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An unlamented King
 
Long live Margaret, the first of her name!
 
Chapter 2: The Second Treaty of Tours (1448-1450)
Chapter 2: The Second Treaty of Tours (1448-1450)

Once faced with the concept of absolute defeat, England was prepared to experience the worst. Her armies were exhausted and fighting against difficult odds, her economy was struggling to cope with pressures at home and overseas and Parliament was left bickering upon who would be left to pick up the pieces. The Mad King was removed from his throne and his foreign yet loyal wife would carry the weight of a kingdom upon her shoulders. It would be with this extreme burden of leadership that would be carried upon the new Queen that the fortune of an entire nation would be turned around and trigger a series of events that would lead to the unthinkable.

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The ascension of Margaret I would be well received among the French subjects of the Kingdom, along with having the blessing of parliament and many of the loyal Lancaster followers of her husband's former court who followed the Queen. Due to her foreign nature, she was viewed with distrust, as she was a woman with foreign mannerisms and strange customs. Despite this, the young queen would learn English rather quickly. Her loyalty and devotion would be given to England, a kingdom that would take her in as she was one of their own, and she was perpetually faithful. The Queen believed that the remainder of the kingdom, from commoner to noble alike, would love the new monarch in time.

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France would be left surrounded by all sides by enemies and under siege, facing an impossible battle as foreign armies invaded the Kingdom. From Burgundian opportunists and a militant Aragonese seeking to strengthen their kingdom through conquest, England would focus upon the defense as the Valois concentrated upon their immediate threats, protecting Normandy and Calais as France clashed with Burgundian armies. Loyalties were rapidly changing, and despite their best efforts, France couldn’t keep up their efforts forever.

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The Battle of Calais. A Decisive English victory during a critical stage of the war, it would become the battle that broke the Valois back.

French armies would become exhausted from constant fighting, with English forces paying very close attention to the state of the French army. Forced into a retreat from a prior conflict with Burgundy, France would march her last remaining army around Northern France as a desperate means to protect herself. With one last attempt to lay siege to Calais, English commanders would set a trap, soon trapping the exhausted army from all sides. While ready for combat, the spirits of the French army were not, and their command structure and ranks would shatter after only an hour of combat.

The battle would soon turn into a massacre, and by the end of the day, the last remaining Valois army was completely destroyed along with their Genoese allies. England won a critical battle and would be able to focus upon the offensive once more, while France was now left completely exposed. Charles VII knew that a foreign victory was guaranteed, and weighed his options carefully upon depending who won the conflict.

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Focusing upon the offensive once more, Chartres would be captured, a formidable fortress would not be ignored during the march towards Paris. A victory in Paris cannot be achieved should Chartres be ignored without a disturbance, leading to a siege and eventual capture of the fort and the city. Chartres Cathedral would become preserved, standing as a beacon among the local populace despite the occupation of the city. With the fall of the city, Paris was now left wide open.

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England advanced among Northern France, where both armies would split into two to further military activities among the region. With English activity among the North, Aragonese armies would completely strangle Southern France as enormous swaths of territory would fall to their unstoppable advancement. Burgundy, focusing upon crushing the borderstrip between Burgundy proper and the Low Countries, were simply content with only occupying the surrounding territories around France as a show of force.

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Left in a distant land and with victory certainly impossible for them, the Republic of Genoa would become offered with a chance to escape the conflict. Margaret I offered terms to the Doge of Genoa, simply offering a white peace in exchange for a truce between England and Genoa. The Doge would jump at the opportunity, signing away whatever loyalty Genoa had with the Valois.

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In a matter of months, the war had come to turn for the worst for France and her Provencial ally. England had carefully avoided costly battles and focused on defensive tactics to defend Normandy, while at the same time, bleeding the Valois and her allies completely dry as they succumbed to pressure both inside and out. France was suffering from intense exhaustion, her manpower and treasury almost completely dry. Despite this, the war itself was almost sitting at a stalemate, with England barely holding the advantage within their own lands.

