WI Napoléon II: Bourbon Hostage?

[Nuraghe]

Now that I think about it, there would be another important international actor who currently still resides in Paris, namely Pius VII, who only on 23 January 1814, dressed in the clothes of an ordinary bishop, was taken to nice via a tortuous route to get around the Rhone valley ( but the disguise created by the Bonapartists didn't work, so the prisoner's journey became a long festive procession among the French population, who greeted him along the way ) with the aim of bringing him back to Savona, where on 16 February he entered again in the city ( where you resided until Napoleon's abdication in April of the same year, he return to Rome only on May 24th ) now considering the very long negotiations due to the Vienna / Paris congress in Otl, it is not difficult to imagine that at least cardinal Consalvi is present in the city, and that he can be used as an intermediary by Franz to obtain guarantees on the protection of his nephew, for the rest of the chapter, sublime as usual, Klemens' joke regarding the inability of the Bourbons to think of an overly complex plan to get rid of a possible inconvenient competitor ( unlike the Medici or the Borgias ) is very funny, is there any chance that Franz could convince the British not to totally trust King Louis, given that Louis is already demonstrating that he wants to play on multiple fronts simultaneously ( promising to assist Ferdinand but supporting Murat's government ) perhaps by trying to make direct contact with Georgie Porgy to try to flatter him, convincing him that Vienna will support his ambitions for Hanover ?

 

[Polish Eagle]

[3] yup, Leopold of Coburg. While he rode into Paris with the Russian army's Maria Feodorovna Cuirassiers in 1814, the guy had slept with Hortense de Beauharnais and Caroline Murat (and it was rumoured that Josephine was likewise a notch on his bedpost), so he'd definitely have "some" value as knowing people who would've heard what is being said in private

Leopold the 1st of Belgium? I'm kind of impressed that (if the rumor was true) Josephine "still had it."

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Leopold the 1st of Belgium?

Oui

I'm kind of impressed that (if the rumor was true) Josephine "still had it."

How true the rumor is, IDK, but at/after the Congress of Vienna Léopold reportedly boasted that he had good reason to believe he was "better" than the duke of Wellington, since while Art had only bedded Nappy's mistress and beaten Nappy on the battlefield, he (Léopold) was u equalled as the only prince in Europe who had bedded not one but BOTH of Napoléon's wives (and Hortense and Caroline) . Whether this was simply Léo with a fratboydian type boast or the truth, I have no idea. In Frankie Goes to the Hofburg, I have the title character scathingly disparage Léopold to his face about the rumor. Which given Frankie's open dislike for his mother, seems odd that he'd laugh off the boast instead of going "I'm not surprised" or "you too?"

Now that I think about it, there would be another important international actor who currently still resides in Paris, namely Pius VII, who only on 23 January 1814, dressed in the clothes of an ordinary bishop, was taken to nice via a tortuous route to get around the Rhone valley ( but the disguise created by the Bonapartists didn't work, so the prisoner's journey became a long festive procession among the French population, who greeted him along the way ) with the aim of bringing him back to Savona, where on 16 February he entered again in the city ( where you resided until Napoleon's abdication in April of the same year, he return to Rome only on May 24th ) now considering the very long negotiations due to the Vienna / Paris congress in Otl, it is not difficult to imagine that at least cardinal Consalvi is present in the city, and that he can be used as an intermediary by Franz to obtain guarantees on the protection of his nephew,

Did not know that. Although I imagine his Holiness will not be doing this for free

for the rest of the chapter, sublime as usual, Klemens' joke regarding the inability of the Bourbons to think of an overly complex plan to get rid of a possible inconvenient competitor ( unlike the Medici or the Borgias )

In Klemens' defense, none of the current generation of Bourbon (and I'm including Louis Philippe) really has the combination of brainpower, motive and access necessary. The ones who have access don't have brains and the one who thinks he has brains doesn't have access. Matter of fact, Louis Philippe would a) gain nothing by it, since Frankie isn't in the Capetian line of succession; b) he'd be the first suspect if something does happen (due to his father's reputation as a regicide) and c) he'd piss off both the Légitimists, the Bonapartists and the Republicans by doing it

is very funny, is there any chance that Franz could convince the British not to totally trust King Louis, given that Louis is already demonstrating that he wants to play on multiple fronts simultaneously ( promising to assist Ferdinand but supporting Murat's government )

He hasn't promised to assist either Ferdinand (in Naples or Spain). Simply stated "of course I want my cousin restored" if pressed on the matter.

And as mentioned, if Louis is smart, he'd offer Franz something for the Habsburgs in exchange. Like the Savoy-Piedmont succession. IIRC Metternich was the main supporter of Carlo Alberto succeeding. Both Vittorio Emanuele I and Carlo Felice distrusted him and preferred the Modenese alternative. So a partition (France keeps Savoie, Modena gets Piedmont, Genoa and Sardinia*).

