Her Most Protestant Majesty

[Aussey]

Here's my ROUGH tl...
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In the year 1535, Jeanne de'Albret, Queen of Navarre, was married to John III, Duke of Cleves. They have one daughter, Catherine, born shortly before John's death in 1539. His son, William, goes on to inherit his father's duchy. The Queen Jeanne continued to rule Navarre. In 1553, Princess Catherine of Navarre was married to John Frederick, Elector of Saxony. The couple proved to be a happy one, and in 1558, Princess Catherine gave birth to a son, dubbed the Prince Philip. The family lived in Saxony, until Queen Jeanne de'Albret's death in 1561, and Catherine assuming the throne as Catherine II. Catherine II continued her mother's Protestant reforms, and the Navarran Reformed Church was formed, based more on Lutheranism than Calvinism. Catherine II followed in the footsteps of her Protestant-counter part, Elizabeth I of England, and was declared "Head of the Church of Navarre."

When the Anglo-Spanish War of 1588 broke out, shortly aftrer Pius V's excommunication of Elizabeth Tudor, the Kingdom of Navarre secretly aided the English navy, and destroyed much of the fleet before it reached the English Channel, were it met the same fate of being flown into the North Sea. At the Treaty of the Two Queens, in 1590, Catherine II bestowed upon herself the title "Her Most Protestant Majesty" and England and Navarre formed the Protestant League, to protect themselves from the Catholic powers. Gustav VI of Sweden joined the league in 1593, and King Christian II of Denamark-Norway. Of course, many German principalitys joined too.

The Royal Navarran Brasillia Company was formed in 1601, when Navarran merchants and politicians began thinking of a Navarran empire that could rival the Spanish and Portugese. With Navarre's adopted Protestantism, and dynastic ties to the German princes, it had reappeared on the map, not a region between France and Spain. During the French Wars of Religion, the Huegenots fled France (as they have no Navarran king to become their king) into southwestern France. The Navarran and English armies marched into France, liberating the Protestants, with aid from other Protestant League members. The Treaty of Paris of 1607, gave south-eastern France to the Kingdom of Navarre, and gave Catherine II the right to the title "Duchess of Aquatine." With its larger, expanded coast, the Novus Aquatine Company formed in 1610, one year before Catherine II's death, and landed near the Brazillian Island, and kicked out the small number of Portugese troops and settlers in the area. By Queen Catherine II's death on August 27, 1611, the Novus Aquatine Company had expanded into the Guyanas, treating the Natives much as the French had done in North America.

[Aussey]

Catherine II was succeded by her 53 year old son, Crown Prince Phillip, as Phillip IV, in 1611. His reign saw the colonization of the Guyanas and Brasillia as the first formal colony of Navarre: The Crown Colony of Catalianna, which was ruled by the Crown, instead of the Novus Aquatine Company. King Phillip named it in honor of his mother, Catherine II. Phillip IV died in 1619, and was succeded by his son, the 24 year old, bachelor prince Charles, and King Charles V. King Charles married Princess Sophia Stuart, daughter of King James VI of Scots/I of England (ITTL, not dead in 1606.) King Charles married his sister, Princess Eleanore, to his wife's brother, Prince Henry of Wales, in 1621. A daughter, Princess Mary Eleanore, was born, before Prince Henry died in 1624, and Princess Eleanore of Navarre returned to Pamplona as "Dowager Princess of Wales." She married Christian William, Elector of Brandenburg, in 1630. The marriage ended in divorce after the birth of another daughter, Princess Catherine.

King James VI of Scots/I of England died in 1625, and Princess Mary Eleanore of Navarre was proclaimed Queen Mary II. The infant sadly dissappeared, and her mother declared she had died. Prince Charles was declared Charles I of Scots and England. Years later, it was found the Princess was indeed alive, but she died before producing claimants to the British throne.

