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* TheDitz: Antoinette Stuart, completely out of her element despite being of royal blood and upbringing, and having an excellent claim to the thrones of England and Scotland. Made all the more apparent by her being in the constant presence of women who are far more competent than she is: her sister Mary, Queen of Scots; Catherine de Medici; and even her own grandmother and namesake, Antoinette, Dowager Duchess of Guise.
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* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Maria of Spain, self-proclaimed "Queen of the Romans" (a title which ''does not exist''), a domineering battle-axe who is eager to rehabilitate the reputation of the Austrian Habsburgs by any means necessary.
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* MaliciousSlander: Against the Cardinal of Lorraine, who is made the scapegoat in the latest round of religious squabbles taking place in France. Like Cromwell, he retires from court before [[OffWithHisHead a worse fate]] might befall him.
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* PerilousOldFool: Suleiman the Magnificent, eager for a rematch with Austria, to the clear horror of most of his relatives and courtiers.
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* IdleRich: Ercole d'Este, brother of the Duke of Ferrara and nephew to ThePope, is an honest-to-goodness RichIdiotWithNoDayJob.
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* IdleRich: Ercole d'Este, brother of the Duke of Ferrara and nephew to ThePope, is an honest-to-goodness RichIdiotWithNoDayJob. [[spoiler:He is however [[TookALevelInBadass getting better]].]]
* LadyMacbeth: Electress Elizabeth Tudor has big plans for her husband, the Elector of Saxony. Something of a subversion as neither she nor her husband are villains.
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* TheStarscream: Frederick von Simmern, Elector-Palatinate spends much of his time in the Schmalkaldic League trying to form his own breakaway, Calvinist version of it. [[spoiler: And he succeeds.]]
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* TheStarscream: Frederick von Simmern, Elector-Palatinate spends much of his time in the Schmalkaldic League trying to form his own breakaway, Calvinist version of it. [[spoiler: And he succeeds.succeeds, though said group proves extremely chaotic and difficult to control.]]
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* BadBoss: Henry VIII presently tops the list, though Ivan IV is working hard to dethrone him.
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* PsychopathicManchild: To reiterate, [[RunningGag Ivan IV of Russia is... slightly odd.]]
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* YouHaveFailedMe: A popular response from the more tyrannical rulers for any percieved failings. Henry VIII and Ivan IV are both fans of it...
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* DepravedBisexual: Once again, Ivan IV is... slightly odd.
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* HordesFromTheEast: Livonia and Poland face invasion from Russia.
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* PoorCommunicationKills: In the Second Schmalkaldic War, [[spoiler: Archduke Charles Francis winds up attacking the holdings of some of his own Protestant allies, causing them to attack him, thus scuppering the entire alliance.]]
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* TheGamblingAddict: Catherine Howard, who's first appearance had her begging for money for things that she [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial swore weren't gambling debts]].
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* TheGamblingAddict: Catherine Howard, who's whose first appearance had her begging for money for things that she [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial swore weren't gambling debts]].
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* TheGambler: Part of Catherine Howard's motif...
* TheGamblingAddict: Another part of Catherine Howard's motif...
* TheGamblingAddict: Another part of Catherine Howard's motif...
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* TheGambler: Part of Catherine Howard's motif...
* TheGamblingAddict: Another part of Catherine Howard's motif...
* TheGamblingAddict: Another part of Catherine Howard's motif...
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** But averted by the man who in our reality is known as one of ''the'' famous philanderers in England, Henry VIII, once he finally weds Anne Boleyn. He ''tries'' to hook up with Jane Seymour as he did in our history, but Anne puts the kibosh on that and, as she is the mother of his son and heir, the King reluctantly accedes.
** Also averted by [[spoiler: Henry IX]], who is often described as ''far'' less experienced with women than he lets on, and never has any serious dalliances during his bachelorhood, to the point that [[spoiler: he ''might'' even still be a virgin by the time he finally marries Mary, Queen of Scots, at the age of 26 (giving him something in common with [[TheVirginQueen his historical sister]])]]. This is actually in keeping with the men of his dynasty, [[spoiler: apart from his father]].
** Also averted by [[spoiler: Henry IX]], who is often described as ''far'' less experienced with women than he lets on, and never has any serious dalliances during his bachelorhood, to the point that [[spoiler: he ''might'' even still be a virgin by the time he finally marries Mary, Queen of Scots, at the age of 26 (giving him something in common with [[TheVirginQueen his historical sister]])]]. This is actually in keeping with the men of his dynasty, [[spoiler: apart from his father]].
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* TheMistress: Quite a few monarchs, rulers, and men of note have them. Most notably, Henry II of France leans heavily on both his first mistress, Diane de Poitiers, and his second, Francoise de Enghien, while Ferdinand II of Austria practically views Philippine Welser as a second wife.
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* WideEyedIdealist: Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria. Unsurprisingly, European political intrigues chew him up and spit him out.
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* WideEyedIdealist: WideEyedIdealist:
** Janos Sigismund Zapolya, the Prince of Transylvania, advocates religious pluralism... in the sixteenth century.
** Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria. Unsurprisingly, European political intrigues chew him up and spit him out.
** Janos Sigismund Zapolya, the Prince of Transylvania, advocates religious pluralism... in the sixteenth century.
** Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria. Unsurprisingly, European political intrigues chew him up and spit him out.
