a regency for young Charles III?

@Valena @Emperor Constantine @VVD0D95 @mcdnab @isabella @anyone else

I have a feeling that if James is regent, then this must be before the Test Act comes about, which consequently means the naval hero look is still there, so I feel he'd be quite big in the regency department. As for Catherine other than raising her son, I'm not sure what she might do otherwise.
 
Well the birth of a son of Charles will prevent James’ second wedding (at least to Maria Beatrice, who will go in the church or less likely in Spain)
 
I have a feeling that if James is regent, then this must be before the Test Act comes about, which consequently means the naval hero look is still there, so I feel he'd be quite big in the regency department. As for Catherine other than raising her son, I'm not sure what she might do otherwise.

Fair enough. Catherine seems to have been mainly apolitical, so it's not unthinkable.

Well the birth of a son of Charles will prevent James’ second wedding (at least to Maria Beatrice, who will go in the church or less likely in Spain)

Do you think he will remarry to a Protestant?

When is this in relation to James' conversion and public knowledge thereof?

James converted around 1668 or 1669 (and it became public knowledge in 1676), so I feel that if one of those pregnancies is the one to carry to term, it's too late. Not sure what his stance was in 1666 - i.e. if he could still walk back from a conversion or not
 
Fair enough. Catherine seems to have been mainly apolitical, so it's not unthinkable.



Do you think he will remarry to a Protestant?



James converted around 1668 or 1669 (and it became public knowledge in 1676), so I feel that if one of those pregnancies is the one to carry to term, it's too late. Not sure what his stance was in 1666 - i.e. if he could still walk back from a conversion or not
If we go with the 1663 birth (a boy likely named Charles after dad/grandpa) could James's conversion be butterflied away, or at least delayed until after Charles III comes of age?
 
If we go with the 1663 birth (a boy likely named Charles after dad/grandpa) could James's conversion be butterflied away, or at least delayed until after Charles III comes of age?

Was there a '63 pregnancy? I was under the impression it was a fever dream of Catherine's. Since in the one story she apologizes for the baby being so ugly and in another, she believes that she has given the king a daughter and two sons.
 
Do you think he will remarry to a Protestant?

James converted around 1668 or 1669 (and it became public knowledge in 1676), so I feel that if one of those pregnancies is the one to carry to term, it's too late. Not sure what his stance was in 1666 - i.e. if he could still walk back from a conversion or not
No. He would be still most likely remarry to a Catholic (if he remarried). Just Maria Beatrice will be out of the list of candidates (as nobody would be able to persuade her to the match here) and he would not be forced to remarry (as Charles plus Mary and Anne would be more than enough for the succession) and/or would marry mostly for the alliance. A Claudia Felicitas who do not became Empress or a surviving Maria Magdalena of Austria-Tyrol would be the best candidates unless the King of France do not push their cousin the Great Mademoiselle as bride...
Mary will still marry Protestant (and most likely to William, unless Henriette, Duchess of Orleans survive and he marry Liselotte) but Anne can very well becoming the second wife of the King of Portugal.
 
No. He would be still most likely remarry to a Catholic (if he remarried). Just Maria Beatrice will be out of the list of candidates (as nobody would be able to persuade her to the match here) and he would not be forced to remarry (as Charles plus Mary and Anne would be more than enough for the succession) and/or would marry mostly for the alliance. A Claudia Felicitas who do not became Empress or a surviving Maria Magdalena of Austria-Tyrol would be the best candidates unless the King of France do not push their cousin the Great Mademoiselle as bride...
Mary will still marry Protestant (and most likely to William, unless Henriette, Duchess of Orleans survive and he marry Liselotte) but Anne can very well becoming the second wife of the King of Portugal.

The list of French ladies proposed for James OTL ran Marie Anna Ignatia of Württemberg, Mademoiselle de Retz, Mary of Modena and the dowager duchesse de Guise. I'm not sure whether La Grande Mademoiselle would be considered a viable option here (even if she might be included solely for the sake of her wealth). James apparently personally liked Maria Anna (the English ambassador in Paris described her as pleasant, beautiful and healthy) but Charles II skipped past her for some reason.
 
The list of French ladies proposed for James OTL ran Marie Anna Ignatia of Württemberg, Mademoiselle de Retz, Mary of Modena and the dowager duchesse de Guise. I'm not sure whether La Grande Mademoiselle would be considered a viable option here (even if she might be included solely for the sake of her wealth). James apparently personally liked Maria Anna (the English ambassador in Paris described her as pleasant, beautiful and healthy) but Charles II skipped past her for some reason.
La Grande Mademoiselle was unsuitable in OTL because her age as James needed heirs but I think who her wealth would likely made her a rather attractive candidate here (and Louis XIV would be both able to totally cover any payment to England under the guise of the dowry AND take many of Mademoiselle’s lands for his illegitimate sons in exchange of money)
 
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