Mary I and Her Ministers

Question 1

Faced with the Lady Jane Grey challenge what did Mary do?

Answer 1

Acted bravely, decisively and quickly, she gathered catholic supporters among and nobility and gentry and won over those who resented the brutality with which the Kett’s rebellion had been suppressed and as a result was proclaimed queen

Question 2

When was Mary proclaimed queen?

Answer 2

July 1553 - popular support for Mary quick to appear after LJG being proclaimed queen

Question 3

What were two weaknesses of Mary when she first became queen?

Answer 3

She was a committed catholic in a kingdom where reforms in favour of Protestantism were well advanced (substantial Protestant minority).

Neither she or her most loyal supporters (Robert Rochester, Edward Waldegrave etc) had any real political experience

Question 4

Despite being female what was Mary determined to do?

Answer 4

Play an active role in government

Question 5

What did Mary immediately do regarding government?

Answer 5

She selected a large group of Privy Councillors to help her in government, including:

Catholic nobles and churchmen such as Bishop Stephen Gardiner.

Moderates from Edward’s reign such as William Paget

Question 6

What role did Bishop Stephen Gardiner have until his death in 1555?

Answer 6

Lord Chancellor

Question 7

What did using moderates from Edward’s reign such an William Paget do?
Why did Elizabeth keep them?

Answer 7

Brought some factional rivalry but it provided Mary with experienced officials

Question 8

Who did the Queen increasingly ignore and why did she turn to instead?

Answer 8

Increasingly ignored the Council and turned to Simon Renard (the ambassador of Charles V and later the advisor of Philip II)

He had tremendous influence over Mary and until her marriage to Philip of Spain in 1554 (which he promoted), virtually directed English affairs.

Question 9

Who else did Mary heavily rely on?

Answer 9

Cardinal Reginald Pole, who arrived in England in 1554 and became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1556

Question 10

What was Mary’s relationship with parliament?

Answer 10

One of cautious cooperation - They generally cooperated despite a few disagreements over Mary’s religious policies and the succession

Question 11

What were four key disagreements with Parliament?

Answer 11

A significant minority of MPs opposed the reversal of Edwardian religious legislation (about 80).

MPs proved reluctant to restore ex-monastic property to the Church, out of concern for property rights (and probably self-interest).

Parliament defeated a 1555 bill to allow the seizure of property of Protestant exiles.

There was opposition over the issue of succession

Question 12

What was Mary keen to do?

Answer 12

Mary (who was already 37) was keen to marry and produce an heir as soon as possible in order to guarantee a Catholic succession - regarded it as essential - raising the issue of who she marry

Question 13

Who did Gardiner suggest that Mary marry, why and why wasn’t Mary keen?

Answer 13

Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon (possible to prevent a foreign marriage) but marriage to an Englishman was likely to provoke factional rivalries and the husband’s family would inevitably become more influential
Courtenay also lacked courtly skills and was therefore seen as an unsuitable candidate by many (Mary never took him seriously as a potential husband)

Question 14

Who did Mary want to marry and who did/didn’t support this?

Answer 14

Her Catholic cousin, Philip of Spain (who received Paget’s support) and her main advisor on the issue was Simon Renard (himself a Spanish subject, Catholic and politically experienced)
Charles V (Philips father) - had offered advice and moral support through Mary’s years of unhappiness and was more keen on the match than his son but Philip was prepared to ‘to his duty’
But English public support was hostile to a foreign marriage (as Gardiner had predicted)

Question 15

Who attempted to stop Mary going ahead with the marriage and what was the outcome?

Answer 15

A Parliamentary delegation failed to dissuade Mary and without consulting the Privy Council, Mary chose to go ahead with the Spanish marriage

Question 16

What was agreed in the marriage treaty (to allay fears)?

Answer 16

It gave Philip the title of King but no actual power
Forbade foreigners from holding English office
Ruled that Philip had no claim on the English throne if Mary died before he did
Absolved England from any involvement in or, financial support for, Philips wars

Question 17

Why was the marriage of 1554 not a success?

Answer 17

Philip found the English unwelcoming and was unimpressed by his new wife so he determined to spend as little time as possible in England.

