TLIHLIWOIUIGU - The Royals
- Thread starter Emperor Charles V
- Start date
Yeah, I guess that could work.
I see it now. I always thought tennis was a French sport in the 16th century.
ARTHUR II
King of England and Lord/King of Ireland
1528-1565
PART III
In 1547, King Francis suddenly died and was replaced by his young and inexperienced son Henry II. Henry continued his father’s policies of religious tolerance and his alliance with the Turks thus angering many Catholics who thought a new younger monarch would give a refreshing new start to the country instead of continuing the same unpopular policies as his father. Henry II on the throne gave Arthur an idea he never had before. Instead of waging a war and reconquering certain parts of France for England piece by piece, Arthur instead would get the whole of France under his control by overthrowing King Henry and inserting a new king on the throne that would be loyal to him, and as a result, France would therefore be more or less an English puppet state.
However this plan was much easier said than done. One of its most obvious problems was that there was the question of who this new instated French king would be. Arthur wanted someone he could manipulate, preferably someone related to him, but also someone with somewhat of a claim to the throne. Arthur first considered picking his uncle Henry, the Duke of York, a prominent member of the clergy who since the death of William Warham in 1527 has served as the Archbishop of Canterbury and in 1533 was made a cardinal by the Pope giving him the title “Cardinal-Duke of York.” However Henry then in his mid-50’s was not interested in becoming king as he did not want to leave his position of Archbishop of Canterbury and wanted instead to be elected as Pope in the near future having already picked out the name “Adrian VII” if he was elected.
With the Cardinal-Duke of York out of question there were not that many other people that fit the bill. Arthur II at the point had four sons. The eldest Arthur, the Prince of Wales, the heir to the English throne, was twenty-four at the time and was specifically avoided for consideration to avoid an Anglo-French personal union which the French would have disliked even more than their unpopular king Henry II. The next oldest Stephen, the Duke of Gloucester was twenty years of age and addition to his young age, his status as a “spare” (meaning he would become the heir to the throne if the Prince of Wales died prematurely) and therefore the possibility of an Anglo-French personal union forming if he was picked put him out of question. His two other sons were still teenagers and therefore considered way too young to rule. Arthur’s nephew Philip, the Prince of Asturias, the only son of his sister Mary and Emperor Charles V was also briefly considered. However, he too was disregarded as he was both the heir to the throne of Spain and the only Habsburg heir (the Emperor’s brother Ferdinand had accidently drowned in 1520) and likely to be elected Holy Roman Emperor upon his father’s death, and putting him on the throne of France would be very unwelcome for the French people who valued their independence.
So, in order for his plan to work, there was only one person Arthur could pick… his brother, Henry, the Duke of Clarence. Henry seemed to fit perfectly: he was in his late thirties at the time, an accomplished soldier and a descendant of the direct Capetian French King Philip IV of France on both his parents’ sides (Philip being the maternal grandfather of Edward III, an ancestor of both Arthur I and Catherine of Aragon) giving him somewhat of a claim to the French throne. Also going in Henry’s favor was the fact that he was the brother-in-law of James V of Scotland (and also his cousin) being the husband of his sister Elizabeth. Scotland was angered with France for breaking their Auld Alliance and staying neutral during the Great Northern War, and as a result, James V was eager to support this brother-in-law in his attempt to overthrow the French king. Henry also had a son and three daughters and therefore had an heir to the French throne if his installation was successful. On the other hand, Henry was also an alcoholic, a notorious womanizer and to some accounts mentally unstable reported to have frequent and loud outbursts.
However, Arthur did not want anything to get in the way of his master plan to make France a puppet state of England. In June 1548, he gathered his brother and thousands of English troops (along with thousands more troops sent by Emperor Charles V) and stormed Paris. There he announced his intention to overthrow Henry II and instate his brother on the French throne. Many French citizens who were dismayed and felt betrayed by their king opted to join Arthur and saw the overthrow of Henry II more of liberation than a conquest. This delighted Arthur as this was what he wanted the French people to believe. He also promised the French that if they helped him and he was successful, he would return all the English land in continental Europe save Calais to them. However, this really meant nothing as if his brother Henry became King of France, Arthur would really rule the country through him so in theory, he would still “keep” these territories.