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* WideEyedIdealist: Archduke Francis II of Austria. Unsurprisingly, European political intrigues chew him up and spit him out.
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* WideEyedIdealist: Archduke Francis Ferdinand II of Austria. Unsurprisingly, European political intrigues chew him up and spit him out.
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* SmallNameBigEgo: Count Gunther XLI von Schwarzberg, Archduke Ferdinand's brother-in-law, considers himself an invaluable expert on war. This shows little evidence of being the case.
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* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: It's been mentioned in passing that "Mughal Emperor" Akbar is a [[AuthorityInNameOnly pretender to a nonexistant empire]] who's been a long-time guest of the Persian Shah. This major alteration to the original timeline is viewed as a fairly minor matter by the timeline's inhabitants.
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* FromBadToWorse: The situation in France as the Second Schmalkaldic War rages; on matters of religion, France would ''much'' rather destroy itself from within.
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* MeleeATrois: The aging Suleiman the Magnificent, in the twilight of his reign, wants to get involved in the Second Schmalkaldic War as a chance to resume their stalled expansion into Europe and seek a rematch with the Habsburgs.
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* WideEyedIdealist: Archduke Francis II of Austria. Unsurprisingly, European political intrigues chew him up and spit him out.
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* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Friedrich von Simmern, the Elector Palatine, is happy to play both sides of the religious divide in the Holy Roman Empire against each other, in order to solidify power in the face of an interregnum for the throne. And he's ''also'' happy to turn on anybody who stands in his way, even his erstwhile allies.
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* NeverLiveItDown: Philip of Hesse's bigamous marriage regularly undermines his position in the Schmalkaldic League.
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* NeverLiveItDown: Philip of Hesse's bigamous marriage regularly undermines his position in the Schmalkaldic League. [[invoked]]
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** On the Habsburg front, [[spoiler:Prince Charles and Elizabeth de Valois are getting along swimmingly]]. Also happened earlier when [[spoiler:King Philip and Maria of Portugal quickly got over their initial apprehension]].
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** Again, on the Habsburg front, [[spoiler: Archduke Ferdinand II's marriage to his brother's betrothed, Maria of Spain, has not turned out well]].
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* It'sAllAboutMe: The standard attitude of many kings, queens, and nobles at this time, though some are worse than others. Henry VIII of England, and Henry II of France are both particularly dominated by this kind of thinking.
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* It'sAllAboutMe: ItsAllAboutMe: The standard attitude of many kings, queens, and nobles at this time, though some are worse than others. Henry VIII of England, and Henry II of France are both particularly dominated by this kind of thinking.
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* ConspiracyTheorist: Ivan IV tends to spout off half-a-dozen of crazy theories of who wants to kill him whenever things don't go his way. As he's Tsar of Russia, this makes his court quite dangerous.
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* It'sAllAboutMe: The standard attitude of many kings, queens, and nobles at this time, though some are worse than others. Henry VIII of England, and Henry II of France are both particularly dominated by this kind of thinking.
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* FeudingFamilies: As noted, they're all over the place--the Habsburgs and the Valois, the Tudors and the Habsburgs, the Tudors and the Valois, the Wettins and the Habsburgs, the Vasas and the Oldenburgs...
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* FeudingFamilies: As noted, they're all over the place--the Habsburgs and the Valois, the Tudors and the Habsburgs, the Tudors and the Valois, the Wettins and the Habsburgs, the Vasas and the Oldenburgs...Oldenburgs, the Vasas and the Vasas...
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* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Charles Stuart, Earl of Lennox, [[spoiler: and later pretender to the Crowns of England and Scotland]], tries to be a dangerous intriguer. 'Tries to be' being the operative words.
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** On the Habsburg front, [[spoiler:Prince Charles and Elizabeth de Valois are getting along swimmingly]]. Also happened earlier when [[spoiler:King Philip and Maria of Portugal quickly got over their initial apprehension]].
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** On the Habsburg front, [[spoiler:Prince Charles and Elizabeth de Valois are getting along swimmingly]]. Also happened earlier when [[spoiler:King Philip and Maria of Portugal quickly got over their initial apprehension]].
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** On Again, on the Habsburg front, [[spoiler:Prince Charles and Elizabeth de Valois are getting along swimmingly]]. Also happened earlier when [[spoiler:King Philip and [[spoiler: Archduke Ferdinand II's marriage to his brother's betrothed, Maria of Portugal quickly got over their initial apprehension]].Spain, has not turned out well]].
* BigFancyCastle: Henry VIII's Nonsuch Castle, [[SubvertedTrope a giant white elephant that his children sell off as quickly as possible.]]
* BlueBlood: Given that it's the Renaissance, they're around.
* CivilWar: Several nations are prone to them, most notably the Holy Roman Empire.
* IdleRich: Ercole d'Este, brother of the Duke of Ferrara and nephew to ThePope, is an honest-to-goodness RichIdiotWithNoDayJob.
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* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The House of Stewart (Protestant/Anglophile) vs. the House of Stuart (Catholic/Francophile). [[spoiler: For example, the two daughters of James V, who find themselves more or less on opposite sides of the debate: Mary Stewart vs. Antoinette Stuart.]]
