The Grand Duchy of the West - A Valois-Burgundian TL
- Thread starter BlueFlowwer
- Start date
And her Burgundianness might freshen up the strict court as well.
Excellent, very interesting to see the twists and turns of fate, poor Isabella of Aragon, at least she had some living children...
I can't make it too easy for everyone. And given how the health of the children of John III and Catherine of Austria was, I don't think it's unreasonable for this to happen. Isabella's two eldest sons are gonna become kings, even if Infante Alfonso isn't gonna. And she did have a much better life for three decades in Portugal than olt.
I am a bit lost in names, or it is very hard to read who is who and mariing with who, I know it become clear when reading furhter but may I sugest to make it from the start a bit more clear?
So as I understand , there is King Alfonso IV x Queen Isabella of Aragon with the follwing children and grand childeren:
- 1st son Crown Prince Jao x Princess Isablela
- son Infante Alfonso
- daughter infante Maria
-2nd son Peter duke of Coimbra
-3rd son Ferdinand duke of Guarda
- 1st daughter Eleanor Queen of Napels.
Now whith who is Phillipa of Brabant marieing initially this is a bit confusing. With crown Prince Jao or Infante Alfonso or are is this the same guy, but later it is more clear the Infante Alfonso is the son of Crown Prince Jao.
Politics in this era are all abpout names and many persons have nciknames and later when ascend to a throne change their names in the name of is predecessor combine dwith a follow up number.
By the way very nice to connect the Low Countries with the Kingdom of Portugual.
Hahaha. No, Portugal will not rule Burgundy in this time line, sorry. And I belive that the next chapter is in England. Sorry!My hopes were dashed for a second Portuguese house of Burgundy
I'm so sorry! The damn repeated names are driving me up the wall. But yes, Alfonso VI is the son of King John II and Isabella of Aragon is the eldest daughter of Ferdiand II and Isabella I and the younger sister of Juan III.I am a bit lost in names, or it is very hard to read who is who and mariing with who, I know it become clear when reading furhter but may I sugest to make it from the start a bit more clear?
So as I understand , there is King Alfonso IV x Queen Isabella of Aragon with the follwing children and grand childeren:
Yes that is about that. Crown Prince Joao and Isabella of Granada (the eldest daughter of Juan III and Catherine of Navarre) had two surviving children, Infante Alfonso and Infanta Maria, who both died in this chapter. Alfonso was the heir to Crown Prince Joao and married Philippa, and then died at the age of 14-15 with no children, thus paving the way for Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra, his uncle to be Crown Prince Joao's heir instead. Peter later marries Philippa to preserve the alliance with Brabant and keep her dowry in Portugal and they also like each other.
Philippa married Infante Alfonso at first, the son of Crown Prince Joao, but as he died before the year was out and she wed Peter, the brother of Crown Prince Joao. King Alfonso VI and Queen Isabella of Aragon dies due to grief of their grandchildrens death and Crown Prince Joao becomes King John III of Portugal alongside his Spanish wife Isabella.
Hope that clears everything out and sorry about the confusion!
The Portuguese house of Burgundy was the first house to rule Portugal, the house of Avis I think was like an illegitimate line of the Portuguese house of Burgundy. (Reason why it was called that was a son of the Capetian House of Burgundy got the crown of Portugal hence the name Portuguese house of Burgundy) so like a second Portuguese house of Burgundy would be like if Philipa got a matrilineal marriage
Aha, that is what you meant. Good one!The Portuguese house of Burgundy was the first house to rule Portugal, the house of Avis I think was like an illegitimate line of the Portuguese house of Burgundy. (Reason why it was called that was a son of the Capetian House of Burgundy got the crown of Portugal hence the name Portuguese house of Burgundy) so like a second Portuguese house of Burgundy would be like if Philipa got a matrilineal marriage
Thank you so much for nominating this @Dragonboy. I am crying of joy.
I loved the series so far, but did the nomination host really have to spell medieval as mediaeval?
