(Putting this in a new thread because selenak is right, the existing one was near unreadable.)
I had totally forgotten this happened, but while rereading parts of the Küstrin episode in MacDonogh's bio for the umpteenth time, I ran across this passage of great relevance to our interests, check it out:
Frederick was looking for solutions that might bring him back his liberty. On 11 April 1731 he hit on the idea of standing down as crown prince in favour of his brother William, and putting himself forward as a candidate for the Empire. To this end he suggested that one of the two Habsburg archduchesses might be made over to him for a wife. The letter was also signed by a group of men who were forming themselves into the prince’s new council: his marshal, Wolden, Natzmer and Rohwedel. Grumbkow was alarmed by this new suggestion from Frederick: ‘an archduchess would never marry a prince who wasn’t completely Catholic’. He sent the letter back to Hille and told him to burn it in the presence of the prince.
Both Seckendorff and the king none the less heard about the idea, the latter probably after Seckendorff sent word to Prince Eugene in Vienna, who was verging on senility and wanted Frederick William to tell him which archduchess he had in mind. Prince Eugene described the project as ‘peculiar’. Frederick William was even less impressed, and he was hurt by the thought that his son might consider converting to Catholicism.
For those of you who are new to this fandom and may or may not have the chronology memorized, keep in mind, Katte was executed Nov 6, 1730. This is only 6 months later. FW's "rehabilitation" regime is going full strength trying to break his son's will. Fritz must have been *desperate*.
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MT marriage AU, cont'd
Date: 2019-10-13 12:19 am (UTC)I had totally forgotten this happened, but while rereading parts of the Küstrin episode in MacDonogh's bio for the umpteenth time, I ran across this passage of great relevance to our interests, check it out:
Frederick was looking for solutions that might bring him back his liberty. On 11 April 1731 he hit on the idea of standing down as crown prince in favour of his brother William, and putting himself forward as a candidate for the Empire. To this end he suggested that one of the two Habsburg archduchesses might be made over to him for a wife. The letter was also signed by a group of men who were forming themselves into the prince’s new council: his marshal, Wolden, Natzmer and Rohwedel. Grumbkow was alarmed by this new suggestion from Frederick: ‘an archduchess would never marry a prince who wasn’t completely Catholic’. He sent the letter back to Hille and told him to burn it in the presence of the prince.
Both Seckendorff and the king none the less heard about the idea, the latter probably after Seckendorff sent word to Prince Eugene in Vienna, who was verging on senility and wanted Frederick William to tell him which archduchess he had in mind. Prince Eugene described the project as ‘peculiar’. Frederick William was even less impressed, and he was hurt by the thought that his son might consider converting to Catholicism.
For those of you who are new to this fandom and may or may not have the chronology memorized, keep in mind, Katte was executed Nov 6, 1730. This is only 6 months later. FW's "rehabilitation" regime is going full strength trying to break his son's will. Fritz must have been *desperate*.