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* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The House of Stewart (Protestant/Anglophile) vs. the House of Stuart (Catholic/Francophile). [[spoiler: For example, the two daughters of James V, who find themselves more or less on opposite sides of the debate: Mary Stewart vs. Antoinette Stuart.]]
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* ElectiveMonarchy: Several, including the Holy Roman Empire...
* FeudingFamilies: As noted, they're all over the place--the Habsburgs and the Valois, the Tudors and the Habsburgs, the Tudors and the Valois, the Wettins and the Habsburgs, the Vasas and the Oldenburgs...
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* PuppetKing: While's he does actually hold power, Henry II of France's [[UnwittingPawn highly suggestible nature]] frequently turns him into one for [[EvilChancellor his advisors.]]
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* PuppetKing: While's While he does actually hold power, Henry II of France's [[UnwittingPawn highly suggestible nature]] frequently turns him into one for [[EvilChancellor his advisors.]]
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* SpareToTheThrone: Quite a few, some of whom have gotten bumped up in the line of succession.
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** On the Habsburg front, [[spoiler:Prince Charles and Elizabeth de Valois are getting along swimmingly]]. Also happened earlier when [[spoiler:King Philip and Maria of Portugal quickly got over their initial apprehension]].
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* DeathByChildbirth: [[spoiler:Mary Tudor.]]
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* UnusualEuphemism
-->The young Danish nobleman cuts his classes at Wittenberg to meet the young Anna, who he then wins over by a burning revelation of his passion to her in a small secluded forest. He follows this up by a burning revelation of his passion to her in her dressing chamber, then in her bedroom, and then he manages a quick one in her uncle's bedroom.
-->The young Danish nobleman cuts his classes at Wittenberg to meet the young Anna, who he then wins over by a burning revelation of his passion to her in a small secluded forest. He follows this up by a burning revelation of his passion to her in her dressing chamber, then in her bedroom, and then he manages a quick one in her uncle's bedroom.
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* ReplacementGoldfish: Archduke Ferdinand of Austria finds himself forced to take the place of his elder brother Maximillian when the latter is killed in a war, right down to the latter's previously [[ArrangedMarriage planned marriage]].
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* AppropriatedAppellation: Has happened several times, most notably with the English Libertines, and the Cathars.
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* TheStarscream: Frederick von Simmern, Elector-Palatinate spends much of his time in the Schmalkaldic League trying to form his own breakaway, Calvinist version of it. [[spoiler: And he succeeds.]]
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* InsultBackfire: The Duke of Norfolk is happy to hear that John Calvin called him a libertine. Earlier, he was also delighted [[spoiler:to be excommunicated]].
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* TheAlliance: The Schmalkaldic League hopes to be just this.
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* TheAlliance: The Schmalkaldic League hopes to be just this. [[spoiler: It fails. [[WeAreStrugglingTogether Dismally]].]]
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* BadassPreacher: Daniel O'Farrell--or [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Donal o Fearghail]]--founder of the Irish Originalists, spreads his message of a nationalistic, Anabaptist Irish church with eloquence, dedication, and [[ChurchMilitant bands of armed followers]].
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* TheMagnificent: Quite a few royals have and nobles have such nicknames, including Ottoman Sultan Suleiman... [[ShapedLikeItself the Magnificent]].
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* {{Elopement}}: In contrast to his siblings, Henry IX's marriage to [[spoiler: Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots]] is one of these.
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* TheCaligula: Ivan IV is... slightly odd.
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* OldShame: Philip of Hesse's bigamous marriage regularly undermines his position in the Schmalkaldic League.
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* OldShame: NeverLiveItDown: Philip of Hesse's bigamous marriage regularly undermines his position in the Schmalkaldic League.
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* WhamEpisode: The timeline is very liberally sprinkled with them.
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HenryVIII, the King of England, wanted nothing more than continue [[TheHouseOfTudor his family line]] by siring [[HeirClubForMen a male heir]]. But his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was proving ''very'' uncooperative. Their only child to survive infancy was a daughter, Mary; Henry was able to father a son with one of his mistresses, but he was illegitimate and could not inherit the throne.
Eventually, a clever, charming, and manipulative young courtier named Anne Boleyn caught his eye. Henry had already bedded her older sister, but Anne was more prudish; she would ''not'' sleep with him unless and until they were married. For that to happen, Henry would have to end his marriage to Catherine. Thus began what history remembers as his "Great Matter".
For various reasons, ThePope would not grant Henry an annulment from his wife, so he decided to [[StartMyOwn separate from the Church and declare himself Supreme Head]] in order to do so. Anyone who stood in the way was [[OffWithHisHead summarily dealt with]], and Henry married Anne and made her his Queen. All along, she had promised that ''she'' would give him the son he desperately wanted.
In 1533, Anne gave birth to [[TheVirginQueen a girl]].
This was the beginning of the end for Anne; the profound stress of failing to live up to the demands of one of the most petulant and impatient men in history resulted in all of her subsequent pregnancies ending in miscarriage. Henry quickly tired of her, and she, too, [[OffWithHisHead was executed]] just three years after they were married. Henry, of course, went on to remarry four more times, having a grand total of ''one'' son. [[TheVirginQueen Their daughter]] eventually became Queen and went on to reign over a GoldenAge.
[[AlternateHistory But what if, instead of Elizabeth, Anne had given birth to a boy?]]