*found out today that there was actually talk of Napoléon being granted Sardinia once he abdicated (but the house of Savoie objected since they would only be restored in exchange). So that could've been interesting I'm sure.

perhaps by trying to make direct contact with Georgie Porgy to try to flatter him, convincing him that Vienna will support his ambitions for Hanover ?

I dont see why he couldn't.

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Soundtrack: Gaspare Spontini - Pélage ou le Roi et la Paix

*Paris* *we see Madame Royal driving through the Bois de Boulogne in an open carriage* *opposite her sit Maman Quiou and the little king of Rome*
Napoléon II: why do those men not remove their hats for my cousin [2] and I, maman? It's not very polite.
Maman Quiou: *looks at Madame Royal* *they both know that the reason the "drive out" is not successful is due to the company* *royalists who would ordinarily cheer Madame Royal are silent at the king of Rome's presence, Bonapartists are the opposite*
Madame Quiou: *carefully* those people have their own preferences, Monseigneur...they don't know you very well. They don't know your feelings.
Napoléon II: *looks at Madame Royal* then we must let them know *stands on seat of the moving carriage and loudly proclaims* that we love them dearly. We love them all...including our enemies! [3]

*cut to Rambouillet* *Metternich is in a study when the door opens*
Footman: the Ambassador of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, his Grace, the duke of Wellington.
Wellington: *walks in as though he's on parade* *acknowledges Metternich* your Excellency
Metternich: your Grace. *motions to Wellington to be seated* I trust you found the journey from Paris quite comfortable?
Wellington: in this heat? I've fought in Spain and India, Prince, and this is somehow worse.
Metternich: *looking calm and cool* of course. May I offer you something to drink?
Wellington: Arinto [4], if you have any
Metternich: I'm afraid, all I can offer is a Riesling from my vineyards at Johannisburg [5]
Wellington: *grumbles about Riesling being far too sweet* *could just as well drink sugar water**but accepts*
*the pair make small talk as they wait for the wine* *a servant brings it in* *serves it*
Metternich: *clearly an unexpected segue from the previous topic judging by the look on Wellington's face* if I may ask, your Grace, what does his Royal Highness, the Prince Regent make of the current state of affairs in France.
Wellington: *cautiously* naturally, he is most grateful that the war is at an end and that his brother, King Louis has been restored.
Metternich: an official line, no doubt. Given the Regent's refusal to even allow the king to visit London during his very long domicile in Britain.
Wellington: I cannot speak to that. I was off in Spain.
Metternich: of course. But you must realize that I do not mean the matter of the king, but rather the matter of his family.
Wellington: what of them.
Metternich: that they have- as you say in the army- closed ranks.
Wellington: to what end?
Metternich: you have no doubt heard that the king of Rome was separated from his mother, your Grace.
Wellington: *mulling his glass for a long moment before speaking* and how does she feel about this matter, sir? As I understood it, she is cavorting with Count Neuburg at Plombières.
Metternich: *corrects* Neipperg.
Wellington: *nods* of course. And...how does the Countess Neipperg feel about her husband's...attentions to the empress? [6]
Metternich: the countess' feelings are not germane to the topic.
Wellington: then, if I may be frank, Prince Metternich: you ask how the Prince Regent must feel about the situation of a child abandoned by their mother. Where the mother is cavorting with her paramour. Whether impropriety exists or not, I do not know. But I do know that his Royal Highness considers it the same "undignified" species of behaviour as his own wife with Count Pergami-
Metternich: he does not believe the young king would be better served in the hands of his family?
Wellington: only if your Excellency means to imply that the Princess Charlotte- the future queen of England- would be better served by being in the custody of her mother, tramping across Italy like venereal disease in a soldier's camp.
Metternich: that is not what I wish to say at all.
Wellington: then let that be the last of it. Now...if there is nothing else you wish to consult me on, I bid you good day.

