Mary I: accession, aims and opposition Flashcards
when was Lady Jane Grey crowned?
10th July 1553
Which area in particular supported Mary’s claim and when did they start to show their support?
East Anglia; 12th July 1553
When did Northumberland set out against Mary and how many troops did he have?
13th July 1553; 2000
When did Northumberland have to retreat from his attack on Mary and why?
17th July 1553; His forces deserted after rumours spread that Mary had 30,000 troops
When did the Privy Council announce from the Tower that Mary was queen?
19th July 1553
When was Northumberland executed?
22nd August 1553
When was Mary I crowned?
1st October 1553
What relation was Charles V to Mary?
Cousin
What relation was Charles V to Mary?
Cousin
When was Mary’s marriage publicised?
January 1554
who did Mary marry 1554
Phillip of Spain II
what was one condition for Mary’s marriage
Philip would be joint sovereign and hold no individual power without Mary
what was Mary’s aim as queen?
- Main aim as queen: secure dynasty and legitimize claim by getting married and having children
- She felt it her duty to provide an heir
- a son or daughter would be more likely to perpetuate the catholic faith that she sought to restore
contenders for Mary’s hand in marriage
- Philip of Spain and Sir Edward Courtenay
- Mary had her sights set on Philip
- Charles V (Philips father) thought he would be an ideal husband for Mary: thought it would be useful for the Habsburgs to have a strong bond with England in opposition to France
- Simon Renard, Charles V’s ambassador, presented an official proposal marriage to Mary
When was the marriage proposal made
10th October 1553
Why did the Privy Council have to accept Mary’s marriage?
The third act of succession stated it, although they did try to persuade her to change her mind
WHen did Mary marry Philip and when did they meet?
met 23rd July 1554
married 25th July 1554
What were the problems with the marriage?
- Language barrier: Philip could only speak a few words of English and Mary’s Spanish was rusty, so they often used French as a common language
- Philip had a lack of social skills
- Mary had two false pregnancies; first towards 1554 and the second at the beginning of 1558
- Philip tried to ingratiate himself at court by drinking beer and giving out pensions and gifts from his own private resources, for he didn’t have access to any English patronage
- Friction between two nationalities of courtiers as there were too many people to discharge the required duties
- There was a considerable anti-Spanish feeling in London, many mob attacks in 1555
benefits from the marriage
- her marriage to Philip would enhance her Spanish inheritance
- England had a powerful ally and was safe from invasion
- Terms made ensured England would benefit from
- A son of the marriage would inherit England and the law countries, but not Spain
- If there were no heirs or if Mary died before Philip, neither he nor his heirs would have a claim to the throne
- Despite Philip receiving the title of king, he could not possess any sovereign authority
- Philip could both promote foreigners to hold office and had to uphold English law
the overall success of the marriage
- despite some benefits from the marriage, such as foreign support from a European power, and the connection between the two catholic powers causing a great threat to Protestantism, the ultimate goal of the marriage, to provide an heir to the throne, was not fulfilled. On a foreign platform, England had been stripped of its independence, and more domestically, Mary had been made unpopular and caused unrest and dispute among her people
reasons why mary being a female ruler threatened the stability of her reign
- Assumed that a female ruler would be too weak to control the nobility + would certainly not be able to lead an army into battle
- Mary’s marriage was only a problem b/c she was female
- B/c she was female, Mary could not win whomever she married: her marriage to Phillip led to fears that Spain would dominate England
Reasons why Mary being a Female Ruler did not threaten the stability of her reign
Fact that M was clearly the rightful heir mattered more than her gender
M acted promptly + decisively both against Jane in 1553 + against Wyatt in 1554 showing that her gender mattered less than her determination + political skill
M had good advisors e.g. Winchester = finance/ Pole + church
She was able to govern effectively despite her gender, as shown by the improvements in the Navy + the land defense system resulting from the French war