It's correct but like its so uncommon and old to spell it mediaeval
Well, we are an alternative history forum after all, so it might make sense to have alternative spellings?It's correct but like its so uncommon and old to spell it mediaeval
Chapter 47 - England from 1523 to 1526
Chapter 47- England from 1523 to 1526
The whole court was bustling about to prepare the departure of Elizabeth of York to Spain in that spring. The marriage of Charlotte of France to Prince Richard had taken place in the past winter and while Catherine still had reservations about the Valois princess, she must admit that the girl had given her no reason for dislike so far. Charlotte was a kind and gracious woman with an immaculate sense of fashion that quickly had brightened the gloomy court after the death of Elizabeth of Austria. Even Richard had begun to laugh again and Catherine could not think ill of anybody that made her son happy. Elizabeth had not been the only death in the York family in the recent years, as the Duke of York had passed in 1521, leaving his son Thomas under his mother’s guardianship until he would come of age. Lionel of York had asked to escort Elizabeth to Spain as he wished to aid his royal cousin in the coming fight against the Ottomans. His intention was also to take holy wows as a member of the Knights Hospitaller in the service of Spain. Richard had reluctantly approved of the decision, but Lionel had been the most warlike of Richard III’s sons and had inherited both his father’s bellicoseness and the crusading legacy of his Portuguese mother. Privately, Catherine had approved of the decision. Richard III and IV had not lacked sons and sons required lands and titles. Her sisters in laws also required dowries for their marriages and England was not as rich as France or Spain, despite successful trades and efficient taxations. Lionel could do better in the service of the Lord against the infidels and her brother needed every bit of support she could arrange.
Her second son, George of York was due to wed his own bride in 1523, and Catherine had her hands full with both the departure of Elizabeth and the preparation for the wedding. Elizabeth Grey, Viscountess Lisle had been raised in Catherine’s household since she was small and since John of York had showed no interest in her whatsoever, George had been chosen for a groom instead. Elizabeth would bring her wealth and inheritance with her into the marriage and seemed thrilled to become a royal duchess. Catherine had already decided that her last child would wed Katherine Willoughby, the daughter of her dear friend Maria de Salinas and heiress to her father’s land and titles. The Duke of Somerset would do well with the darling little Kate as she was called by Catherine and little Ned deserved a good life as well.
Charlotte had delighted the whole court by announcing her first pregnancy in May and both king and queen had given praise to God for the great luck. Princess Elizabeth left from Southampton on the 9th of April to set sail for Castile. Her mother had carefully packed the trousseau in the chests that had been loaded into the ships along with her coffers of coins, silver and gold plate and jewellery that would show of her status as a princess of England and Spain. The dowry itself had troubled King Richard, as he had not been able to gather the 350, 000 crowns that Juan had asked for, but so far 120,000 had been gathered and Juan had been gracious enough to wait for the rest. The most important thing was that Infante Juan would be married as soon as possible now that he was days away from turning fourteen. Princess Blanche had so far born a daughter to Prince Juan, Infanta Yolanda of Navarre, but she had yet to deliver the spare to the throne. And since the king was preparing for an oncoming war against the Ottomans, Juan wished for to see his grandson wedded in case he or the prince face danger in the coming years. Richard had been able to send three warships loaded with guns and weapons to Spain with his daughter in lieu of a part of the dowry to aid in the effort against the Turks. He also sent his brother Lionel and 1,200 archers along with her to show that even if England itself would not fight the Ottomans, they would support the cause itself.
Sketch of Elizabeth, Duchess of Glouchester
George and Elizabeth married in the middle of June in Canterbury cathedral in a splendid ceremony, attended by the royal family. King Richard threw a fine feast to welcome his new daughter, as well as a joust in her honour. Elizabeth was given the seat of honour as the glittering bride while Charlotte and Catherine sat nearby. The winner of the joust was of course the fortunate groom himself whom gladly accepted the garland of golden and white roses from his delighted new wife.
