The Childs of the Salamander - TL of the Francis I's death

[SunZi]

The Childs of the Salamander
TImeline of the death of Francis I in 1525

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On 24 February 1525 in Pavia, in Lombardy, the army of Francis I, King of France was defeated. More than a military defeat, this meeting saw the king captured by the armies of his great rival on the European scene, the Emperor Charles V. For 1 year and 3 months, the King remained captive, alternately in Genoa then Madrid, while power in France was ensured by his mother, Louise of Savoy. It was at the price of a heavy treaty — the Treaty of Madrid — that Francis was freed, in march 1526, treaty that he hastened to disrespect.

If the captivity of Francis I is only a parenthesis in the middle of the 32 years of reign of the sovereign, it was almost fatal to him. In September-October 1525, the king fell seriously ill and the doctors at his bedside thought he was doomed. It was by miracle or by chance that his health was restored. However, all had prepared for the idea of his death, as much the imperial ones as the French, but also Francis himself: the king had notably drawn up an act of abdication and even expected to remain a captive in perpetuity. His premature death would then have propelled to the throne, the Dauphin Francis who not bare the opportunity to reign, having died at his 18th birthday in 1536 before his royal father.

What would have happened if Francis I had died in his tower in Madrid's alcázar? And what would the reign of Francis II, son of Francis I, have looked like?

 

[BlueFlowwer]

Well, Spain has the run of Italy without France butting in. And Little Francis probably survives to adulthood.

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Now THIS is a cool POD. Dauphin Francis living to adulthood and probably marrying into the Habsburgs (or Mary I)...

 

[SunZi]

1. The death of Francis I

« God gave it to me, God takes it away from me »​

- Emperor Charles V after learning ​

of Francis I's death​

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The captivity of the King of France was a thorny and sensitive subject for the Emperor. First confining Francis I to Pizzighitone and then to Genoa, Charles V decided to transfer him to Spain where he could make a direct peace treaty without suffering from the distance between the host and his hostage. On 19 June, the king reached the Iberian coast and landed in Barcelona, then was placed in Madrid where he would reside until his death.

The conditions of the king's detention were befitting his rank - the treatment, services and care were equal to those given to the emperor. However, he was forbidden to leave his room and his only link with the exterior was a small window, which could not satisfy the amateur of the great outdoors that was Francis I. At the same time, the negotiations carried out come up against the inflexibility of the two parties, in particular around the question of the Duchy of Burgundy; the Emperor demands his pure and simple restitution while the King makes a thousand contortions in order to keep it within the kingdom. Françis then seeks to meet Charles, but the latter refuses because he is afraid of giving too much consideration to his enemy and prefers to be treated through emissaries, which drives the prisoner to despair. Morally depreciated, the king was quickly going to show the first signs of the disease.

The fever manifests itself at the end of August, at which time both French and imperial doctors do not know where the disease comes from. In truth, the king of France has developed a deep abscess at the top of his head, which exerts a strong pressure on his skull, throwing him more and more into a despondency. On 18 September, Francis I was bedridden, not moving and suffering repeated loss of consciousness. On the evening of that very day, Charles V hurried to go to his bedside, hoping that this visit would deliver his prisoner from the evil that befell him, but nothing changed and despite a second visit the next day, the state of the French king seemed to be unchanged.

On 19 September, Margaret of Angoulême, Duchess of Alençon and sister of Francis I, arrived in Madrid. The Emperor, who had allowed her to come as part of a truce and had informed the princess of the king's condition, hoped she would relieve him and had her meet her brother the next day. Charles's visit, his good self-assurance, the arrival and presence of his sister revived Francis I for a moment: he seemed better; but the evil was above moral remedies. Three days after the departure of the Emperor and the arrival of the Duchess, the King's state of health worsened. On 24 September, he sank into complete insensitivity and the doctors considered him condemned. In a last hope, Margaret had Francis take communion, expecting a miracle, but the king's body was too much strained, and after a final start the king collapsed in his bed.

The death of Francis I in the tower of the Royal Alcazar of Madrid put an end to the 15-year reign of the first representative of the Angoulême branch of the House of Valois, and brought Francis II to the throne, aged seven. Third king of France to die abroad and second as a captive[1] this brutal disappearance will have important consequences on the following reign, as well as on international relations in the remaining course of the XVIth century.