The Crown Colony of Catalianna was split in 1625, when an influx of French-Protestants in the Panama, causing for the Navarran Reformists to rescind the territory, to maintain control. The lands north of Suriname, and south of the northern border of Panama were given to a group of Huegonot nobles, who named the colony "Carolina" in honor of the King. The next year, Queen Sophia delivered a still born child. King Charles V ruled Navarre from 1619 until 1663. In his time, Navarre focused on the development of their Guyana (and by Guyana, I mean Panama, coastal Columbia and Venzuela, the Guyanas, and norther-coast brazil) colonies. The norm of the era was a large empire. The Kingdom of Navarre did not practice open slavery. Instead, in purchased prisoners of wars from friendly tribes in the Congo, and sent them to work for 7 years, at which time they could either become servants or be set free. The choice of remaining in servitude was most popular, as there were no other jobs for the blacks. None the less, the colonies developed and prosepered wonderously. Princess Catherine, daughter of the Dowager-Princess Eleanore of Wales and Elector Christian William of Brandenbyrg, married Prince Christian of Denmark (TTL made up brother of Frederick III of Denmark) in 1644, and their first child, Prince Phillip, was born in 1650.

King Pillip IV of Navarre died in 1662, and was succeded by his niece, the Princess Catherine, as Queen Catherine III. In 1663, Queen Catherine III declared her 13-year-old son, Prince Phillip, Archduke of Aquitaine, establishing that as the title for the heir-assumptive. The 1664 birth of Princess Jeanne Marie Elisabeth, marked the occassion of the forming of the title "Madame Royal" as the French did. Queen Catherine III approved the Confederation Act of 1666, by which the Colonies of Carolina and Catalianna formed a confederation, bearing the name "The Confederation of Nuevo Navarra." In 1670, a colony, out of the Venezuelan coast, was formed separate from Carolina and Catalianna, as Nuevo Aquitannia. During Catherine III's reign (1662-1670) the Kingdom underwent a conservative revolution. The Episcopate was brought back, and Queen Catherine III declared herself, not only Head of the Church of Navarre, but also "Pontiff of Navarre."

[Condottiero]

There is a problem with the map. Navarre in the XVI only included the parts in France. The medieval kingdom of Navarre included what it is now the "Comunidad Foral de Navarra" and some valleys on the northern side of the Pyrenees. It did not include the Basque Lordships since the XII century when they joined with the Earldom of Castille to form the Kingdom of Castille.
Navarra suffered from the XIV century on a series of dynastical problems that made it depend on the French Crown and acquiring more territories on the northern side.
By the end of the XV century there was an state of civil war between those that preferred to return to a more hispanic policy or those that preferred a policy more oriented to France. Castille and Aragon supported the former and invaded the hispanic part of the kingdom (in fact the first king to claim the title of King of Spain was Sancho "el fuerte" of Navarre), leaving the french side plus some valleys that traditionally were Navarrese but that were deemed as impossible to defend. There was almost no resistance.

Navarre would only include some small territories in France that in the map that you have used are marked in dark grey (I believe).

[Aussey]

Any other comments/critiques???

[ShawnEndresen]

I like the idea. I'm more concerned by events in France than Spain, though. 1) who succeeds Henri IV? 2) do the Huguenots fare better, or expect to fare better, with a Protestant kingdom they can easily shuttle in and out of? 3) after the 30 Year's War, do those same Huguenots head for Navarre rather than Brandenburg/Prussia?

But yeah, we need a PoD a bit further back to explain this rather large version of Navarre.

Not sure if anyone here would know, but...how distinctive is the Navarran dialect at this time? It's technically Spanish, but I seem to recall it had lots of French and apparently Celtic loan-words and relics. Just how mutually intelligible with, say, Castilian is it?

[Wendell]

So, the Basques are subjects of Navarre, and what form would that Protestantism take?

[benedict XVII]

Originally Posted by ShawnEndresen

I like the idea. I'm more concerned by events in France than Spain, though. 1) who succeeds Henri IV?

I assume you mean Henri III. OTL Henri IV was Jeanne d'Albret's son by Antoine de Bourbon, Prince du Sang.

[Aussey]

Originally Posted by Wendell

So, the Basques are subjects of Navarre, and what form would that Protestantism take?

Jeanne d'Albret declared Calvinism...but ITTL, it goes more Norweigan-Lutheran...then in the late 1600s..its restores the Episcopate, and become more Anglican...

Originally Posted by benedict XVII

I assume you mean Henri III. OTL Henri IV was Jeanne d'Albret's son by Antoine de Bourbon, Prince du Sang.

Yes, and ITTL, Jeanne d'Albret has a child by John III of Cleves (In OTL, her first husband was John's son...William)

[Wendell]

Originally Posted by Aussey

Jeanne d'Albret declared Calvinism...but ITTL, it goes more Norweigan-Lutheran...then in the late 1600s..its restores the Episcopate, and become more Anglican...