On June 15, 1548, Arthur, his brother Henry and their army, many of their soldiers French invaded the Royal Palace when the French King was asleep, and successfully captured the king, his wife Catherine, children and servants. Arthur’s brother took the now deposed French king’s crown and placed it on his head declaring himself the new King of France. Fearing that the deposed king and queen were scheming to regain power from prison, associates of Arthur and his brother had them tried for treason and for “fooling the people of France”. Their young children were not also tried but instead sent away in exile to Wales under close supervision for the rest of their lives. The former Henry II and his wife were both convicted even though there was very weak evidence against them, and subsequently beheaded. On the same day Henry II of France lost his head, Arthur’s brother Henry was also formally coronated as King Henry III, the first Tudor king of France, and the first non-Capetian king in over 500 years.
With his plan to place a puppet monarch on the throne of France a success, Arthur II became regarded as one of the most powerful men of his time. France which not long before was the most powerful nation in Europe was now in all but name a dominion of England which was not long before dismissed as a tiny backwater nation. Following the installation of Henry III as King of France, applause erupted through England and the king’s popularity soared as people saw this event as redemption for the English loss to France in the Hundred Year’s War and justice was served as France now had an English king.
Arthur followed through with his promise to the French people and reluctantly gave all English territory in mainland Europe except for the City of Calais to his brother. Arthur did want to keep these territories but feared that if he broke his promise, his brother would be deposed, and possibly replaced by one of the exiled young children of Henry II.
However, Arthur’s moment of victory was short-lived when in 1549, Isabella, his wife of almost three decades fell terminally ill. When she passed away shortly thereafter, Arthur was heartbroken and dressed exclusively and black for the rest of his life.
The last fifteen years of Arthur’s reign were largely uneventful. In 1551, he married a second time, for love, to the young noblewoman Lady Mary Howard. Mary who came from a prominent aristocratic family was nineteen years old at the time of the wedding, twenty-eight years the junior of King Arthur who was forty-seven. Arthur had three more children by Mary which combined with his six children from his first wife gave him a total of nine children who survived to adulthood.
Arthur’s main action in the last few years of the reign was to build up the royal treasury, taking after his grandfather Henry VII. The King wanted to make sure the country would not go bankrupt if another war was to break up which based on the political tensions of the European nations at the time, was inevitable at some point in the near future.
Arthur died at age 61 in 1565 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Arthur, the Prince of Wales, who at age 42 was crowned Arthur III of England.
Arthur II would be remembered generally positively following his death and mostly for his impossible-seeming victory in France, earned the posthumous title “Arthur the Great.” Since Alfred, the medieval King of Wessex, Arthur was the first English King to receive the title, although many modern historians state that he was not “great” at all pointing to his burning of thousands of Hennessians and the overthrow and beheading of the king and queen of France for no reason other than to gain personal power.
Fun Facts:
- People in England say “King Arthur,” they are probably referring to Arthur II since he is the greatest and most well-known king by that name. The legendary King Arthur is referred to as either “Arthur of Camelot” (or informally “Arthur Camelot”) or less commonly as “Arthur Pendragon.”
- During the last few years in his reign, Arthur learned how to be a sailor which according to him was the job he wanted if he was not born to be king.
King of England and Lord/King of Ireland
1528-1565
PART III
In 1547, King Francis suddenly died and was replaced by his young and inexperienced son Henry II. Henry continued his father’s policies of religious tolerance and his alliance with the Turks thus angering many Catholics who thought a new younger monarch would give a refreshing new start to the country instead of continuing the same unpopular policies as his father. Henry II on the throne gave Arthur an idea he never had before. Instead of waging a war and reconquering certain parts of France for England piece by piece, Arthur instead would get the whole of France under his control by overthrowing King Henry and inserting a new king on the throne that would be loyal to him, and as a result, France would therefore be more or less an English puppet state.
However this plan was much easier said than done. One of its most obvious problems was that there was the question of who this new instated French king would be. Arthur wanted someone he could manipulate, preferably someone related to him, but also someone with somewhat of a claim to the throne. Arthur first considered picking his uncle Henry, the Duke of York, a prominent member of the clergy who since the death of William Warham in 1527 has served as the Archbishop of Canterbury and in 1533 was made a cardinal by the Pope giving him the title “Cardinal-Duke of York.” However Henry then in his mid-50’s was not interested in becoming king as he did not want to leave his position of Archbishop of Canterbury and wanted instead to be elected as Pope in the near future having already picked out the name “Adrian VII” if he was elected.