*cut to another room* *Emperor Franz is in conference with another man*
Franz: we give you our guarantee as emperor, Graf zu Munster [7], that the duke of Oldenburg will not receive Hannover, regardless of whatever the czar says [8]. It would be remiss of us to reward our oldest and most loyal ally with such betrayal.
Munster: of course, your Majesty. And I can assure you that his Serene Highness, the Prince Regent, will be greatly gratified to hear of it.
Franz: royal
Munster: I beg your Majesty's pardon?
Franz: you called the Prince Regent "his serene highness", we wish to further reward Hannover by allowing it to be elevated to a kingdom on its restoration.
Munster: his Royal Highness will be most gratified to hear that, sire.
Franz: Sadly, due to the king of England's poor state, it would be unfortunate should we be seen to be ourselves, deprived of our wits, and settle such a kingdom on a madman. It is our wish that the kingdom of Hannover is to be settled directly on the Prince Regent rather than his father. The king of England will remain Elector of Hannover until his death, and should the Prince Regent have no son, the crown will pass to his brother, the former Bishop of Osnabrück [9], and should he have no son, to his next brother, and so on and so forth.
Munster: *warily* and what will be the bounds of this kingdom, your Majesty?
Franz: the former electorate. The principality of Bremen and Verden. The former bishopric of Hildesheim, the former bishopric of Osnabrück-
Munster: Prince Hardenberg will not be in favour of that [10]
Franz: the former bishopric of Osnabrück, the former duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg and the countship of East Frisia, although the latter, we wish to be allowed to pass to the Princess Charlotte as her dowry, should she marry the prince of Orange's son as the king plans [11]
Munster: so it is to pass to the Dutch then?
Franz: I understand that the...arrangement...with the prince of Orange is that, following the marriage of his son to the princess, his state in the Netherlands will become as Tuscany was to the empire. And their kingdom shall stretch from the Elbe to the Scheldt [12].
Munster: your Majesty is too kind.
Franz: *makes noise of agreement*
Munster: however, it does arouse the vulgar question of what your Majesty wishes in exchange for such extreme generosity.
Franz: my grandson, the king of Rome or the emperor of the French, or whatever they're calling him at the French court nowadays...I should like to be granted custody of him.
Munster: of course, your Majesty

*cut to ante-chamber* *we see Munster emerging from his talk with Franz at the same time that Wellington emerges from his talk with Metternich* *the two men barely acknowledge one another as they leave*
Franz: I take it you were unsuccessful, Prince?
Metternich: if the duke of Wellington is to be believed, we have nothing that the king of England wants.
Franz: *smug smile* how fortunate, then, that we have something that the king of Hannover does.

*fade to black*



[1] 18th/19th century French euphemism for a woman's period, also known as "a visit from Aunt Rose"
[2] given how Napoléon took to referring to Louis XVI as "our beloved uncle", it is easier to work with "Madame Royal is your Majesty's cousin" than trying to shoehorn him into accepting her as his mother
[3] basing this incident on something that happened with Louis Napoléon, Prince Imperial when he was about the same age and his response
[4] Wellington's wine of choice, he imported a great deal of it OTL
[5] Metternich's preferred wine [Riesling] and the vineyards at Johannisburg were gifted to him by Emperor Franz in acknowledgement of his efforts to make peace with Napoléon after the War of the Fifth Coalition. Little known fact is that Metternich was actually a wine-enthusiast:

Although Metternich is most famous as a wine grower and seller, he was also an enthusiast who drank wine across the continent on his many travels as a diplomat, especially during his time in France as emissary to the court of Napoleon. Though he had a great love of French wine and even port (which he drank on his visits to England), he always turned to the wine from his homeland on the Rhine where his own vineyards produced the best wine in the Habsburg realm.

[6] Neipperg's wife only died in 1815
[7] Count Ernst Friedrich Herbert zu Munster was the Hannoverian minister to the court of George IV as well as the representative at the Congress of Vienna
[8] this was actually a proposal at the Congress of Chatillon/Paris, in a deal with Prussia, Alexander I promised him Saxony and his cousin in Oldenburg the kingdom of Hannover
[9] Frederick, Duke of York
[10] Hardenberg had refused to accept this ruling as early as 1813 already
[11] at Vienna, Hannover lost Lauenburg to Denmark and East Frisia to Prussia. Originally, the decision reached by Gniesenau, Hardenberg and Munster was that Hannover would forfeit Osnabrück and be compensated with East Frisia.
[12] The "plan" between Gniesenau and Munster (again, dating from 1811-1813 discussions). The kingdom was to be called "Austrasia"

 

[Dragonboy]

Soundtrack: Gaspare Spontini - Pélage ou le Roi et la Paix

*Paris* *we see Madame Royal driving through the Bois de Boulogne in an open carriage* *opposite her sit Maman Quiou and the little king of Rome*
Napoléon II: why do those men not remove their hats for my cousin [2] and I, maman? It's not very polite.
Maman Quiou: *looks at Madame Royal* *they both know that the reason the "drive out" is not successful is due to the company* *royalists who would ordinarily cheer Madame Royal are silent at the king of Rome's presence, Bonapartists are the opposite*
Madame Quiou: *carefully* those people have their own preferences, Monseigneur...they don't know you very well. They don't know your feelings.
Napoléon II: *looks at Madame Royal* then we must let them know *stands on seat of the moving carriage and loudly proclaims* that we love them dearly. We love them all...including our enemies! [3]