Yes, and ITTL, Jeanne d'Albret has a child by John III of Cleves (In OTL, her first husband was John's son...William)

I was thinking that the Church of Navarre could eventually merge with the United Church of Ultrecht, and/or the Anglican communion, to which Ultrecht is currently a part.

[benedict XVII]

Originally Posted by Aussey

Yes, and ITTL, Jeanne d'Albret has a child by John III of Cleves (In OTL, her first husband was John's son...William)

Who does Antoine de Bourbon marry then? Does he father a son? Pretty important, as I think he is the last survivor of the Bourbon line, maybe with his brother. Would need to check.

If the Bourbon become extinct, the crown of France would in theory go to the Courtenay, who descended from Louis VI, and had been one of the Latin dynasties of Constantinople. But you can expect the Guise to put a real fight for it.

[Aussey]

Originally Posted by benedict XVII

Who does Antoine de Bourbon marry then? Does he father a son? Pretty important, as I think he is the last survivor of the Bourbon line, maybe with his brother. Would need to check.

If the Bourbon become extinct, the crown of France would in theory go to the Courtenay, who descended from Louis VI, and had been one of the Latin dynasties of Constantinople. But you can expect the Guise to put a real fight for it.

I was thinking of having Francis, Duke of Guise (uncle of Mary, Queen of Scots) take the Crow...

[Aussey]

New, Revised TL!!!
------------------------------------
The PoD is a successful war for the Navarrans against Ferdinand II in 1512....

In the year 1535, Jeanne de'Albret, Queen of Navarre, was married to John III, Duke of Cleves. They have one daughter, Catherine, born shortly before John's death in 1539. His son, William, goes on to inherit his father's duchy. The Queen Jeanne continued to rule Navarre. In 1553, Princess Catherine of Navarre was married to John Frederick, Elector of Saxony. The couple proved to be a happy one, and in 1558, Princess Catherine gave birth to a son, dubbed the Prince Philip. The family lived in Saxony, until Queen Jeanne de'Albret's death in 1561, and Catherine assuming the throne as Catherine II. Catherine II continued her mother's Protestant reforms, and the Navarran Reformed Church was formed, based more on Lutheranism than Calvinism. Catherine II followed in the footsteps of her Protestant-counter part, Elizabeth I of England, and was declared "Head of the Church of Navarre."

When the Anglo-Spanish War of 1588 broke out, shortly aftrer Pius V's excommunication of Elizabeth Tudor, the Kingdom of Navarre secretly aided the English navy, and destroyed much of the fleet before it reached the English Channel, were it met the same fate of being flown into the North Sea. At the Treaty of the Two Queens, in 1590, Catherine II bestowed upon herself the title "Her Most Protestant Majesty" and England and Navarre formed the Protestant League, to protect themselves from the Catholic powers. Gustav VI of Sweden joined the league in 1593, and King Christian II of Denamark-Norway. Of course, many German principalitys joined too. Crown Prince Phillip married Princess Anna Konstancja, Daughter of King Sigismund Vasa. Their first chidren, twins, were born in 1595: Prince Charles and Pricess Eleanore.

The Royal Navarran Brasillia Company was formed in 1601, when Navarran merchants and politicians began thinking of a Navarran empire that could rival the Spanish and Portugese. With Navarre's adopted Protestantism, and dynastic ties to the German princes, it had reappeared on the map, not a region between France and Spain. During the French Wars of Religion, the Huegenots fled France (as they have no Navarran king to become their king) into southwestern France. The Navarran and English armies marched into France, liberating the Protestants, with aid from other Protestant League members. The Treaty of Paris of 1607, gave south-eastern France to the Kingdom of Navarre, and gave Catherine II the right to the title "Duchess of Aquatine." With its larger, expanded coast, the Novus Aquatine Company formed in 1610, one year before Catherine II's death, and landed near the Brazillian Island, and kicked out the small number of Portugese troops and settlers in the area. By Queen Catherine II's death on August 27, 1611, the Novus Aquatine Company had expanded into the Guyanas, treating the Natives much as the French had done in North America.

