Stability of the Monarchy

Question 1

How old was Edward when he came to the throne?

Answer 1

He was 9, which was confirmed in the January 1547 devise for the succession which reversed the previous succession acts which excluded Mary and Elizabeth

Question 2

How was the regency council adapted from Henry VIII’s original intentions?

Answer 2

It was meant to be a regency council of 16 members, balanced between conservatives and reformists, but clauses were added to Henry’s will which allow the reformists to reward themselves, and Edward Seymour became Lord Protector

Question 3

What were the preconceptions about having a minor on the throne?

Answer 3

It meant that Edward could not lead the country into battle, and it was felt that he’d be exploited by foreign powers and would not be able to match factionalists

Question 4

Why was Somerset initially popular as Lord Protector?

Answer 4

He was the king’s uncle, he had a good reputation as a soldier in Scotland in the 1540s and there was a smooth transition between Henry VIII and Edward VI because Somerset kept the King’s death quiet until he had possession of Edward

Question 5

Why did Somerset lose favour?

Answer 5

He used his position to increase his own wealth and power, even ordering the execution of his own brother, Thomas Seymour, which led to criticism from former supporters

Question 6

Who were the members of the anti-Somerset faction?

Answer 6

It formed in 1549, consisting of Dudley, who wanted more power, Paget, who was unhappy because Somerset promised that he’d be listened to and he wasn’t, and Wriothesley, who was unhappy for religious reasons as he remained a conservative

Question 7

What gave the anti-Somerset faction an opportunity to publish a proclamation against him?

Answer 7

The events of the summer of 1549 with the Western and Kett’s rebellion gave them an opportunity to publish a proclamation against him

Question 8

What was Somerset’s response to the proclamation issued against him?

Answer 8

He retreated to Hampton Court on the 5th October 1549, summoning his loyal subjects to defend him and the king. He took Edward to Windsor castle the following day, but Edward abandoned Somerset, leading to Somerset’s arrest

Question 9

Who replaces Somerset?

Answer 9

Dudley (Northumberland) comes in as Lord Somerset’s replacement

Question 10

What happened to Somerset following Northumberland’s introduction?

Answer 10

Northumberland attempted reconciliation and Somerset’s daughter married Northumberland’s son, and Somerset returned to court. However, Somerset continued to plot and there were rumours that he wanted to take over as lord protecter, leading to his execution on the 22nd January 1552

Question 11

What problems was Northumberland faced with?

Answer 11

The council contained a lot of religious conservatives, who did not trust him. He won their support by first of all sympathising with them and making out that he was catholic and then removed them in January 1550 by allying with more religiously radical members of the council which leads to a radical updating of protestant policy

Question 12

What happened when Edward fell ill in 1553?

Answer 12

Northumberland arranged the marriage of his son, Guilford Dudley, to Lady Jane Grey, which was soon followed by the changing of the devise to Lady Jame Grey as the successor

Question 13

Why did Northumberland not want the throne to go to Margaret?

Answer 13

He didn’t want it to pass to Henry VIII’s older sister because it would fall to the Catholic Queen of Scots, and Lady Jane Grey had a claim through Henry VIII’s younger sister Mary, and Edward was keen to continue Protestantism in England

Question 14

When did Edward die?

Answer 14

6th July 1553, but his death was kept quiet for two days before prominent men in London were forced to sign the devise

Question 15

When was Lady Jane Grey proclaimed queen?

Answer 15

10th July 1553

Question 16

How did Mary become queen?

Answer 16

Mary proclaimed herself queen at the same time as Lady Jame Grey before escaping to East Anglia, where she was able to raise forces with letters of summons along with asking Charles V for help. It was interests of the ruling classes to support the rightful ruler, and when Northumberland left London to confront the challenge from Mary he lost lots of support within the Privy Council and army

Question 17

What problems did Mary face upon taking the throne?

Answer 17

She released Gardner from jail early on and shows leniency against many who had opposed her, and Paget joined the new Privy council

Question 18

What happened to Northumberland?

Answer 18

Northumberland renounced protestantism but was executed on the 22nd August 1553, and Guilford Dudley and Lady Jane Grey were arrested after Wyatt’s revolt and executed

Question 19

Why was female rule a problem?

Answer 19

Female succession in England was not governed by Salic law, it was felt that a female would be open to factionalism, was unable to lead troops into battle and there were issues surrounding marriage - if she married and English man he could become too powerful, and if she married a foreigner it was felt that England would be giving the King title to a foreign power

Question 20

Who was John Knox?

Answer 20

He was an extreme Calvinist, and a Scottish protestant who in 1558 wrote a source attacking female rulers, although this was also possibly attacking Mary Queen of Scots

Question 21

What were the issues with Mary wanting to marry Philip of Spain?

Answer 21

She wanted to maintain strong ties with Spain as it was a major Catholic power, but she did not consult parliament and simply announced that she would marry Philip

Question 22

When was the marriage treaty approved?

Answer 22

January 1554

Question 23

What did the Marriage treaty lead to?

Answer 23

Wyatt’s revolt, which was led by Sir James Croft, Sir Peter Carew and Sir Thomas Wyatt, and there was a planned a four-pronged rising based in Devon, Leicestershire, the Welsh Borders and Kent, but only Kent rose

Question 24

What evidence is there that the Wyatt rebellion was more about religion than about marriage?

Answer 24

Wyatt was a committed protestant

Question 25

Who was John Proctor?

Answer 25

He wrote some accounts, but was writing for the government at the time and wanted to portray this revolt as religiously motivated and divert attention away from the marriage

Question 26

Why were there divisions in the Privy Council?

Answer 26

It was a large size, and there was factional unrest, conflicting on marriage and heresy laws, mostly between Gardner, who was lord Chancellor until his death in 1555, and Paget, who was the keeper of the Privy Seal

Question 27

What improved the efficiency of council meetings in 1555?

Answer 27

An inner circle was established in 1555 and Philip’s departure and Gardner’s death allowed Paget to dominate for the last three years. When Elizabeth became queen in 1558 she did so unchallenged and it was fairly peaceful

Question 28

What are arguments for a political crisis between 1547 and 1558?

Answer 28

Somerset was only able to seize power by manipulating Henry’s well, and the nature of government changed, run from his household. Further, there was the rebellions of 1549, leading to the political elite abandoning support for the government. Somerset’s removal created instability as it created a struggle between Northumberland and the catholic factions, and there were consistent issues with a female and minor monarch, and Wyatt came close to toppling mary

Question 29

What are arguments that suggest that there was no political crisis between 1547 and 1558?

Answer 29

A legitimate monarch was always triumphed, and the crown transition was always peaceful, even during factional struggle, and the government continued. Somerset’s attempted coup was short lived and Lady Jane Grey was only queen for 9 days, as the ruling elite supported the rightful monarch throughout the period