The Empress of Silver and Gold: A Mary of Burgundy timeline
- Thread starter Prince of Permsia
- Start date
Little Charles is the apple of his mother's eye and his father's pride. His name a warning of coming vengeance against the heirs of Louis XI.
Yeah I thought I could do Richard a solid and not kill his only child. Does anyone know who he might marry now that his wife is dead?
As for Bess, everyone loves her for now. but things can change, especially if her family picks the wrong side in the upcoming war. This is another reason Anne, despite liking her, won't let her sleep with her brother.
Yeah that is one of the major butterflies of this scenario.
She will need it with what is to come. For what it is worth I also like her.
We shall see how it all plays out.
1485
1485
England
King Edward IV passes away, the consequence of a lifetime of vice. He is succeeded by his son Edward V. His brother Richard takes charge of the regency. He feuds with the Queen and her Woodville relatives and rumors fly that Richard intends to purge the Woodvilles, maybe even seize the throne for himself. Yet he stays loyal to his new liege.
For his part, Edward V is a scholarly young monarch, dignified in his person, free from all of his father's vices. Even at a young age he is dutiful in applying himself to the affairs of state as much as he is able. Right now he sees his primary duty as mediating tensions between his mother and Uncle.
His brother Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, by contrast is more of a carefree young boy. More focused on play than politics.
The primary foreign policy issue of concern is the ongoing chaos in France. Richard wants to take advantage to at the very least ensure an outcome favorable to England’s ally the Duke of Brittany, and at best regain large territories in Gascony and Normandy.
By contrast, Elizabeth Woodville and her relatives want to remain neutral, or even support the French. Elizabeth in particular acts out of concern for her daughters, Elizabeth, wed to the King of France, and Cecily wed to James the Duke of Rothesay, the heir to Scotland, an ally of the French.
The war hawks are egged on by the ambassadors of Mary and Maximilian, who assure the English that a Burgundian army will assist them, and not make peace until Normandy and Gascony are returned to the English. The Duke of Brittany likewise threatens to break Anne’s betrothal with young King Edward, and wed her to Louis of Orleans, if English assistance does not materialize.
In Scotland, Cecily gets to know her new husband. She views him as a little kid. He views her as an annoying older sister.
Burgundy
Maximilian leaves a pregnant Mary with their children and embarks on the first stage of his new war against the French. He leads a force into northern France, hoping to seize some of the channel ports and entice the English to enter the war on his side. Maximilian’s forces rampage through Artois and Picardy. However, they are able to take only a few positions before the campaign season ends.
Mary as always is hard at work mediating between the Burgundian estates and her husband.
As the campaign season ends Mary delivers a daughter, who is named Mary after her mother. The couple is pleased with their growing family. Their eldest two children are showing signs of promise. Margaret is a very intelligent girl and excels in her studies, while Philip is a sensitive boy, deeply attached to his mother, so much so that his father thinks it is bad for him.
Francis of Brittany and Maximilian plan a joint campaign for the next year. Meanwhile, Max’s father, Emperor Frederick, pleads for Burgundian resources to be used to salvage his position against Matthias Corvinus, but Maximilian will not give up the fight against France.
France
The conflict over the regency continues to escalate. Louis of Orleans leads an army to besiege Paris. Once again the King and his family are able to escape. Louis is soon driven off by a relief army. The Royal army chases him all the way to Orleans. Louis’s forces are defeated. He flees with the survivors to Brittany. He leaves behind his wife, Joan of France, who defiantly continues to advocate her husband's cause while in the custody of her older sister Anne.
This is despite her husband holding her in complete contempt, and his active attempts to put her aside in favor of Anne of Brittany. Anne of France is moved to pity but it is Elizabeth of York who becomes her sister-in-law’s greatest friend. The two make joint donations to the poor and needy, impressing the French people with their piety.
Charles is greatly enamored of his English wife and longs to consummate their marriage. He is angry at his sister for preventing this, and insisting on ruling as regent. From time to time he even expresses open sympathy with his cousin Louis. It falls to the dowager Queen Charlotte, whose health is failing, to mediate between her quarrelsome children. All of the Royal children love her dearly, Anne for her learning, Joan for her piety, and Charles for her romanticism. Though ignorant of the affairs of state her presence is the glue that holds the quarelsome family together.
In the South Alain of Albret plots to join the rebellion, along with several others including Charles of Auglame.
Spain
In Grenada Ronda falls to the forces of the Catholic monarchs. The internally divided Muslims of Grenada prove to be incapable of putting up solid resistance to the oncoming Reconquista.
Ferdinand spies an opportunity in the recent French succession problem and increases his support for the Beaumont party in Navarre, as the French have better things to do than protect his client.