With the Cardinal-Duke of York out of question there were not that many other people that fit the bill. Arthur II at the point had four sons. The eldest Arthur, the Prince of Wales, the heir to the English throne, was twenty-four at the time and was specifically avoided for consideration to avoid an Anglo-French personal union which the French would have disliked even more than their unpopular king Henry II. The next oldest Stephen, the Duke of Gloucester was twenty years of age and addition to his young age, his status as a “spare” (meaning he would become the heir to the throne if the Prince of Wales died prematurely) and therefore the possibility of an Anglo-French personal union forming if he was picked put him out of question. His two other sons were still teenagers and therefore considered way too young to rule. Arthur’s nephew Philip, the Prince of Asturias, the only son of his sister Mary and Emperor Charles V was also briefly considered. However, he too was disregarded as he was both the heir to the throne of Spain and the only Habsburg heir (the Emperor’s brother Ferdinand had accidently drowned in 1520) and likely to be elected Holy Roman Emperor upon his father’s death, and putting him on the throne of France would be very unwelcome for the French people who valued their independence.
So, in order for his plan to work, there was only one person Arthur could pick… his brother, Henry, the Duke of Clarence. Henry seemed to fit perfectly: he was in his late thirties at the time, an accomplished soldier and a descendant of the direct Capetian French King Philip IV of France on both his parents’ sides (Philip being the maternal grandfather of Edward III, an ancestor of both Arthur I and Catherine of Aragon) giving him somewhat of a claim to the French throne. Also going in Henry’s favor was the fact that he was the brother-in-law of James V of Scotland (and also his cousin) being the husband of his sister Elizabeth. Scotland was angered with France for breaking their Auld Alliance and staying neutral during the Great Northern War, and as a result, James V was eager to support this brother-in-law in his attempt to overthrow the French king. Henry also had a son and three daughters and therefore had an heir to the French throne if his installation was successful. On the other hand, Henry was also an alcoholic, a notorious womanizer and to some accounts mentally unstable reported to have frequent and loud outbursts.
However, Arthur did not want anything to get in the way of his master plan to make France a puppet state of England. In June 1548, he gathered his brother and thousands of English troops (along with thousands more troops sent by Emperor Charles V) and stormed Paris. There he announced his intention to overthrow Henry II and instate his brother on the French throne. Many French citizens who were dismayed and felt betrayed by their king opted to join Arthur and saw the overthrow of Henry II more of liberation than a conquest. This delighted Arthur as this was what he wanted the French people to believe. He also promised the French that if they helped him and he was successful, he would return all the English land in continental Europe save Calais to them. However, this really meant nothing as if his brother Henry became King of France, Arthur would really rule the country through him so in theory, he would still “keep” these territories.
On June 15, 1548, Arthur, his brother Henry and their army, many of their soldiers French invaded the Royal Palace when the French King was asleep, and successfully captured the king, his wife Catherine, children and servants. Arthur’s brother took the now deposed French king’s crown and placed it on his head declaring himself the new King of France. Fearing that the deposed king and queen were scheming to regain power from prison, associates of Arthur and his brother had them tried for treason and for “fooling the people of France”. Their young children were not also tried but instead sent away in exile to Wales under close supervision for the rest of their lives. The former Henry II and his wife were both convicted even though there was very weak evidence against them, and subsequently beheaded. On the same day Henry II of France lost his head, Arthur’s brother Henry was also formally coronated as King Henry III, the first Tudor king of France, and the first non-Capetian king in over 500 years.
With his plan to place a puppet monarch on the throne of France a success, Arthur II became regarded as one of the most powerful men of his time. France which not long before was the most powerful nation in Europe was now in all but name a dominion of England which was not long before dismissed as a tiny backwater nation. Following the installation of Henry III as King of France, applause erupted through England and the king’s popularity soared as people saw this event as redemption for the English loss to France in the Hundred Year’s War and justice was served as France now had an English king.
Arthur followed through with his promise to the French people and reluctantly gave all English territory in mainland Europe except for the City of Calais to his brother. Arthur did want to keep these territories but feared that if he broke his promise, his brother would be deposed, and possibly replaced by one of the exiled young children of Henry II.
However, Arthur’s moment of victory was short-lived when in 1549, Isabella, his wife of almost three decades fell terminally ill. When she passed away shortly thereafter, Arthur was heartbroken and dressed exclusively and black for the rest of his life.
The last fifteen years of Arthur’s reign were largely uneventful. In 1551, he married a second time, for love, to the young noblewoman Lady Mary Howard. Mary who came from a prominent aristocratic family was nineteen years old at the time of the wedding, twenty-eight years the junior of King Arthur who was forty-seven. Arthur had three more children by Mary which combined with his six children from his first wife gave him a total of nine children who survived to adulthood.
