Mary I and Gender

Question 1

How did Mary’s gender limit her royal authority?

Answer 1

• There was no precedent for a queen regnant (last queen being Queen Matilda of the 12th Century)
• She was already 37 years old so producing a legitimate catholic heir to secure a dynasty would be difficult if not impossible
• When a woman got married, even a queen, she was expected to submit any power to her husband - anxieties over an english noble family or foreign king taking power

Question 2

How did the Marriage Treaty settle anxieties of Philip’s influence over England?

Answer 2

• Gave Philip no claim to the throne in the event of Mary’s death
• Philip received the title of ‘king’ but possessed no sovereign authority in his own right
• He was not allowed to promote foreigners to hold office in England

Question 3

What evidence is there that the Spanish marriage did cause a crisis in royal authority?

Answer 3

• Philip demanded Mary’s help in the Hapsburg-Valois conflict. Mary joined and this resulted in the loss of Calais
• Calais had been in English hands since 1347 and was England’s last French territory this surrender was a humiliating defeat and have Protestant propagandists a failure to capitalise on

Question 4

What evidence is there that the Spanish marriage did NOT cause a crisis in royal authority?

Answer 4

• In March 1557 Philip came to England to ask Mary for funds, troops, and naval support and Mary refused
• Mary only joined the war after Henry II started openly tolerating English Protestant exiles thus implying she went in out of her own religious convictions rather than pressure from Philip