In 1395, Queen Mary of Hungary fell from a horse. She was pregnant at the time, and with the trauma she gave birth to a stillborn son and died not long after it. So, WI she didn't ride that day, and survived, giving birth to a living son? How would it affect Hungary, her husband Sigismund and the House of Luxembourg?
WI Mary of Hungary didn't fall from a horse?
- Thread starter Gonzaga
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That means troubles for Vladislav Jogaila after his wife's death. He ruled Poland by the rights of his wife Hedwig, who was Mary's sister.
Well, Hungary would unfortunately still be shackled to Bohemia, but it could work. The boy would probably be Lajos/Ludvik after Marie's father, or Karel/Karoly after Sigmund's. Other than that, I couldn't really say. But I agree with @Svetonius21, if Jadwiga dies without issue, or with only a daughter, Marie's son (or rather Sigmund probably) will put in a claim to the Polish crown. If Sigmund and Marie have 2 boys, I could see a younger son marrying Jadwiga's daughter in a peace treaty. Now we have the house of Luxemburg ruling over the Empire (or do the electors decide they prefer the Wittelsbachs?), and a stretch of territory from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Just for the irony points, name the boy after Sigmund's dad, and we get a TTL Holy Roman Emperor Karl V with a huge unmanageable empire
IOTL there were rumors that Jogaila's sons were bastards. ITTL if Jogaila marries in old age and has son or sons Luxemburgs could use such rumours to to gain support for their case.
The Problem with Jogaila and Jadwiga is that Jadwiga and Jogaila are cousins, both descendants of Casimir of Kuyavia and there is a lack of dispensation in the marriage.
Sigismund is the heir of Casimir III via his grand daughter Elizabeth of Pomerania..
Sigismund is the heir of Casimir III via his grand daughter Elizabeth of Pomerania..
The first Habsburg emperor was married to Sigismund's only daughter. I believe that with a male heir then the Habsburgs would continue to rule only Austria in the short term.
What about the Burgundian inheritence? Does the POD have significant influence on it?
It was much later. The Burgundian Valois might not even be extinct in this TL.
Albrecht wasn't crowned emperor IIRC, although he was elected German king - which is sort of the same thing (I think). They only had three kids - Elisabeth, Queen of Poland; Anna, duchess of Luxemburg & Thuringia; and Ladislaus the Posthumous, who was slated - alongside his cousin, Sigmund - to marry a Valois princess (Sigmund to Radegonde de Valois; Ladislaus to her younger sister, Madeleine (OTL princess of Viana). Albrecht wasn't the first Habsburg emperor - that was Rudolf way back when - and Friedrich III was Albrecht's kinsman (cousin/uncle), and the "Luxemburg" blood only arrived in the Imperial Habsburgs with the double marriage between the Hungarian Jagiellons and the Habsburgs.
As to the Habsburgs only ruling Austria, I wouldn't bank on it - if things run as OTL, yeah sure. But Albrecht's dad, Ernst, was the third son - and he only married his second wife, Cymburgis of Masovia at the suggestion of Jogaila IIRC. His older brothers were married to Queen Giovanna II of Naples and Catherine of Burgundy. So we could see a side line of Habsburgs ruling a kingdom of Naples (unlikely, but still an awesome idea) instead of Giovanna causing civil strife between the Aragonesi and Angiovesi supporters by adopting first one heir then a different heir, and both trying to claim they're legitimate.
If only we could throw Milan in this mess too (with a Habsburg king of Naples claiming it). Then we would have Habsburgs focusing in Italy, trying to connect their lands with Austria, while the Luxembourgs dominate Central Europe.
Luxembourg triumph in Central Europe is not given, especially in Poland-beside having claims to the throne Sigismund needs support of the nobles-he was not popular in Hungary and even less in Poland, and Polish nobility was more interested in union with Lithuania, which was more profitable.
Well, a future Habsburg archduke in Naples can marry TTL *Bianca Maria Sforza and go into a whole war with the *legitimate claimants to the duchy.
Well, Sigmund wouldn't be "ruling" Hungary here (Marie would, though IDK how the Hungarians felt about her), and after Marie, their son. So whether Sigmund is popular in Hungary might not factor into it. Plenty of sovereigns have had unpopular consorts and weathered the storm. But I hear what you're saying about Poland and Lithuania.
I also believe that the Polish wouldn't want a personal union with Hungary again. However, it would be interesting if Mary's sister Jadwiga also survives the birth of her daughter. Jogaila couldn't remarry, but he and his possible heir with Jadwiga would have a much stronger right to rule in Poland, meaning less concessions and negotiations with the nobles.
In such case Jogaila is big winner. Not only there is no need for OTL concessions-his heir(s) is also not 10 y.o. kid at the time of his death.
Or Ladislaus, Sigismund was a big fan of Saint Ladislaus.
That's unlikely, Sigismund is was overstretched (Hungary, Bohemia, HRE, sometimes in Italy) to expand even more in Poland, not to say that he was always indebted due to constant warring.Other than that, I couldn't really say. But I agree with @Svetonius21, if Jadwiga dies without issue, or with only a daughter, Marie's son (or rather Sigmund probably) will put in a claim to the Polish crown. If Sigmund and Marie have 2 boys, I could see a younger son marrying Jadwiga's daughter in a peace treaty. Now we have the house of Luxemburg ruling over the Empire (or do the electors decide they prefer the Wittelsbachs?), and a stretch of territory from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Just for the irony points, name the boy after Sigmund's dad, and we get a TTL Holy Roman Emperor Karl V with a huge unmanageable empire
Indeed, the only time he moved against Poland was pretty much a ruse to get money (which he succeeded).
That's a good observation, there is no certainty that Rupert of the Rhine would die on schedule, though his authority was restricted to the Rhineland, it could establish a Wittelbach-led anti-Luxemburg faction with 4 electors backing against Wenzel and Sigismund, and even if Rupert bites the dust there is still the whole deal with Jobst of Moravia, maybe with Mary alive (and later his son and heir) she could represent her husband in Hungary and prevent the whole chaos his long absences.
Romanorum Rex (or Teutonicorum Rex, King of the Germans) was the title of the elected German king still to be crowned by the Pope, in the beginning it meant that the guy wasn't a true Emperor and could be subjected to Antikings and other issues, over the time, as Imperial Authority in Italy and Burgundy declined and Charles IV excluded the Pope from the Imperial Election, the title became synonymous with the Emperor, as the title and authority was pretty much restricted to Germany anyways, in the end it's just semantics.
Actually, Rudolph was just King of the Romans as well, so was his son Albert, Friedrich III was the first Habsburg Emperor to be crowned by the Pope.
Now that would be awesome.
Mary was a non-actor in Hungary, the authority was all on Sigismund's back, hence how he got the throne after her death, it's true that he was unpopular, maybe with Mary alive he could get some extra legitimacy, maybe the war with Ladislaus of Naples either don't happen or don't get as much traction from all the magnates (some may flock under Mary's banner).