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The Emperor at the bedside of the King​

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Notes

[1] Before Francis I; Louis IX died outside the walls of Tunis in 1270 and John II died a hostage in London in 1364​

 

[RyuDrago]

Those are going to be interesting times for France, Spain, the Empire, and Italy.

I suppose Henry might be the one who could gain the most in the immediate. Charles on the opposite could find himself in a very thorny situation.

For sure he couldn't afford to keep young Francis and Henri in the conditions he did OTL, the first especially being now the new king of France - technically because I am unsure if many French nobles would acknowledge a king which would begin his kingdom as captive and besides not until he would be crowned in Reims.

It would be interesting what would be the moves of Louise of Savoy to ensure the succession to go smooth enough at home and if she would succeed in this, after all would be regent for several years...

 

[SunZi]

Now THIS is a cool POD. Dauphin Francis living to adulthood and probably marrying into the Habsburgs (or Mary I)...

Thanks for the interest.

Those are going to be interesting times for France, Spain, the Empire, and Italy.

I suppose Henry might be the one who could gain the most in the immediate. Charles on the opposite could find himself in a very thorny situation.

For sure he couldn't afford to keep young Francis and Henri in the conditions he did OTL, the first especially being now the new king of France - technically because I am unsure if many French nobles would acknowledge a king which would begin his kingdom as captive and besides not until he would be crowned in Reims.

It would be interesting what would be the moves of Louise of Savoy to ensure the succession to go smooth enough at home and if she would succeed in this, after all would be regent for several years...

Thanks also for the interest. Francis II is in France, and of course he will not be delivered to Charles V as a hostage and you are right to say that the Emperor will be in an uncomfortable position for the future, although there he is triumphant over France.

 

[Avrorrange]

I’m not so sure if the war would really stop for the forseeable future even with a regency. As far as the French could see, the King may as well be killed by the Spanish.

 

[RyuDrago]

Thanks for the interest.

Thanks also for the interest. Francis II is in France, and of course he will not be delivered to Charles V as a hostage and you are right to say that the Emperor will be in an uncomfortable position for the future, although there he is triumphant over France.

I’m not so sure if the war would really stop for the forseeable future even with a regency. As far as the French could see, the King may as well be killed by the Spanish.

Well this is a favorable point for France then. If the new king is safe TTL, at least there wouldn't be a dynastic crisis. But effectively, Louise might now be tempted to seek revenge on Charles and break all negotiations, proceeding on the war.

Point being, is France strong enough to wage war with an infant king and still with Pavia being still a fresh wound?

 

[Avrorrange]

Well this is a favorable point for France then. If the new king is safe TTL, at least there wouldn't be a dynastic crisis. But effectively, Louise might now be tempted to seek revenge on Charles and break all negotiations, proceeding on the war.

Point being, is France strong enough to wage war with an infant king and still with Pavia being still a fresh wound?

Hard to say.Francis’ death and continuing war may give a rallying around the flag effect.

 

[Rheinbund]

Well this is a favorable point for France then. If the new king is safe TTL, at least there wouldn't be a dynastic crisis. But effectively, Louise might now be tempted to seek revenge on Charles and break all negotiations, proceeding on the war.

Point being, is France strong enough to wage war with an infant king and still with Pavia being still a fresh wound?

To be honet, France would not be alone, OTL Charles victory caused a coalition to form against him, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_League_of_Cognac#cite_note-1 .

And if Charles V is accused to have caused Francis's death by his "awful treatment" I could feel Parliament and noble accepting and even reclaiming this war to take revenge and defend the honor of their king. Even if Charles V did nothing the fact that both kings are rivals hate each other, and that Francis was imprisoned without Charles visiting him, would lead to the rumour that he decided to let him rot here in harsh conditions to obtain a favorable treaty or even let him die to get rid of a rival (Francis I tried to be Holy Roman Emperor). All of this will have vast impact on all the european court.

 

[RyuDrago]

Hard to say.Francis’ death and continuing war may give a rallying around the flag effect.

Let's see how Louise and Marguerite - I already wonder if she would marry Henri of Navarre now - would handle the transition and if the nobles of France would accept two women to rule over them, because Marguerite's power would increase further in the affairs of France, especially when she along her mother would handle the custody of her brother's children. I suppose she would bring Francois's body back in France - Charles would have to concede this for sure.