*cut to Rambouillet* *Metternich is in a study when the door opens*
Footman: the Ambassador of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, his Grace, the duke of Wellington.
Wellington: *walks in as though he's on parade* *acknowledges Metternich* your Excellency
Metternich: your Grace. *motions to Wellington to be seated* I trust you found the journey from Paris quite comfortable?
Wellington: in this heat? I've fought in Spain and India, Prince, and this is somehow worse.
Metternich: *looking calm and cool* of course. May I offer you something to drink?
Wellington: Arinto [4], if you have any
Metternich: I'm afraid, all I can offer is a Riesling from my vineyards at Johannisburg [5]
Wellington: *grumbles about Riesling being far too sweet* *could just as well drink sugar water**but accepts*
*the pair make small talk as they wait for the wine* *a servant brings it in* *serves it*
Metternich: *clearly an unexpected segue from the previous topic judging by the look on Wellington's face* if I may ask, your Grace, what does his Royal Highness, the Prince Regent make of the current state of affairs in France.
Wellington: *cautiously* naturally, he is most grateful that the war is at an end and that his brother, King Louis has been restored.
Metternich: an official line, no doubt. Given the Regent's refusal to even allow the king to visit London during his very long domicile in Britain.
Wellington: I cannot speak to that. I was off in Spain.
Metternich: of course. But you must realize that I do not mean the matter of the king, but rather the matter of his family.
Wellington: what of them.
Metternich: that they have- as you say in the army- closed ranks.
Wellington: to what end?
Metternich: you have no doubt heard that the king of Rome was separated from his mother, your Grace.
Wellington: *mulling his glass for a long moment before speaking* and how does she feel about this matter, sir? As I understood it, she is cavorting with Count Neuburg at Plombières.
Metternich: *corrects* Neipperg.
Wellington: *nods* of course. And...how does the Countess Neipperg feel about her husband's...attentions to the empress? [6]
Metternich: the countess' feelings are not germane to the topic.
Wellington: then, if I may be frank, Prince Metternich: you ask how the Prince Regent must feel about the situation of a child abandoned by their mother. Where the mother is cavorting with her paramour. Whether impropriety exists or not, I do not know. But I do know that his Royal Highness considers it the same "undignified" species of behaviour as his own wife with Count Pergami-
Metternich: he does not believe the young king would be better served in the hands of his family?
Wellington: only if your Excellency means to imply that the Princess Charlotte- the future queen of England- would be better served by being in the custody of her mother, tramping across Italy like venereal disease in a soldier's camp.
Metternich: that is not what I wish to say at all.
Wellington: then let that be the last of it. Now...if there is nothing else you wish to consult me on, I bid you good day.

*cut to another room* *Emperor Franz is in conference with another man*
Franz: we give you our guarantee as emperor, Graf zu Munster [7], that the duke of Oldenburg will not receive Hannover, regardless of whatever the czar says [8]. It would be remiss of us to reward our oldest and most loyal ally with such betrayal.
Munster: of course, your Majesty. And I can assure you that his Serene Highness, the Prince Regent, will be greatly gratified to hear of it.
Franz: royal
Munster: I beg your Majesty's pardon?
Franz: you called the Prince Regent "his serene highness", we wish to further reward Hannover by allowing it to be elevated to a kingdom on its restoration.
Munster: his Royal Highness will be most gratified to hear that, sire.
Franz: Sadly, due to the king of England's poor state, it would be unfortunate should we be seen to be ourselves, deprived of our wits, and settle such a kingdom on a madman. It is our wish that the kingdom of Hannover is to be settled directly on the Prince Regent rather than his father. The king of England will remain Elector of Hannover until his death, and should the Prince Regent have no son, the crown will pass to his brother, the former Bishop of Osnabrück [9], and should he have no son, to his next brother, and so on and so forth.
Munster: *warily* and what will be the bounds of this kingdom, your Majesty?
Franz: the former electorate. The principality of Bremen and Verden. The former bishopric of Hildesheim, the former bishopric of Osnabrück-
Munster: Prince Hardenberg will not be in favour of that [10]
Franz: the former bishopric of Osnabrück, the former duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg and the countship of East Frisia, although the latter, we wish to be allowed to pass to the Princess Charlotte as her dowry, should she marry the prince of Orange's son as the king plans [11]
Munster: so it is to pass to the Dutch then?
Franz: I understand that the...arrangement...with the prince of Orange is that, following the marriage of his son to the princess, his state in the Netherlands will become as Tuscany was to the empire. And their kingdom shall stretch from the Elbe to the Scheldt [12].
Munster: your Majesty is too kind.
Franz: *makes noise of agreement*
Munster: however, it does arouse the vulgar question of what your Majesty wishes in exchange for such extreme generosity.
Franz: my grandson, the king of Rome or the emperor of the French, or whatever they're calling him at the French court nowadays...I should like to be granted custody of him.
Munster: of course, your Majesty

*cut to ante-chamber* *we see Munster emerging from his talk with Franz at the same time that Wellington emerges from his talk with Metternich* *the two men barely acknowledge one another as they leave*
Franz: I take it you were unsuccessful, Prince?
Metternich: if the duke of Wellington is to be believed, we have nothing that the king of England wants.
Franz: *smug smile* how fortunate, then, that we have something that the king of Hannover does.