Arthur’s main action in the last few years of the reign was to build up the royal treasury, taking after his grandfather Henry VII. The King wanted to make sure the country would not go bankrupt if another war was to break up which based on the political tensions of the European nations at the time, was inevitable at some point in the near future.
Arthur died at age 61 in 1565 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Arthur, the Prince of Wales, who at age 42 was crowned Arthur III of England.
Arthur II would be remembered generally positively following his death and mostly for his impossible-seeming victory in France, earned the posthumous title “Arthur the Great.” Since Alfred, the medieval King of Wessex, Arthur was the first English King to receive the title, although many modern historians state that he was not “great” at all pointing to his burning of thousands of Hennessians and the overthrow and beheading of the king and queen of France for no reason other than to gain personal power.
Fun Facts:
- People in England say “King Arthur,” they are probably referring to Arthur II since he is the greatest and most well-known king by that name. The legendary King Arthur is referred to as either “Arthur of Camelot” (or informally “Arthur Camelot”) or less commonly as “Arthur Pendragon.”
- During the last few years in his reign, Arthur learned how to be a sailor which according to him was the job he wanted if he was not born to be king.
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Very good Part III to Arthur II. Looking forward to seeing if Arthur III will be as good a King as his father.
Very interesting, ECV and well written, I am beginning to love this layout more and more 
The only tiny fault, I see is more of a personality one, rather then factual which is regarding:
If King Arthur II is heartbroken by the death of his beloved wife of nearly 30 years, Queen Isabella.
Why is he marrying a 19 year old woman?
He does not need heir and spare, as he already has four sons and two daughters.
And falling in love with someone, nearly two years after the death of your soul mate is pretty hard as well.
But as I said, nothing major, just feels like a oxymoron to me.
The only tiny fault, I see is more of a personality one, rather then factual which is regarding:
If King Arthur II is heartbroken by the death of his beloved wife of nearly 30 years, Queen Isabella.
Why is he marrying a 19 year old woman?
He does not need heir and spare, as he already has four sons and two daughters.
And falling in love with someone, nearly two years after the death of your soul mate is pretty hard as well.
But as I said, nothing major, just feels like a oxymoron to me.
Well three things really explain this:
1. Men are pigs, especially sixteenth century kings.
2. Women were unfortunately viewed as not much more than possessions back then.
3. The concept of "love" back then was not the same as today.
Putting those three things together, Arthur gave himself two years and decided then it was time to move on with a new wife, so he married Mary Howard. Also, his marriage to Isabella though he did love her was arranged and he wanted to pick his own wife this time. Sounds sick, right? Well that was simply how it worked back then, especially for the upper class. I guess the one thing the peasants had better.
Arthur III update to come shortly.
ARTHUR III
King of England and Ireland
1565-1567
Born: February 23, 1523 in London, England
Reign Began: April 9, 1565 (age 42)
Died: October 17, 1567 in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tunis, Spanish North Africa (age 44)
Royal House: House of Tudor
Parents:
Arthur II of England
Isabella of Portugal
Spouse:
Christina of Denmark (1540-1567, his death)
Children:
by Christina of Denmark
Isabella (b. 1542) only child to survive to adulthood
Arthur (b. 1546) died in infancy
and others who died in infancy
Illegitimate
Emma (b. 1556) by Audrey Donaldson
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Arthur III would reign for just thirty months which at the time was the shortest of any crowned monarch since the Norman Conquest (Edward V had a much shorter reign than him but was never crowned). At age 42, he also broke another record being the oldest king at his ascension to the throne, following the Norman conquest.
Arthur's early life was a mirror image of that of his father. Like Arthur II, he was born in the midst of the reign of his grandfather to teenage parents and was both the eldest son and child of the Prince of Wales and raised for the throne from birth. Arthur like his father was also raised primarily by his grandmother, Catherine of Aragon who taught him to be a devoted Catholic.
Also, like his father and his grandfather, the future Arthur III was betrothed to a foreign princess in early childhood. This woman was Christina of Denmark, the younger daughter of the King Christian II of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Arthur II's good friend and longtime ally whom he helped create the Catholic Nordic Union of the three nations during the Great Northern War. Christina's mother was Isabella, the sister of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and a cousin of Arthur II. Following in the footsteps the previous two Arthurs, Arthur then the Prince of Wales married Christina in 1540 when they were both still teenagers.