Princess Beatrice and Lady Helena found the tournament as exciting as any thirteen-year-old girls would. As her proud sister had left England, Beatrice was the eldest York daughter in court now and she too had gotten proposals from foreign suitors. The heirs to Denmark and Brittany were all of interest and while England had a chilly relationship with the Grand Duchy of Brabant, their next duchess being Beatrice rather than Jeanne of France would suit Richard more. The youngest York princess also needed a match, but she would have to wait. As for the golden-haired Lady Helena, she would most likely wed a grand nobleman, but right now she spent much of her time with Beatrice at court.
Unbeknownst to Beatrice, the ambassador from Denmark had been invited by King Richard so that he could inspect the prospective Crown Princess for the House of Oldenburg. King Christian had suffered enormous troubles with his Swedish subjects and it had been due to the strength of his wife, Margareta of Burgundy that he had not yet lost his throne to his uncle. Her nephew had supported her with men and arms from the grand duchy, and the queen had inherited the political skills of her father. But given the bloodbath that Christian had caused in Stockholm, the crown of Sweden had been lost. And Prince Hans needed a bride that could bring military support to his father, and Beatrice fit the bill perfectly.
Thomas of York, Duke of Bedford in 1530
Richard IV only had one brother still in England in the summer of 1523. As Edmund had died and Lionel had left for Spain, Thomas of York became closer to his brother than they had been in the past years. The failure in Boulogne of 1514 had haunted the Duke of Bedford for a long time and the betrayal of his wife, Marguerite of Saint-Pol that had led to his imprisonment and later annulment had become a huge scandal. Bedford had lived quietly on his estates in Oxford since then and he had refused to remarry for many years. In 1521 he had made on of his rare public appearances in York at Edmund’s funeral and since then he had come to court more often. In 1524 Bedford asked for the King’s permission to remarry, this time to Katherine FitzAlan, the daughter of the Earl of Arundel and his first wife Elizabeth Willoughby. Katherine had just turned eighteen and had grown up in court. Richard was on very good term with Arundel as the Lord Maltravers as he was styled, served as Lord Chamberlain in the court. Katherine seemed to be able to charm her sombre duke and the marriage took place in the autumn. As Katherine only had younger brother from her father’s second marriage, this could lead to Bedford gaining the Arundel and Maltravers lands and titles.
September saw the return of the Boleyn family to England from the Low Countries. As the negotiations for a match between Beatrice and Jean had been a failure, Thomas, Elizabeth and their daughter, Anne all arrived back at the family estate of the Hever in Edenbridge. The eldest child, Mary had been the mistress of Grand Duke Philippe for several years, but she had opted to wed a courtier in the Low Countries rather than to return to England after the relationship ended. Anne quickly became a favorite lady in waiting to Princess Charlotte, whom found her delightfully sophisticated. Anne had grown up in the fashionable and educated court culture in Burgundy and Brussels under the tutelage of Philippa of Guelders and Beatrice of York and her skills at singing, dancing found a home in the lively court of the Princess of Wales. Anne was extremely fashionable, vivacious and lively, and helped Charlotte gather several likeminded young ladies and courtiers around her. The more austere king and queen held wide respect and the court had become a center of humanism and education, but like many youngsters the new generation considered them somewhat old-fashioned. Anne never showed Queen Catherine anything but the deepest respect and the courtiers all followed her lead. She also considered her a true role model regarding marriage and charity and Catherine came to view Anne with great tenderness. Anne had been considered as a bride for James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond as to solve the troubles regarding the Ormond inheritance between James’s father and Anne’s father. Anne on the other hand had fallen in love with the Earl of Northumberland’s son, Henry Percy. And the young man frequently visited court, often to see Anne.
Anne was present when Princess Charlotte gave birth to her first child on the 3rd of December. She was delivered of a son early in the morning, much to the joy of the court. The little boy, was named for his father and grandfather and was christened by the bishop of Oxford, while Anne was given the honour of carrying him during the ceremony. Queen Catherine visited a few weeks later and stayed for several days to see her grandbaby. It was during those days that Anne was able to get an audience with the queen and to plead her case for a marriage with her beloved Henry Percy. Queen Catherine took her request seriously and promised to speak on her behalf to the king when she returned.