In 1554 Parliament rejected a bill that would have included Philip and Mary in a proposed new law of treason (Parliament unimpressed by the marriage).

In 1555 Parliament prevented Philip’s coronation as King.

No heir was produced.

Question 18

What had the 1544 Succession Act, confirmed by Henry’s will provided?

Answer 18

That Mary would be succeeded by her half-sister Elizabeth should she die childless - this had been restored after Mary’s overthrow of Northumberland and Edward’s Devyse

Question 19

What were the problems with a possible Elizabeth accession?

Answer 19

Elizabeth was Protestant and likely to restore Protestantism
Mary resented Elizabeth as the reason for her parents divorce. She personally believed that Elizabeth was illegitimate and without claim to the throne but to deny E the right of succession would require either parliamentary legislation to overturn the 1544 act or E’s disqualification through treason

Question 20

When did Mary confine Elizabeth to the tower and what was the outcome?

Answer 20

After Wyatt’s rebellion in 1554 , despite Mary’s suspicions, no proof could be found of Elizabeth’s involvement in the rebellion so she was released after 2 months.

Question 21

What was the consequence of Elizabeth’s release and Mary remaining childless?

Answer 21

Attempts to change the succession through acts of parliament came to nothing so Mary finally named Elizabeth as her successor on 6th November 1558, 11 days before she died (Philip had also decided that from a Spanish perspective, Elizabeth was the least unacceptable option)

Question 22

What were the main influences on Mary’s foreign policy and did she achieve her aims?

Answer 22

Her desire to restore papal supremacy and to advance Philip’s cause as her choice of husband - she achieved both of these in 1554 (longer than M had anticipated) but what she couldn’t have anticipated was the extent to which the foundations of her FP would come into conflict

Question 23

What did the election of fiercely anti-Spanish Pope Paul IV in 1555 lead to?

Answer 23

A renewed war between France and Spain and despite the terms of the marriage treaty, Mary decided to support Spain therefore going to war against France and indirectly the papacy (who was anti-Spanish) - significant considering M was a loyal daughter of the Catholic Church
It was evident from the beginning that it would be impossible for England to remain neutral in any Franco-Spanish conflict

Question 24

What did Paget and others who hoped to gain credit (having lost favour due to their links with Edward’s regime) through the war do and why did England declare war?

Answer 24

Supported an expedition to northern France in April 1557 (when England declared war on France)
Declared war following a bizarre landing at Scarborough of French troops led by Thomas Stafford (grandson of the Duke of Buckingham who had been executed in 1521) - Stafford may have been set up by Paget who was the English minister most anxious for war)

Question 25

What was the outcome of the French expedition?

Answer 25

Militarily the campaign had a promising start, assiting the Spanish with a successful siege of St Quentin and the English successfully repulsed a minor invasion by the Scots the same year, the French campaign quickly became disastrous with the humiliating loss of Calais (the last English possession in France) in January 1558 why had been in English hands for centuries

Question 26

What did Mary’s strength and determination help her do?

Answer 26

Capitalise on popular support and overcome Northumberland’s attempt to alter the succession in 1553

Question 27

Why did Northumberland’s plan involving the ‘Devyse’ fail?

Answer 27

He had attempted to interfere with the legitimate succession and had compounded this by promoting the claims of his son’s wife (leading people to draw conclusions that it was simply an attempt on power)
His behaviour was illegal and upset even some of his more committed supporters on the council
While Northumberland had generated less enmity than Somerset among his colleagues, he had little positive support
Mary generated support quickly

Question 28

On learning of Northumberland’s intentions to proclaim LJG queen, what did Mary do and what was the outcome?

Answer 28

Gather Catholic supporters, including members of the nobility (Norfolk)
Northumberland immediately summoned troops and sent a naval squadron to wait off the coast by Great Yarmouth to intercept Mary should she set sail
There was little love for Northumberland in Norfolk because of the cruelty which he had put down the Kett’s rebellion and the ships he sent proved disloyal - declaring allegiance to Mary
Other members on the council decided to proclaim M queen on 19th July 1553 - Northumberland realised his plan had failed and proclaimed Mary queen at Cambridge on 20th July

Question 29

What two problems did Mary face when coming to the throne?

