Two Lucky Princes: 2.0
- Thread starter SavoyTruffle
- Start date
I think people would up and murder me if I ever rebooted my TL, so instead I'll read this one.
Subscribed 'Truffle!
Prologue: Of Rumors of War
My dear Alfonso,
England is a fine land, though it rains far more than in Toledo or Porto. The week I have spent here so far has shown me enough, and the hospitable welcoming of our kin has helped me familiarize myself. Though their food is not as flavorful as ours, one must admit that England's cuisine is second only to that of the Iberian.
I trust that the administration of home must not be difficult at these times, what with Europe simmering yet again to a boil, as our friends say. Though our home of Iberia herself is stable, we must remember that the continent as a whole is but a keg waiting to explode. England herself is stymied by Poland's temerity at their refusal of an extradition of Admiral Neville - an ultimatum, which is all but a declaration of war, is coming. France will definitely support her ally here, and once more Scotland is making noises, but it is the Turk's sword who will swing the balance, provided Iberia stays asleep. However, I do know that the ancient alliance between our nation and England will hold, and I have hopes that Italy and Russia help us. However, I do not wish for a war; it would be too much of an inconvenience as it is for a young man on a tour.
The Germanies, thank God, stay a beacon of light in this mess. Though the United North still does not like the hold of the Habsburgs on the West and the South, there is a growing understanding between them. One might think, however, that a spark is long overdue in this land; did not one of the greatest wars of Europe start here?
Arthuria, England
28 April 1886
28 April 1886
My dear Alfonso,
England is a fine land, though it rains far more than in Toledo or Porto. The week I have spent here so far has shown me enough, and the hospitable welcoming of our kin has helped me familiarize myself. Though their food is not as flavorful as ours, one must admit that England's cuisine is second only to that of the Iberian.
I trust that the administration of home must not be difficult at these times, what with Europe simmering yet again to a boil, as our friends say. Though our home of Iberia herself is stable, we must remember that the continent as a whole is but a keg waiting to explode. England herself is stymied by Poland's temerity at their refusal of an extradition of Admiral Neville - an ultimatum, which is all but a declaration of war, is coming. France will definitely support her ally here, and once more Scotland is making noises, but it is the Turk's sword who will swing the balance, provided Iberia stays asleep. However, I do know that the ancient alliance between our nation and England will hold, and I have hopes that Italy and Russia help us. However, I do not wish for a war; it would be too much of an inconvenience as it is for a young man on a tour.
The Germanies, thank God, stay a beacon of light in this mess. Though the United North still does not like the hold of the Habsburgs on the West and the South, there is a growing understanding between them. One might think, however, that a spark is long overdue in this land; did not one of the greatest wars of Europe start here?
Your brother,
Carlos
Carlos
Pleased to see this revamped.
If you ever have any questions, Savoy, you can shoot me a PM. Our TLs both cover the same general time period so we can certainly share research.
If you ever have any questions, Savoy, you can shoot me a PM. Our TLs both cover the same general time period so we can certainly share research.
Chapter 1: The Lucky Prince
Excerpt from The Reconquista: A History of Iberia by Felipe Enriquez:
Iberia soon came to be divided into both petty Christian kingdoms as well as Muslim holdings during the course of the Reconquista, however, it would soon be reunited under a single monarch. By the late medieval period four kingdoms were present: To the west lay Portugal, founded after a separation from the Kingdom of Galicia, and soon recognized by the Pope as an independent state. It would conquer the Algarves in 1250, and thus Portugal had completed its Reconquista. Castile had united with Leon and Galicia, and was thus the largest of the Iberian kingdoms by the 14th century. It straddled the center of the peninsula, with Portugal to its west, Navarre and Aragon to its east, and until 1492, the Emirate of Granada to its south. Aragon occupied most of the east of Iberia, and was a Mediterranean power, reaching its prime in the mid-14th century. To its northwest lay the small kingdom of Navarre, which encompassed a significant portion of the Basque speaking lands, yet was not a major player in the reconquest of Iberia, and was thus reduced to a small size.