After Charlotte’s churching, both she and Richard returned to London as they had been called to court. Evidently both the earl of Northumberland, Thomas Boleyn and James Butler had been called to meet with the king and Anne held high hopes for her future.
“I will be his wife! My beloved Henry, I shall be his most fortunate lady and one of the highest ranked women in the kingdom.”. With the flutters of love in her belly, Anne entered the great hall of Westminster where the king and queen sat enthroned under a great canopy of red velvet and gold embroidery. She spotted Henry standing in the hall near a window and while the smile he gave her seemed strained, Anne chalked it up excitement and took her place behind Charlotte as usual. Beatrice and Helena were also present, standing near the raised dais, the king’s daughter clad in violet silk and cloth of gold, while Helena wore azure blue and cloth of silver. The colours suited them both, as purple warmed Beatrice’s darker complexion and pale skin, while Helena’s golden hair shone in the sunlight.
The king rose from his throne and began to speak.
“My lords and ladies, we have gathered here today to celebrate the most marvellous news for our kingdom and for our family! I am pleased to announce to you all that today we have signed an alliance with the most christian kingdom of Denmark and our dear daughter, the lady Beatrice is to wed the Crown Prince of Denmark before the year is out!”
As the hall filled with applauses and cheers, Beatrice glided over to her father’s side at his beckoning and dropped into a perfect courtesy worthy of a royal princess.
“Your majesty, I am grateful for the grand match I have been given and I pray that I shall be as great a queen as my Lady Mother has been for this blessed realm.”
She was then introduced to the Danish ambassador, whom bowed his hand before his new princess and proclaimed her a “a worthy daughter of the highest king and queen and the grandest gift Denmark would ever receive.”.
One of the ambassador’s attendants stepped forward and held out an ornate box for Beatrice, and as she opened it, she found a miniature painting of Prince Hans inside, as well as a necklace of silver and pearls from Denmark.
After the ceremony had ended and Beatrice took her place besides her mother, Richard rose once more.
“This happy match is not the only one today we have the pleasure of announcing. We also declare that our dear niece Helena will also marry before the year is out! In according with our later brother of York’s wishes we have considered nothing less then the most proper match for her as a great lady of royal blood. It is our most sincere wish to announce the marriage between Helena and her most fortunate bridegroom, Lord Henry Percy of Northumberland!”
For Anne, the last words of the king made the whole world crash away. Time seemed to move still as Helena’s blue clad figure moved over the white and black tiled floor in a whisper of silk, while Henry moved to the front of the dais to stand besides her. He offered his hand to her and brought her hand up to his lip to kiss it, as any well-trained courtier would. All Anne could see at the moment was the glistering blue of the gown and the lustre of honey-gold hair. Queen Catherine tried to catch Anne’s eyes in the cheering crowds, but the usually consummated court lady had fled the hall to curl up in an empty corner in a corridor. Charlotte had turned white with rage at the announcement. As soon as her position would allow her, she had turned on her heel and stalked out of hall, with her ladies all making haste to keep up with her.
“That Spanish cow! This was all her fault; it must have been! How dare she destroy Anne’s dreams like that! I shall never forgive her for this offence against her and myself. When I am queen, I shall see her thrown in the Tower and erase her name from England! No one shall ever remember you as a Queen of England when my Richard takes the throne, madam, they shall only remember you as a traitorous whore and a plague on his kingdom. Pox rot your heart!”
The honest truth was that Catherine had nothing to do with the marriage between Helena and Henry Percy. She had earnestly pleaded the case to her husband, and Richard had initially been inclined to the match, but he had changed his mind after speaking to both Butler and Northumberland. The indebted, but proud Earl did not see the mere daughter of a knight and a failed ambassador as a worthy bride for his heir, not while he had another option in Helena, the only daughter of the very rich Duke of York. Also being the only niece of the king meant that Helena was the best choice outside of wedding one of the princesses for his son. When the king had proposed the match, Northumberland could not believe his good fortune and dropped to his knees before his sovereign and proclaimed that the House of York would never have any more faithful allies then the House of Percy from this day onwards.
