Remarrying Ruler?

[SamStarrett]

When do you guys think it's a good idea/not a good idea to remarry a (male) ruler whose wife dies? In my current game my first wife died at a young age in some French dungeon, so I married again because...well, that's what you do, right? I already had six kids, so the succession was safe, but I wanted a consort with high intrigue. So I married this pretty young thing with like 17 intrigue and made her my spymaster. Then she went and gave me about six more kids. It's getting to the point where every time she says "Honey, I'm pregnant! Isn't it wonderful! More pretenders to fight Prince Jaime for the throne!" I want to smother her with a pillow while she's sleeping. Problem is, her intrigue is way higher than mine and she's my spymaster.

Anyway, as a Christian ruler whose wife dies young, do you typically remarry? If so, what do you look for?

 

[Sian]

it depends ... either stats or alliances depending on the current political map of the world. I've never had much of an issue with pretenders ... they just don't get a country for themselves

 

[kal56]

If I don't want more kids I generally look for a woman who might bring a nice alliance or has good stewardship but is too old for kids.

 

[Hastings1066]

I'd be careful though marrying anyone with high intrigue. Your wife might try to kill off the children of the first marriage so her children with you can inherit.

 

[Isaios]

Depends on age and heirs. If the succession is safe, I look for Celibacy, over 45-ishness, stats and alliance possibilities.

Sometimes you can find a female ruler with no prior children, marry her and have the second set of kids inherit from her, leaving your Dynasty in control there. That's useful.

 

[JonStryker]

I usually immidiately remarry and choose the woman with the highest stewardship. Even iff I get 12 children I'd still do that. The more children the better.
I never really had any problems with pretenders although I eventually land every single one of my children.

 

[SamStarrett]

I usually immidiately remarry and choose the woman with the highest stewardship. Even iff I get 12 children I'd still do that. The more children the better.
I never really had any problems with pretenders although I eventually land every single one of my children.

I always have some jerk founding a faction to put my brother or my seventh son or something on the throne. Usually the claimant himself isn't in the faction; in fact, one time, I had a Prince leading armies against the rebels trying to install him as king. But it's still annoying.

 

[SamStarrett]

I'd be careful though marrying anyone with high intrigue. Your wife might try to kill off the children of the first marriage so her children with you can inherit.

Haven't had that so far...I don't think. But I imagine having her around didn't hurt when I had to kill about seven Byzantine emperors in a row to get those damn Shi'ites off the throne. By the time I got a Christian (a Catholic, in fact; I'm so evil) back in power over there half the dukes were Shi'ite. But if I see my older sons dropping like flies, I'll know whom to go after. Problem is she'll probably just escape. Btw, is there any way to guess where a runaway courtier will escape to?

 

[Hootieleece]

I always remarry just because the spouse modifiers are too good to lose.I don't mind marrying young 2nd wives,especially if I already have an heir and 2 "spares". I then marry her matrilinearally just so I know their a Cadet Branch(Which I use as councillors mostly and I find them content guardians)

 

[Hastings1066]

Haven't had that so far...I don't think. But I imagine having her around didn't hurt when I had to kill about seven Byzantine emperors in a row to get those damn Shi'ites off the throne. By the time I got a Christian (a Catholic, in fact; I'm so evil) back in power over there half the dukes were Shi'ite. But if I see my older sons dropping like flies, I'll know whom to go after. Problem is she'll probably just escape. Btw, is there any way to guess where a runaway courtier will escape to?

I only seem to remember once when the second wife plotted to kill the children of the first marriage, but then again my charecters rarely re-marry. Eventually I grew sick of having to ask her to end her plot all the time, so I threw her in prison.

I think runaway courtiers tend to prefer to flee to the courts of their family and extended family. I remember once when I married a daughter to a Prince of the Kingdom of Cyprus, after they were kicked out by a holy war they moved into my court, flooding it with their elderly, unmaritable relations.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Sometimes you can find a female ruler with no prior children, marry her and have the second set of kids inherit from her, leaving your Dynasty in control there. That's useful.

This also works with female claimants/heirs if you're lucky. I remember one game as King of Ireland, my ruler had 6 kids from my previous marriages, all of whom had bright careers as either rulers or spouses or rulers. Even though he was 60 or something and already had 2 wives or so, I bethrothed him to the kid-queen of Wales. When she came of age, she had 1 child before dying (a girl). That girl became Queen of Wales, and I easily married that girl off to one of her cousins (of my dynasty) and voila, got two kingdoms in Britannia under the family.

 

[Talq]

You pretty much always want to be married, given spouse modifiers.

Given the faction system allows so many possible claimants, 5 more or less isn't a great issue. As others have said, intrigue in a second wife is rarely a good idea (she will invariably try to bump off your first wife's kids). I prefer stewardship. Marrying an existing ruler or heir is also good, but is frequently not an option (or not one worth waiting for - your loss of spouse modifier is probably reducing your demense to start with).

 

[Zireael]

I also tend to remarry my ruler. What I'm looking for depends on the situation.

 

[Mike Louis]

I only remarry my ruler if my first spouse left him/her either childless or only one kid. For me, securing the succession is paramount when it comes to marriages.

 

[Bob_the_Insane]

Nice question, I was wondering myself...

I guess I see it as a opportunity for another alliance... But even my 61 year old Emperor of Britain managed to bang out another 3 kids before dying at 75 (he married a 35 year old Princess of the Byz)...

I think the idea that you don't give these guys titles works, sure you have the unlanded sons penalty but by the time you have to worry about such things you usually have boatloads of Prestige anyway...

 

[unmerged(88697)]

High stewardship may be a bit over-rated as of the latest patch. No need to get too caught-up in it so long as the king is 8 or more stewardship and his wife 15-20. I've tried moving down the matrimony list more now to marry the best traits as a successful match can yield startling results.

 

[Ols]

I tend not to remarry with 2 or more sons. Having more sons just spells trouble. It can be a bit annoying if the wife dies while the husband is 30-40 though, so sometimes I give in and remarry someone I expect to have less children like an equivalently aged widow. I work hard to make my character fall in love with his/her spouse, because that way I can be celibate/depressed when they die allowing me to speed up succession or remarry without having to worry about too many sons.

 

[Isaios]

I tend not to remarry with 2 or more sons. Having more sons just spells trouble. It can be a bit annoying if the wife dies while the husband is 30-40 though, so sometimes I give in and remarry someone I expect to have less children like an equivalently aged widow. I work hard to make my character fall in love with his/her spouse, because that way I can be celibate/depressed when they die allowing me to speed up succession or remarry without having to worry about too many sons.

There are always older widows out there, or celibate women. If you've got loads of kids at 1066 start, the HREmperor has two celibate kinswomen for an easy, uncluttered alliance.

 

[Heartsbane]

As Kings I generally just marry for traits, primarily stewardship. If your wife had high stewardship your demesnes will take a hit so I try to remarry as quickly as possible o avoid the demesnes limit penalty. Yeah, you get a lot more kids which will be potential threats depending on your succession laws but those extra couple counties or holdings can make all the difference in terms of your military and economy.

 

[noobermenschen]

If I don't want more kids I generally look for a woman who might bring a nice alliance or has good stewardship but is too old for kids.

Ditto, though I usually don't look for alliances, just for a superbride in her late 40's or older. I always feel bad about remarrying immediately, especially if my dear departed wife was also my lover.