WI: The Patriots kidnaps Prince William Henry?

[GameBawesome]

I was reading some history and discovered an interesting fact I never knew about.

George III's son, Prince William Henry (The future William IV) was stationed in New York, as young naval officer. So, the Culper Ring hatched an operation to kidnap the prince and hold him hostage. This operation was even approved by General Washington in 1782. The operation failed because the British caught wind of the plan, about it increased security around the prince.

So, what if this plot to kidnap Prince William Henry wasn't discovered, and when it actually happened, it succeeds? In the end, Prince William Henry is held as a Royal Hostage by the Patriots?

How would this effect the war? While it was ending soon in 1783, how would a Royal Hostage effect the moral and negations?

 

[ordinarylittleme]

With a royal hostage kidnapped then the British has great reason to use propaganda to portray the Patriots as worse than they truly were
Also they would potentially be "easier" to "persuade"

 

[mrmandias]

I think there would be a pr hit, this probably backfires

 

[Lalli]

I think there would be a pr hit, this probably backfires

I am pretty sure that British government would keep that as secret.

Probably the government would demand releasing of the prince before they begin negotiations. There is probably too attempts to free him with power.

If succesful, whole case is held as secret. If failed and the prince is killed it is just told that he was killed in action without telling whole story.