For James Butler, the king’s assurance that the Lady Anne would become his wife was a godsent, as that would solve the troubles with the Earldom of Ormonde that would now belong to him. He also assured him that if Thomas Boleyn complained, he would feel the full wrath of the king at once. Butler had left the meeting with a grin on his face, knowing that Boleyn would never be foolish enough to risk Richard’s considerably fury.
Anne and James were married three weeks later, with the king and queen in attendance. If the bride seemed somewhat pale and quiet, well that could be chalked up to wedding nerves. A few years later, they left for Ireland to the Ormond estates, where Anne all but faded from the pages of history. She is believed to have died somewhere around 1553, after bearing four children to James. In Ireland, Anne would become acquainted to Joan Fitzgerald, the heiress to the Earl of Desmond, whom married her cousin James FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Desmond in order to solve the dispute between the Fitzgerald family.
The marriage of Helena of York and Henry Percy took place in the cathedral of York in the late summer. The onlookers claimed afterwards that there had never been a noble bride as beautiful as Helena had been at the wedding, with the gold and jewels shimmering in her long loose golden hair and her dress made of white silk and cloth of gold. Despite his infatuation for Anne, Henry came to cherish his wife and she ensured that the Percy family would remain one of the most noble houses in England for many generations to come.
As for Charlotte, her intended revenge of her mother-in-law would never come. Not only did she fail to get vengeance when Prince Richard became King Richard V of England, but neither she or her son would be alive at that time. Little Dickon died in the cradle in less than a year and Charlotte herself perished in childbirth in 1526, with her third child, as her second pregnancy had resulted in early stillbirth. Her only living child was a daughter named Katherine, named for her grandmother would raise her with all the love and caring that would immortalise her as one of England’s greatest queen consorts in history.
By comparison, few historians today remember the second wife of Richard V of England, Shakespear’s infamous, contested and sorrowful Winter King from the immortal plays of England greatest bard.
Charlotte of France, Princess of Wales in 1525
Author's Note: So we find ourselves back in York England in the middle of the 1520s. Prince Richard's luck in brides are rather abysmal so far.
The whole court was bustling about to prepare the departure of Elizabeth of York to Spain in that spring. The marriage of Charlotte of France to Prince Richard had taken place in the past winter and while Catherine still had reservations about the Valois princess, she must admit that the girl had given her no reason for dislike so far. Charlotte was a kind and gracious woman with an immaculate sense of fashion that quickly had brightened the gloomy court after the death of Elizabeth of Austria. Even Richard had begun to laugh again and Catherine could not think ill of anybody that made her son happy. Elizabeth had not been the only death in the York family in the recent years, as the Duke of York had passed in 1521, leaving his son Thomas under his mother’s guardianship until he would come of age. Lionel of York had asked to escort Elizabeth to Spain as he wished to aid his royal cousin in the coming fight against the Ottomans. His intention was also to take holy wows as a member of the Knights Hospitaller in the service of Spain. Richard had reluctantly approved of the decision, but Lionel had been the most warlike of Richard III’s sons and had inherited both his father’s bellicoseness and the crusading legacy of his Portuguese mother. Privately, Catherine had approved of the decision. Richard III and IV had not lacked sons and sons required lands and titles. Her sisters in laws also required dowries for their marriages and England was not as rich as France or Spain, despite successful trades and efficient taxations. Lionel could do better in the service of the Lord against the infidels and her brother needed every bit of support she could arrange.
Her second son, George of York was due to wed his own bride in 1523, and Catherine had her hands full with both the departure of Elizabeth and the preparation for the wedding. Elizabeth Grey, Viscountess Lisle had been raised in Catherine’s household since she was small and since John of York had showed no interest in her whatsoever, George had been chosen for a groom instead. Elizabeth would bring her wealth and inheritance with her into the marriage and seemed thrilled to become a royal duchess. Catherine had already decided that her last child would wed Katherine Willoughby, the daughter of her dear friend Maria de Salinas and heiress to her father’s land and titles. The Duke of Somerset would do well with the darling little Kate as she was called by Catherine and little Ned deserved a good life as well.
