Writing challenge – What if Guy Fawkes had been successful?

A contemprorary picture of the conspirators

Not a lot of people actually seem to understand Guy Fawkes day anymore. Last year I even saw some people saying that it was an outmoded religious festival that needed to go. I must admit that I failed to bite my tongue and pointed out that they were complete morons.

Guy Fawkes, also known as Guido Fawkes, was a Catholic convert who wanted to assassinate the protestant King James 1 and replace him with a catholic Queen, Elizabeth (not the Elizabeth you’ve heard of however). Their objective was to fill an undercroft beneath the Houses of Parliament with barrels of gunpowder and, when King James 1 was in the building, blow it sky high.

Needless to say, it failed, and England remained a protestant country. But, if they had succeeded how would this have changed the face of Europe and the world at large? With war raging between Spain and the Netherlands, and protestants and catholics at each other’s throats across the known world, what would having a catholic England mean? How would this have affected the British Empire as it came to be known?

The challenge is, therefore, to write a short story covering any aspect of this. The immediate aftermath of the attack, riots on the streets, catholics and protestants battling each other across England. The Scottish maybe invading south in support of the catholic Queen Elizabeth. Spanish soldiers entering England at the request of Queen Elizabeth and her supporters. A brave protestant noble forming a resistance and figthing back, leading to the restoration of a protestant king. Lots of very juicy stories here.