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With the struggling pressure among Charles VII and his subjects to fight against a war that was becoming impossible to win, Philip III of Burgundy forced France to come to the bargaining table and sue for peace among favorable terms. As an ally of Provence, Philip III forced the French giant to pay enormous reparations to Burgundy, and in exchange the Burgundian monarch would not force any territory to be ceded. France was forced to accept the terms, and with it, any hope of an economic miracle. France was on the razors edge of bankruptcy, and Margaret I sought to exploit this weakness to further her advancement

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By the early months of 1449, Margaret I of England would celebrate the birth of her first heir, the first of many to come. Edward d’Anjou would be born within the confines of Windsor Castle as a healthy boy, much to the happiness of the Queen. Margaret I would come to quickly remarry following her ascension to the throne, looking for a noble marriage, soon finding her prince-consort. With the issue of succession solved, Margaret I would raise her son as the first of many children that she would have.

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With her cousins among Provence struggling, Margaret I would regretfully be forced to sign a her father, Rene I of Provence. Margaret I had learnt much during the short period of time that she ascended to the English throne, knowing when to rule as a benevolent monarch and when to put her fist down. This was the same to those who fought against her, and despite familial connections, Margaret I would show no mercy when she would force her fathers realm to sue for peace. Provence would be forced to end their overlordship of Lorraine, who would gain independence and exist as a frontier state of the Holy Roman Empire. The treaty and the peace to follow would become one of the leading causes of a schism among the Anjou families, and the last time that Rene and Margaret would be in the same room on good terms.

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After years of conflict, English armies would march upon the gates of the Pearl of the West, Paris. Captured previously by England in 1420, the French had come to liberate the city in the years to follow, something that had greatly boosted their fighting spirit to rest English rule. With Paris falling once more after several months of siege, the Pearl would be reclaimed, something that caused French morale to completely collapse. With Paris once more under English rule, France was doomed

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Upon the Fall of Paris, England had effective control of Northern France. Crushed between a hammer and an anvil, the economy of the Kingdom was drained completely. In the weeks to follow, the inevitable happened. France would formally break down as her economy collapse, and the royal rule of Valois rule would become virtually nothing. Margaret I would make preparations to cross the Channel into France upon the news of French bankruptcy and Parisian defeat, knowing that total victory was imminent.

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After years of warfare, France would finally submit to the Kingdom of England on 9th May 1449. Margaret I would come to personally ensure the peace that was to follow, bringing a defeated Charles VII before her. Along with revoking any claims upon Normandy and Aquitaine, Charles VII would realize that he would become the last Valois King of France

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Despite the victory, Aragon would still ravage Southern France, and the new monarchy would come to be put to the test. Aragon had been left losing momentum, leading to a Anglo-French counter invasion to liberate vast swaths of occupied land. Aragon abandoned France entirely as regional forts were liberated, and eventually, both sides would sign a white peace to put an end to the fighting. Hostility would exist between Aragon and France for many years to come, yet Margaret I could not deny the importance that Aragon held in securing an English victory.

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Left completely defeated in both body and spirit, Margaret I would grant Charles VII mercy, much to his surprise and the defeated court that served him. Margaret I would spare his life upon the condition that he abdicate the throne of France, along with granting the defeated Charles VII his ancestral lands back among the County of Valois. Charles VII would accept these terms, and the French crown would pass to Margaret de Anjou.

With recent military and diplomatic victories, Margaret I led her kingdom to victory and secured England’s greatest victory in many generations. England had finally won the war after a century of conflict, and France was left now under the rule of the English crown. A Dual-Monarchy between France and England would become established, and Queen Margaret I would be recognized as England and France

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While victorious and now celebrating the peace, many had come to lose their lives. It would become a pyrric victory as the lives of civilians and soliders would be lost entire villages and cities were burned or sacked, and France herself would be left completely devastated. For a hundred years, war had plagued the lands of France, but such an era of devastation had come to an end. The old order was swept away, and now, the new order was ready to take its place and rebuild.