To be honet, France would not be alone, OTL Charles victory caused a coalition to form against him, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_League_of_Cognac#cite_note-1 .

And if Charles V is accused to have caused Francis's death by his "awful treatment" I could feel Parliament and noble accepting and even reclaiming this war to take revenge and defend the honor of their king. Even if Charles V did nothing the fact that both kings are rivals hate each other, and that Francis was imprisoned without Charles visiting him, would lead to the rumour that he decided to let him rot here in harsh conditions to obtain a favorable treaty or even let him die to get rid of a rival (Francis I tried to be Holy Roman Emperor). All of this will have vast impact on all the european court.

Probably, for the remainder of his life Charles would have to live with the voice to have poisoned Francois or something like this, hence it wouldn't be easy to deal with the French in the successive years - and I suppose Marguerite would turn rather vindicative and get some form of revenge in a way or another.

That Louise and Marguerite will try to build an anti-Charles coalition soon as possible TTL is likely, but, with an infant king and the house of Valois not so sure dynastically, I wonder if would have enough appeal to build such an alliance - especially if Henry will decide to swing TTL on a direction or another. He would be already heading on his affaire with Anne Boleyn but England would also come first - with a France sudden weakened by a hard defeat, a king died in captivity and a regency lead by women, he can surely try to stake his price or his ambitions...

 

[Rheinbund]

Probably, for the remainder of his life Charles would have to live with the voice to have poisoned Francois or something like this, hence it wouldn't be easy to deal with the French in the successive years - and I suppose Marguerite would turn rather vindicative and get some form of revenge in a way or another.

That Louise and Marguerite will try to build an anti-Charles coalition soon as possible TTL is likely, but, with an infant king and the house of Valois not so sure dynastically, I wonder if would have enough appeal to build such an alliance - especially if Henry will decide to swing TTL on a direction or another. He would be already heading on his affaire with Anne Boleyn but England would also come first - with a France sudden weakened by a hard defeat, a king died in captivity and a regency lead by women, he can surely try to stake his price or his ambitions...

However, OTL was not the french but others that lead this coalition as the pope of Rome and the republic of Venise that build this coalition, not France, Henry he wanted to join this coalition at the beginning but the parliament was against it until Charles V occupied Rome. Concerning France, especially after the Hundred years war, the dynasty is secured by hundred years of direct male line descendants accompanied by sacred rites (such as the Sacre de Reims) they are not crowned but more consecrated, furthermore many times in history Women assured the regency in France, some had a few problems but they always managed to stay at the top (until the dauphin take the power) and it was if the noble had a strong candidate as regent or Louise didn't have any problem and seemed very very competent during Francis imprisonment so I don't see the problem here, she signed treaty with British and send emissaries doing important diplomatic mission on the Ottoman empire without any opposition,

 

[BlueFlowwer]

Would Francis's death derail Charles's marriage to Isabella of Portugal in this scenario?

 

[SunZi]

2. The Treaty of Madrid

Margaret of Angoulême, Duchess of Alençon​

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Mourning covers the Spanish court in Madrid in honor of Francis I, but for Charles V and Margaret of Angoulême it's quickly cut short. Both are aware that a peace treaty must be concluded quickly, because both know that their positions have been greatly weakened by the death of the king: the Emperor has lost his main means of pressure on France and the Duchess knows that it is difficult for a kingdom to wage war with a minor king at its head. A moment of hesitation occurs all the same, because the regency in France waits to be clearly defined, but in October 1525 the full diplomatic powers are conferred on Margaret, supported in her negotiations by plenipotentiaries already present - Jean de Selves, François de Tournon, Anne de Montmorency and Philippe Chabot.