During her marriage to Arthur, Christina became pregnant many times but all of her children except for two did not live for more than a couple of days. One of these two children was named Arthur after his father and upon his christening was granted the title "Duke of Lancaster," traditionally given to the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. For his entire life, Arthur was the second in line to the English throne after his father, many people at court affectionately referring to the infant as "Arthur IV." However, little Prince Arthur tragically died after living for only eight months sending his parents into heartbreak.
The Duke of Gloucester's death in infancy caused the elder Prince Arthur's then four-year-old daughter Princess Isabella of Wales, to become second in line to the English throne after her father. Isabella was the future Arthur III's only legitimate child to survive to adulthood. Arthur also had at least one surviving illegitimate daughter, Emma FitzArthur, who was born much later to his mistress Audrey Donaldson whom not much is known besides her name. Isabella who was named for both of her grandmothers was a beautiful and charming princess and the apple of her father's eye. Due to his constant mistreatment of her and affairs with his many mistresses, Arthur became estranged from his wife Christina so Isabella was the only woman he really had in his life so to speak.
Arthur, was very protective of his young daughter and was initially reluctant to marry her off. When Isabella reached her majority, Arthur was approached by the Lord Privy Council for not betrothing her to anyone. The Prince of Wales was then in his mid-thirties, and his father, the elderly King Arthur II on the last leg of his life, and eventually relented to the council's orders as Isabella was his only heir and he wanted her to have many children so his descendants would rule England, despite the fact that there were many other living members of the Tudor Dynasty. He then promptly had his daughter betrothed to Dom John of Portugal, in part to strengthen the Anglo-Portuguese alliance. John who was 24 at the time of his marriage to the 19-year-old Isabella was the younger brother of King Manuel II and the second surviving son of the late King John III.
Isabella became pregnant shortly after her marriage to John to the delight of her father. However, tragedy would shortly strike. Isabella gave birth prematurely to a baby girl who was named Maria Christina and died in childbirth just a few hours later at the age of twenty. Her infant daughter was very sickly and although doctors attempted to cure her, she died herself after living for only a week. In an unexpected twist of fate, King Manuel along with his wife and three children would be killed in a tragic fire just two years later allowing his brother, Isabella's widower John to ascend to the throne of Portugal as John IV.
Arthur was extremely saddened by the loss of his daughter and newborn granddaughter. According to accounts of the Prince of Wales, he drank heavily and took up gambling in order to cope with his grief. He was also reported to be suicidal at times and was allegedly saved by his fool in an attempt to hang himself with his sheets.
Arthur finally became king when his father died in 1565. His two-and-a-half years on the throne were unremarkable, as only significant domestic events that happened during his reign was the passage by parliament of a significant land tax increase and the subsequent peasant's revolt of 1566 which was quickly put down by nobles commissioned by the King.
In 1563 when Arthur II was still on the English throne, the aging Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain Charles V declared war on the Ottoman Empire after Turkish Barbary Pirates operating from Algiers had ransacked the north African city of Sfax which at the point was a Spanish territory. Charles then deployed many thousands of troops to protect Sfax and Tunis, the two largest Spanish cities in Africa, and then launched a campaign to the west to capture other North African lands from the Ottomans. Charles was aided by almost every other European ruler, especially the Tudor brothers Arthur II of England and Henry III of France, who saw the reconquest of Ottoman north African lands for Christendom as a "crusade," though one was not formally declared by the Pope. The First Ottoman-Spanish War eventually ended in a Spanish victory in 1564 with Spain successfully reconquering Algiers and surrounding lands.
However just two years later in 1566, the Ottomans aided by their Barbary Pirates launched a surprise attack on Algiers and retook the city from the Spanish. This enraged Charles and the Second Ottoman-Spanish war began . Arthur III surprised his court and subjects alike by volunteering to personally assist the Emperor by going to North Africa to fight himself instead of just sending troops like his father did before him. Arthur was himself an accomplished soldier having helped his father install his uncle on the French throne so was in many ways suitable for the job. However, based on a letter Arthur wrote to one of his mistresses before embarking on the journey, he planned never to return and in other words intended to embark on a suicide mission.
Arthur personally led a battalion of thousands of Spanish, Imperial, English, French and Portuguese soldiers along with the Emperor to reclaim Algiers. The mission was a success and on October 13, 1567, the Ottomans were defeated and the city fell to the Spanish another time.
