Mary I: accession, aims and opposition

Question 1

when was Lady Jane Grey crowned?

Answer 1

10th July 1553

Question 2

Which area in particular supported Mary’s claim and when did they start to show their support?

Answer 2

East Anglia; 12th July 1553

Question 3

When did Northumberland set out against Mary and how many troops did he have?

Answer 3

13th July 1553; 2000

Question 4

When did Northumberland have to retreat from his attack on Mary and why?

Answer 4

17th July 1553; His forces deserted after rumours spread that Mary had 30,000 troops

Question 5

When did the Privy Council announce from the Tower that Mary was queen?

Answer 5

19th July 1553

Question 6

When was Northumberland executed?

Answer 6

22nd August 1553

Question 7

When was Mary I crowned?

Answer 7

1st October 1553

Question 8

What relation was Charles V to Mary?

Answer 8

Cousin

Question 9

What relation was Charles V to Mary?

Answer 9

Cousin

Question 10

When was Mary’s marriage publicised?

Answer 10

January 1554

Question 11

who did Mary marry 1554

Answer 11

Phillip of Spain II

Question 12

what was one condition for Mary’s marriage

Answer 12

Philip would be joint sovereign and hold no individual power without Mary

Question 13

what was Mary’s aim as queen?

Answer 13

• 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

Question 14

contenders for Mary’s hand in marriage

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

When was the marriage proposal made

Answer 15

10th October 1553

Question 16

Why did the Privy Council have to accept Mary’s marriage?

Answer 16

The third act of succession stated it, although they did try to persuade her to change her mind

Question 17

WHen did Mary marry Philip and when did they meet?

Answer 17

met 23rd July 1554

married 25th July 1554

Question 18

What were the problems with the marriage?

Answer 18

1. 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
2. Philip had a lack of social skills
3. Mary had two false pregnancies; first towards 1554 and the second at the beginning of 1558
4. 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
5. Friction between two nationalities of courtiers as there were too many people to discharge the required duties
6. There was a considerable anti-Spanish feeling in London, many mob attacks in 1555

Question 19

benefits from the marriage

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

the overall success of the marriage

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

reasons why mary being a female ruler threatened the stability of her reign

Answer 21

• 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

Question 22

Reasons why Mary being a Female Ruler did not threaten the stability of her reign

Answer 22

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