After three months of intense negotiations, where proposals and counter-proposals were linked with the mutual fear of concluding nothing, an agreement was finally reached and on 14 January 1526, the Treaty of Madrid was signed. The heart of the treaty rests on the conclusion of two affairs, the questions of Burgundy and Italy. Charles V was inflexible on the Duchy of Burgundy, which he claimed in his capacity as the great-grandson of Charles I, Duke of Burgundy and which the kings of France had annexed to the crown since 1477: he obtained its "retrocession" as well as the annexed seigniories, in particular the county of Charolais. Over Italy, the Emperor as a military victor claims hegemony over the peninsula and therefore the end of French claims: he obtains this surrender, Francis II renounces the Duchy of Milan, Savoy and the Kingdom of Naples. To these two main elements have just been added clauses aimed at strengthening the peace between Valois and Habsburg:

• France renounces Genoa and sovereignty over Artois and Flanders;
• Francis II will have to marry Maria of Portugal, niece of Charles V, when she will reach the marital age;
• Constable of Bourbon and his supporters are rehabilitated in France with restitution of their goods, possessions and title as well as compensation for the losses agreed during the confiscation;
• Henry d'Albret, ally of France, must renounce his claim to Navarre and his royal title;
• Henry, Duke of Orléans, brother and heir of Francis II is handed over as a hostage to the Emperor as a guarantee of application of the treaty.

On 13 February, after having obtained the assurance of France that the treaty would be respected, Charles V ratified the treaty in Toledo. After several days of celebrations given in honor of the peace concluded, the Duchess of Alençon left Madrid with the coffin of Francis I and led by the viceroy of Naples, Charles de Lannoy. On 17 March, after meticulous preparations and cumulative delays, the exchange took place in the middle of the Bidasoa river. While Margaret and Francis return to France, the Duke of Orleans, aged 7, leaves his country for a long captivity in Spain. Finally, it was in Bayonne that a grand reception of the funeral procession was held. Where Francis II was present, but especially his grandmother, Louise of Savoy who will, for the next six years, ensure the government of the young king.

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Louise of Savoy, Duchess of Angoulême and Regent of France​

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Louise of Savoy, wife of Charles of Angoulême, had realized her great ambition during the ascension of Francis I to be the mother of a king and to reign with him. Throughout her reign, Madame Duchess of Angoulême and Bourbon, will appear as an alter-rex and impose her will on the royal council and the courtiers - she is responsible for the ascendancy and forfeiture of advisers, and especially the disgrace of the Constable Charles de Bourbon. Appointed regent during the war the victorious campaign of Marignan, she is renewed in this charge for the disastrous adventure of Pavia. The capture of Francis I leaves Louise as the sole ruler of the kingdom, and she must deal with the birth of opposition.

Madame's way of leading was clearly authoritarian, and relied on a loyal group of advisers - most of them lawyers or nobility of the sword. The large feudal and the assemblies are excluded from the decision-making process, but with the absence of the king and his mother they can gather in Paris. There the parliament seeks to supplant the regent, replacing her with Charles of Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, the heir to the throne after the royal princes. The latter is nevertheless unambitious, being manipulated by the forces that support him, and he is content with the function of head of the royal council without any political room for maneuver.

When Louise of Savoy heard the news of Francis I's death, she suffered the brunt of the shock but recovered quickly, the regent hastened to leave her Lyon camp to go and meet Vendôme and the Bourbon princes at Paris. Cleverly and carefully, she delays the announcement of the king's death to the rest of the country and delivers the information in person on 12 October, taking her competitor by surprise. The parliament and the peers are stunned, the regent obtains the extension of her powers and the abandonment of the opposition against her and her chancellor, Antoine Duprat, who was the main target of Madame's opponents.

Having under her guard Francis II, supported by the great captains and having the fidelity of the high nobility, Louise of Savoy had managed to maintain her position. With the reception of her daughter and her son's coffin, Louise of Savoy had the dead king and the living king with her. While the body of Francis I was directly sent to Saint-Denis to be buried there in the royal necropolis, Francis II and Louise of Savoy went north along the border with Spain and that of the Empire. The objective is to strengthen the authority of Madame with these provinces threatened by the Habsburg pocessions and to present the king to the subjects.

Pressed by time, the royal trip took place between mid-March and mid-May 1526 and ended in Reims where Francis II was crowned King of France on 16 May. The reason for this ceremony comes from the desire of Louise of Savoy to ensure the legitimacy of the king. The first political act of the young king of 8 years, is to present, on 17 May, before the parliament of Paris the treaty of Madrid which is considered inapplicable. The next day, a bed of justice is held where the peers of the kingdoms declare the province of Burgundy inalienable from the crown. The same day, Louise of Savoy is re-declared regent of France, after having officially renounced this charge during the coronation.

