Mary's accession Flashcards
Why was Marys succession problematic in 1553?
There were 2 grounds Edward argued that the succession should be changed;
1- Lady Mary + Elizabeth were illegitimate
2- If they married, the man would obtain too much power over England + result in the “utter subversion of our realm”
In his ‘devise’ in 1553 he stated that Lady Jane Gray + her heirs male should ascend the throne.
Jane didn’t know the extent she was being used + rallied.
On 9th of July she was taken to northumberland and on the 20th taken to the tower + against her wishes, proclaimed Queen.
Explain how Northumberlands devyse developed
- News arrived on the 10th that Mary proclaimed herself Queen in East Anglia + had appealed to the Emperor Charles V for assistance + it was clear she was not going to escape by sea.
- Proclamations + summons already replaced by Mary were issued + the council rejected her claim so she began gathering troops
- The emperors ambassador feared nothing much could be done to prevent lady Jane being ‘Queen’ as senior nobles + privy council members had already declared for Mary + so it was though Northumberland had French assistance.
- On 11th Northumberland’s sons failed to intercept Mary + by contrast Mary acted decisively + gathered mass support from gentry. nobility + ordinary people.
- By the 13 he believed he had enough strength to defeat Mary but afraid to leave privy council. NO one else could be sent so he set out with 2,000 troops.
On July 17th Northumberland’s forces started to desert + refused to go beyond St Edmund’s after rumours spreads that Mary army numbered 30,000 + was forced to retreat to Cambridge.
By the 19th Marys numbers reached 20,000 + almost all councillors in the tower argued they’d fallen into error + people in the streets celebrated Marys accession + The duke of Suffolk announced to his daughter that she was no longer queen.
State the reasons for the failure of Northumberlands devyse
- Mary was greatly favoured by the people of all areas of rank
- Mary was catholic + many people wanted the restoration of Catholicism
- Northumberland lacked support from even his most loyal councillors/members. He attacked illegally + was seem to stimulate problems for his own benefit through Lady Jane
- The devise to change the succession by Edward + Northumberland were illegal + seen as traitorous.
Explain Marys plans for the succession upon her death
Her overthrow of Northumberland had restored Henry8s will established under the succession act of 1544. Under its terms;
- Mary would be succeeded by Elizabeth should she die childless
- However to deny her her right of succession she required either parliamentary legislation to overturn the act OR Elizabeth’s disqualification through treason.
This created immediate issue as Elizabeth was protestant + would restore England to Protestantism upon her death. Mary held no love for Elizabeth - symbolising to her the death of her mother + destruction of her parents marriage and believed her to be illegitimate.
After Wyatt’s rebellion 1554 Elizabeth was confined to the tower of london but though Mary suspected her implication in it there was no evidence + she was far more reluctant than her father to pursue charges without evidence. Therefore Elizabeth was replaced after 2 months under house arrest. All attempts to change succession failed + Maru was forced to accept Elizabeth would succeed her + formally accepted her as her successor in 1558