This is the question that [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=198307 "Now Blooms The Tudor Rose"]], written by Space Oddity ([[TroperWorks also known as troper "Rhialto"]]), attempts to answer. Among the highlights? Henry and Anne have ''five'' children (including ''three'' sons), ''all'' [[spoiler: but one]] of whom live to adulthood; Queen Anne takes a ''very'' active role in the English government; and the religious and political balance of Europe is already driven way off-course by mid-century.
There's a lot of heavy material (the 16th century was certainly no picnic in RealLife either), but the tone is kept fairly light and breezy thanks to the DeadpanSnarker narration and the strong focus on CharacterDevelopment and interaction.
----
!!Historical characters who appear or are referenced in the timeline:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: Royals]]
[[AC: [[TheHouseOfTudor Tudors]]]]
* HenryVIII, King of England: Pretty much every bit the man he was in our history, as aptly described by the Dickens quote on his own page. He is viewed better in that he only had two wives, and didn't kill either of them. [[spoiler: Is injured and incapacitated, then dies, earlier in his reign than in reality, resulting in his son taking the throne as a minor.]]
* Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort [[spoiler: later Dowager]] of England: A very learned and cunning woman, a committed Protestant, a devoted mother, and a dangerous opponent.
* Mary Tudor: Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, viewed by Catholics as the legitimate Heir to the throne. [[spoiler: Reconciles with her father after the death of her mother, and is married off to a Protestant prince. Dies in childbirth.]]
[[AC: Habsburgs]]
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor: Competent and well-meaning but overburdened, as in our history. With ardent Francophile Anne remaining Queen of England, and no Catholic Restoration, the Empire remains England's greatest foe through Henry VIII's reign. [[spoiler: Abdicates ahead of schedule.]]
* Ferdinand, Holy Roman Emperor: Charles' younger brother, and heir to his Austrian holdings, as well as the Imperial dignity [[spoiler: which all come his way a few years ahead of schedule]].
* Philip II, King of Spain: Charles' only legitimate son, and heir to his Spanish holdings. As with Henry VIII, is essentially the same person as in our history.
[[AC: Valois]]
* Francis I, King of France: On-again/off-again "ally" of England and arch-nemesis of Charles V. [[spoiler: In keeping with our history, dies the same year as Henry VIII, which is to say, a couple of years early.]]
* Henry II, King of France: Francis' son; accedes to the throne on his father's death. [[spoiler: Is remembered far differently than in our history.]]
[[AC: [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Stewarts/Stuarts]]]]
* James V, King of Scots: Nephew of Henry VIII, and a firm believer in the Auld Alliance - or, barring that, just about any anti-English alliance. [[spoiler: Becomes senior Catholic claimant to the throne upon Mary Tudor's marriage to a Protestant; dies in his attempt to incite unrest in England, leaving the throne to his two-year-old daughter Mary.]]
* Marie of Guise, Queen Consort (later Dowager) of Scots: A member of the powerful Guise family. Becomes Regent upon the death of her husband. [[spoiler:Is shot by the insane Earl of Arran and eventually succumbs to her wounds.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Aristocrats and Courtiers]]
[[AC: England]]
* Thomas Cromwell: NumberTwo to the King at the point of divergence; as the marriage to Anne of Cleves does not happen, he ''also'' does not [[OffWithHisHead lose his head]]. [[spoiler: Though he does still fall from grace, he also manages to stage a surprising recovery.]]
* Thomas Cranmer: Architect of the Protestant Reformation in England, and a key ally of Queen Anne. [[spoiler: Establishes a firmly Protestant Settlement after the death of Henry VIII.]]
* Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey [[spoiler: later 4th Duke of Norfolk]]: A pioneer in the field of Modern English poetry. [[RenaissanceMan Also a general and statesman]]. [[spoiler: Becomes Duke of Norfolk - and a staunch anti-Catholic - upon the assassination of his father.]]
* William Paulet: A long-standing member of the Privy Council whose primary distinction is his lengthy tenure. That and the fact that, like [[{{Casablanca}} Captain Renault]], he blows with the wind - which always keeps him on the Royal Family's good side.
* Catherine Howard: In RealLife, the fifth wife of Henry VIII (and the second to be [[OffWithHisHead executed]]). Here, she is a minor lady-in-waiting (and distant relative) to the Queen. [[spoiler: Is tangled up in a scandalous murder that forces her out of the court--she later runs off with a Scottish Earl; after his mysterious death, finds herself at the heart of intrigues throughout Europe.]]
[[AC: France]]
* Diane de Poitiers: Henry II's mistress, a woman [[MayDecemberRomance two decades his senior]]. Also serves as a maternal figure and a mentor for him, for better or (mostly) for worse.
* Francis, Duke of Guise: Head of the most powerful family in France other than the ruling House of Valois. A staunch Catholic and noted enemy of the Protestants. [[spoiler: Is killed in battle by John Frederick II, Duke and Elector of Saxony, resulting in a Guise-Wettin feud that is said to last for generations.]]
* Claude, Duke of Aumale: Younger brother to Francis, dispatched to Scotland to aid his sister and strengthen French influence during the tumultuous Regency of his niece, Mary. [[spoiler: After the assassination of his sister, becomes ''de facto'' Regent himself, leading the pro-French and Catholic factions in a bloody civil war.]]