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Young King Francis II of France​

 

[SunZi]

Would Francis's death derail Charles's marriage to Isabella of Portugal in this scenario?

The marriage will be maintained as OTL.

 

[RyuDrago]

So, slight better treaty for France, at least the court wouldn't have to pay a ransom, so far Louise moved well to secure the succession, and war is expected to continue over Burgundy, it would be interesting how the Kingdom will fare in the next months...

 

[SunZi]

3. The League of Cognac

Western Europe in 1525​

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In mid-1526, the peace established by the Treaty of Madrid in Western Europe between France and the Empire was already openly called into question. While Louise of Savoy was busy within her borders to strengthen her power, Charles V was to go to the Empire, after her marriage to Isabella of Portugal, to manage the political crisis caused by the spread of Lutheranism among the Germans princes. But the King of England, Henry VIII considered himself to be the great forgotten of the Madrid negotiations and had pursued, since the summer of 1525, a rapprochement with the French Regent - the Tudor felt particularly betrayed by the Habsburg, because he broke his promise of engagement to Henry's daughter, Princess Mary Tudor.

England's support in the rivalry between France and the Empire was crucial for both sides, and Charles V seemed to have lost it. On 22 May 1526, Louise of Savoy formed the Holy League of Cognac bringing together the republics of Florence, Venice, the Duchy of Milan, but above all the papacy - Henry VIII, for questions of place of signature will not join the League but will be an unofficial member. The Italians, especially Pope Clement VII, frightened by the sudden hegemony of the Emperor, sought to maintain balance in the peninsula with the support of France.

The League was clearly formed in opposition to Charles V but the original objective was to coerce the latter to join it to impose a peace, but with conditions that rendered the Treaty of Madrid null and void: guarantees from the Duchy of Milan to the Sforzas, return against diminished ransom of the Duke of Orléans, imperial coronation of Charles V under the conditions of Venice and Rome, restitution of sums promised by the Emperor to Henry VIII - secret clauses were even concluded guaranteeing the Medici, the Pope's family, control of Florence and even the possible investiture of the Duke of Richmond, bastard son of Henry VIII to the throne of Naples. These articles were obviously unacceptable for the Emperor, although Louise of Savoy weighed all her weight to avoid confrontation, promising to maintain the French territorial renunciations as well as the marriage of Francis II, but nothing could stop the march of war.

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Members of the League of Cognac

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____Pope Clement VII___________ Henry VII, King of England__________ Andrea Gritti, Doge of Venise

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Ippolito de' Medici, Lord of Florence________Francesco II Sforza, Duke of Milan
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The war of the Cognac League begins even before the complete ratification of the alliance by all the actors. Clement VII, after having refused any negotiations with the Emperor, launched in June an offensive of the Venetian and Florento-Papal armies led by the Francesco Maria I della Rovere, Duke of Urbino in Lombardy. The objective is to deliver Milan held by the Imperials, and its citadel where the Duke Francesco II Sforza is resisted. Despite a numerical superiority of the League and the taking of strong places like Lodi, Rovere prefers to temporize. The Duke of Bourbon, head of the imperial armies took the opportunity to reorganize his forces and managed, after a few skirmishes on 3 July, to force Urbino to withdraw. On 25 July, Sforza surrenders with the garrison of his citadel.

This poor start to the League campaign was due to France's lack of involvement: Louise of Savoy keeping Pavia in memory, dragged on sending the promised Swiss reinforcements and did not occupy Genoa. Despite this, Urbino still holds northern Italy but at the same time, in Rome, a coup in August by the Colonna family pushes the Pope to sign, on 22 September, a stoppage of his participation in the fighting.

This agreement gives the signal for the counter-offensive of the armies of the Emperor during the end of the year 1526 - the German landsknechts crossing the Alps in November and the Spanish land at Naples in December. On 24 November, a skirmish between the Imperials and the League caused the death of condottiero Giovanni delle Bande Nere, hitting hard the morale of the men of Urbino who preferred to take refuge in Piacenza. Despite this victory, Bourbon is at the head of an army on the verge of mutiny, his men are unpaid and the junction with the landsknechts will stir up this state of pre-rebellion. Between February and April 1527, the imperial army will descend the Apennines with the aim of looting Florence while the Pope had taken up arms again against the Spanish.

