WI : Frederick The Great marries Princess Amelia of Great Britain
TheDoofusUser
Frederick would then be PoW

 And I suspect the Hannoverian/British political demands that caused FWI to refuse OTL which occurred OTl will still be a...
alternatehistory.com
See my post about the mistress before he was married. As to after, if we look at the Hohenzollerns, the three generations prior to Freddie (dad, granddad, great-granddad) didn't keep mistresses (his granddad put one in residence to be like Louis XIV and never even made use of her "services"). The subsequent generations as well. Hohenzollerns who had mistresses (aside from Friedrich Wilhelm II) were mostly younger cadets who were also unmarried IIRC.

Abusive Freddie's dad may have been, but the only person his dad NEVER abused was his mom. He never disrespected her, never whacked her with his "famous" cane that got much use elsewhere. So for all Freddie's "abusive" upbringing, his parental "model" was one where a man - no matter how terrible he was as a father (and even Freddie could admit later in life that his dad hadn't been all terrible) - didn't cheat on his wife.

While Carl XII isn't an "exact" match, it would be an interesting comparison regarding speculation on their sexuality. Both Carl and Freddie had "positive" parental models (parents in love, dad was faithful to mom, etc). Neither had mistresses or bastards. Neither showed much interest in women (Carl because he apparently wanted to marry for love). Both spent much/most of their reigns at war against people trying to take their inheritance (we must remember that Freddie sincerely believed - this was on the instruction of his great-grandpa on losing the territories agreed on in Silesia that his descendants must be taught to "take it back" when possible - that Silesia was his birthright and that the Habsburgs were in the wrong. When François Étienne tried to talk his wife around to this POV, according to Kaunitz it resulted in a terrible row between them).

Finally, I think we're getting off topic with this debate of whether Freddie can/did like girls. Louis XIV was a homosexual and he had no problem fathering children (Minette was pregnant almost every year between her first and last child IIRC, Liselotte only three times). So how about we work on that idea and go from there. Freddie marries Emily, now what?

Frederick William most definitely disrespected his wife, Sophia Dorothea, many times and in public too. Although Frederick William did not hit her and directed almost all his physical violence toward Fritz (except for a few incidents against Wilhelmine), he did argue with, discredit, and and disrespect Sophia Dorothea plenty of times. Yes, Frederick William did not cheat on his wife and yes he ultimately forgave her for her transgressions each time, but to say he was always respectful toward her is far and to say that this was positive parental modeling match is also far. Frederick William was physically abusive to Fritz and Sophia Dorothea did not do enough to stop him, Sophia Dorothea was mainly concerned with the welfare of Wilhelmine until her marriage, and Sophia Dorothea's scheming brought Fritz misfortune at times.

Thanks for getting us back on topic, I really get sick of people who say "But they're gay, so they wouldn't have kids, lol." when there are cases in history of Homosexual rulers having kids to secure succession for their dynasties.

Anyway, I think this can be tied into Sophia Dorothea's plan for a Double Marriage with Wilhelmine marrying Frederick, Prince of Wales and Amelia, ofc, marrying Frederick. How this affects Anglo-Prussian relations, I have no clue.

The double marriage was a shared idea between Sophia Dorothea and her father, George I.

that bit won't go forward. Hannover's demands for Wilhelmine's dowry were "too high" for her dad to go along with it. ICR exactly what the terms were, but ISTR reading that the dowry that Britain wanted was "unacceptable" for Prussia, since Wilhelmine would be marrying the "grandson" of a sovereign, but they wanted a dowry as if she was marrying the heir to the throne. After George I died, the whole "double English marriage" idea was a dead man walking. That doesn't mean Fred-Amelia can't marry though. Pick a reason why: Elisabeth Christine dies before the marriage can go through, George II is panicked enough by the Prussians talking to the Austrians (after all, Britain was formally allied to the Austrians, so it could make him think that Austria is looking to throw Britain under the bus)...or Freddie escapes successfully and makes it to England where he marries Amelia.