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With the signing of the Second Treaty of Tours, English authority would extend across a greater portion of France, all the while the personal union would be cemented. France and England were formally united through marriage into a greater realm, and the emerging dual monarchy would be born. Margaret I would become crowned as Queen of England and France in the Notre-Dame, and sovereign of the dual monarchy. Few would know about what the future would hold for the young Queen, but now peace was on the mind of the nation.
 
A very hard-fought victory, and I am sure the victory will do Margaret's reputation wonders
 
Brilliant as always. The Angevin mission tree is quite juicy if I remember it correctly.
 
Quite the feat for the young Queen!
 
Chapter 3: The Renaissance Queen (1450-1455)
Chapter 3: The Renaissance Queen (1450-1455)

Victory had come at a heavy price. Entire generations would fight in a war that had lasted over a century, changing the very nature of nations and the lives that were tangled within its web. The series of conflicts had lasted over the reign of six English monarchs, but now, the English were victorious. With the establishment of a dual monarchy over the defeated Kingdom of France, several years of peace were desperately needed to recover and rejuvenate the harmed soul of the nation.

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Among the defeated kingdom, there were many within France who were loyal to the English crown, having rejected their loyalty to the House of Valois. Such loyalists persisted to defy Valois rule even when faced with destruction, and with the conflict finally over, the loyalists who remained true to the cause would be well rewarded. England would openly support the new loyalists among the French Kingdom, making sure that France would remain pacified during the recovery that was set to come.

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While most of the conflict would take place within French territories, England herself suffered greatly during the war. Across the Kingdom, many farm estates that were once filled with men who worked there was left empty, a grim reminder of the casualties of war. The lack of men to work among the farms and other areas were harming the economy greatly, and the Queen and Parliament were more than adamant to let the population of both England and France recover.

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With the Dual Monarchy now strengthened, Queen Margaret I would begin to focus upon continental politics and diplomatic maneuvering as a means to let the union recover. In order to rebuild the economy of both realms, the crow focused heavily upon economic matters during the first years of recovery. In order to effectively tax things, it would need to be regulated. On the other side of the Channel, Calais would become designated as the Staple Port, becoming the sole point of import for the wool staple.

This would see English tax revenues improve dramatically, along with having a tremendous benefit to Calais’s local economy, although this would come to incur the wrath of nearby merchants and lords of Brabant.

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With the English victory over France, the conflict would coincide with the birth of a new cultural movement among Europe. Originating among the wealthy and powerful Italian City states, the movement was already making waves across Europe as a ‘rebirth’ of classical ideals was ready to reshape the world.

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With an English victory in the grand conflict, the kingdom would be able to reap the rewards as the Dual Monarchy would slowly become entrenched within the kingdoms. Despite the success of the victory, the growth of unity between the two different peoples of England and France must be taken in strides. Margaret I would know this well and integrated the newest French territories directly into English authority. If a relationship between England and France, two rival nations that were once fierce enemies, was to occur then the crown would directly see to these matters personally.

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Despite attempts at integration, English possessions in France would be attacked and terrorized by an alarmed population, claiming that they had no right to rule their lands. Because of the English victory, the foreign French citizenry isn’t satisfied with the terms of the Second Treaty of Tours and were launching deadly attacks against English administration. Naturally, this provoked a hostile reaction from the Dual Monarchy, who would send in the troops to put down the discontent.

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Among the Irish lords, Leinster’s relationship with England would deepen considerably as diplomatic relations between the two countries blossomed. As an alliance would gradually lead into something far deeper over the years, Margaret I’s grand ambitions for Ireland would begin to be manifested during these years. The Queen had noticed the shifting political climate among the clans of Ireland, especially the relationship between the more aggressive clans that hated Anglo influence and those who were far more welcoming to it.