Ferdinand offers peace if Francis Phobeus submits and betroths himself to one of his daughters. Francis however resolves to not be intimidated. Instead, he does the one thing most likely to provoke the Catholic monarchs. He agrees to wed Juanna La beteljrana.
The Portuguese for their part are weary of the growing power of the Catholic monarchs and seeks to balance them with an alliance with Navarre and the French.
England
King Edward IV passes away, the consequence of a lifetime of vice. He is succeeded by his son Edward V. His brother Richard takes charge of the regency. He feuds with the Queen and her Woodville relatives and rumors fly that Richard intends to purge the Woodvilles, maybe even seize the throne for himself. Yet he stays loyal to his new liege.
For his part, Edward V is a scholarly young monarch, dignified in his person, free from all of his father's vices. Even at a young age he is dutiful in applying himself to the affairs of state as much as he is able. Right now he sees his primary duty as mediating tensions between his mother and Uncle.
His brother Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, by contrast is more of a carefree young boy. More focused on play than politics.
The primary foreign policy issue of concern is the ongoing chaos in France. Richard wants to take advantage to at the very least ensure an outcome favorable to England’s ally the Duke of Brittany, and at best regain large territories in Gascony and Normandy.
By contrast, Elizabeth Woodville and her relatives want to remain neutral, or even support the French. Elizabeth in particular acts out of concern for her daughters, Elizabeth, wed to the King of France, and Cecily wed to James the Duke of Rothesay, the heir to Scotland, an ally of the French.
The war hawks are egged on by the ambassadors of Mary and Maximilian, who assure the English that a Burgundian army will assist them, and not make peace until Normandy and Gascony are returned to the English. The Duke of Brittany likewise threatens to break Anne’s betrothal with young King Edward, and wed her to Louis of Orleans, if English assistance does not materialize.
In Scotland, Cecily gets to know her new husband. She views him as a little kid. He views her as an annoying older sister.
Burgundy
Maximilian leaves a pregnant Mary with their children and embarks on the first stage of his new war against the French. He leads a force into northern France, hoping to seize some of the channel ports and entice the English to enter the war on his side. Maximilian’s forces rampage through Artois and Picardy. However, they are able to take only a few positions before the campaign season ends.
Mary as always is hard at work mediating between the Burgundian estates and her husband.
As the campaign season ends Mary delivers a daughter, who is named Mary after her mother. The couple is pleased with their growing family. Their eldest two children are showing signs of promise. Margaret is a very intelligent girl and excels in her studies, while Philip is a sensitive boy, deeply attached to his mother, so much so that his father thinks it is bad for him.
Francis of Brittany and Maximilian plan a joint campaign for the next year. Meanwhile, Max’s father, Emperor Frederick, pleads for Burgundian resources to be used to salvage his position against Matthias Corvinus, but Maximilian will not give up the fight against France.
France
The conflict over the regency continues to escalate. Louis of Orleans leads an army to besiege Paris. Once again the King and his family are able to escape. Louis is soon driven off by a relief army. The Royal army chases him all the way to Orleans. Louis’s forces are defeated. He flees with the survivors to Brittany. He leaves behind his wife, Joan of France, who defiantly continues to advocate her husband's cause while in the custody of her older sister Anne.
This is despite her husband holding her in complete contempt, and his active attempts to put her aside in favor of Anne of Brittany. Anne of France is moved to pity but it is Elizabeth of York who becomes her sister-in-law’s greatest friend. The two make joint donations to the poor and needy, impressing the French people with their piety.
Charles is greatly enamored of his English wife and longs to consummate their marriage. He is angry at his sister for preventing this, and insisting on ruling as regent. From time to time he even expresses open sympathy with his cousin Louis. It falls to the dowager Queen Charlotte, whose health is failing, to mediate between her quarrelsome children. All of the Royal children love her dearly, Anne for her learning, Joan for her piety, and Charles for her romanticism. Though ignorant of the affairs of state her presence is the glue that holds the quarelsome family together.
In the South Alain of Albret plots to join the rebellion, along with several others including Charles of Auglame.
Spain
In Grenada Ronda falls to the forces of the Catholic monarchs. The internally divided Muslims of Grenada prove to be incapable of putting up solid resistance to the oncoming Reconquista.
Ferdinand spies an opportunity in the recent French succession problem and increases his support for the Beaumont party in Navarre, as the French have better things to do than protect his client.
Ferdinand offers peace if Francis Phobeus submits and betroths himself to one of his daughters. Francis however resolves to not be intimidated. Instead, he does the one thing most likely to provoke the Catholic monarchs. He agrees to wed Juanna La beteljrana.
The Portuguese for their part are weary of the growing power of the Catholic monarchs and seeks to balance them with an alliance with Navarre and the French.
Very happy he is!
