WI: The Habsburg Netherlands as an Earlier Tuscany

By this I mean that it likewise is treated as a secundogeniture (like what happened with Leopold II and his father’s grand duchy) with a cadet line of the Habsburgs being established (perhaps) instead of a stream of governors who had no real ties (normally) to the Netherlands. Several Habsburgs served as Governors (Emperor Matthias, Archdukes Ernst and Leopold Wilhelm, Cardinal Infante Fernando, Archduchesses Maria Elisabeth, Maria Anna and Maria Christine), but only Albert and Isabella were actual rulers. Could this idea work? Or because it didn't succeed with Albert & Isabella it was thrown on the trash-heap?
 
If Albrecht & Isabella's children (IIRC they had two sons and a daughter) were to survive, then this also has implications for the Austrian branch of the house of Habsburg.

Albrecht was from the senior Austrian branch and with heirs of his own, IMHO seems less likely to renounce his succession rights to his share of the Austrian Hereditary Lands. It effectively would lead to the Habsburg Netherlands passing from the Spanish to the Austrian branch.

Ironically, when Charles V's daughter Mary married Ferdinand I's son Maximilian II; Charles V had toyed with the idea to give the Habsburg Burgundian lands to them.

Also the Burgundian Netherlands were wealthy, though under the constant threat of France. Two reasons, which would make a Tuscany scenario a bit harder. OTOH after the Dutch revolt the Southern Netherlands did keep some autonomy from Spain.
 
I was actually thinking along the lines of (for instance) instead of Maria Elisabeth being granted the Netherlands, Archduke Charles is granted it as a hereditary appanage. But when he's called to the purple, the Netherlands cannot be reunited with the Empire, and he hands it off to Maria Anna, who then rules it with her husband.

So in the Albert-Isabella scenario, both their sons would be required to survive, one to inherit the Imperial mantle, and another to inherit Burgundy.
 
It only became the Austrian Netherlands after the War of the Spanish Succession.

Granting it to archduchess Maria Anna and her husband Charles Alexander of Lorraine might result in having a house of Habsburg-Lorraine and a house of Lorraine. (Maria Anna and Charles Alexander could continue the tradition of that old dynasty (Lorraine)). Unfortunately they didn't have any surviving issue.

As for Albrecht & Isabella, it might temporarily pass to the main Austrian branch, though their main focus would be Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Croatia and the Empire. OTOH the Burgundian Lands can provide them with extra funds against the Ottomans.
 
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