A dowry was just one of many of the issues with the marriage proposals and a lesser one of the issues. Many legal items of the marriage agreements were repeatedly used as excuses to break off or push back negotiations on the marriage between George II and Frederick William. At the core, the issues were personal and political. On a personal level, George II and Frederick William hated each other and had few personal reasons to want to be generous with one another. Also on a personal level, George II did not care for Frederick and did little to advance his marriage prospects while Frederick William disliked Fritz and was afraid of giving Fritz too much freedom with a marriage. Also, Frederick William thought the Hanoverians as a breed were haughty and schemers and did not want to bring another one into his household. Meanwhile, Caroline was still hopeful that William could become the next King of Britain. Politically, Frederick William was afraid to break with the Imperials as a marriage with the Hanoverians of the Anglo-French alliance would have implied. Originally, Frederick William's negotiations with George I for the marriage were in parallel to Prussia acceding to the Hanoverian Alliance. However, Frederick William lost his nerve due to a sense of loyalty to the Emperor and a fear of Russia. After abandoning the Hanoverian Alliance the first time, although Frederick William flirted with Britain he never had the courage to defect. On the other hand, the Hanoverians refused to admit the political aspects of the marriage and thus refused to make the appropriate political gestures to make a marriage more likely. For example, the Hanoverians were reluctant to support Prussian claims in western Germany.

hmm, and if George I died earlier in the 1720s, would it be a bit more reasonable or would George II immediately put a stop to the idea of a double marriage himself?

George I living longer is better, he died on a trip to Prussia to finalize the marriage arrangements.

hmm, what if George II died before he could become King, but with Frederick still alive (say he dies of smallpox in 1724-1726) Would FWI be more interested in negotiating with George I considering Frederick would then be PoW or would he not even bother?

And if the double marriage happens and The Fredericks succeeds their fathers around the same time (Maybe 1730 for Frederick of Prussia, but Frederick of Britain can become King of Britain in 1727) How does that effect the geopolitics of Europe at the time?

A young Frederick, new to England and its politics. Anything can happen with that but it's likely that so long as his mother does not get in the way, I think is most likely for Frederick to fall under the wing of Walpole. However, if Caroline causes problems with her outright hostility toward Frederick and if Walpole decides to side with her then that would poison any Frederick-Walpole relationship. However, given how old Frederick is in 1727, he can ascend the throne in short order, make his mother irrelevant and rule with Walpole at his side.

In Prussia, Fritz in 1730 is interesting to say the least. If this is a Fritz who is married to a Hanoverian then its less likely that he would have gone through with his escape plan and thus not seen the death of Katte. Without Katte's death, Fritz is going to be a different person, it goes without saying that witnessing the execution of your best friend is a traumatic experience. Still, Fritz had military interests before Katte's death so I do not see those interests disappearing. Fritz did have an affinity for France at a young age but without all the excitement around his escape and Imperial interference, Fritz probably will not have a severe distaste for Austria when he first comes to the throne.

Honestly, they are both fresh, young, idealistic, and open-minded at this point.

Frederick William most definitely disrespected his wife, Sophia Dorothea, many times and in public too. Although Frederick William did not hit her and directed almost all his physical violence toward Fritz (except for a few incidents against Wilhelmine), he did argue with, discredit, and and disrespect Sophia Dorothea plenty of times. Yes, Frederick William did not cheat on his wife and yes he ultimately forgave her for her transgressions each time, but to say he was always respectful toward her is far and to say that this was positive parental modeling match is also far. Frederick William was physically abusive to Fritz and Sophia Dorothea did not do enough to stop him, Sophia Dorothea was mainly concerned with the welfare of Wilhelmine until her marriage, and Sophia Dorothea's scheming brought Fritz misfortune at times.

Thanks for clarifying that little bit up. It seems a bit strange how Frederick I in Prussia strongly loved his Queen but she didn't feel much for him. Maybe that had some effect on FWI's views on the Hanoverans? I don't know how he felt about his mother.

The double marriage was a shared idea between Sophia Dorothea and her father, George I.

Thanks for another clarification.