And yep! Richard will have an heir to his duchy and the north will kept beign guarded.
Bess is too precious.
Awww how nice, hopefully, Mary being around means Phillip is less cruel as an adult.
Yeah, Elizabeth is adjusting well to her new home, despite the difficulties presented by the war.
Thank you
Yeah the opportunity for her to stir things up again was too good for me to resist.
Aww thanks, I try to live up to the hype.
He will definitely turn out differently.
1486
England
Edward V resolves to calm the tensions between his maternal family and Richard of York. He arranges a meeting with his Uncle, away from the prying eyes of his Woodville relatives, who he knows will sabotage things.
An agreement is reached to betroth Edward’s youngest sister Bridget to Richard’s son Edward of Middlehelm. Elizabeth is appalled that one of her daughters will wed the son of her enemy, but Edward promises his young cousin will be brought to court to be raised with his betrothed. Little Bridget for her part already expresses a preference for the life of a nun, but Edward assumes she will grow out of it.
On the issue of the war in France, the English chose neutrality, for the sake of their finances if nothing else. The plan is to wait until all sides are exhausted and negotiate a peace that one, preserves Breton autonomy, and two, preserves a decent standing for the King, and by extension his wife, Edward’s sister Elizabeth.
All this depends on events on the battlefield balancing themselves out and stands in direct contrast with Maximilian’s maximalist objectives of regaining the full Burgundian inheritance. As a result relations between England and Burgundy are strained.
Burgundy
Maximilian once again invades Picardy and Artois. This time his forces are able to siege down multiple major positions. However the French campaign skilfully and are able to contain him, preventing a plan to march through Normandy and link up with Francis of Brittany.
Annoyed by what he sees as English treachery, Maximilian wants to cancel his son Philip’s betrothal with Anne of York. However, Mary talks him out of it. Severing that link, she fears, would throw the English fully into the French camp.
France
Anne de Beaju is having a very bad year. First, multiple further nobles join Louis of Orleans’s rebellion. These are led by Alain of Alberet and Charles of Alecon. Louis’s cousin, Francis of Orleans Loungerville in particular is a brilliant commander and gives Anne’s generals a run for their money. Still, the Southern forces are eventually defeated by the Lord of Foix Candale, but they are able to head north to join Louis and Francis of Brittany.
Secondly, Maximilian invades Artois and Picardy. While her forces are able to contain him, many key strongholds fall, and it is unclear how long they will be able to contain the Burgundians. And that doesn't even take into consideration the possibility they might launch an attack to reclaim Dijon.
Royal forces fare better against Francis of Brittany. Never a popular ruler, his attempts to rally his nobility against the King spurred a revolt by pro-Royalist nobles led by Jean II de Rohan. While Maximilian’s attacks and the war in the South prevent Anne from taking full advantage of dissension in the Breton ranks, she is able to send forces to bolster the rebels, preventing Francis from launching his planned attack into Normandy.
Lastly, Anne suffers tragedies on the home front. First, her mother, the dowager Queen Charlotte, never in the best of health, takes ill. The Queen loses her battle and perishes. For a brief moment, her three quarrelsome children are united by grief.
Shortly after the funeral Anne collapsed. The doctors revealed she had suffered a miscarriage. She had not even known she was expecting. She is comforted in her grief by her sister Joan and sister-in-law Elizabeth. All this suffering renews her determination to press on to victory. She will not let her father’s legacy be undone.
Spain.
With an agreement reached and Papal permission given to leave her convent. The only thing that stands between Juana la Betlejrana and being Queen of Navarre is the Castilian navy. Alas, the Portuguese squadron conveying her to Navarre is able to evade the Castilian blockade and carry their precious princess safely to her husband-to-be.
The couple are wed in Pamplona. The young King is pleased with his new bride and does his best to impress her. Juana for her part is charmed, but Francis is a bit too young to be taken seriously. She views him as a cute young boy who is trying to impress her.
In Portugal, the couple Isabella the Younger remains a quasi-hostage, still formally betrothed to Alfonso. Alone amidst a hostile court, she clings ever tighter to her betrothed. Her love for the boy borders on the obsessive. Alfonso for his part is fond of his betrothed. He asks his father not to put her aside. John smiles and explains the concept of playing two sides so that he comes out on top to his son.
The Catholic monarchs feel like a coalition is forming against them. The war against the Moors is put on hold and soldiers are raised in the North. Appeals are made to the Beumont party to overthrow Francis and install Ferdinand the Catholic as King of Navarre.
Edward V resolves to calm the tensions between his maternal family and Richard of York. He arranges a meeting with his Uncle, away from the prying eyes of his Woodville relatives, who he knows will sabotage things.