Answer 29

She inherited a kingdom that had fundamental religious divisions.

She had not been brought up to rule and had little in the way of political instinct to help her cope with challenges.

Question 30

Was Mary’s accession greeted favourably - why?

Answer 30

On the whole greeted well by the English people
Possibly because the English people supported the legitimate succession and possibly because they welcomed England’s probable return to the Catholic faith

Question 31

Who did Mary’s new councillors include?

Answer 31

Bishop Stephen Gardiner, who had been her fathers secretary and a steadfast upholder of religious conservatism in Edward’s reign in which he was imprisoned
Other churchmen who had been excluded from influence during Edward’s reign
Some of the more conservative councillors who had a various times served Edward - most importantly Lord Paget

Question 32

How many councillors did Mary have during her reign and why was this a problem?

Answer 32

50 in her brief reign - led to some historians stating, such a large number of councillors inevitable led to inefficient and faction-ridden government e.g. M’s most important decision (to marry Philip) was never discussed formally in council
This is misleading as M used the term ‘councillor’ as an honorary title - the working council was much smaller and dominated by experienced figures like Gardiner, Marquis of Winchester and Paget
Her trusted group of advisers included Cardinal Pole who was never a member of the Privy Council

Question 33

In what ways was Mary never quite at ease with her councillors?

Answer 33

She lost confidence in Paget on account of his opposition to her religious programme and she never fully trusted Gardiner who had failed to support her mother (Catherine) at the time of the break from Rome but she did regard him as indispensable (especially as Cardinal Pole distanced himself from secular issues)

Question 34

When did Mary and Philip meet and was it a success?

Answer 34

For the first time on 23rd July 1554 and the marriage took place in Winchester Cathedral two days later
Philip’s initial experiences reinforced his prejudices as the weather was foul, the English court and people were unwelcoming (instant hostility from English courtiers) and Philip found himself marrying a woman who was 11 years older than him, prematurely middle aged in some respects but whose attitude to love and marriage was child like
Philip resolved to spent minimum time in England

Question 35

What was the situation for Elizabeth like in the later stags of Mary’s reign?

Answer 35

As Mary’s health worsened, E realised she simply had to wait for her inheritance
By later years, E’s confinement at Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire had become quite comfortable as fewer restrictions were placed on visitors so she was well acquainted with the details of Mary’s final illness - who died knowing her kingdom would become that of her sister whose religion she despised

Question 36

Who did Philip not want to succeed Mary?

Answer 36

Although he was a committed Catholic, the potential succession of Catholic Mary , Queen of Scots (in reality as much French as she was Scottish), was something Philip was not prepared to accept

Question 37

What happened in January 1554?

Answer 37

Marriage treaty between Mary and Philip drawn up

Wyatt’s rebellion against the Spanish marriage

Question 38

What was the final FP failure after the loss of Calais?

Answer 38

No attempt was made to recapture the town and a full-scale attack on the port of Brest in the summer of 1558 failed dismally

Question 39

What were the naval and militia changed under Mary?

Answer 39

Her reign witnesses significant reforms - a complete reorganisation of the administration and finance of the navy
6 new ships were build and many other repaired and the crown finances budgeted for a peacetime allocation of £14,000 to the navy (a sum that E later reduced)
The system worked effectively with the highly efficient treasurer treasurer of the navy (Benjamin Gonson)
M also reformed the methods of raising troops (important in a country without a standing army) - this was effected through two complimentary acts of parliament - (proved very effective in military organisation)

Question 40

What did the naval and military reforms do in the long-term?

Answer 40

Laid the basis for the organisation of the navy which (crucially for E) was to defeat the Spanish Armada

Question 41

Was Mary’s reign a success?

Answer 41

FP - loss of Calais = failure
Marriage failed in most basic requirement - preventing Elizabeth succeeding her and overturning the religious change M was introducing
But M showed determination when seizing the throne and when facing rebellion
Her main failing was something she couldn’t control - dying after just 5 years on the throne