A dowry was just one of many of the issues with the marriage proposals and a lesser one of the issues. Many legal items of the marriage agreements were repeatedly used as excuses to break off or push back negotiations on the marriage between George II and Frederick William. At the core, the issues were personal and political. On a personal level, George II and Frederick William hated each other and had few personal reasons to want to be generous with one another. Also on a personal level, George II did not care for Frederick and did little to advance his marriage prospects while Frederick William disliked Fritz and was afraid of giving Fritz too much freedom with a marriage. Also, Frederick William thought the Hanoverians as a breed were haughty and schemers and did not want to bring another one into his household. Meanwhile, Caroline was still hopeful that William could become the next King of Britain. Politically, Frederick William was afraid to break with the Imperials as a marriage with the Hanoverians of the Anglo-French alliance would have implied. Originally, Frederick William's negotiations with George I for the marriage were in parallel to Prussia acceding to the Hanoverian Alliance. However, Frederick William lost his nerve due to a sense of loyalty to the Emperor and a fear of Russia. After abandoning the Hanoverian Alliance the first time, although Frederick William flirted with Britain he never had the courage to defect. On the other hand, the Hanoverians refused to admit the political aspects of the marriage and thus refused to make the appropriate political gestures to make a marriage more likely. For example, the Hanoverians were reluctant to support Prussian claims in western Germany.

Very big thanks to all this additional information. As you said,m having George I living a few more years could help matters (Would 3-6 extra years of George I help in that department)? and if Charles VI had a son (say Maria Theresa was born a boy or something), could Charles have somehow alienated FWI in the Julich-Berg Succession and made him a bit more apt to side with the Hanoverans? @Kellan Sullivan suggested the idea in WI: Emperor Charles VI had a son and I don't know if that might matters in terms of the double marriage or not. I also planned on some other things for my TL (such as the 1723 Peter Petrovech living to succeed his father and being bethrothed to Anna Amalia von Hohenzollern by the Russian Nobles/Catherine I while Maria Anna gets OTL Peter II and in the West, Louis XIV is succeeded by the Grand Dauphin who's succeeded by the Petit Dauphin who's succeeded by OTL Louis XV as Louis XV, Louis XVI, and Louis XVII respectfully and finally Luis I of Spain is born a woman and marries Joseph Friedrich Ernst after Meinrad II flees to Brussels instead of Vienna ITTL. Of course, this is for the TL as a whole, but might it affect some matters differently that would allow for the Hanover-Hohenzollern Double marriage?

A young Frederick, new to England and its politics. Anything can happen with that but it's likely that so long as his mother does not get in the way, I think is most likely for Frederick to fall under the wing of Walpole. However, if Caroline causes problems with her outright hostility toward Frederick and if Walpole decides to side with her then that would poison any Frederick-Walpole relationship. However, given how old Frederick is in 1727, he can ascend the throne in short order, make his mother irrelevant and rule with Walpole at his side.

In Prussia, Fritz in 1730 is interesting to say the least. If this is a Fritz who is married to a Hanoverian then its less likely that he would have gone through with his escape plan and thus not seen the death of Katte. Without Katte's death, Fritz is going to be a different person, it goes without saying that witnessing the execution of your best friend is a traumatic experience. Still, Fritz had military interests before Katte's death so I do not see those interests disappearing. Fritz did have an affinity for France at a young age but without all the excitement around his escape and Imperial interference, Fritz probably will not have a severe distaste for Austria when he first comes to the throne.

Honestly, they are both fresh, young, idealistic, and open-minded at this point.

If George I lived to 1730-33 and George II ruled til 1737, then how might Frederick I of Britain look as a ruler in terms of his politics and other such things?

Didn't Fritz always view Silesia as rightfully Prussia's or something and he used the WotAS as an excuse to try and grab it? I am wondering how he and Amelia would do as a couple, seeing as apparently Amelia loved hunting while Fritz didn't, though with them being young, I could see either of them convincing the other to see their point of view and then there's if Amelia would be any help after FWI's abuse onto Fritz, such as comforting him and being there when he'd need it. I know little of how Fritz felt for his Hanoveran cousins so anything is up in the air in my book, personally.

Very big thanks to all this additional information. As you said,m having George I living a few more years could help matters (Would 3-6 extra years of George I help in that department)? and if Charles VI had a son (say Maria Theresa was born a boy or something), could Charles have somehow alienated FWI in the Julich-Berg Succession and made him a bit more apt to side with the Hanoverans? @Kellan Sullivan suggested the idea in WI: Emperor Charles VI had a son and I don't know if that might matters in terms of the double marriage or not. I also planned on some other things for my TL (such as the 1723 Peter Petrovech living to succeed his father and being bethrothed to Anna Amalia von Hohenzollern by the Russian Nobles/Catherine I while Maria Anna gets OTL Peter II and in the West, Louis XIV is succeeded by the Grand Dauphin who's succeeded by the Petit Dauphin who's succeeded by OTL Louis XV as Louis XV, Louis XVI, and Louis XVII respectfully and finally Luis I of Spain is born a woman and marries Joseph Friedrich Ernst after Meinrad II flees to Brussels instead of Vienna ITTL. Of course, this is for the TL as a whole, but might it affect some matters differently that would allow for the Hanover-Hohenzollern Double marriage?