Clement VII was in a perilous situation; his allies Urbino too timorous refused to engage while France and England remained deaf to the pope's pleas for help. On 5 May the coup de grace is given when the army of Bourbon takes Rome, the Constable unable to control his men participates in the assault and dies there, for eight days the papal city is looted and Clement VII, hostage, leaves definitively the League.

The Sack of Rome had enormous repercussions for Europe, and strengthened the Franco-English rapprochement. In April, several treaties were signed between Paris and London, and on 4 August, the Henry VIII's chief adviser, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey met Louise of Savoy in Amiens. The French Regent, under pressure from the nobility, instructed Odet of Foix, viscount of Lautrec and Lieutenant General of the Kingdom, to lead an army into Italy in order to free the pope. Crossing the Alps at the end of July, Lautrec, more proactive than Urbino, takes several strongholds badly defended by the Imperials - Alexandria, Novare, Vigevano, are conquered as well as Liguria. Charles V badly assesses the situation and his armies are still disorganized, if he manages to wrest peace from the Pope, on 26 November, the brutality of the occupation of Rome provokes the revolt of the Colonna and the escape of Clement VII. On 28 January 1528, France and England officially and jointly declared war on Charles V.

The League's invasion of the Kingdom of Naples initially goes well. Pro-French revolts weaken the bases of Viceroy Hugo de Moncada who takes refuge in Naples. At the end of April, the city was besieged and on 28 April, the Spanish fleet was defeated by the Genoese where Moncada was killed. For two months, Lautrec effectively carried out his siege, but when victory seemed to have been won, on 4 July the Genoese betrayed the French, after Andrea Doria concluded an alliance with Charles V, lifting the maritime blockade. The supply of Naples, the beginning of desertions among the French and the appearance of illnesses push Odet of Foix to lift the siege and begins a disastrous retreat. On 17 August, the Viscount was carried away by a fever and command passed to the Marquis of Saluzzo, who took refuge in Aversa and declared his surrender.

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Sack of Rome by the Imperial Army​

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In the autumn of 1428, the situation of the League was perilous. If it controls Lombardy, Abruzzo, Puglia, without forgetting the member states of the alliance, the Imperials control the entire west coast and prepare a major military campaign to subjugate the entire peninsula, finally on 28 October, Genoa revolts and takes Liguria from France. It was at this time that a truce was concluded between France and England on the one hand and the Habsburg Netherlands on the other - in order to preserve trade between the three countries and to begin peace negotiations with Charles V. Throughout the first half of 1529, proposals were exchanged between Louise of Savoy and Margaret of Austria. Cambrai was finally chosen as the site of a peace conference between the League and the Empire - a landlocked and neutral bishopric between the Netherlands and France.

In the middle of the exchanges, each camp reinforces its positions. While the Italian states put pressure on France to safeguard their interests, Charles V signs treaties of alliance with the pope and Genoa. The threat of a resumption of hostilities had the astonishing effect of accelerating the work of building peace. The conference opens in July between the two parties, negotiations are conducted between the French and Flemish ambassadors under the control of the two stateswomen. Each supporter of peace, they will discuss, refine and reach a compromise. On 3 August 1529, at the Hotel de Saint-Pôl, the Treaty of Cambrai was signed, which would be known as the "Ladies' Peace" (fr:Paix des Dames; sp:Paz de las Damas) and including the following points:

• The Duchy of Burgundy is retained by France;
• France confirms its renunciation of Naples, Genoa and Milan, it cedes Artois and abandons suzerainty over Flanders, which becomes lands of the Empire;
• France breaks its alliances with the Duke of Guelders and the Prince of Bouillon;
• A ransom of 2 million crowns must be delivered to Spain for the release of the Duke of Orleans;
• The engagement between Maria of Portugal and Francis II is pronounced.

The Peace of Cambrai does not mean the end of the war everywhere. At the end of 1529-beginning of 1530, Charles V allied himself with all the Italian States which had previously united against him, thus preferring to use diplomacy. In August, he takes the city of Florence which revolted after the sack of Rome against the Medici family. It was the last gasp of the Seventh Italian War, which ended with the domination of the King of Spain over the peninsula, now recognized as King of Naples and crowned, on 24 February 1530, Emperor by the Pope in Bologna.

