User:WilliamF1two/Alternative monarchs

1087
At the death of William I in 1087, his first son Robert Curthose became Duke of Normandy, while his second son William Rufus succeeded as William II.

The monarchy would have returned to the actual line in 1134, as Robert's only child, William Clito, predeceased him. He would therefore have been succeeded by his oldest surviving brother, Henry of Normandy, who had in fact succeeded the childless William II in 1100.

1135
The next succession problem occurred almost immediately, when Henry I died in 1135, some fifteen years after his only known legitimate son, William Adelin. His daughter, Empress Matilda, claimed the throne, but her cousin, Stephen, Count of Mortain seized the throne despite a weak claim.

On the death of his first son, Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne in 1153, Stephen named Matilda's son, Henry Plantagenet as his successor, and he duly succeeded as Henry II in 1154. He would presumably have succeeded anyway on Matilda's death in 1167.

1154
Even this succession was complicated, however, as Stephen had a second son, William I, Count of Boulogne, who was passed over for the throne in favour of Henry.

The line from William remains unmerged with the actual royal line to this day. The current "Queen", Anne II, has only distant links with royalty, being a descendant of the Polish royal family working as a producer in New York. She is, by coincidence, a niece of former First Lady of the United States Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

1399
Richard II had a difficult relationship with his uncle, John of Gaunt, and as a result, when John died in 1399, Richard disinherited his son, Henry of Bolingbroke. Henry did not take kindly to this, rebelling against Richard and seizing the throne as Henry IV. Richard was kept in captivity until his death in 1400.

It was this claim that led to the Wars of the Roses some sixty years later, and Richard's line was restored when Edward, Duke of York seized the throne from Henry VI in 1461, and ruled as Edward IV.

1461
The war continued to rage, however, with Henry claiming Edward's throne throughout his first reign.

Henry reclaimed the throne, albeit briefly, in 1470.

1470
However, Henry failed to see off Edward completely, and his rival continued to claim the throne throughout his second reign.

Edward finally reclaimed the throne permanently in 1471.

1471
This of course saw Henry's descendants no longer in line to the throne. They were somewhat distant relatives, however, as his only son, Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury by Edward's forces.