If George I lived to 1730-33 and George II ruled til 1737, then how might Frederick I of Britain look as a ruler in terms of his politics and other such things?

Didn't Fritz always view Silesia as rightfully Prussia's or something and he used the WotAS as an excuse to try and grab it? I am wondering how he and Amelia would do as a couple, seeing as apparently Amelia loved hunting while Fritz didn't, though with them being young, I could see either of them convincing the other to see their point of view and then there's if Amelia would be any help after FWI's abuse onto Fritz, such as comforting him and being there when he'd need it. I know little of how Fritz felt for his Hanoveran cousins so anything is up in the air in my book, personally.

Without needing the Pragmatic Sanction (say one of the daughters is a boy or Leopold Joseph lives) then yeah Charles VI doesn't need to buy Prussian support for it. However, Prussia remains a vital actor within the Holy Roman Empire who Charles VI will want on his side. However, Charles VI also is not necessarily forced to give any concessions possible for a Prussian alliance. Instead, Charles VI is more likely to play with Prussia and suggest the possibility of giving Prussia Julich-Berg, but not even give a vague promise. As I see it, Charles VI won't be rash enough to officialize a Neuberg succession in Julich-Berg until late in the process, so he can keep suggesting that Prussia might get it, even if he never intends to follow through. This behavior would not alienate Prussia but it also will not draw Prussia in as close as OTL where Charles VI did promise Julich-Berg, at least vaguely.

Peter Petrovich is interesting because he would be the heir to the Russian Empire and if there is a Russo-Prussian alliance then that greatly empowers Prussia in Germany and gives them a great deal of freedom to oppose Austrian policy. It should be noted that Prussia did join an alliance with Britain but when the Russians joined the Viennese Alliance the Prussians began to drift and ultimately defected. The Russian threat was a huge influence on Prussian foreign policy, if it is not only neutralized but turned in Prussia's favor then Prussia may very well be more ambitious in Germany. One issue with Peter Petrovich is there will be some resistance to the marriage considering his mother's status, however, as the Tsarevitch he is much more likely to overcome that issue than Catherine's daughters. Alternatively, if you can get Peter I to live long enough for a son to be born to Anne and thus to the Duke of Holstein then Peter I will make that grandson his heir and that grandson as the son of the Duke of Holstein will have much more respectable blood.

A Frederick who has been in Britain for a decade is more likely to associate with the ideals and principles of the Patriot Whigs due to the role Walpole played in diminishing Frederick's status in Britain.

Amelia loved hunting and riding, which may not necessarily be the exact same passions as Fritz but they indicate a more lively, robust, and outdoors lifestyle that Fritz may appreciate. I see them having a fine to good marriage so long as Amelia does not become too adventurous in politics, which Fritz may not appreciate. Regarding Silesia, Fritz at least viewed part of Silesia as rightfully Prussia's and it is unsure when that view developed (but it was rooted in law and in Frederick William's foreign policy). However, overall, Fritz is probably interested in expansion in general. He does not have to go after Silesia. He also viewed Julich-Berg as Prussia's. Fritz could go for either realistically or for Mecklenburg.

No. Prussia will not be giving a king's daughter to the daughter of a laundress, I'd say this is where they'd use a proxy bride. Plus, at this point, Russia and Prussia really don't have any common interests. A likelier Russian-Prussian match would be Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein (Pyotr III) being recognized as heir to Sweden and marrying Anna Amalie.

This would be Maria Anna of Austria? To which my answer would be Hell no. The Russians aren't going to marry him to a Catholic first cousin, and the Habsburgs aren't going to waste a daughter on a guy who isn't goig to inherit anything. Ms. Menshikova or Ms. Dolgorukova is about the best Petya can hope for. The former if Ekaterina is the one arranging the match.