Catherine II was succeded by her 53 year old son, Crown Prince Phillip, as Phillip IV, in 1611. His reign saw the colonization of the Guyanas and Brasillia as the first formal colony of Navarre: The Crown Colony of Catalianna, which was ruled by the Crown, instead of the Novus Aquatine Company. King Phillip named it in honor of his mother, Catherine II. Phillip IV died in 1619, and was succeded by his son, the 24 year old, bachelor prince Charles, and King Charles V. King Charles married Princess Sophia Stuart, daughter of King James VI of Scots/I of England (ITTL, not dead in 1606.) King Charles married his sister, Princess Eleanore, to his wife's brother, Prince Henry of Wales, in 1621. A daughter, Princess Mary Eleanore, was born, before Prince Henry died in 1624, and Princess Eleanore of Navarre returned to Pamplona as "Dowager Princess of Wales." She married Christian William, Elector of Brandenburg, in 1630. The marriage ended in divorce after the birth of another daughter, Princess Catherine.

King James VI of Scots/I of England died in 1625, and Princess Mary Eleanore of Navarre was proclaimed Queen Mary II. The infant sadly dissappeared, and her mother declared she had died. Prince Charles was declared Charles I of Scots and England. Years later, it was found the Princess was indeed alive, but she died before producing claimants to the British throne.

The Crown Colony of Catalianna was split in 1625, when an influx of French-Protestants in the Panama, causing for the Navarran Reformists to rescind the territory, to maintain control. The lands north of Suriname, and south of the northern border of Panama were given to a group of Huegonot nobles, who named the colony "Carolina" in honor of the King. The next year, Queen Sophia delivered a still born child. King Charles V ruled Navarre from 1619 until 1663. In his time, Navarre focused on the development of their Guyana (and by Guyana, I mean Panama, coastal Columbia and Venzuela, the Guyanas, and norther-coast brazil) colonies. The norm of the era was a large empire. The Kingdom of Navarre did not practice open slavery. Instead, in purchased prisoners of wars from friendly tribes in the Congo, and sent them to work for 7 years, at which time they could either become servants or be set free. The choice of remaining in servitude was most popular, as there were no other jobs for the blacks. None the less, the colonies developed and prosepered wonderously. Princess Catherine, daughter of the Dowager-Princess Eleanore of Wales and Elector Christian William of Brandenbyrg, married Prince Christian of Denmark (TTL made up brother of Frederick III of Denmark) in 1644, and their first child, Prince Phillip, was born in 1650.

King Charles V of Navarre died in 1662, and was succeded by his niece, the Princess Catherine, as Queen Catherine III. In 1663, Queen Catherine III declared her 13-year-old son, Prince Phillip, Archduke of Aquitaine, establishing that as the title for the heir-assumptive. The 1664 birth of Princess Jeanne Marie Elisabeth, marked the occassion of the forming of the title "Madame Royal" as the French did. Queen Catherine III approved the Confederation Act of 1666, by which the Colonies of Carolina and Catalianna formed a confederation, bearing the name "The Confederation of Nuevo Navarra." In 1670, a colony, out of the Venezuelan coast, was formed separate from Carolina and Catalianna, as Nuevo Aquitannia. During Catherine III's reign (1662-1670) the Kingdom underwent a conservative revolution. The Episcopate was brought back, and Queen Catherine III declared herself, not only Head of the Church of Navarre, but also "Pontiff of Navarre."

Queen Catherine III's reign lasted from 1662 until 1697. During that time, the Navarran Empire expanded into settlements and posts along the west African coast. A brief war with the Portugese resulted in the taking of the Azores, and the Portugese forts and settlements in Angola. Though the Navarran claim goes up into the Congo, and Cameroon, the only white-Navarran settlements and cities are in Angola. Military posts were built along the Ocean coast. In 1688, the Palace of Angola was finnished in Pamplona Africana, the new capital city, from the former Portugese city/fort of Luanda.

Catherine III was succeded by her 47 year old son, who took the throne as Philip V. During the "Philipine Age" Pamplona became a city full of culture, as South American and Angolan dignitaries and music and dancers were brought to the Royal Court. Philip V married in 1700, to Princess Mary of Orange, daughter of William II, and sister of the future King William III of England (she is made up.) The couple's first child, a son, was born and christened Prince Sancho. Philip V's reign saw the rise of the Navarran Navy, which began even to rival the Dutch. Trad posts were established in India, and Australia by the end of the 17th century, and a brief occupation of Muskat & Oman resulted in the stripping of Palace treasures before leaving the region.