Castile and Aragon were dynastically united (though it must be noted that both were ruled by branches of the House of Trastamara) upon the marriage of Isabella I of Castile to Ferdinand II of Aragon. Isabella was queen in her own right, after she had won the War of the Castilian Succession with help from Aragon. The two were known as the Catholic Monarchs, and their reign brought the birth of increased royal power at the expense of the Cortes. Their foreign policy paid off, with their eldest daughter, also named Isabella, marrying first Afonso, Prince of Portugal, and after his untimely death, married Manuel of Portugal, who would be the last monarch of an independent Portugal. Isabella and Ferdinand also allied to the House of Habsburg, which held the Imperial title, through a double marriage of the Infante Juan, the Prince of Asturias, to Archduchess Margaret of Austria, and of Archduke Philip, later Emperor Philip I, to Juan's sister Joanna. This was done in the wake of the French actions in Italy.
Manuel of Portugal and his wife Isabella were to have but one child, the future Miguel of Iberia, due to Isabella's death resulting from childbirth. However, Miguel was to be the heir to the thrones of three of the Iberian kingdoms; his uncle Juan had predeceased his parents, thus passing the succession to the Princess Isabella and her issue. With the death of Princess Isabella herself, her son Miguel was to be the heir to Castile upon the death of Queen Isabella. Miguel, by virtue of his father Manuel, was also heir to Portugal, and as Ferdinand and Isabella had no other surviving sons, Miguel was also to inherit Aragon from his grandfather.
Though not expected to live long due to his complicated childbirth, Miguel was to surpass expectations by being a healthy child[1], and in time would become the first monarch in centuries of a united Iberia.
[1] This is the first of our PODs. In OTL Miguel died around 1500, paving the way for Joanna to inherit Castile and for the succession of the Spanish Habsburgs.
Excerpt from The Reconquista: A History of Iberia by Felipe Enriquez:
Iberia soon came to be divided into both petty Christian kingdoms as well as Muslim holdings during the course of the Reconquista, however, it would soon be reunited under a single monarch. By the late medieval period four kingdoms were present: To the west lay Portugal, founded after a separation from the Kingdom of Galicia, and soon recognized by the Pope as an independent state. It would conquer the Algarves in 1250, and thus Portugal had completed its Reconquista. Castile had united with Leon and Galicia, and was thus the largest of the Iberian kingdoms by the 14th century. It straddled the center of the peninsula, with Portugal to its west, Navarre and Aragon to its east, and until 1492, the Emirate of Granada to its south. Aragon occupied most of the east of Iberia, and was a Mediterranean power, reaching its prime in the mid-14th century. To its northwest lay the small kingdom of Navarre, which encompassed a significant portion of the Basque speaking lands, yet was not a major player in the reconquest of Iberia, and was thus reduced to a small size.
Castile and Aragon were dynastically united (though it must be noted that both were ruled by branches of the House of Trastamara) upon the marriage of Isabella I of Castile to Ferdinand II of Aragon. Isabella was queen in her own right, after she had won the War of the Castilian Succession with help from Aragon. The two were known as the Catholic Monarchs, and their reign brought the birth of increased royal power at the expense of the Cortes. Their foreign policy paid off, with their eldest daughter, also named Isabella, marrying first Afonso, Prince of Portugal, and after his untimely death, married Manuel of Portugal, who would be the last monarch of an independent Portugal. Isabella and Ferdinand also allied to the House of Habsburg, which held the Imperial title, through a double marriage of the Infante Juan, the Prince of Asturias, to Archduchess Margaret of Austria, and of Archduke Philip, later Emperor Philip I, to Juan's sister Joanna. This was done in the wake of the French actions in Italy.
Manuel of Portugal and his wife Isabella were to have but one child, the future Miguel of Iberia, due to Isabella's death resulting from childbirth. However, Miguel was to be the heir to the thrones of three of the Iberian kingdoms; his uncle Juan had predeceased his parents, thus passing the succession to the Princess Isabella and her issue. With the death of Princess Isabella herself, her son Miguel was to be the heir to Castile upon the death of Queen Isabella. Miguel, by virtue of his father Manuel, was also heir to Portugal, and as Ferdinand and Isabella had no other surviving sons, Miguel was also to inherit Aragon from his grandfather.
Though not expected to live long due to his complicated childbirth, Miguel was to surpass expectations by being a healthy child[1], and in time would become the first monarch in centuries of a united Iberia.
[1] This is the first of our PODs. In OTL Miguel died around 1500, paving the way for Joanna to inherit Castile and for the succession of the Spanish Habsburgs.
Damn right. I would. You TL is insane. So epic................epic.............so, awesome
Also: Savoy, sweet.