*fade to black*



[1] 18th/19th century French euphemism for a woman's period, also known as "a visit from Aunt Rose"
[2] given how Napoléon took to referring to Louis XVI as "our beloved uncle", it is easier to work with "Madame Royal is your Majesty's cousin" than trying to shoehorn him into accepting her as his mother
[3] basing this incident on something that happened with Louis Napoléon, Prince Imperial when he was about the same age and his response
[4] Wellington's wine of choice, he imported a great deal of it OTL
[5] Metternich's preferred wine [Riesling] and the vineyards at Johannisburg were gifted to him by Emperor Franz in acknowledgement of his efforts to make peace with Napoléon after the War of the Fifth Coalition. Little known fact is that Metternich was actually a wine-enthusiast:

[6] Neipperg's wife only died in 1815
[7] Count Ernst Friedrich Herbert zu Munster was the Hannoverian minister to the court of George IV as well as the representative at the Congress of Vienna
[8] this was actually a proposal at the Congress of Chatillon/Paris, in a deal with Prussia, Alexander I promised him Saxony and his cousin in Oldenburg the kingdom of Hannover
[9] Frederick, Duke of York
[10] Hardenberg had refused to accept this ruling as early as 1813 already
[11] at Vienna, Hannover lost Lauenburg to Denmark and East Frisia to Prussia. Originally, the decision reached by Gniesenau, Hardenberg and Munster was that Hannover would forfeit Osnabrück and be compensated with East Frisia.
[12] The "plan" between Gniesenau and Munster (again, dating from 1811-1813 discussions). The kingdom was to be called "Austrasia"

Amazing work as always! And Franz. That aint happening.

And please! Make lotte survive! She and Leo deserve a happy life together

 

[Nuraghe]

Soundtrack: Gaspare Spontini - Pélage ou le Roi et la Paix

*Paris* *we see Madame Royal driving through the Bois de Boulogne in an open carriage* *opposite her sit Maman Quiou and the little king of Rome*
Napoléon II: why do those men not remove their hats for my cousin [2] and I, maman? It's not very polite.
Maman Quiou: *looks at Madame Royal* *they both know that the reason the "drive out" is not successful is due to the company* *royalists who would ordinarily cheer Madame Royal are silent at the king of Rome's presence, Bonapartists are the opposite*
Madame Quiou: *carefully* those people have their own preferences, Monseigneur...they don't know you very well. They don't know your feelings.
Napoléon II: *looks at Madame Royal* then we must let them know *stands on seat of the moving carriage and loudly proclaims* that we love them dearly. We love them all...including our enemies! [3]

*cut to Rambouillet* *Metternich is in a study when the door opens*
Footman: the Ambassador of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, his Grace, the duke of Wellington.
Wellington: *walks in as though he's on parade* *acknowledges Metternich* your Excellency
Metternich: your Grace. *motions to Wellington to be seated* I trust you found the journey from Paris quite comfortable?
Wellington: in this heat? I've fought in Spain and India, Prince, and this is somehow worse.
Metternich: *looking calm and cool* of course. May I offer you something to drink?
Wellington: Arinto [4], if you have any
Metternich: I'm afraid, all I can offer is a Riesling from my vineyards at Johannisburg [5]
Wellington: *grumbles about Riesling being far too sweet* *could just as well drink sugar water**but accepts*
*the pair make small talk as they wait for the wine* *a servant brings it in* *serves it*
Metternich: *clearly an unexpected segue from the previous topic judging by the look on Wellington's face* if I may ask, your Grace, what does his Royal Highness, the Prince Regent make of the current state of affairs in France.
Wellington: *cautiously* naturally, he is most grateful that the war is at an end and that his brother, King Louis has been restored.
Metternich: an official line, no doubt. Given the Regent's refusal to even allow the king to visit London during his very long domicile in Britain.
Wellington: I cannot speak to that. I was off in Spain.
Metternich: of course. But you must realize that I do not mean the matter of the king, but rather the matter of his family.
Wellington: what of them.
Metternich: that they have- as you say in the army- closed ranks.
Wellington: to what end?
Metternich: you have no doubt heard that the king of Rome was separated from his mother, your Grace.
Wellington: *mulling his glass for a long moment before speaking* and how does she feel about this matter, sir? As I understood it, she is cavorting with Count Neuburg at Plombières.
Metternich: *corrects* Neipperg.
Wellington: *nods* of course. And...how does the Countess Neipperg feel about her husband's...attentions to the empress? [6]
Metternich: the countess' feelings are not germane to the topic.
Wellington: then, if I may be frank, Prince Metternich: you ask how the Prince Regent must feel about the situation of a child abandoned by their mother. Where the mother is cavorting with her paramour. Whether impropriety exists or not, I do not know. But I do know that his Royal Highness considers it the same "undignified" species of behaviour as his own wife with Count Pergami-
Metternich: he does not believe the young king would be better served in the hands of his family?
Wellington: only if your Excellency means to imply that the Princess Charlotte- the future queen of England- would be better served by being in the custody of her mother, tramping across Italy like venereal disease in a soldier's camp.
Metternich: that is not what I wish to say at all.
Wellington: then let that be the last of it. Now...if there is nothing else you wish to consult me on, I bid you good day.