Hell, you could let Petya succeed and he'd probably have a better chance of marrying a Prussian princess than his half-uncle (unlikely, he'd probably get a princess of Schwedt as a Prussian proxy, and IMO marrying him to OTL Anna Leopoldovna would tie up the Miloslavsky-Naryshkin succession feud into a neat little bow).

Joseph Friedrich Ernst? Meinrad II?

I definitely agree there would be resistance to the match but it is possible as Anna Amalia is not that high up in the list of daughters. Catherine's daughters could not get the marriage because their blood was bad and they brought little with them in terms of marriage, but a Tsarevitch will always have his position as heir. However, there is also the issue of religion as Anna Amalia would be required to convert and Frederick William's pietism probably will not allow for that. If Karl Peter is made heir to Sweden with Russian backing in an anti-Denmark alliance then that could be a basis for a triple alliance between Russia, Prussia, and Denmark-Norway.

I could see the Austrians flirting with the idea of marrying Maria Anna off, but I agree that religion will be the biggest issue. Inheritance could or could not matter, that depends on when the marriage occurs. Charles VI will be more mindful of the status of the husband, but his son may not be. Maria Theresa allowed her sister to accept a useless marriage.

I do believe that in OTL there was some discussion of Peter II marrying a foreign princess, so it's possible, but that would require the powers that be at home accepting a foreign princess.

This guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Friedrich_Ernst,_Prince_of_Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

Without needing the Pragmatic Sanction (say one of the daughters is a boy or Leopold Joseph lives) then yeah Charles VI doesn't need to buy Prussian support for it. However, Prussia remains a vital actor within the Holy Roman Empire who Charles VI will want on his side. However, Charles VI also is not necessarily forced to give any concessions possible for a Prussian alliance. Instead, Charles VI is more likely to play with Prussia and suggest the possibility of giving Prussia Julich-Berg, but not even give a vague promise. As I see it, Charles VI won't be rash enough to officialize a Neuberg succession in Julich-Berg until late in the process, so he can keep suggesting that Prussia might get it, even if he never intends to follow through. This behavior would not alienate Prussia but it also will not draw Prussia in as close as OTL where Charles VI did promise Julich-Berg, at least vaguely.

Peter Petrovich is interesting because he would be the heir to the Russian Empire and if there is a Russo-Prussian alliance then that greatly empowers Prussia in Germany and gives them a great deal of freedom to oppose Austrian policy. It should be noted that Prussia did join an alliance with Britain but when the Russians joined the Viennese Alliance the Prussians began to drift and ultimately defected. The Russian threat was a huge influence on Prussian foreign policy, if it is not only neutralized but turned in Prussia's favor then Prussia may very well be more ambitious in Germany. One issue with Peter Petrovich is there will be some resistance to the marriage considering his mother's status, however, as the Tsarevitch he is much more likely to overcome that issue than Catherine's daughters. Alternatively, if you can get Peter I to live long enough for a son to be born to Anne and thus to the Duke of Holstein then Peter I will make that grandson his heir and that grandson as the son of the Duke of Holstein will have much more respectable blood.

A Frederick who has been in Britain for a decade is more likely to associate with the ideals and principles of the Patriot Whigs due to the role Walpole played in diminishing Frederick's status in Britain.

Amelia loved hunting and riding, which may not necessarily be the exact same passions as Fritz but they indicate a more lively, robust, and outdoors lifestyle that Fritz may appreciate. I see them having a fine to good marriage so long as Amelia does not become too adventurous in politics, which Fritz may not appreciate. Regarding Silesia, Fritz at least viewed part of Silesia as rightfully Prussia's and it is unsure when that view developed (but it was rooted in law and in Frederick William's foreign policy). However, overall, Fritz is probably interested in expansion in general. He does not have to go after Silesia. He also viewed Julich-Berg as Prussia's. Fritz could go for either realistically or for Mecklenburg.

Thanks for all these clarifications.

For a few things, could a Prussian Agent at the Austrian Court somehow reveal to FWI that K6 is only leading him on and has no intention of following through on that promise (maybe an Austrian ambassador insults Amelia in a visit and Frederick is able to convince a friend to infiltrate the Austrian Court)?

On Peter Petrovech, thanks for all the clarifications and I completely forgot that Anna existed/Peter I could/would do that if he wanted to. So maybe with Anna giving birth to a son and that son marrying Anna Amalia von Hohenzollern (I think he was FWI's last daughter), could that drive Prussia away from the Austrian Alliance and strengthen the Hanoveran Alliance with Russia joining it and thus it seem a better idea to go with the double marriage and stay in it to FWI?