Ah, so you are one of my phantom readers since I have far more page views than comments. Glad you like it.Damn right. I would. You TL is insane. So epic................epic.............so, awesome
Also: Savoy, sweet.
As for the first update, it's always interesting to see how Ferdinand reacts to this situation.
In the first version of this TL, Ferdinand would serve as a Regent of sorts, but I'm still mulling over whether I'd change this or not.
Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
I guess I would have to subscribe to the newer, and more improved version.
Good luck man, I'll be looking forward to reading this.
Good luck man, I'll be looking forward to reading this.
Chapter 2: Spanish Days
Excerpt from The Dawn of the Modern World: 16th Century Politics by Albert von Mecklenburg[1]:
The young prince Miguel, eldest son of Manuel of Portugal, was heir to three crowns all at once. At that point the Iberian monarchies were at the height of their power, to the point where Pope Julius II, in an attempt to settle diplomatic precedence, placed the Iberian crowns only behind the Holy Roman Emperor, the King of the Romans, and the King of France[2]. Miguel's grandmother, Isabella, died in 1504; she never fully recovered from the untimely death of her only son and favorite, Juan. Thus by right of succession the six-year-old prince was now King of Castile, and he was set to travel to Valladolid[3] in order to be confirmed as king. However, Miguel's grandfather Ferdinand of Aragon made his move; as his grandson was yet underage, he would hold effective power, citing his right as King Consort of Castile. The Cortes insisted on Miguel's right as king, however, and soon Ferdinand and the Cortes, which had weakened in power due to the efforts of the Catholic Monarchs, were at blows. Ultimately, a compromise was reached. The Burgos Compromise allowed Ferdinand to continue his rule of Castile, however only in the capacity of a regent. Miguel would take the reins upon either his majority or Ferdinand's death, whichever would come first (Miguel would begin his rule by 1513, three years before Ferdinand's death and Miguel's inheritance of Aragon).
Another major event had occurred in 1501. Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian fell from his horse and was injured badly; thus he had called for an Imperial election to secure his son Philip as King of the Romans. Philip was duly elected by March of that same year, and then his father died two months later[4], with Philip becoming Holy Roman Emperor[5]. Notably, his wife Joanna was heiress presumptive to the Castilian throne, and their young son Charles second in line. The Habsburgs were so close to the throne of the greatest kingdom of the day, and within decades would be so far again. However, their control over large swathes of the Holy Roman Empire was cemented, further strengthening the house's control of the Imperial title.
----
[1] Historian and politician from TTL, who by 2009 was elected Elector-President of Saxony (despite his name).
[2] OTL; See this for details.
[3] Capital of the Catholic Monarchs, though Miguel would later shift the capital east to be a midway point between the capitals of his other kingdoms.
[4] A butterfly makes Maximilian's fall worse, whereas in OTL he lived, but limped from that day on.
[5] Technically Emperor-elect, as Maximilian was not crowned by the Pope, and Philip is following in his father's footsteps.
Excerpt from The Dawn of the Modern World: 16th Century Politics by Albert von Mecklenburg[1]:
The young prince Miguel, eldest son of Manuel of Portugal, was heir to three crowns all at once. At that point the Iberian monarchies were at the height of their power, to the point where Pope Julius II, in an attempt to settle diplomatic precedence, placed the Iberian crowns only behind the Holy Roman Emperor, the King of the Romans, and the King of France[2]. Miguel's grandmother, Isabella, died in 1504; she never fully recovered from the untimely death of her only son and favorite, Juan. Thus by right of succession the six-year-old prince was now King of Castile, and he was set to travel to Valladolid[3] in order to be confirmed as king. However, Miguel's grandfather Ferdinand of Aragon made his move; as his grandson was yet underage, he would hold effective power, citing his right as King Consort of Castile. The Cortes insisted on Miguel's right as king, however, and soon Ferdinand and the Cortes, which had weakened in power due to the efforts of the Catholic Monarchs, were at blows. Ultimately, a compromise was reached. The Burgos Compromise allowed Ferdinand to continue his rule of Castile, however only in the capacity of a regent. Miguel would take the reins upon either his majority or Ferdinand's death, whichever would come first (Miguel would begin his rule by 1513, three years before Ferdinand's death and Miguel's inheritance of Aragon).