Margaret I personally met with the King of Leinster and proposed her offer to him. Should Leinster submit as a vassal state of the crown, England would reward their loyalty granting them the entirety of the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, vastly improving their power and wealth and putting an end to the chaotic clan politics of the region. The King of Leinster immediately leapt at such a proposal, pledging his loyalty to Queen Margaret. While it seemed insignificant for now, Lenister’s submission to England would have enormous political consequences within the next few years...
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With Leinster pledging their loyalty to England, many of the Irish states felt the political effects, arousing some and deeply concerning others. Viewing them as an encroachment of English rule and potential conquest of the island, the prospect of vastly improved power and prestige would be enough for some lords to be swayed towards England’s point of view. Ulster would become another state that would become friendly to England, sending an alliance to London in the same manner that Leinster had only a few years before. The Crown, naturally, accepted the alliance.

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Despite the financial recovery that was slowly starting to rebuild the economy of the Dual Monarchy, France remained unsuccessful in recovering from their bankruptcy on their own. France was left at the bottom of the hole with no way to escape, leaving Parliament to decide upon the issue on how to deal with the situation. Looking to maintain the integrity of the Dual Monarchy, along with stabilising the loyalty of their new subjects, England would intervene in the issue and grant them a donation out of good faith with the intention to help France recover, something which would do wonders for the relationship to the two nations.

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As a subject of the crown and the secondary half of the Dual Monarchy, France would be a nation that had come to resent their new foreign overlords. A subject that had resented their monarch would not be a subject at all. Through the actions of the Queen and her government, what could have been a rebellion had gradually faded out into nothing within just a few years. Margaret I looked to rule with equality, ruling both parts of the Dual Monarchy with a benevolent touch or an iron fist when needed. French aristocracy and peasantry would begin to slowly trust upon England, leading to an emerging cooperation with each other upon the development of the state.

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Still recovering from the stress that had harmed both nations during the war, Provence would be dealt with a death blow through an unlikely invader. The Holy See itself would launch an invasion of Provence and simply conquer the entire region for themselves, leading to the end of d’Anjou rule within the region.

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With a growing commitment to diplomatic affairs, the Dual Monarchy would come to commit heavily to expanding and developing upon the diplomatic element of the union. Looking to focus upon establishing itself as a political and diplomatic force within Europe, diplomatic ideas would be taken to heart.

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After several years of fostering a relationship, relations between Ulster and England would come to flourish. Ulster had noticed the changing winds that were occurring among Ireland and had come to appeal to England. Just like Leinster, the Crown and Parliament would come to offer the same deal to the lords of Ulster, submission to the crown in exchange for drastically increased power and influence among Ireland. While left weak to their own devices, England had promised them the entirety of Northern Ireland alongside the increased power and influence it would carry. Ulster would eventually accept the offer, becoming another one of the Irish lords.

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Many of the Queens advisers and royal servants would always see Margaret almost always pregnant, giving her a well-known reputation as a fertile queen who would come to establish an entire branch of the d’Anjou dynasty completely on her own. Despite the loss of her first heir during her marriage with Henry VI, the Queen would have four healthy children since then, celebrating the birth of another baby boy in the Spring of 1454.

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With various and innovating ideas of the Renaissance spreading through Italy like wildfire, a number of wealth families from England and France had decided to provide financial support for promising artists. Developing an interest within the movement, Margaret would become a contributor of the Renaissance as the royal family would give their royal endorsement of the blooming renaissance art.

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Through intricate political maneuvering, Margaret I would gain the loyalty of Ulster and Leinster and their support. With political interests of parliament shifting away from Continental Europe for the time being, Queen Margaret and parliament would come to reorganise their new subjects into March states. Virtually the entire eastern coastline of Ireland was under control of Ulster and Leinster, who while no longer paying taxes to the crown, would have their independence protected and see a considerable boost to their militarism. The Queen reassured that in due time, Ulster and Leinster will see the fruits of their loyalty paid to them tenfold.