[[AC: Holy Roman Empire]]
* Eustace Chapuys: Imperial ambassador to England. The ''ultimate'' [[GossipyHens Gossipy Hen]].
* Reginald Pole: Chosen by Charles V as a [[PuppetKing figurehead Catholic claimant to the throne of England]]. Though there's no love lost between Pole and [[HenryVIII the present monarch]], he has no interest in the job. [[ButThouMust Charles V won't hear of it, and places him under house arrest to prevent him from doing otherwise]].
[[/folder]]
!!This timeline provides examples of:
* AdiposeRex: Henry VIII, as in RealLife.
* TheAlliance: The Schmalkaldic League hopes to be just this.
* AlternateHistory
* AmbiguousDisorder: Arguably, Charles, son of Philip II. At least, academically speaking, if his tutors can be believed.
* ArchEnemy: Francis I and Charles V, as in RealLife; and indeed, the Habsburg and Valois dynasties. [[spoiler: The Guise and Wettin families also become archenemies.]]
* ArrangedMarriage: Anne Boleyn is particularly gifted at planning these for her children.
** PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: And indeed, many of her betrothals have turned out to be love matches.
** UnwantedSpouse: Though a few have not.
* BabiesEverAfter: Not only for Queen Anne, but also for her children, ensuring the survival of the Tudor Dynasty.
* BigScrewedUpFamily: While most Royal and nobles qualify, the trope exemplifiers are quickly turning out to be the Vasas of Sweden--a group of [[AxeCrazy ''eccentric'']] brothers who all hate each other.
* BlingOfWar: While most nobles like this, the Wettins appear to especially make a point of it.
* TheChainsOfCommanding: As Charles V and Ferdinand I could tell you, it's not fun being Holy Roman Emperor.
* TheChessmaster: Above all, Anne Boleyn.
* AChildShallLeadThem: James V, King of Scots, once again leaves [[MaryOfScotland his daughter]] to reign as Queen of Scots. Here she's slightly older than six days, however. [[spoiler: Also, Henry VIII dies in 1545, leaving behind his eleven-year-old son to take the throne as Henry IX, with Anne Boleyn serving as Regent.]]
* CulturedBadass: Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Among others.
* TheDitherer: Henry II of France is not good with decisions.
* EmoTeen: Edward, Duke of York, is about as close to this trope as a sixteenth-century prince possibly could be. He spends his spare time writing odes to dead friends and relatives! This doesn't go unnoticed by the English court, who give him the fitting nickname of "Grim Ned".
* TheEmpire: Initially, the combined Holy Roman Empire, and Kingdom of Spain, ruled over by Charles V. After his abdication, both the Empire and Spain could fit the bill. The Ottoman Empire is another great example.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: ''Constantly''.
* GambitPileup: The many Habsburg-Valois Italian wars tend to go like this...
* GossipyHens: The English court loves nothing more than discussing the latest intrigues. Many ambassadors ''to'' England love nothing more than sharing them with their sovereign masters.
* TheHeretic: All the Protestants, of course. With staunchly Protestant Anne Boleyn remaining Queen, this includes England which, unlike in our reality, does ''not'' (briefly) relapse into Catholicism. [[spoiler: The Schmalkadic League also survives in this timeline, with John Frederick of Saxony at its head.]]
* TheHouseOfTudor: As the title suggests, their family is at the heart of this epic tale.
* KingOnHisDeathbed: Happens to [[spoiler: Henry VIII.]]
* KnightTemplar: The Society for Purity and Correctness in Doctrine, aka the Cathars, a bunch of [[PrinciplesZealot dedicated Catholics]] so reactionary, they think ThePope has it wrong. [[{{Irony}} Part of what they are protesting is said Pope's approach to people who think he has it wrong.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: Anne Boleyn, once again.
* MataHari: [[spoiler: Catherine Howard]]
* MayDecemberRomance: As in RealLife, the affair between Henry II of France and Diane de Poitiers.
* NamesTheSame: A few historical figures have "siblings" in this timeline with the same names, but who are different people. This includes Elizabeth Tudor (here said to be a brunette who strongly resembles her mother); Charles, first son of Philip II; [[MaryOfScotland Mary, Queen of Scots]]; and most of Henri II's children.
* OldShame: Philip of Hesse's bigamous marriage regularly undermines his position in the Schmalkaldic League.
* OneSteveLimit: As is standard among royals, especially in this era, strongly averted.
* OnlySaneMan: There seems to be one for every new angry mob, conspiracy, and coup d'etat.
* PetTheDog: Henry VIII gets exactly ''one'' of these moments when he comforts his wife, Queen Anne, after she has a miscarriage. (After all, she ''did'' provide him with the son he always wanted).
* ThePope: Thanks to the ButterflyEffect, Ippolito d'Este is elected Pope in the Conclave of 1550, and takes the name Pius IV; he becomes a central character. [[spoiler: His strong modernizing tendencies make him a lot of enemies among the hardliners - including, most notably, the man who would in RealLife go on to become Pope Paul IV.]]
* PowderKegCrowd: The Pilgrimages of the Faithful, Catholic protests of the Tudors' Protestant policies tend to veer between this state and [[TorchesAndPitchforks a more excitable one]]. That is, when they aren't out and out [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized rebellions.]]