Sancho VIII became king in 1720, the first king of that name since Sancho VII, who's reign lasted from 1194 until 1234. Sancho VIII married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, and became the first Protestant king of Navarre to marry a Catholic Princess. Queen Maria Anna proved to be the de facto ruler of Navarre, and after the couple's first child, Prince Ferdinand, was born in 1725, King Sancho VIII was "mysteriously" murdered, and Maria Anna declared herself "Queen-Regnant of Navarre." The Royal Council, for fear of the Catholic Powers invading if they deposed her, recognized her as Queen, but refused to give her the title "Head of the Church and Pontiff of Navarre." Charles Anthony, Duke of Vasconia, and a distant relative of the Prince Ferdinand, was given the title, and the Council retained the power, thus setting the tradition for the government to actually hold the power of the Navarran Reformed Church.

Maria Anna drew up a document to reform the code of laws. A legislative commission representing all classes except the serfs was created to make this document the law, but she disbanded the commission before it took effect, possibly having turned more conservative after the Pyrennes Uprising of 1730. The Royal Tricolore was established as the new flag, replacing the gold chains on red.

Maria Anna reorganized Navarran provincial administration, granting the government greater control over rural areas because of the Pyrenees revolt. This process reached completion in 1735. The reform created provinces and districts which were more manageable for the government. In 1750, Maria Anna issued a charter that: allowed the gentry to petition the throne as a legal body; and forced the nobles to participate in state service and taxes. In addition, Maria Anna gave plnatations in West Africa to favored nobles. She also encouraged the colonization of the northern areas of West Africa and of conquered areas. Prince Ferdinand, whom many felt was their rightgul ruler, died in 1740 after the birth of his son, Prince Philip. Navarre supported Maria Theresa in the War of Austrian Succession, and was able to hold off French forces.

Her reforms went even further after a failed peasant revolt in 1753 led by Francois Mitterand, an Aquitainian. As a result, Maria Anna the Great instituted several drastic reforms within the Navarran society. First, she established the Free Economic Society (1756) to encourage the modernization of agriculture and industry. Second, she encouraged foreign investment in economically underdeveloped areas. Third, Maria Anna relaxed the censorship law and encouraged education for the nobles and middle class. However, another result of this revolt was to instill in Maria Anna and her court an innate fear and distrust of the Aquitaine and what they might do if given too much autonomy. As a result, many of the laws that tied the Aquitainians ever more firmly to the Royal Court.

Maria Anna's reign ended with her death in 1758, when she was succeded by her grandson, Prince Philip, as Philip VI. He married Princess Theresa of Bavaria, daughter of Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor. Between 1758 and 1760, Philip VI continued the reforms of his grandmother, and shook off the Germanic remnants in Navarre when the Royal House Name was changed from Oldenburg, to Viejaciuda, which took the Spanish words for "old city" and placed with an alternate ending. The House of Viejaciuda became one of the longest reining houses. In 1760, a son, Crown Prince Philip, was born. Three weeks later, King Philip VI was assasinated by an Aquitainian. His infant son, Crown Prince Philip, was declared His Majesty Philip the Seventh, By the Grace of God, King of Navarre, King of Pamplona, Duke of Aquitaine, Count of Champagne, Count of Évreux, Royal President of the Confederation of Nueva Navarra, and Overlord of the Congo. Two women came foward to compete as Regent: Queen Theresa, the infants mother, and Princess Johanna, the infants aunt. Princess Johanna, Duchess of Gascony, was decided upon as Regent because of her relation to the King Philip VI, Prince Ferdinand, and Queen Maria Anna.

[Condottiero]

Originally Posted by ShawnEndresen

I like the idea. I'm more concerned by events in France than Spain, though. 1) who succeeds Henri IV? 2) do the Huguenots fare better, or expect to fare better, with a Protestant kingdom they can easily shuttle in and out of? 3) after the 30 Year's War, do those same Huguenots head for Navarre rather than Brandenburg/Prussia?

But yeah, we need a PoD a bit further back to explain this rather large version of Navarre.

Not sure if anyone here would know, but...how distinctive is the Navarran dialect at this time? It's technically Spanish, but I seem to recall it had lots of French and apparently Celtic loan-words and relics. Just how mutually intelligible with, say, Castilian is it?

They spoke the same spanish, there was no difference.

Originally Posted by Wendell

So, the Basques are subjects of Navarre, and what form would that Protestantism take?