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With France being able to repay a portion of their broken economy, England had gathered enough capital to pay off the remainder of the debt that France had accumulated. France would become financially liberated as the economic burden that had weighed them down would be taken off their shoulders, leading them to stand upon their own two feet. The Dual Monarchy, now with the combined economy of England and a recently ‘free’ France, was finally able to stand on their own two feet.

But as the economy was restored, the few years of peace were about to be broken, and a few loose ends were about to be dealt with.

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Now time to deal with the Trastamara threat in Iberia. With the Angevin union in place, this would be fun!
All in due time. The Dual Monarchy doesn't have the strength to fight any major war for quite some time, but smaller conflicts on the other hand...
A very hard-fought victory, and I am sure the victory will do Margaret's reputation wonders
Margaret is already going to be remembered as one of England's greatest monarchs for her victory alone. Her legacy hasn't truly been set in stone quite yet
Brilliant as always. The Angevin mission tree is quite juicy if I remember it correctly.
Thank you for the compliment. The Angevin tree is enormous, it has more than enough ideas to keep the story remaining interesting
Quite the feat for the young Queen!
From a fifteen year old girl being married off into a royal house to ensure peace, Margaret I is now the most powerful woman in Europe, all before she's twenty five! :eek:
Thank you for your interest :)
 
England getting nicely secure - and will presumably use Leinster to achieve mastery of Ireland?
 
Quite the peacful progress! Ireland more and more secure, France getting more loyal...this promises well.
 
Chapter 4: The Conquest of Brittany (1455-1457)
Chapter 4: The Conquest of Brittany (1455-1457)

With several years passing by, the Dual Monarchy would slowly begin the recovery of their nation. While still damaged from the years of bloodshed, the decade had seen some remarkable process during the rebuilding of what had once been a wartorn nation. With a rejuvenating economy and signs of growth, the Dual Monarchy was swelling in terms of diplomatic and military prowess as the best elements of both nations were slowly fused together.

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Even with victory, there were a few loose ends that had come to exist as a thorn to the side of the Dual Monarchy. Fighting tediously against England during the final years of the Hundred Years War, the Duchy of Brittany would become a nuisance that would severely delay the efforts of England’s war effort against France, being forced to commit with their full strength to put their enemy down. This time, the tables are turned, and a joint Anglo-French invasion of Brittany would be more than enough to deal with the fiercely independent Bretons and secure the left flank of the kingdom.

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Moving two separate armies into position, England would declare war and begin to cross the border. French troops would remain committed in laying siege to important fortifications while England did the heavy lifting. Alongside carrying a mighty army, England would temporarily deal with the Breton navy by blockading them in port, before sailing towards the North Sea and preventing any of Brittany’s allies from making a landing.

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In two months, Brittany would be left on their knees. The north had fallen to the invaders as victory seemed all but inevitable for the dual monarchy, but despite this, Brittany fought on against impossible odds in the south. Their resilience would impress the both Anglo and French soldiers, who frequently made a last stand despite all odds.

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Anjou, the very cradle of the House of Anjou, would be captured from Breton control. The capture of Anjou would become a tremendous symbolic victory for the nation, upon which with the city finally liberated after an extensive siege, English commanders would parade through the city in a triumph.

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With what was already an unstoppable conquest further aided by the capture of their crown jewel of Nantes, Brittany would surrender to the Dual Monarchy. Margaret I and Parliament, holding all of the cards, would accept nothing short of complete annexation. Along with seizing all of Brittany’s economic assets, the sudden annexation of such a large territory was bound to alarm much of the European powers.

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In aiding the Valois all those years ago, the defeated Bretons were dealt with lightly during their first offense. During this second time, there was no such mercy, with the Dual Monarchy coming down upon Brittany like a hammer. Brittany’s hostile actions against England and their involvement in aiding the Valois was to be corrected.

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The Bretons were, compared to the rest of her neighbors, far different when it came to customs and language. They were neither similar to the people of France or England, and were fiercely independent. Margaret I knew this well, and upon the submission of the Bretons, she allowed the Bretons to remain in peace as new subjects of the Dual Monarchy. Persecution would lead nowhere and only fuel resentment, something that the recovering monarchy still couldn’t afford to give.