* PowerTrio: Two of Henry VIII's sons: Henry and Edward, along with his grandson, Arthur Fitzroy.
** TheKirk: Henry, Prince of Wales. [[spoiler: Later King Henry IX.]]
** TheSpock: Edward, Duke of York.
** TheMcCoy: Arthur Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset.
* PuppetKing: While's he does actually hold power, Henry II of France's [[UnwittingPawn highly suggestible nature]] frequently turns him into one for [[EvilChancellor his advisors.]]
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Happens to Don Antonio, Prior of Crato when he meddles in a Portuguese regency dispute.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: All over the place. In some cases, it would be better if they stopped...
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The House of Stewart (Protestant/Anglophile) vs. the House of Stuart (Catholic/Francophile). [[spoiler: For example, the two daughters of James V, who find themselves more or less on opposite sides of the debate: Mary Stewart vs. Antoinette Stuart.]]
* TheSoundOfMartialMusic: The House of Habsburg plays [[SarcasmMode a bit of a role...]]
* StandardRoyalCourt: Pretty much all the kingdoms have these. Some, like France, are a [[DeadlyDecadentCourt bit nastier than others...]]
* TheStoic: Edward, Duke of York, whenever he's not being an EmoTeen. This resulted in him picking up another nickname: "The Man of Marble".
* TangledFamilyTree: The Hapsburgs have an extra-tangled one. [[RoyallyScrewedUp The results have not been pretty.]]
* TeamMom: Anne Boleyn, naturally, to her children as well as her husband; she's the only one who can talk him out of one of his many, ''many'' bad ideas.
* ViolentGlaswegian: The Scots, as always, don't take too kindly to outside interference.
* WarriorPrince: Quite a few, actually.
* WeAREStrugglingTogether: The Schmalkaldic League spends about as much time quarrelling over Protestant theological disputes and old dynastic feuds as it does making sure that the Catholic Habsburgs don't crush them out of existence.
* TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask: Anne has a touch of this.
* WretchedHive: The Barbary States are not fun places to hang out.
----
Eventually, a clever, charming, and manipulative young courtier named Anne Boleyn caught his eye. Henry had already bedded her older sister, but Anne was more prudish; she would ''not'' sleep with him unless and until they were married. For that to happen, Henry would have to end his marriage to Catherine. Thus began what history remembers as his "Great Matter".
For various reasons, ThePope would not grant Henry an annulment from his wife, so he decided to [[StartMyOwn separate from the Church and declare himself Supreme Head]] in order to do so. Anyone who stood in the way was [[OffWithHisHead summarily dealt with]], and Henry married Anne and made her his Queen. All along, she had promised that ''she'' would give him the son he desperately wanted.
In 1533, Anne gave birth to [[TheVirginQueen a girl]].
This was the beginning of the end for Anne; the profound stress of failing to live up to the demands of one of the most petulant and impatient men in history resulted in all of her subsequent pregnancies ending in miscarriage. Henry quickly tired of her, and she, too, [[OffWithHisHead was executed]] just three years after they were married. Henry, of course, went on to remarry four more times, having a grand total of ''one'' son. [[TheVirginQueen Their daughter]] eventually became Queen and went on to reign over a GoldenAge.
[[AlternateHistory But what if, instead of Elizabeth, Anne had given birth to a boy?]]
This is the question that [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=198307 "Now Blooms The Tudor Rose"]], written by Space Oddity ([[TroperWorks also known as troper "Rhialto"]]), attempts to answer. Among the highlights? Henry and Anne have ''five'' children (including ''three'' sons), ''all'' [[spoiler: but one]] of whom live to adulthood; Queen Anne takes a ''very'' active role in the English government; and the religious and political balance of Europe is already driven way off-course by mid-century.
There's a lot of heavy material (the 16th century was certainly no picnic in RealLife either), but the tone is kept fairly light and breezy thanks to the DeadpanSnarker narration and the strong focus on CharacterDevelopment and interaction.
----
!!Historical characters who appear or are referenced in the timeline:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: Royals]]
[[AC: [[TheHouseOfTudor Tudors]]]]
* HenryVIII, King of England: Pretty much every bit the man he was in our history, as aptly described by the Dickens quote on his own page. He is viewed better in that he only had two wives, and didn't kill either of them. [[spoiler: Is injured and incapacitated, then dies, earlier in his reign than in reality, resulting in his son taking the throne as a minor.]]
* Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort [[spoiler: later Dowager]] of England: A very learned and cunning woman, a committed Protestant, a devoted mother, and a dangerous opponent.
* Mary Tudor: Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, viewed by Catholics as the legitimate Heir to the throne. [[spoiler: Reconciles with her father after the death of her mother, and is married off to a Protestant prince. Dies in childbirth.]]
[[AC: Habsburgs]]
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor: Competent and well-meaning but overburdened, as in our history. With ardent Francophile Anne remaining Queen of England, and no Catholic Restoration, the Empire remains England's greatest foe through Henry VIII's reign. [[spoiler: Abdicates ahead of schedule.]]
* Ferdinand, Holy Roman Emperor: Charles' younger brother, and heir to his Austrian holdings, as well as the Imperial dignity [[spoiler: which all come his way a few years ahead of schedule]].
* Philip II, King of Spain: Charles' only legitimate son, and heir to his Spanish holdings. As with Henry VIII, is essentially the same person as in our history.