*cut to another room* *Emperor Franz is in conference with another man*
Franz: we give you our guarantee as emperor, Graf zu Munster [7], that the duke of Oldenburg will not receive Hannover, regardless of whatever the czar says [8]. It would be remiss of us to reward our oldest and most loyal ally with such betrayal.
Munster: of course, your Majesty. And I can assure you that his Serene Highness, the Prince Regent, will be greatly gratified to hear of it.
Franz: royal
Munster: I beg your Majesty's pardon?
Franz: you called the Prince Regent "his serene highness", we wish to further reward Hannover by allowing it to be elevated to a kingdom on its restoration.
Munster: his Royal Highness will be most gratified to hear that, sire.
Franz: Sadly, due to the king of England's poor state, it would be unfortunate should we be seen to be ourselves, deprived of our wits, and settle such a kingdom on a madman. It is our wish that the kingdom of Hannover is to be settled directly on the Prince Regent rather than his father. The king of England will remain Elector of Hannover until his death, and should the Prince Regent have no son, the crown will pass to his brother, the former Bishop of Osnabrück [9], and should he have no son, to his next brother, and so on and so forth.
Munster: *warily* and what will be the bounds of this kingdom, your Majesty?
Franz: the former electorate. The principality of Bremen and Verden. The former bishopric of Hildesheim, the former bishopric of Osnabrück-
Munster: Prince Hardenberg will not be in favour of that [10]
Franz: the former bishopric of Osnabrück, the former duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg and the countship of East Frisia, although the latter, we wish to be allowed to pass to the Princess Charlotte as her dowry, should she marry the prince of Orange's son as the king plans [11]
Munster: so it is to pass to the Dutch then?
Franz: I understand that the...arrangement...with the prince of Orange is that, following the marriage of his son to the princess, his state in the Netherlands will become as Tuscany was to the empire. And their kingdom shall stretch from the Elbe to the Scheldt [12].
Munster: your Majesty is too kind.
Franz: *makes noise of agreement*
Munster: however, it does arouse the vulgar question of what your Majesty wishes in exchange for such extreme generosity.
Franz: my grandson, the king of Rome or the emperor of the French, or whatever they're calling him at the French court nowadays...I should like to be granted custody of him.
Munster: of course, your Majesty

*cut to ante-chamber* *we see Munster emerging from his talk with Franz at the same time that Wellington emerges from his talk with Metternich* *the two men barely acknowledge one another as they leave*
Franz: I take it you were unsuccessful, Prince?
Metternich: if the duke of Wellington is to be believed, we have nothing that the king of England wants.
Franz: *smug smile* how fortunate, then, that we have something that the king of Hannover does.

*fade to black*



[1] 18th/19th century French euphemism for a woman's period, also known as "a visit from Aunt Rose"
[2] given how Napoléon took to referring to Louis XVI as "our beloved uncle", it is easier to work with "Madame Royal is your Majesty's cousin" than trying to shoehorn him into accepting her as his mother
[3] basing this incident on something that happened with Louis Napoléon, Prince Imperial when he was about the same age and his response
[4] Wellington's wine of choice, he imported a great deal of it OTL
[5] Metternich's preferred wine [Riesling] and the vineyards at Johannisburg were gifted to him by Emperor Franz in acknowledgement of his efforts to make peace with Napoléon after the War of the Fifth Coalition. Little known fact is that Metternich was actually a wine-enthusiast:

[6] Neipperg's wife only died in 1815
[7] Count Ernst Friedrich Herbert zu Munster was the Hannoverian minister to the court of George IV as well as the representative at the Congress of Vienna
[8] this was actually a proposal at the Congress of Chatillon/Paris, in a deal with Prussia, Alexander I promised him Saxony and his cousin in Oldenburg the kingdom of Hannover
[9] Frederick, Duke of York
[10] Hardenberg had refused to accept this ruling as early as 1813 already
[11] at Vienna, Hannover lost Lauenburg to Denmark and East Frisia to Prussia. Originally, the decision reached by Gniesenau, Hardenberg and Munster was that Hannover would forfeit Osnabrück and be compensated with East Frisia.
[12] The "plan" between Gniesenau and Munster (again, dating from 1811-1813 discussions). The kingdom was to be called "Austrasia"

Oooh wonderful chapter, very tender the part of little Frankie with his little cousin and Madame Royal, with him proclaiming that he loves everyone in the kingdom whether friends or enemies, on the contrary extremely intriguing the two diplomatic meetings between Metternich, Wellington and Franz and Munster, I imagine that Georgie Porgie will be delighted to have become King of Hanover, although I imagine that he will want to try to pull a string with Franz, to obtain a little more territorial gain ( given his ambitions towards Lippe, Brunswick, Anahlt and even Waldeck ) I can calmly see him attempt this move

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Amazing work as always! And Franz. That aint happening.

which part?