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Along with the annexation of Brittany, Anjou and the surrounding provinces would be included, which were now finally under the crown. Among the Dual Monarchy, the homeland of the d’Anjou would be rebuilt and restored following the capture of the city, along with some additional investment within the city. It would quickly become the summer residence of the crown. Margaret I would give her father, the deposed Rene of Anjou, control of the city out of symbolic meaning.

Rene I, upon who had ended his troubled relationship with his daughter, was eternally grateful despite the relationship between father and daughter. The Good King would remain as the leading figure of the city until his death in 1482.

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Now stretching further than ever, military commitments between England and France were pushed right upon breaking point. Fearing military action against the realm due to the hostility between her neighbors, the Dual Monarchy would raise another army to protect Southern France while relocating troops to Northern France and the English heartland.

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Along with the investment of constructing an army, the troops that served the crown were becoming increasingly professional. Along with being better armed and armored, they had learnt alot from the lessons of the Hundred Years War.

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French pride would remain unhindered, even when under the rule of the Dual Monarchy, with such pride doing naught but spur and kindle the flames of French nationalism and resistance. Such ideas are dangerous and were to be treated with care, something that would be carefully maintained within Parliament. Rebellions were put down effectively, and the new status quo would continue on.

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Pope Clemens VII, Bishop of Rome from 1457-1462. Being the first Pope to originate from within the Dual Monarchy, his election would come to see significant prestige and influence for the Anjou Monarchy, who had now indirectly controlled the Holy See.

Among the death of his holiness, the Papal Conclave would come to elect a new Pope. Unlike prior elections however, the new Bishop of Rome would be a very unique one. Rome would see the very first Pope that would originate from the Dual Monarchy of England and France, as his new Holiness Clemens VII was a Frenchman with loyalist sympathies. This would surprise even the Dual Monarchy, who had expected other candidates to succeed his holiness.

With a friendly pope within Rome, Catholics across the Dual Monarchy were thrilled to have seen one of their own leading the church. The Queen and her government were especially thrilled about this, leading to their growing influence among Europe. Many nations that had opposed the Dual Monarchy or were indifferent about them were now starting to worry about the potential giant that was awakening...

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With the realm existing in relative peace, Queen Margaret I would come to issue a royal reform to the government upon noble privileges. The Curia Regis, or Kings Council, was the title of the councils that had served the early French kings and was imported to English courts following the Norman Conquest. Margaret I would come to introduce the council once more to the Dual Monarchy, this time using it to counter-weigh the nobility and using its power to tax, judge and weaken their might.

While influential within domestic politics, it served as a powerful institution for the monarchy, enough to keep the aristocracy of the nation complacent. Royal authority was increased further with the benefit of increased revenue for the Dual Monarchy. Margaret I would remain thrilled at recent developments among the realm, and with many years of peace, both England and France had now largely recovered from the effects of the Hundred Years War.

The Queen looked once more towards Ireland and the changing loyalties upon the island, ready to finally establish peace once and for all among the bickering clans. The impending years that were to follow was to leave a changing balance of power among the British Isles that would leave their mark forever...
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Any plans for Angevin expansion to the west?
We shall see
England getting nicely secure - and will presumably use Leinster to achieve mastery of Ireland?
Something like that :p
Quite the peacful progress! Ireland more and more secure, France getting more loyal...this promises well.
Everything is working out for the Dual Monarchy, Anglo-French cooperation is to become vital in the coming decades.
Looks like you're making some great progress!
A very interesting run with a great story to go along with it.
Thank you!
Very interesting story, I wonder how this Anglo-French Union is going to end up and also which culture is going to dominate the others.
It's definitely going to have quite an impact upon culture. Just like the Norman Conquest had influenced England, expect to see something similar happen within the Dual Monarchy ;)
 
The Brittany question is thus nicely resolved.