[[AC: Valois]]
* Francis I, King of France: On-again/off-again "ally" of England and arch-nemesis of Charles V. [[spoiler: In keeping with our history, dies the same year as Henry VIII, which is to say, a couple of years early.]]
* Henry II, King of France: Francis' son; accedes to the throne on his father's death. [[spoiler: Is remembered far differently than in our history.]]
[[AC: [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Stewarts/Stuarts]]]]
* James V, King of Scots: Nephew of Henry VIII, and a firm believer in the Auld Alliance - or, barring that, just about any anti-English alliance. [[spoiler: Becomes senior Catholic claimant to the throne upon Mary Tudor's marriage to a Protestant; dies in his attempt to incite unrest in England, leaving the throne to his two-year-old daughter Mary.]]
* Marie of Guise, Queen Consort (later Dowager) of Scots: A member of the powerful Guise family. Becomes Regent upon the death of her husband. [[spoiler:Is shot by the insane Earl of Arran and eventually succumbs to her wounds.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Aristocrats and Courtiers]]
[[AC: England]]
* Thomas Cromwell: NumberTwo to the King at the point of divergence; as the marriage to Anne of Cleves does not happen, he ''also'' does not [[OffWithHisHead lose his head]]. [[spoiler: Though he does still fall from grace, he also manages to stage a surprising recovery.]]
* Thomas Cranmer: Architect of the Protestant Reformation in England, and a key ally of Queen Anne. [[spoiler: Establishes a firmly Protestant Settlement after the death of Henry VIII.]]
* Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey [[spoiler: later 4th Duke of Norfolk]]: A pioneer in the field of Modern English poetry. [[RenaissanceMan Also a general and statesman]]. [[spoiler: Becomes Duke of Norfolk - and a staunch anti-Catholic - upon the assassination of his father.]]
* William Paulet: A long-standing member of the Privy Council whose primary distinction is his lengthy tenure. That and the fact that, like [[{{Casablanca}} Captain Renault]], he blows with the wind - which always keeps him on the Royal Family's good side.
* Catherine Howard: In RealLife, the fifth wife of Henry VIII (and the second to be [[OffWithHisHead executed]]). Here, she is a minor lady-in-waiting (and distant relative) to the Queen. [[spoiler: Is tangled up in a scandalous murder that forces her out of the court--she later runs off with a Scottish Earl; after his mysterious death, finds herself at the heart of intrigues throughout Europe.]]
[[AC: France]]
* Diane de Poitiers: Henry II's mistress, a woman [[MayDecemberRomance two decades his senior]]. Also serves as a maternal figure and a mentor for him, for better or (mostly) for worse.
* Francis, Duke of Guise: Head of the most powerful family in France other than the ruling House of Valois. A staunch Catholic and noted enemy of the Protestants. [[spoiler: Is killed in battle by John Frederick II, Duke and Elector of Saxony, resulting in a Guise-Wettin feud that is said to last for generations.]]
* Claude, Duke of Aumale: Younger brother to Francis, dispatched to Scotland to aid his sister and strengthen French influence during the tumultuous Regency of his niece, Mary. [[spoiler: After the assassination of his sister, becomes ''de facto'' Regent himself, leading the pro-French and Catholic factions in a bloody civil war.]]
[[AC: Holy Roman Empire]]
* Eustace Chapuys: Imperial ambassador to England. The ''ultimate'' [[GossipyHens Gossipy Hen]].
* Reginald Pole: Chosen by Charles V as a [[PuppetKing figurehead Catholic claimant to the throne of England]]. Though there's no love lost between Pole and [[HenryVIII the present monarch]], he has no interest in the job. [[ButThouMust Charles V won't hear of it, and places him under house arrest to prevent him from doing otherwise]].
[[/folder]]
!!This timeline provides examples of:
* AdiposeRex: Henry VIII, as in RealLife.
* TheAlliance: The Schmalkaldic League hopes to be just this.
* AlternateHistory
* AmbiguousDisorder: Arguably, Charles, son of Philip II. At least, academically speaking, if his tutors can be believed.
* ArchEnemy: Francis I and Charles V, as in RealLife; and indeed, the Habsburg and Valois dynasties. [[spoiler: The Guise and Wettin families also become archenemies.]]
* ArrangedMarriage: Anne Boleyn is particularly gifted at planning these for her children.
** PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: And indeed, many of her betrothals have turned out to be love matches.
** UnwantedSpouse: Though a few have not.
* BabiesEverAfter: Not only for Queen Anne, but also for her children, ensuring the survival of the Tudor Dynasty.
* BigScrewedUpFamily: While most Royal and nobles qualify, the trope exemplifiers are quickly turning out to be the Vasas of Sweden--a group of [[AxeCrazy ''eccentric'']] brothers who all hate each other.
* BlingOfWar: While most nobles like this, the Wettins appear to especially make a point of it.
* TheChainsOfCommanding: As Charles V and Ferdinand I could tell you, it's not fun being Holy Roman Emperor.
* TheChessmaster: Above all, Anne Boleyn.
* AChildShallLeadThem: James V, King of Scots, once again leaves [[MaryOfScotland his daughter]] to reign as Queen of Scots. Here she's slightly older than six days, however. [[spoiler: Also, Henry VIII dies in 1545, leaving behind his eleven-year-old son to take the throne as Henry IX, with Anne Boleyn serving as Regent.]]
