Queen Mary I! 1553 - 1558. Flashcards
Was Mary popular when she came to the throne?
- Mary was accompanied by an entourage as she rode into London 3rd August.
- She may’ve been celebrated as a Catholic ruler, and also by those who were still loyal to her mother, Catherine of Aragon.
- People may’ve cheered Mary on.
Parliament had to pass a law when Mary came to the throne - what was it?
Parliament felt the need to pass a law that essentially stated Mary was a ruler in her own right and should be listened to as much as her brother, father and grandfather had been. But the need for this suggests that maybe people weren’t willing to listen to her.
Preparation to be queen:
- There had not been a female ruler since the 12th century and she was not even queen.
- Mary, therefore, was the first Queen Regent of England.
- Mary had been well educated, but had not been trained to rule.
- there were certain doubts among some about having a female ruler.
Mary’s aims and ambitions:
- She was a passionate Catholic and devoted to Rome.
- She wanted to return England to Catholicism and make a friend of Spain.
Bloody Mary?
- This was likely invented by her opponents, as Protestants became very prominent after her rule.
- A large number of people were killed over a short period of time.
- However, we must take in other factors: her personality, marriage to Philip, perspectives of economy and finances, the role of council and parliament etc.
What were some problems faced by Mary in 1553?
1) She was a woman with no credible male heir.
2) She was a bastard, but this did not worry people as Catherine of Aragon was very popular.
2) Her Catholicism wasn’t a problem, but she was devoted to Rome. There was a sense that Roman Catholicism was un-English.
3) Was she too friendly with the Hapsburgs? She relied heavily on the imperial ambassador, Simon Renard.
What were some positives of Mary as a person?
She was intelligent and dignified, and had shown real steely determination during the acession crisis.
What was a huge problem Mary had with sucession?
She was 37 when she took the throne in 1553 and recognised the urgency of getting married and producing an heir.
When did King Philip II of Spain (of Spain!) leave England? What problems did this cause?
He left in August 1555. This caused issues because Mary couldn’t have an heir without her husband by her side! This followed a phantom pregnancy on 13th April, so there was a bit of panic about heirs.
Why was Mary’s marriage beneficial, given her Spanish husband?
1) any child of the marriage would not be ruler of Spain. They would inherit England and the low countries - Belgium, the Netherlands.
2) Philip had no direct claim on England - even if Mary died before him.
3) Philip could possess no sovereign authority in his own right (despite being called king - it was in name only) and he had to uphold the laws of England.
4) Philip was forbidden from bringing foreigners into the English government.
Reasons for opposing the Spanish match?
1) Philip was Catholic and Protestants feared that he would add strength to Mary’s determination to reverse the Reformation in England.
2) Philip was heir to the throne of Spain and its extended empire in Europe and the Americas. Many assumed he would use England as a tool to further Spanish ambitions and have little regards for the interests of England.
3) there was also the issue of how France would react if England and Spain drew so closely together and what these relations meant for Scotland.
When was the Wyatt Rebellion?
February 1554, when plans for Mary and Philip’s marriage was being made.
Who was Sir Thomas Wyatt?
He was a gentry member in Kent, and a Protestant!
The rebellion was super anti things. What was it against?
The plot was labelled as both anti-Catholic and anti-Spanish.
Mary had two phantom pregnancies in her reign and died childless. When did she accept her sister as her heir?
6th November 1558 - Elizabeth was named Mary’s successor.
What was the plan of Wyatt’s?
They would overthrow Mary, replacing her with Edward Courtenay. He was the great-grandson of Edward IV, and the only male claiment to the throne, as well as being one of Mary’s suitors. He would strengthen his claim by marrying Princess Elizabeth.
What happened to Princess Liz following the Wyatt Rebellion?
She was put in the Tower of London.
But Philip wouldn’t actually have that much power in England - why were people so negative?
There was lots of Xenophobia at the thought of a Spanish king.
In July 1554, Mary married King Philip II of Spain (of Spain!). Was it a success or a failure. Why?
A failure. There was a strengthened alliance with Spain against France, but there was also distrust and resentment. They also failed to produce an heir. The English public feared a Spanish leader and a loss of their independance.
Mary’s marriage to Philip should’ve proved a strong alliance, but it was actually a weak political alliance. Why?
Philip only spent about 14 months in England - his priorities lay in Spain. Additionally, Mary’s support of Philip in war led to the loss of Calais in 1557 and this hurt English prestige and tarnished Mary’s legacy.
A lack of an heir was also a problem religiously. Why?
It led to Protestant Elizabeth’s reign, and reversed Mary’s Catholic reforms.
In May 1555, there was the election of Paul IV as Pope. What was the problem with this?
- He was very anti-Spanish and this renewed the war between the Hapsburgs and France. It also made it very difficult for Mary to get his approval in turning England back to Catholicism.
- In December 1555, he allied with France, sparking a war between Charles V, Philip II and France. Spain won! A peace was made, but the Pope still refused to recognise Charles’ abdication and the appointment of his brother Ferdinand I, as this had happened without his approval.
July 1556 - Invasion of France by the Earl of Pembroke. What happened? Was it a success or a failure?
It was a success! Mary declared war on France, and sent the Earl of Pembroke onwards with 7, 000 men. They joined the army led by Savoy and won a decisive victory at St Quentin July 1556. Plus there was no direct attack on England. A win all the way round!
In April 1557, Philip pressured Mary into declaring war on France - the French invasion of Scarborough. It was mostly a success, with some failures on the way. Why?
Mary undid the diplomacy of Northumberland by being anti-French, whom she declared war on in June 1557 and sent troops across the channel to join Spain’s forces.
- They achieved victory in the battle, but they were unsuccessful in what followed up in their loss of diplomacy.