Another major event had occurred in 1501. Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian fell from his horse and was injured badly; thus he had called for an Imperial election to secure his son Philip as King of the Romans. Philip was duly elected by March of that same year, and then his father died two months later[4], with Philip becoming Holy Roman Emperor[5]. Notably, his wife Joanna was heiress presumptive to the Castilian throne, and their young son Charles second in line. The Habsburgs were so close to the throne of the greatest kingdom of the day, and within decades would be so far again. However, their control over large swathes of the Holy Roman Empire was cemented, further strengthening the house's control of the Imperial title.
----
[1] Historian and politician from TTL, who by 2009 was elected Elector-President of Saxony (despite his name).
[2] OTL; See this for details.
[3] Capital of the Catholic Monarchs, though Miguel would later shift the capital east to be a midway point between the capitals of his other kingdoms.
[4] A butterfly makes Maximilian's fall worse, whereas in OTL he lived, but limped from that day on.
[5] Technically Emperor-elect, as Maximilian was not crowned by the Pope, and Philip is following in his father's footsteps.
Chapter 3: The Other Lucky Prince
Excerpt from Camelot, the Story of the First Tudors by John Joseph Williams:
After what has been variously called the English Civil War, the English Succession War, or the Plantagenet Wars[1], England would enter a period of rebuilding and restoring stability. However, we must consider first the background events that led to the rise of the House of Tudor to the throne of England.
After Richard II, the last of the main line of Plantagenet kings, was deposed, his cousin Henry Bolingbroke took the throne, bypassing Richard's heir presumptive Edmund de Mortimer and Richard himself imprisoned, where he died mysteriously. Now known as Henry IV, he was the first member of the Plantagenet cadet branch of Lancaster. His more famous son Henry V nearly succeeded in conquering France, yet was struck down by illness and died with his nine month old son, Henry VI, on the throne. The Plantagenet Wars would not begin at this stage, yet as England lost to France all of its continental holdings and Henry VI proving to be rather incapable of ruling (some suspect a hereditary link between his mental state and that of his grandfather Charles VI of France), what had started as a question of gaining influence over the king became a question of which of the Plantagenet branches, Lancaster or York, had the right to the throne. Edward IV, the Yorkist champion, won over Henry VI and deposed him, yet the Lancastrians would rally back and put Henry VI again on the throne, though this did not last long. Edward regained the throne, yet ultimately died with his two sons too young. Though his elder son, also named Edward, was king by right of succession, a historical mystery prevented Edward, or his brother Richard, from assuming their position[2]. Their uncle Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, then took the throne as Richard III. Richard III, however, was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth Field, and thus the Lancastrian side, championed by Henry Tudor, won. However, in a bid to end the civil war, Henry married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth of York. Thus the House of Tudor united the claims of the two Plantagenet branches[3].
Henry VII took steps to ensure the legitimacy of his reign. Though rebellions occurred, he managed to retain his throne and prevent other possible Plantagenet descendants from taking it, though there was a certain paranoia by Henry himself about the supposed pretenders. Other than restoring the political stability lost during the previous wars, Henry also rebuilt the royal treasury, emptied by the Woodville family (to which Edward IV's wife Elizabeth belonged) , through a brutally efficient taxation system. His chancellor Archbishop John Morton, thus became known for a method to get nobles to pay extra taxes: if they lived in luxury, then they had enough to spare for the king's levied tax; otherwise, if they lived frugally, then they must have been hoarding money, and thus would need to pay the taxes they owed to the king. To this day the expression "Morton's fork" refers to a situation wherein an individual is faced with two equally unfavorable alternatives[4].
Four of Henry's children with Elizabeth of York survived to adulthood. The eldest, Arthur, was made Prince of Wales, and would in time succeed his father as king[5]. The next was Margaret, who would marry James IV of Scotland, in a bid by Henry to strengthen relations with Scotland and at the same time weaken France's influence over England's neighbor. The third child and second son, named Henry, was named Duke of York, and in time would consider an ecclesiastical career, ultimately becoming an influential cardinal[6]. Courtiers noted the difference between Henry VII's two sons, with Arthur "being more like his father, a composed, if cool, figure", whereas his brother Henry "being a popular, gregarious prince". Though an illness spread through England in 1502, with Arthur being afflicted, he would ultimately recover, though with his health in a frailer state[7], which historians have attributed his rather early death to.
[1] OTL Wars of the Roses; called differently TTL due to butterflies.