However, Arthur became sick with consumption during this successful campaign in North Africa. He died on the voyage back to England four days after the Siege of Tunis ending his two-and-a-half year reign.
In contrast with his father, Arthur III was viewed generally negatively by historians, as depressed suicidal drunkard. However, quite a few people believe his reign though very short and uneventful was effective as he maintained order in the country with his quick response to the peasant's revolt and played a large part in the European victory at Algiers. Almost almost all historians seem to agree that his brief reign was a transitional period between the Arturian Era (defined by the reigns of Arthur I and II though Arthur III's reign is sometimes included) and the Stephanic Period, named for his brother and successor, that would follow.
Fun Facts:
- Arthur III was the first English king to set foot in the Americas as he made a voyage to the Spanish colony of Cuba in 1555 when he was still Prince of Wales.
- Arthur was known to have numbered his mistresses referring to them as such in his letters, possibly in an affectionate way. He addressed his famous letter where he stated the voyage to Africa to be a suicide mission as "Madam XXIII," which historians have interpreted to mean that she was likely his twenty-third mistress (or twenty-second if his estranged wife was included in the count).
King of England and Ireland
1565-1567
Born: February 23, 1523 in London, England
Reign Began: April 9, 1565 (age 42)
Died: October 17, 1567 in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tunis, Spanish North Africa (age 44)
Royal House: House of Tudor
Parents:
Arthur II of England
Isabella of Portugal
Spouse:
Christina of Denmark (1540-1567, his death)
Children:
by Christina of Denmark
Isabella (b. 1542) only child to survive to adulthood
Arthur (b. 1546) died in infancy
and others who died in infancy
Illegitimate
Emma (b. 1556) by Audrey Donaldson
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Arthur III would reign for just thirty months which at the time was the shortest of any crowned monarch since the Norman Conquest (Edward V had a much shorter reign than him but was never crowned). At age 42, he also broke another record being the oldest king at his ascension to the throne, following the Norman conquest.
Arthur's early life was a mirror image of that of his father. Like Arthur II, he was born in the midst of the reign of his grandfather to teenage parents and was both the eldest son and child of the Prince of Wales and raised for the throne from birth. Arthur like his father was also raised primarily by his grandmother, Catherine of Aragon who taught him to be a devoted Catholic.
Also, like his father and his grandfather, the future Arthur III was betrothed to a foreign princess in early childhood. This woman was Christina of Denmark, the younger daughter of the King Christian II of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Arthur II's good friend and longtime ally whom he helped create the Catholic Nordic Union of the three nations during the Great Northern War. Christina's mother was Isabella, the sister of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and a cousin of Arthur II. Following in the footsteps the previous two Arthurs, Arthur then the Prince of Wales married Christina in 1540 when they were both still teenagers.
During her marriage to Arthur, Christina became pregnant many times but all of her children except for two did not live for more than a couple of days. One of these two children was named Arthur after his father and upon his christening was granted the title "Duke of Lancaster," traditionally given to the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. For his entire life, Arthur was the second in line to the English throne after his father, many people at court affectionately referring to the infant as "Arthur IV." However, little Prince Arthur tragically died after living for only eight months sending his parents into heartbreak.
The Duke of Gloucester's death in infancy caused the elder Prince Arthur's then four-year-old daughter Princess Isabella of Wales, to become second in line to the English throne after her father. Isabella was the future Arthur III's only legitimate child to survive to adulthood. Arthur also had at least one surviving illegitimate daughter, Emma FitzArthur, who was born much later to his mistress Audrey Donaldson whom not much is known besides her name. Isabella who was named for both of her grandmothers was a beautiful and charming princess and the apple of her father's eye. Due to his constant mistreatment of her and affairs with his many mistresses, Arthur became estranged from his wife Christina so Isabella was the only woman he really had in his life so to speak.
Arthur, was very protective of his young daughter and was initially reluctant to marry her off. When Isabella reached her majority, Arthur was approached by the Lord Privy Council for not betrothing her to anyone. The Prince of Wales was then in his mid-thirties, and his father, the elderly King Arthur II on the last leg of his life, and eventually relented to the council's orders as Isabella was his only heir and he wanted her to have many children so his descendants would rule England, despite the fact that there were many other living members of the Tudor Dynasty. He then promptly had his daughter betrothed to Dom John of Portugal, in part to strengthen the Anglo-Portuguese alliance. John who was 24 at the time of his marriage to the 19-year-old Isabella was the younger brother of King Manuel II and the second surviving son of the late King John III.