* CulturedBadass: Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Among others.
* TheDitherer: Henry II of France is not good with decisions.
* EmoTeen: Edward, Duke of York, is about as close to this trope as a sixteenth-century prince possibly could be. He spends his spare time writing odes to dead friends and relatives! This doesn't go unnoticed by the English court, who give him the fitting nickname of "Grim Ned".
* TheEmpire: Initially, the combined Holy Roman Empire, and Kingdom of Spain, ruled over by Charles V. After his abdication, both the Empire and Spain could fit the bill. The Ottoman Empire is another great example.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: ''Constantly''.
* GambitPileup: The many Habsburg-Valois Italian wars tend to go like this...
* GossipyHens: The English court loves nothing more than discussing the latest intrigues. Many ambassadors ''to'' England love nothing more than sharing them with their sovereign masters.
* TheHeretic: All the Protestants, of course. With staunchly Protestant Anne Boleyn remaining Queen, this includes England which, unlike in our reality, does ''not'' (briefly) relapse into Catholicism. [[spoiler: The Schmalkadic League also survives in this timeline, with John Frederick of Saxony at its head.]]
* TheHouseOfTudor: As the title suggests, their family is at the heart of this epic tale.
* KingOnHisDeathbed: Happens to [[spoiler: Henry VIII.]]
* KnightTemplar: The Society for Purity and Correctness in Doctrine, aka the Cathars, a bunch of [[PrinciplesZealot dedicated Catholics]] so reactionary, they think ThePope has it wrong. [[{{Irony}} Part of what they are protesting is said Pope's approach to people who think he has it wrong.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: Anne Boleyn, once again.
* MataHari: [[spoiler: Catherine Howard]]
* MayDecemberRomance: As in RealLife, the affair between Henry II of France and Diane de Poitiers.
* NamesTheSame: A few historical figures have "siblings" in this timeline with the same names, but who are different people. This includes Elizabeth Tudor (here said to be a brunette who strongly resembles her mother); Charles, first son of Philip II; [[MaryOfScotland Mary, Queen of Scots]]; and most of Henri II's children.
* OldShame: Philip of Hesse's bigamous marriage regularly undermines his position in the Schmalkaldic League.
* OneSteveLimit: As is standard among royals, especially in this era, strongly averted.
* OnlySaneMan: There seems to be one for every new angry mob, conspiracy, and coup d'etat.
* PetTheDog: Henry VIII gets exactly ''one'' of these moments when he comforts his wife, Queen Anne, after she has a miscarriage. (After all, she ''did'' provide him with the son he always wanted).
* ThePope: Thanks to the ButterflyEffect, Ippolito d'Este is elected Pope in the Conclave of 1550, and takes the name Pius IV; he becomes a central character. [[spoiler: His strong modernizing tendencies make him a lot of enemies among the hardliners - including, most notably, the man who would in RealLife go on to become Pope Paul IV.]]
* PowderKegCrowd: The Pilgrimages of the Faithful, Catholic protests of the Tudors' Protestant policies tend to veer between this state and [[TorchesAndPitchforks a more excitable one]]. That is, when they aren't out and out [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized rebellions.]]
* PowerTrio: Two of Henry VIII's sons: Henry and Edward, along with his grandson, Arthur Fitzroy.
** TheKirk: Henry, Prince of Wales. [[spoiler: Later King Henry IX.]]
** TheSpock: Edward, Duke of York.
** TheMcCoy: Arthur Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset.
* PuppetKing: While's he does actually hold power, Henry II of France's [[UnwittingPawn highly suggestible nature]] frequently turns him into one for [[EvilChancellor his advisors.]]
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Happens to Don Antonio, Prior of Crato when he meddles in a Portuguese regency dispute.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: All over the place. In some cases, it would be better if they stopped...
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The House of Stewart (Protestant/Anglophile) vs. the House of Stuart (Catholic/Francophile). [[spoiler: For example, the two daughters of James V, who find themselves more or less on opposite sides of the debate: Mary Stewart vs. Antoinette Stuart.]]
* TheSoundOfMartialMusic: The House of Habsburg plays [[SarcasmMode a bit of a role...]]
* StandardRoyalCourt: Pretty much all the kingdoms have these. Some, like France, are a [[DeadlyDecadentCourt bit nastier than others...]]
* TheStoic: Edward, Duke of York, whenever he's not being an EmoTeen. This resulted in him picking up another nickname: "The Man of Marble".
* TangledFamilyTree: The Hapsburgs have an extra-tangled one. [[RoyallyScrewedUp The results have not been pretty.]]
* TeamMom: Anne Boleyn, naturally, to her children as well as her husband; she's the only one who can talk him out of one of his many, ''many'' bad ideas.
* ViolentGlaswegian: The Scots, as always, don't take too kindly to outside interference.
* WarriorPrince: Quite a few, actually.
* WeAREStrugglingTogether: The Schmalkaldic League spends about as much time quarrelling over Protestant theological disputes and old dynastic feuds as it does making sure that the Catholic Habsburgs don't crush them out of existence.
* TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask: Anne has a touch of this.
* WretchedHive: The Barbary States are not fun places to hang out.
----