Charlotte had delighted the whole court by announcing her first pregnancy in May and both king and queen had given praise to God for the great luck. Princess Elizabeth left from Southampton on the 9th of April to set sail for Castile. Her mother had carefully packed the trousseau in the chests that had been loaded into the ships along with her coffers of coins, silver and gold plate and jewellery that would show of her status as a princess of England and Spain. The dowry itself had troubled King Richard, as he had not been able to gather the 350, 000 crowns that Juan had asked for, but so far 120,000 had been gathered and Juan had been gracious enough to wait for the rest. The most important thing was that Infante Juan would be married as soon as possible now that he was days away from turning fourteen. Princess Blanche had so far born a daughter to Prince Juan, Infanta Yolanda of Navarre, but she had yet to deliver the spare to the throne. And since the king was preparing for an oncoming war against the Ottomans, Juan wished for to see his grandson wedded in case he or the prince face danger in the coming years. Richard had been able to send three warships loaded with guns and weapons to Spain with his daughter in lieu of a part of the dowry to aid in the effort against the Turks. He also sent his brother Lionel and 1,200 archers along with her to show that even if England itself would not fight the Ottomans, they would support the cause itself.
Sketch of Elizabeth, Duchess of Glouchester
George and Elizabeth married in the middle of June in Canterbury cathedral in a splendid ceremony, attended by the royal family. King Richard threw a fine feast to welcome his new daughter, as well as a joust in her honour. Elizabeth was given the seat of honour as the glittering bride while Charlotte and Catherine sat nearby. The winner of the joust was of course the fortunate groom himself whom gladly accepted the garland of golden and white roses from his delighted new wife.
Princess Beatrice and Lady Helena found the tournament as exciting as any thirteen-year-old girls would. As her proud sister had left England, Beatrice was the eldest York daughter in court now and she too had gotten proposals from foreign suitors. The heirs to Denmark and Brittany were all of interest and while England had a chilly relationship with the Grand Duchy of Brabant, their next duchess being Beatrice rather than Jeanne of France would suit Richard more. The youngest York princess also needed a match, but she would have to wait. As for the golden-haired Lady Helena, she would most likely wed a grand nobleman, but right now she spent much of her time with Beatrice at court.
Unbeknownst to Beatrice, the ambassador from Denmark had been invited by King Richard so that he could inspect the prospective Crown Princess for the House of Oldenburg. King Christian had suffered enormous troubles with his Swedish subjects and it had been due to the strength of his wife, Margareta of Burgundy that he had not yet lost his throne to his uncle. Her nephew had supported her with men and arms from the grand duchy, and the queen had inherited the political skills of her father. But given the bloodbath that Christian had caused in Stockholm, the crown of Sweden had been lost. And Prince Hans needed a bride that could bring military support to his father, and Beatrice fit the bill perfectly.
Thomas of York, Duke of Bedford in 1530
Richard IV only had one brother still in England in the summer of 1523. As Edmund had died and Lionel had left for Spain, Thomas of York became closer to his brother than they had been in the past years. The failure in Boulogne of 1514 had haunted the Duke of Bedford for a long time and the betrayal of his wife, Marguerite of Saint-Pol that had led to his imprisonment and later annulment had become a huge scandal. Bedford had lived quietly on his estates in Oxford since then and he had refused to remarry for many years. In 1521 he had made on of his rare public appearances in York at Edmund’s funeral and since then he had come to court more often. In 1524 Bedford asked for the King’s permission to remarry, this time to Katherine FitzAlan, the daughter of the Earl of Arundel and his first wife Elizabeth Willoughby. Katherine had just turned eighteen and had grown up in court. Richard was on very good term with Arundel as the Lord Maltravers as he was styled, served as Lord Chamberlain in the court. Katherine seemed to be able to charm her sombre duke and the marriage took place in the autumn. As Katherine only had younger brother from her father’s second marriage, this could lead to Bedford gaining the Arundel and Maltravers lands and titles.