And please! Make lotte survive! She and Leo deserve a happy life together

Unsure on Charlotte at the moment, but I'll personally poison Leopold

Oooh wonderful chapter, very tender the part of little Frankie with his little cousin and Madame Royal, with him proclaiming that he loves everyone in the kingdom whether friends or enemies, on the contrary extremely intriguing the two diplomatic meetings between Metternich, Wellington and Franz and Munster, I imagine that Georgie Porgie will be delighted to have become King of Hanover, although I imagine that he will want to try to pull a string with Franz, to obtain a little more territorial gain ( given his ambitions towards Lippe, Brunswick, Anahlt and even Waldeck ) I can calmly see him attempt this move

Georgie Porgie is a greedy bastard, and really Franz isn't offering anything that hasn't already been spoken about (behind the emperor's back, ofc), so really it's more just a willingness to "not challenge" Georg doing all of this. It's also an element of stroking Georgie's vanity and ensuring Franz has England on side against Russia. Since I doubt Alexander will be pleased by this development

 

[Dragonboy]

which part?

Of him getting his grandson to austria.

Unsure on Charlotte at the moment, but I'll personally poison Leopold

No! Love those 2 together! @The_Most_Happy hooked me on the pairing! Little support girl, please!

 

[eliamartin65]

No! Love those 2 together! @The_Most_Happy hooked me on the pairing! Little support girl, please!

Let's allow Kellan to do something different for once, friend. No offence.

 

[Dragonboy]

Let's allow Kellan to do something different for once, friend. No offence.

Ik is his decision but i feel about Leo and Lotte just like you do with emma and max.

 

[eliamartin65]

Ik is his decision but i feel about Leo and Lotte just like you do with emma and max.

Emma and Max are different. Besides, Belgium was carved up from bits of Emma's beloved country so I hate Leopold for it.

 

[Nuraghe]

Emma and Max are different. Besides, Belgium was carved up from bits of Emma's beloved country so I hate Leopold for it.

I hate all of them but Leopold included.

In reality dear Eli you should redirect this negative feeling towards Leopold regarding his being King of Belgium, it doesn't have him, but it does have those who centuries before allowed Burgundy to fracture into two parts ( i.e. the Calvinists and the Orange on one side and the misrule by Philip II's officers, combined with French and English support of the rebels, I am of the opinion that if Alessandro Farnese had not also had to worry about French / England issues, a good part of the entire Burgundian territories would have returned under a single government )


Ah ok, so it's a purely personal matter, wait does this mean you also include Alessandro Farnese, I hope not ?, he sincerely tried to reunify the region, it was just a series of events he couldn't control that prevented him from doing

 

[eliamartin65]

In reality dear Eli you should redirect this negative feeling towards Leopold regarding his being King of Belgium, it doesn't have him, but it does have those who centuries before allowed Burgundy to fracture into two parts ( i.e. the Calvinists and the Orange on one side and the misrule by Philip II's officers, combined with French and English support of the rebels )

I hate all of them but Leopold included.

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Of him getting his grandson to austria.

As proven OTL, Franz could be extremely political flexible/dextrous if the situation called for it. This might be less about getting his grandson back and more about concerns (which he and Munster discussed OTL) about providing a counterweight to Prussia in north Germany. Getting his grandson back is more... I don't wanna make more enemies than I have to. Think if he sees that that doesn't work, he's not gonna sabre rattle with England about it. The fact that he "closes" with a question about his grandson rather than opens (as Metternich does) might be an indication of how he regards it as a priority (i.e. he asks because he needs to at least appear to be singing from the same hymnbook as Metternich). After all, allowing Hannover everythnig that's already been discussed seems rather outsize for such a small favour as that.

No! Love those 2 together! @The_Most_Happy hooked me on the pairing! Little support girl, please!

Let's allow Kellan to do something different for once, friend. No offence.

In all honesty, for Leopold to have pulled off a match with Charlotte needed a whole chain of events that frankly are so prone to disruption to keep it the same would be frankly ASB:

First, Charlotte needs to be offended by Willem II turning up drunk.