Isabella became pregnant shortly after her marriage to John to the delight of her father. However, tragedy would shortly strike. Isabella gave birth prematurely to a baby girl who was named Maria Christina and died in childbirth just a few hours later at the age of twenty. Her infant daughter was very sickly and although doctors attempted to cure her, she died herself after living for only a week. In an unexpected twist of fate, King Manuel along with his wife and three children would be killed in a tragic fire just two years later allowing his brother, Isabella's widower John to ascend to the throne of Portugal as John IV.
Arthur was extremely saddened by the loss of his daughter and newborn granddaughter. According to accounts of the Prince of Wales, he drank heavily and took up gambling in order to cope with his grief. He was also reported to be suicidal at times and was allegedly saved by his fool in an attempt to hang himself with his sheets.
Arthur finally became king when his father died in 1565. His two-and-a-half years on the throne were unremarkable, as only significant domestic events that happened during his reign was the passage by parliament of a significant land tax increase and the subsequent peasant's revolt of 1566 which was quickly put down by nobles commissioned by the King.
In 1563 when Arthur II was still on the English throne, the aging Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain Charles V declared war on the Ottoman Empire after Turkish Barbary Pirates operating from Algiers had ransacked the north African city of Sfax which at the point was a Spanish territory. Charles then deployed many thousands of troops to protect Sfax and Tunis, the two largest Spanish cities in Africa, and then launched a campaign to the west to capture other North African lands from the Ottomans. Charles was aided by almost every other European ruler, especially the Tudor brothers Arthur II of England and Henry III of France, who saw the reconquest of Ottoman north African lands for Christendom as a "crusade," though one was not formally declared by the Pope. The First Ottoman-Spanish War eventually ended in a Spanish victory in 1564 with Spain successfully reconquering Algiers and surrounding lands.
However just two years later in 1566, the Ottomans aided by their Barbary Pirates launched a surprise attack on Algiers and retook the city from the Spanish. This enraged Charles and the Second Ottoman-Spanish war began . Arthur III surprised his court and subjects alike by volunteering to personally assist the Emperor by going to North Africa to fight himself instead of just sending troops like his father did before him. Arthur was himself an accomplished soldier having helped his father install his uncle on the French throne so was in many ways suitable for the job. However, based on a letter Arthur wrote to one of his mistresses before embarking on the journey, he planned never to return and in other words intended to embark on a suicide mission.
Arthur personally led a battalion of thousands of Spanish, Imperial, English, French and Portuguese soldiers along with the Emperor to reclaim Algiers. The mission was a success and on October 13, 1567, the Ottomans were defeated and the city fell to the Spanish another time.
However, Arthur became sick with consumption during this successful campaign in North Africa. He died on the voyage back to England four days after the Siege of Tunis ending his two-and-a-half year reign.
In contrast with his father, Arthur III was viewed generally negatively by historians, as depressed suicidal drunkard. However, quite a few people believe his reign though very short and uneventful was effective as he maintained order in the country with his quick response to the peasant's revolt and played a large part in the European victory at Algiers. Almost almost all historians seem to agree that his brief reign was a transitional period between the Arturian Era (defined by the reigns of Arthur I and II though Arthur III's reign is sometimes included) and the Stephanic Period, named for his brother and successor, that would follow.
Fun Facts:
- Arthur III was the first English king to set foot in the Americas as he made a voyage to the Spanish colony of Cuba in 1555 when he was still Prince of Wales.
- Arthur was known to have numbered his mistresses referring to them as such in his letters, possibly in an affectionate way. He addressed his famous letter where he stated the voyage to Africa to be a suicide mission as "Madam XXIII," which historians have interpreted to mean that she was likely his twenty-third mistress (or twenty-second if his estranged wife was included in the count).
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So I'm thinking we'll see fewer Henrys and Edwards among the kings of England and more Arthurs and Stephens, it seems.
Keep it up, though I find the weaker *Reformation a bit odd.
Keep it up, though I find the weaker *Reformation a bit odd.
We'll see...
I wouldn't say it's weaker it's just taking effects in different places. Instead of Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Great Britain like IOTL, Protestantism TTL is strong in Ireland, Wales, Scandinavia (save Denmark - though as of now all of Scandinavia is under a Danish Catholic king), western France and Navarre/Basque Country. Scotland is about 50-50 though firmly under Catholic rule.
And also, when did I say the Reformation was over...