September saw the return of the Boleyn family to England from the Low Countries. As the negotiations for a match between Beatrice and Jean had been a failure, Thomas, Elizabeth and their daughter, Anne all arrived back at the family estate of the Hever in Edenbridge. The eldest child, Mary had been the mistress of Grand Duke Philippe for several years, but she had opted to wed a courtier in the Low Countries rather than to return to England after the relationship ended. Anne quickly became a favorite lady in waiting to Princess Charlotte, whom found her delightfully sophisticated. Anne had grown up in the fashionable and educated court culture in Burgundy and Brussels under the tutelage of Philippa of Guelders and Beatrice of York and her skills at singing, dancing found a home in the lively court of the Princess of Wales. Anne was extremely fashionable, vivacious and lively, and helped Charlotte gather several likeminded young ladies and courtiers around her. The more austere king and queen held wide respect and the court had become a center of humanism and education, but like many youngsters the new generation considered them somewhat old-fashioned. Anne never showed Queen Catherine anything but the deepest respect and the courtiers all followed her lead. She also considered her a true role model regarding marriage and charity and Catherine came to view Anne with great tenderness. Anne had been considered as a bride for James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond as to solve the troubles regarding the Ormond inheritance between James’s father and Anne’s father. Anne on the other hand had fallen in love with the Earl of Northumberland’s son, Henry Percy. And the young man frequently visited court, often to see Anne.
Anne was present when Princess Charlotte gave birth to her first child on the 3rd of December. She was delivered of a son early in the morning, much to the joy of the court. The little boy, was named for his father and grandfather and was christened by the bishop of Oxford, while Anne was given the honour of carrying him during the ceremony. Queen Catherine visited a few weeks later and stayed for several days to see her grandbaby. It was during those days that Anne was able to get an audience with the queen and to plead her case for a marriage with her beloved Henry Percy. Queen Catherine took her request seriously and promised to speak on her behalf to the king when she returned.
After Charlotte’s churching, both she and Richard returned to London as they had been called to court. Evidently both the earl of Northumberland, Thomas Boleyn and James Butler had been called to meet with the king and Anne held high hopes for her future.
“I will be his wife! My beloved Henry, I shall be his most fortunate lady and one of the highest ranked women in the kingdom.”. With the flutters of love in her belly, Anne entered the great hall of Westminster where the king and queen sat enthroned under a great canopy of red velvet and gold embroidery. She spotted Henry standing in the hall near a window and while the smile he gave her seemed strained, Anne chalked it up excitement and took her place behind Charlotte as usual. Beatrice and Helena were also present, standing near the raised dais, the king’s daughter clad in violet silk and cloth of gold, while Helena wore azure blue and cloth of silver. The colours suited them both, as purple warmed Beatrice’s darker complexion and pale skin, while Helena’s golden hair shone in the sunlight.
The king rose from his throne and began to speak.
“My lords and ladies, we have gathered here today to celebrate the most marvellous news for our kingdom and for our family! I am pleased to announce to you all that today we have signed an alliance with the most christian kingdom of Denmark and our dear daughter, the lady Beatrice is to wed the Crown Prince of Denmark before the year is out!”
As the hall filled with applauses and cheers, Beatrice glided over to her father’s side at his beckoning and dropped into a perfect courtesy worthy of a royal princess.
“Your majesty, I am grateful for the grand match I have been given and I pray that I shall be as great a queen as my Lady Mother has been for this blessed realm.”
She was then introduced to the Danish ambassador, whom bowed his hand before his new princess and proclaimed her a “a worthy daughter of the highest king and queen and the grandest gift Denmark would ever receive.”.
One of the ambassador’s attendants stepped forward and held out an ornate box for Beatrice, and as she opened it, she found a miniature painting of Prince Hans inside, as well as a necklace of silver and pearls from Denmark.
After the ceremony had ended and Beatrice took her place besides her mother, Richard rose once more.
“This happy match is not the only one today we have the pleasure of announcing. We also declare that our dear niece Helena will also marry before the year is out! In according with our later brother of York’s wishes we have considered nothing less then the most proper match for her as a great lady of royal blood. It is our most sincere wish to announce the marriage between Helena and her most fortunate bridegroom, Lord Henry Percy of Northumberland!”