An agreement is reached to betroth Edward’s youngest sister Bridget to Richard’s son Edward of Middlehelm. Elizabeth is appalled that one of her daughters will wed the son of her enemy, but Edward promises his young cousin will be brought to court to be raised with his betrothed. Little Bridget for her part already expresses a preference for the life of a nun, but Edward assumes she will grow out of it.
On the issue of the war in France, the English chose neutrality, for the sake of their finances if nothing else. The plan is to wait until all sides are exhausted and negotiate a peace that one, preserves Breton autonomy, and two, preserves a decent standing for the King, and by extension his wife, Edward’s sister Elizabeth.
All this depends on events on the battlefield balancing themselves out and stands in direct contrast with Maximilian’s maximalist objectives of regaining the full Burgundian inheritance. As a result relations between England and Burgundy are strained.
Burgundy
Maximilian once again invades Picardy and Artois. This time his forces are able to siege down multiple major positions. However the French campaign skilfully and are able to contain him, preventing a plan to march through Normandy and link up with Francis of Brittany.
Annoyed by what he sees as English treachery, Maximilian wants to cancel his son Philip’s betrothal with Anne of York. However, Mary talks him out of it. Severing that link, she fears, would throw the English fully into the French camp.
France
Anne de Beaju is having a very bad year. First, multiple further nobles join Louis of Orleans’s rebellion. These are led by Alain of Alberet and Charles of Alecon. Louis’s cousin, Francis of Orleans Loungerville in particular is a brilliant commander and gives Anne’s generals a run for their money. Still, the Southern forces are eventually defeated by the Lord of Foix Candale, but they are able to head north to join Louis and Francis of Brittany.
Secondly, Maximilian invades Artois and Picardy. While her forces are able to contain him, many key strongholds fall, and it is unclear how long they will be able to contain the Burgundians. And that doesn't even take into consideration the possibility they might launch an attack to reclaim Dijon.
Royal forces fare better against Francis of Brittany. Never a popular ruler, his attempts to rally his nobility against the King spurred a revolt by pro-Royalist nobles led by Jean II de Rohan. While Maximilian’s attacks and the war in the South prevent Anne from taking full advantage of dissension in the Breton ranks, she is able to send forces to bolster the rebels, preventing Francis from launching his planned attack into Normandy.
Lastly, Anne suffers tragedies on the home front. First, her mother, the dowager Queen Charlotte, never in the best of health, takes ill. The Queen loses her battle and perishes. For a brief moment, her three quarrelsome children are united by grief.
Shortly after the funeral Anne collapsed. The doctors revealed she had suffered a miscarriage. She had not even known she was expecting. She is comforted in her grief by her sister Joan and sister-in-law Elizabeth. All this suffering renews her determination to press on to victory. She will not let her father’s legacy be undone.
Spain.
With an agreement reached and Papal permission given to leave her convent. The only thing that stands between Juana la Betlejrana and being Queen of Navarre is the Castilian navy. Alas, the Portuguese squadron conveying her to Navarre is able to evade the Castilian blockade and carry their precious princess safely to her husband-to-be.
The couple are wed in Pamplona. The young King is pleased with his new bride and does his best to impress her. Juana for her part is charmed, but Francis is a bit too young to be taken seriously. She views him as a cute young boy who is trying to impress her.
In Portugal, the couple Isabella the Younger remains a quasi-hostage, still formally betrothed to Alfonso. Alone amidst a hostile court, she clings ever tighter to her betrothed. Her love for the boy borders on the obsessive. Alfonso for his part is fond of his betrothed. He asks his father not to put her aside. John smiles and explains the concept of playing two sides so that he comes out on top to his son.
The Catholic monarchs feel like a coalition is forming against them. The war against the Moors is put on hold and soldiers are raised in the North. Appeals are made to the Beumont party to overthrow Francis and install Ferdinand the Catholic as King of Navarre.
@Prince of Permsia , Great strategy on edward V Part. Hoping the best for him and Max.
The catholic monarchs are surrounded. Hope they come out on top
The catholic monarchs are surrounded. Hope they come out on top
Here's hoping Anne de Beaju can bring France together, even if it means crushing all the rebels...
Well Max would like Edward to intervene more forcefully. The English plan is a good one, but it leave a lot up to events in France, which, as we shall soon see, might not go the way they plan them.
The mark of a good writer is that their readers care. I will say most wars in this period rarely end in a decisive victory. Whoever loses might be in a position for a rematch very soon.
Not yet. Charles is not happy about this. She does have an older sister, Catherine, who is unmarried. Right now Edward still intends her for a foreign match, but if none materializes he might betroth her to Edward of Middlehelm and send Bridget to a convent.
She is trying her best.
You and many others to judge from the sheer volume of pro-Burgundy timelines on this site.