A little nitpick: Why would a new personal union between Denmark, Sweden, and Norway again be called Kalmar Union? The OTL personal union was only informally named Kalmar Union, as Kalmar was the place where the Treaty of Kalmar was signed. ITTL, any new union treaty would most likely be signed elsewhere, resulting in the term Kalmar Union not being used in any form.
There are three realistic names for this political entity ITTL:
- Nordic Union*
- United Kingdom of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway**
- (United Kingdom of) Scandinavia**
*For the personal union as described ITTL.
**If it became a real union between the three countries.
There are three realistic names for this political entity ITTL:
- Nordic Union*
- United Kingdom of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway**
- (United Kingdom of) Scandinavia**
*For the personal union as described ITTL.
**If it became a real union between the three countries.
If only we could create a PoD, where men were not pigsWell three things really explain this:
1. Men are pigs, especially sixteenth century kings.
2. Women were unfortunately viewed as not much more than possessions back then.
3. The concept of "love" back then was not the same as today.
Putting those three things together, Arthur gave himself two years and decided then it was time to move on with a new wife, so he married Mary Howard. Also, his marriage to Isabella though he did love her was arranged and he wanted to pick his own wife this time. Sounds sick, right? Well that was simply how it worked back then, especially for the upper class. I guess the one thing the peasants had better.
Arthur III update to come shortly.
I will take this explanation
lolWho is the next monarch ?
Thanks so much for pointing this out.
I will change the name to the Nordic Union.Stephen II, the brother of Arthur III and the second son of Arthur II and Queen Isabella. The first part of his reign should be up shortly.
I'm always glad to help.Thanks so much for pointing this out.
De
Damn. I just picked up on this, and it was going brilliantly. Then...
Not plausible. Not even remotely plausible. The idea of religious pluralism was utterly unthinkable in 16th-century Europe. The Church was the Church - there was only one, there could only be one. That's why it was called "Catholic" - it was universal.
The Church's rule was that anyone who disagreed with Church doctrine was a heretic to be burned at the stake. This rule was codified in English law in 1401 as De heretico comburendo. Heretics and preachers of heresy were condemned not only for practicing error, but for leading others into it, to the peril of their mortal souls. Thus heresy was not something to be taxed or fined, but a dreadful crime to be stamped out by force.
The Protestant Reformers thought the same way, except that they regarded the Pope and his minions as the vessels of error. The general rule in the Reformation was that existing Catholic churches were converted to Protestant churches. The local priest and bishops converted as well - those that didn't were driven out of the country.
The Puritans of New England shared this attitude. Every village had a church, which all residents were expected to attend (and pay taxes to support). All non-conformists were exiled or executed.
The 16th-century Wars of Religion in France and Germany were about what doctrines the Church would hold.
The "Nonbelievers Act" is out there with the ancient Romans adopting polygamy.
Damn. I just picked up on this, and it was going brilliantly. Then...
Not plausible. Not even remotely plausible. The idea of religious pluralism was utterly unthinkable in 16th-century Europe. The Church was the Church - there was only one, there could only be one. That's why it was called "Catholic" - it was universal.
The Church's rule was that anyone who disagreed with Church doctrine was a heretic to be burned at the stake. This rule was codified in English law in 1401 as De heretico comburendo. Heretics and preachers of heresy were condemned not only for practicing error, but for leading others into it, to the peril of their mortal souls. Thus heresy was not something to be taxed or fined, but a dreadful crime to be stamped out by force.
The Protestant Reformers thought the same way, except that they regarded the Pope and his minions as the vessels of error. The general rule in the Reformation was that existing Catholic churches were converted to Protestant churches. The local priest and bishops converted as well - those that didn't were driven out of the country.
The Puritans of New England shared this attitude. Every village had a church, which all residents were expected to attend (and pay taxes to support). All non-conformists were exiled or executed.
The 16th-century Wars of Religion in France and Germany were about what doctrines the Church would hold.
The "Nonbelievers Act" is out there with the ancient Romans adopting polygamy.
I actually just realized that after you pointed it out. How stupid of I.
thanks so much I guess I can just delete that paragraph (and other mention of the Act) and it would really have no impact on the story.
EDIT: I fixed the post. Please tell me what you think.
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EDIT: I fixed the post. Please tell me what you think.
I think the edit is a lot better
Where do you get them pictures from and is their a special name for your writing format as this is the type of style? As this is the type of style I would like to use for a little "American Monarch" idea