Interesting. I don't know much about British politics at the time, so if you can explain how the Patriot Whigs would be with Frederick around and how things would be effected/go differently? Also, would Frederick I of Britain have more control over Domestic and Foreign Affairs or would Parliament continue to sweep it away from the Monarch?

Thanks for clarification on Amelia and Fritz and Silesia, though if Fritz feels greatly insulted by the Austrians in some way (say that do something at court to mock him and he somehow finds out about it), would that make Fritz more likely to despise Austria or was he the type to let go of grudges?

I definitely agree there would be resistance to the match but it is possible as Anna Amalia is not that high up in the list of daughters. Catherine's daughters could not get the marriage because their blood was bad and they brought little with them in terms of marriage, but a Tsarevitch will always have his position as heir. However, there is also the issue of religion as Anna Amalia would be required to convert and Frederick William's pietism probably will not allow for that. If Karl Peter is made heir to Sweden with Russian backing in an anti-Denmark alliance then that could be a basis for a triple alliance between Russia, Prussia, and Denmark-Norway.

I could see the Austrians flirting with the idea of marrying Maria Anna off, but I agree that religion will be the biggest issue. Inheritance could or could not matter, that depends on when the marriage occurs. Charles VI will be more mindful of the status of the husband, but his son may not be. Maria Theresa allowed her sister to accept a useless marriage.

I do believe that in OTL there was some discussion of Peter II marrying a foreign princess, so it's possible, but that would require the powers that be at home accepting a foreign princess.

This guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Friedrich_Ernst,_Prince_of_Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

and yet again, many thanks on everything. If Augustus Ferdinand was born a woman and two years earlier, would a marriage between her and Karl Peter also help in the Russian Alliance or would it hurt matters in regards to Peter's Grandson through Anna becoming Emperor of Russia and marrying Amalia?

I was also considering Romanov Austria (with one son of MA and PAR (the eldest) going after Russia) and the other marrying a daughter of TTL's Male MT (let's call him K7H for simplicity)). Could that be possible, especially if the Wittelsbachs go through their otl strife and Augustus (Wettins) finds a different wife for his son or would the Wittelsbach cousins go for Austria? And I can only imagine what happens to the Austrian Netherlands and Italy as well as Hungary and the HRE.

Thanks for having JFE there. If he served as a Military General for Felipe V/Carlos III and his father became an influential member of the Spanish Court, do you think Luisa would be married off to JFE or is that a non-starter?

Sorry if it seems like I'm ignoring all of you, I'm just trying to get as many things as I can for the TL to help make it the best it can be.

Nope. Deal between Sweden and Prussia was that a son of Ulrika Eleonora's would marry a daughter of FW1. And since Ulrika's two pregnancies (think they were in 1718/9 and 1722) ended in miscarriage, the deal was switched up to marriage to whomever the Swedes chose as Friedrich's successor.

No Bourbon princess would get a look in: Sweden had objections to Desirée Clary's Catholicism in the next century, why would they suddenly go for a Catholic princess here?

Seems an unneccessary complication IMO, but its your TL. Austria still wouldn't give him an archduchess though.

@Valena

No way in Hell is the oldest child of the king of Spain marrying someone so unimportant. The duke of Savoy (Carlo Emanuele III) Francesco III of Modena, any of João V's sons, Louis d'Orléans and probably a dozen other gentlemen would probably ALL be more likely candidates.

If Karl XII married for love (As @Archduke stated earlier iirc, could've been someone else) after meeting and falling for a Swedish Noblewoman and had a son with her, how would that look for Sweden and Prussia through relations?

And if he was an Meinrad II had become an influential member of the Spanish Court after arriving there and JFE is a valuable general in the Spanish Army/Spanish Nobleman? Also, apparently Felipe V was increasingly unstable and that was one reason for abdicating to Louis I OTL, so I don't know if that could be the case here itself. Someone also suggested Felipe V's second son be a daughter and live past youth, but I don't know if that could work either.

An actual archduchess is a religion issue.

Marrying a first cousin who can convert is less sinful than marrying a Catholic and giving up all the claims. And Austrians would realise this. Russians would never accept a Catholic Empress.

Thanks for the clarification on that front.