[2] The fate of the Princes of the Tower is even more unclear TTL.
[3] This section is all OTL; all to provide a backgrounder for the rule of Henry VII and the survivor of his son.
[4] An expression also used in OTL, but used more TTL.
[5] Foreshadowing.
[6] OTL Henry VIII as the Cardinal-Duke of York is admittedly satisfying.
[7] Our second POD! In OTL 1502 Arthur died, leaving his wife Catherine a young widow - and subsequently becoming the first wife of Henry VIII.
Excerpt from Camelot, the Story of the First Tudors by John Joseph Williams:
After what has been variously called the English Civil War, the English Succession War, or the Plantagenet Wars[1], England would enter a period of rebuilding and restoring stability. However, we must consider first the background events that led to the rise of the House of Tudor to the throne of England.
After Richard II, the last of the main line of Plantagenet kings, was deposed, his cousin Henry Bolingbroke took the throne, bypassing Richard's heir presumptive Edmund de Mortimer and Richard himself imprisoned, where he died mysteriously. Now known as Henry IV, he was the first member of the Plantagenet cadet branch of Lancaster. His more famous son Henry V nearly succeeded in conquering France, yet was struck down by illness and died with his nine month old son, Henry VI, on the throne. The Plantagenet Wars would not begin at this stage, yet as England lost to France all of its continental holdings and Henry VI proving to be rather incapable of ruling (some suspect a hereditary link between his mental state and that of his grandfather Charles VI of France), what had started as a question of gaining influence over the king became a question of which of the Plantagenet branches, Lancaster or York, had the right to the throne. Edward IV, the Yorkist champion, won over Henry VI and deposed him, yet the Lancastrians would rally back and put Henry VI again on the throne, though this did not last long. Edward regained the throne, yet ultimately died with his two sons too young. Though his elder son, also named Edward, was king by right of succession, a historical mystery prevented Edward, or his brother Richard, from assuming their position[2]. Their uncle Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, then took the throne as Richard III. Richard III, however, was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth Field, and thus the Lancastrian side, championed by Henry Tudor, won. However, in a bid to end the civil war, Henry married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth of York. Thus the House of Tudor united the claims of the two Plantagenet branches[3].
Henry VII took steps to ensure the legitimacy of his reign. Though rebellions occurred, he managed to retain his throne and prevent other possible Plantagenet descendants from taking it, though there was a certain paranoia by Henry himself about the supposed pretenders. Other than restoring the political stability lost during the previous wars, Henry also rebuilt the royal treasury, emptied by the Woodville family (to which Edward IV's wife Elizabeth belonged) , through a brutally efficient taxation system. His chancellor Archbishop John Morton, thus became known for a method to get nobles to pay extra taxes: if they lived in luxury, then they had enough to spare for the king's levied tax; otherwise, if they lived frugally, then they must have been hoarding money, and thus would need to pay the taxes they owed to the king. To this day the expression "Morton's fork" refers to a situation wherein an individual is faced with two equally unfavorable alternatives[4].
Four of Henry's children with Elizabeth of York survived to adulthood. The eldest, Arthur, was made Prince of Wales, and would in time succeed his father as king[5]. The next was Margaret, who would marry James IV of Scotland, in a bid by Henry to strengthen relations with Scotland and at the same time weaken France's influence over England's neighbor. The third child and second son, named Henry, was named Duke of York, and in time would consider an ecclesiastical career, ultimately becoming an influential cardinal[6]. Courtiers noted the difference between Henry VII's two sons, with Arthur "being more like his father, a composed, if cool, figure", whereas his brother Henry "being a popular, gregarious prince". Though an illness spread through England in 1502, with Arthur being afflicted, he would ultimately recover, though with his health in a frailer state[7], which historians have attributed his rather early death to.
[1] OTL Wars of the Roses; called differently TTL due to butterflies.
[2] The fate of the Princes of the Tower is even more unclear TTL.
[3] This section is all OTL; all to provide a backgrounder for the rule of Henry VII and the survivor of his son.
[4] An expression also used in OTL, but used more TTL.
[5] Foreshadowing.
[6] OTL Henry VIII as the Cardinal-Duke of York is admittedly satisfying.
[7] Our second POD! In OTL 1502 Arthur died, leaving his wife Catherine a young widow - and subsequently becoming the first wife of Henry VIII.
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