For Anne, the last words of the king made the whole world crash away. Time seemed to move still as Helena’s blue clad figure moved over the white and black tiled floor in a whisper of silk, while Henry moved to the front of the dais to stand besides her. He offered his hand to her and brought her hand up to his lip to kiss it, as any well-trained courtier would. All Anne could see at the moment was the glistering blue of the gown and the lustre of honey-gold hair. Queen Catherine tried to catch Anne’s eyes in the cheering crowds, but the usually consummated court lady had fled the hall to curl up in an empty corner in a corridor. Charlotte had turned white with rage at the announcement. As soon as her position would allow her, she had turned on her heel and stalked out of hall, with her ladies all making haste to keep up with her.
“That Spanish cow! This was all her fault; it must have been! How dare she destroy Anne’s dreams like that! I shall never forgive her for this offence against her and myself. When I am queen, I shall see her thrown in the Tower and erase her name from England! No one shall ever remember you as a Queen of England when my Richard takes the throne, madam, they shall only remember you as a traitorous whore and a plague on his kingdom. Pox rot your heart!”
The honest truth was that Catherine had nothing to do with the marriage between Helena and Henry Percy. She had earnestly pleaded the case to her husband, and Richard had initially been inclined to the match, but he had changed his mind after speaking to both Butler and Northumberland. The indebted, but proud Earl did not see the mere daughter of a knight and a failed ambassador as a worthy bride for his heir, not while he had another option in Helena, the only daughter of the very rich Duke of York. Also being the only niece of the king meant that Helena was the best choice outside of wedding one of the princesses for his son. When the king had proposed the match, Northumberland could not believe his good fortune and dropped to his knees before his sovereign and proclaimed that the House of York would never have any more faithful allies then the House of Percy from this day onwards.
For James Butler, the king’s assurance that the Lady Anne would become his wife was a godsent, as that would solve the troubles with the Earldom of Ormonde that would now belong to him. He also assured him that if Thomas Boleyn complained, he would feel the full wrath of the king at once. Butler had left the meeting with a grin on his face, knowing that Boleyn would never be foolish enough to risk Richard’s considerably fury.
Anne and James were married three weeks later, with the king and queen in attendance. If the bride seemed somewhat pale and quiet, well that could be chalked up to wedding nerves. A few years later, they left for Ireland to the Ormond estates, where Anne all but faded from the pages of history. She is believed to have died somewhere around 1553, after bearing four children to James. In Ireland, Anne would become acquainted to Joan Fitzgerald, the heiress to the Earl of Desmond, whom married her cousin James FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Desmond in order to solve the dispute between the Fitzgerald family.
The marriage of Helena of York and Henry Percy took place in the cathedral of York in the late summer. The onlookers claimed afterwards that there had never been a noble bride as beautiful as Helena had been at the wedding, with the gold and jewels shimmering in her long loose golden hair and her dress made of white silk and cloth of gold. Despite his infatuation for Anne, Henry came to cherish his wife and she ensured that the Percy family would remain one of the most noble houses in England for many generations to come.
As for Charlotte, her intended revenge of her mother-in-law would never come. Not only did she fail to get vengeance when Prince Richard became King Richard V of England, but neither she or her son would be alive at that time. Little Dickon died in the cradle in less than a year and Charlotte herself perished in childbirth in 1526, with her third child, as her second pregnancy had resulted in early stillbirth. Her only living child was a daughter named Katherine, named for her grandmother would raise her with all the love and caring that would immortalise her as one of England’s greatest queen consorts in history.
By comparison, few historians today remember the second wife of Richard V of England, Shakespear’s infamous, contested and sorrowful Winter King from the immortal plays of England greatest bard.
Charlotte of France, Princess of Wales in 1525
Author's Note: So we find ourselves back in York England in the middle of the 1520s. Prince Richard's luck in brides are rather abysmal so far.
@BlueFlowwer ! Amazing work! Poor Rickon! Another wife death and no living son!
Wish the Best For Lionel and his crusading dreams
Wish the Best For Lionel and his crusading dreams