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Louise of Savoy and Margaret of Austria sign the Treaty of Cambrai​

 

[SunZi]

Note: I have summarily summarized the Seventh Italian War here as it does not diverge from that of OTL

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Would Francis's death derail Charles's marriage to Isabella of Portugal in this scenario?

Why would it?

 

[SunZi]

4. The End of the Regency

Louise of Savoy with a rudder, symbol of the regency​

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The conclusion of the Peace of Cambrai by Louise of Savoy keeps the borders of the kingdom of France intact for the young Francis II. The regent succeeded in this tour
de force, despite the military power of the Emperor and the weak legitimacy of his power in France. The war had enormously upset the power of the Savoyard princess, who relied on a retinue of partisans attached to her services against the party of the Bourbon princes whom she considered the most threatening. From the captivity of Francis I to the sack of Rome, Louise of Savoy's main support was Odet of Foix, who acted as the regent's armed wing. However, by his procrastination in the face of the conflict, she had to commission him to conquer an Italy that she did not want and the death of the viscount in Naples dealt a great blow to Madame.

Concessions had to be made to the Bourbons, whose party was led by Francis of Bourbon, Count of St-Pol, younger brother of the Duke of Vendôme, who was much more proactive and ambitious than his eldest and managed to get him the position of lieutenant general of the kingdom at the dawn of the year 1529. This put pressure on the diplomatic negotiations of Cambrai, because St-Pol wanted to lead a military campaign in northern Italy but the ratification of the treaty prevented him from doing so. In reaction, Louise of Savoy will bring up in force barons and captain to block this advance of the blood house, and to strengthen the seizure of power of the king.

During the year 1530, the Regent managed to enforce two of the clauses of the Treaty of Cambrai for internal policy purposes. First, the Duke of Orleans is freed after the difficult ransom meeting - the Brittany, now reunited with the crown, contributes significantly - and then Mary of Portugal is sent to the court of France where she is officially engaged to Francis II. By the return of the heir to the throne, the crown no longer fears being subjected to foreign tutelage, and by the assurance of marriage, there is no longer any fear of a war which would strengthen the position of the Bourbons.

The ultimate maneuver of Louise of Savoy is the holding of a bed of justice, on 17 August 1531 in Orleans, where Francis II, presiding over the ceremony, declares himself of age and able to govern the kingdom alone. The privileges and offices accumulated by the duke of Vendôme and the count of St-Pol during the regency were withdrawn and consequently their positions in the royal council were weakened. On 22 September, Louise of Savoy, then 55 years old, died of her numerous illnesses accumulated while fleeing the plague which had manifested in Fontainebleau, accompanied by her daughter and the king. A royal funeral will be given to her and thus marks the unofficial end of the Regency.

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Francis II and Louise of Savoy
​

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Francis II, aged 13, forms his government on two courtiers who have been raised to the high spheres of power during the Regency; Anne de Montmorency, lord of Chantilly and Philippe de Chabot, lord of Brion. Both descendants of an old noble family, and above all comrades-in-arms of Francis I, these two courtiers have been at the side of the regent since 1525 and have been strong supporters against the Bourbon princes. Both friends, they nevertheless develop a competion, placing themselves at the head of antagonistic parties at court around the policy to be held towards Charles V; Montmorency in favor of peace and rapprochement with the Emperor, Chabot in favor of war and the conclusion of new alliances. During the last two years of Louise of Savoy's governance, the maintenance of the peace was the line followed by French diplomacy, especially since the court rivalries were arbitrated and calmed by Madame but with her death the cards were reshuffled.

Margaret of Angoulême, by the death of her mother, can fully exert her influence on her royal nephew with whom she shares an almost maternal relationship. In the struggle within the court, the king's aunt takes the side of the lord of Brion for several reasons; first of all she maintains a real hatred against the Emperor whom she holds responsible for the death of his brother Francis, moreover Margaret has been the wife of Henry II of Navarre since 1527, whose kingdom is largely occupied by Spain. Thus the war party obtains strong support from the king, and therefore advances its policy.

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Marshal Anne de Montmorency, Lord of Chantilly / Admiral Philippe de Chabot, Lord of Brion__​