WI: Maximilian of Austria, Emperor of Mexico Has a Daughter
JonasResende
So, a bit of a twist on the usual let Maximilian of Austria have kids scenario. Say he and Charlotte have a daughter, Luise Marie Sophie, sometime in the...
alternatehistory.com
So, a bit of a twist on the usual let Maximilian of Austria have kids scenario. Say he and Charlotte have a daughter, Luise Marie Sophie, sometime in the late 1850s, early 1860s, but no other kids. When he gets offered the Mexican Crown, does he attempt to engage Luise to one of the Iturbide boys? Or does he just decide to Hell with that, and arrange a marriage with her to some European princeling? Would Luise go to Mexico with her parents? Would she leave with her mom? What would the fate of the "Empress of Mexico" be with a dead father and a mad mother?

Thoughts?

If said daughter has not been betrothed yet before Maximilian accepts the Mexican throne, then yes, I see him engaging her to one of the Iturbide boys. From my understanding, the whole "adopt Iturbide's grandkids" was a move to legitimize his own rule, and now he'd have a way to make it more legitimate, so to speak. Of course, it still doesn't amount to much if he still looses, but it'd be something that would still be done.

Outside of that, I'm not really sure on what would happen. I do think she'd leave the country with her mother, at the very least.

If said daughter has not been betrothed yet before Maximilian accepts the Mexican throne, then yes, I see him engaging her to one of the Iturbide boys. From my understanding, the whole "adopt Iturbide's grandkids" was a move to legitimize his own rule, and now he'd have a way to make it more legitimate, so to speak. Of course, it still doesn't amount to much if he still looses, but it'd be something that would still be done.

Outside of that, I'm not really sure on what would happen. I do think she'd leave the country with her mother, at the very least.

Might there be those (who opposed it OTL) who would be "more willing" to accept Max's regime as a temporary/caretaker sort of foreign influence, knowing that "Princess Imperial Luisa is going to marry an Iturbide boy? And then we'll have a proper Mexican dynasty again"

A cool idea, if the empire still falls and the age gap's not too big, would be to marry her to Napoléon IV. I can just imagine something like, "his Imperial Majesty, Napoleon, Emperor of France and of Mexico". But that seems a bit much...

Might there be those (who opposed it OTL) who would be "more willing" to accept Max's regime as a temporary/caretaker sort of foreign influence, knowing that "Princess Imperial Luisa is going to marry an Iturbide boy? And then we'll have a proper Mexican dynasty again"

A cool idea, if the empire still falls and the age gap's not too big, would be to marry her to Napoléon IV. I can just imagine something like, "his Imperial Majesty, Napoleon, Emperor of France and of Mexico". But that seems a bit much...

I doubt it's going to sway that many people. Or at least, sway in a significant matter. So long Juarez was opposing him, you won't really see many flocking to Max no matter what he does. Well, perhaps if he could actually do what he wanted to do in regards to helping the country, then perhaps some could've. But Juarez as a figurehead is just too strong.

Betrothing her to Napoleon IV? Hmm... how plausible could've that been? And do you mean to begin with, or after the failure in Mexico?

I doubt it's going to sway that many people. Or at least, sway in a significant matter. So long Juarez was opposing him, you won't really see many flocking to Max no matter what he does. Well, perhaps if he could actually do what he wanted to do in regards to helping the country, then perhaps some could've. But Juarez as a figurehead is just too strong.

Betrothing her to Napoleon IV? Hmm... how plausible could've that been? And do you mean to begin with, or after the failure in Mexico?

Damn Juarez (no offense) but his opposition to the imperialist cause seems to strangle any Mexican Second Empire idea in its cradle.

And I was thinking of a betrothal to Napoléon IV for AFTER the Empire falls. Not much point in keeping a betrothal to an Iturbide since AFAIK there was never imperial nostalgia in Mexico like in France where such a match could be useful