Willem II was only drunk because Prince Paul of Württemberg got him drunk to start with.​

Paul (and Adolphus of Cambridge) got Billy drunk because Adolphus and Paul's stepmom, the Princess Royal were both in favour of him marrying Charlotte.​

Then, once Charlotte went off Billy, she set her sights on the prince of Prussia (think it was the duke of Cumberland's stepson)

Charlotte's grandmother and guardian, the Queen, disliked the Prussian boy's mom, Friederike of Strelitz. Because Friederike getting knocked up by her later second husband had been while she was engaged to Adolphus. Queen Charlotte never forgave her niece for that.​

The Prussian guy wasn't really interested in Charlotte and he showed up in England with the mistress (or he left his mistress in Paris) he wanted to marry. Needless to say, George IV- not a fan of a Strelitz match (since the queen of Prussia had turned him down) or his brother, Cumberland, was not impressed by this behaviour.​

Charlotte was heart-broken.
Then there was talk of her marrying Nikolai or Mikhail Pavlovich. George IV was absolutely horrified when he heard this rumour and refused to issue either grand duke passports to come to England (his father had done the same with the Princess Royal's husband back in the day).

He only allowed Alexander I and his "hostess", Ekaterina Pavlovna.​

There was a discussion of Ekaterina becoming a second wife for George​

Neither George nor Katya were big fans of that idea, but he insulted her in some way (basically making a none-too-subtle reference to she and Wilhelm of Württemberg's shaboinking)​

As "revenge", Katya pushed one of her equerries- Leopold of Coburg- at Charlotte.​

 

[Bobby!]

I hate all of them but Leopold included.

Idk much about this time period so maybe im missing something but why hate on leopold for burgundy dissolving?

 

[Dragonboy]

As proven OTL, Franz could be extremely political flexible/dextrous if the situation called for it. This might be less about getting his grandson back and more about concerns (which he and Munster discussed OTL) about providing a counterweight to Prussia in north Germany. Getting his grandson back is more... I don't wanna make more enemies than I have to. Think if he sees that that doesn't work, he's not gonna sabre rattle with England about it. The fact that he "closes" with a question about his grandson rather than opens (as Metternich does) might be an indication of how he regards it as a priority (i.e. he asks because he needs to at least appear to be singing from the same hymnbook as Metternich). After all, allowing Hannover everythnig that's already been discussed seems rather outsize for such a small favour as that.

That's true

In all honesty, for Leopold to have pulled off a match with Charlotte needed a whole chain of events that frankly are so prone to disruption to keep it the same would be frankly ASB:

First, Charlotte needs to be offended by Willem II turning up drunk.
Willem II was only drunk because Prince Paul of Württemberg got him drunk to start with.Paul (and Adolphus of Cambridge) got Billy drunk because Adolphus and Paul's stepmom, the Princess Royal were both in favour of him marrying Charlotte.Then, once Charlotte went off Billy, she set her sights on the prince of Prussia (think it was the duke of Cumberland's stepson)
Charlotte's grandmother and guardian, the Queen, disliked the Prussian boy's mom, Friederike of Strelitz. Because Friederike getting knocked up by her later second husband had been while she was engaged to Adolphus. Queen Charlotte never forgave her niece for that.The Prussian guy wasn't really interested in Charlotte and he showed up in England with the mistress (or he left his mistress in Paris) he wanted to marry. Needless to say, George IV- not a fan of a Strelitz match (since the queen of Prussia had turned him down) or his brother, Cumberland, was not impressed by this behaviour.Charlotte was heart-broken.
Then there was talk of her marrying Nikolai or Mikhail Pavlovich. George IV was absolutely horrified when he heard this rumour and refused to issue either grand duke passports to come to England (his father had done the same with the Princess Royal's husband back in the day).
He only allowed Alexander I and his "hostess", Ekaterina Pavlovna.There was a discussion of Ekaterina becoming a second wife for GeorgeNeither George nor Katya were big fans of that idea, but he insulted her in some way (basically making a none-too-subtle reference to she and Wilhelm of Württemberg's shaboinking)As "revenge", Katya pushed one of her equerries- Leopold of Coburg- at Charlotte.

And all those factors did came together! What made it even better.

 

[eliamartin65]

Idk much about this time period so maybe im missing something but why hate on leopold for burgundy dissolving?

Had Burgundy stayed strong, Leopold wouldn't exist. Simple.

 

[eliamartin65]

Ah ok, so it's a purely personal matter, wait does this mean you also include Alessandro Farnese, I hope not ?, he sincerely tried to reunify the region, it was just a series of events he couldn't control that prevented him from doing

I don't know him much - I just hate the fact that Burgundy was carved up instead of remaining a single state.

Sorry for derailing the thread.

 

[Bobby!]

Had Burgundy stayed strong, Leopold wouldn't exist. Simple.

Yeah but you cant blame him for that. By that logic you have to hate literally everyone ever born after charles the bold died. Seems pretty unfair. If you wanna blame anyone for burgundy dissolving surely you have to blame Charles the bold, maximilian and louis xi, and anyone else who had a part to play in it.

 

[eliamartin65]

Yeah but you cant blame him for that. By that logic you have to hate literally everyone ever born after charles the bold died. Seems pretty unfair.

See what I wrote below:

I just hate the fact that Burgundy was carved up instead of remaining a single state.