They were proud subjects of Castille, in fact they cooperated in their creation as independent kingdom as a mean of defending themselves against Navarre and Leon. They had economic and social privileges.

Originally Posted by Wendell

I was thinking that the Church of Navarre could eventually merge with the United Church of Ultrecht, and/or the Anglican communion, to which Ultrecht is currently a part.

Basques and Navarrese (of the spanish side) were fierce catholics (San Francisco Javier was navarrese), you would need another POD to make them accept reformation...

Originally Posted by Aussey

The PoD is a successful war for the Navarrans against Ferdinand II in 1512....

This is difficult. The most densely populated areas in Navarre do not have any natural defense against armies advancing from Castille or Aragon. While support from France would be hindered by the Pyrennees. Most of the population (on the spanish side) favoured the claims of Fernando who was part Navarrese.

It is interesting anyway, please continue.

[Galbatorix]

Originally Posted by Aussey

New, Revised TL!!!
------------------------------------
The PoD is a successful war for the Navarrans against Ferdinand II in 1512....

navarra has virtually no army in those years. they could not have fought back fernando's army that had a terrible experience after the wars in granada and in italy. in italy the gran capitan gonzalo fernandez de cordoba wiped the ground several times with numerical superiro french armyes. so the french had not either much oportunities.

the only posibility for your navarra is being ocupied by france during the war of the comuneros in 1521 when the french invaded spain (and were defeated again) or as a consecuence of another war (?a french victory in PAvia?). however even in that case the french would have used navarra as the price for geting italy. they knew it was imposible to defend as it was on the wrong side of the pirenees. for them italy it was more attractive and easy to defend.

a victory of navarra in 1512 is imposible without ASBs.

[Condottiero]

Originally Posted by Galbatorix

navarra has virtually no army in those years. they could not have fought back fernando's army that had a terrible experience after the wars in granada and in italy. in italy the gran capitan gonzalo fernandez de cordoba wiped the ground several times with numerical superiro french armyes. so the french had not either much oportunities.

the only posibility for your navarra is being ocupied by france during the war of the comuneros in 1521 when the french invaded spain (and were defeated again) or as a consecuence of another war (?a french victory in PAvia?). however even in that case the french would have used navarra as the price for geting italy. they knew it was imposible to defend as it was on the wrong side of the pirenees. for them italy it was more attractive and easy to defend.

a victory of navarra in 1512 is imposible without ASBs.

Maybe the idea of Pavia is better, probably if more spanish forces were commited to the defense of the Duchy of Milan and they were abandoned by the german mercenaries, that could lead to a defeat that would make France go on the offensive against hispanic Habsburg. However I agree that they would change advantages on Navarre for advantages in Italy. Why? Richer territories, easier to defend against Spain and a possible support from the Pope. If you put the POD in 1512 you have to get rid of the Pope's support for Fernando's cause.

[Michael Canaris]

Originally Posted by Condottiero

However I agree that they would change advantages on Navarre for advantages in Italy. Why? Richer territories, easier to defend against Spain and a possible support from the Pope. If you put the POD in 1512 you have to get rid of the Pope's support for Fernando's cause.

Surely percieved encirclement of the Patrimony would incline the Pope against France?

[benedict XVII]

Originally Posted by Aussey

I was thinking of having Francis, Duke of Guise (uncle of Mary, Queen of Scots) take the Crow...

Then expect a civil war against the Condés. They were Princes du Sang, the line bein founded by Louis de Bourbon-Condé, brother of Antoine de Bourbon, OTL father of King Henry IV. Note the Condés were protestant as well, so you could have a civil war pretty similar to OTL.

[Condottiero]

Originally Posted by Michael Canaris

Surely percieved encirclement of the Patrimony would incline the Pope against France?

Julio II feared encirclement when the french took control of Naples. The victory of the army of Gonzalo de Córdoba over the french was welcomed by him as he was no longer surrounded by one power. He still had the french in the north of Italy, but the Spaniards in Naples could counter that (and vice-versa). As a token of gratitude he supported Fernando's claims over Navarra by excomunicating the pro-french candidate and giving the crown to Fernando.

Later on the Popes (after Adrian of Utrech) felt themselves threatened and surrounded by the spanish crown and give their support to the french king. A french advance in Italy (as long as they did not advance to Naples) would be welcome by the Holy See as balance would be kept.

[Aussey]

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