The Stability of the Monarch

Question 1

What were the issues around Edward’s minority?

Answer 1

• Edward VI came to the throne at age 9 in 1547
• There were concerns that the rule of a minor would create instability, as Edward would not be able to lead troops into war and this could lead to other nations exploiting this weakness of a minor on the throne
• There was also the fear that England would return back to a period of civil war as had been seen during the 15th century in the War of Roses, this is because there was more likely to be factional struggles due to the regency council that was established to help Edward govern, so the lack of a strong and capable leader made the government more unstable

Question 2

What were the issues around Mary I gender?

Answer 2

• Came to the throne after the death of Edward in 1553
• People feared that a female ruler would weaken the monarchy because women were seen as unable to control faction and unable to lead troops into war
• The ideas of a female ruler also challenged the traditional gender roles of the time, where women were expected to be subservient to their husbands
• Lastly women were expected to marry and it was feared that this would cause further problems, as if she married an Englishman it would increase the power of her husband’s family who would then dominate court and if she married a foreigner, people feared that England would come under foreign influence

Question 3

Why did Mary marry Phillip?

Answer 3

• Mary married Phillip of Spain in 1554, although there was a lot of opposition to it, she did so because it would bring England closer to the Habsburgs, the family to which her mother was related to, as Charles V was Catherine of Aragon’s nephew

Question 4

What were the problems with Mary and Phillip’s marriage?

Answer 4

• Phillip was heir to the Spanish empire and this meant that many feared that Phillip would dominate Mary and take over English affairs
• Many also feared that Phillip would drag England into Spanish wars
• The marriage reinforced Mary’s strong Catholic policies, as Phillip encouraged her to restore Catholicism which led to the protestant burnings and a deeper division in England society
• Marriage led to so much tension and even the Wyatt rebellion

Question 5

What was the marriage treaty?

Answer 5

• It was between Mary I and Phillip of Spain and was in 1554 and was designed to limit Phillip’s power and protect English independence
• It limited his power by making sure Phillip’s title of King of England was only in name and that he had no authority to make decisions without Mary and he could not appoint foreigners to English government positions
• The treaty also states that if Mary died without children, Phillip would have no claim to the English throne and that if they were to have a child, it would inherit both England and Phillips land in Netherlands
• The treaty also stated that Phillip was required to defend England if it was attacked
• He was also encouraged to live in England , but he spent very little time there after the marriage and only returned briefly in 1557 to try persuade England to join Spain’s war against France, which resulted in loss of Calais

Question 6

What was the Devise?

Answer 6

• It was a political document created by Edward VI in 1553 to alter the line of succession
• It was an attempt to exclude his Catholic half sister Mary from becoming Queen and instead name Lady Jane Grey, a protestant as his successor and was married to Guildford Dudley
• He created it because he feared that Mary, a Catholic would reverse the Protestant reformation in England and he wanted to protect the protestant reforms he had made

Question 7

What was the outcome of the devise?

Answer 7

• When Edward died, LJG was proclaimed queen but only for 9 days
• Because Mary gathered support and took the throne and she was imprisoned and eventually executed in 1554

Question 8

What was the succession situation in 1553?

Answer 8

• Edward VI died in July 1553 without an heir
• He had written up the devise to make LJG his successor and she was pronounced Queen
• However Mary I had a stronger legal claim to the throne as she was named heir in the third succession act of 1544, and she was popular among nobles and the public meaning she was able to quickly gather support and raise and army and depose LJG after only nine days on the throne and she was then executed

Question 9

What was the succession situation in 1558?

Answer 9

• Mary I died in November 1558
• And she was childless, as she had 2 false pregnancies during her marriage
• According to the third succession act, the throne passed to Elizabeth

Question 10

What were the factional issues under Somerset?

Answer 10

• Somerset AKA Edward Seymour was Edward VI uncle and he made himself Lord Protector
• Under him there were factional problems that occurred such as
• Somerset ignored the Regency Council and rules more or less by himself and this angered other nobles who felt excluded from power
• Powerful Men such as John Dudley and Thomas Seymour ( Own brother) turn against him , Thomas even tried to gain influence over Edward directly and was executed in 1549 for treason
• Somerset’s poor handling of the Prayer Book Rebellion and Kett Rebellion in 1549 showed weakness as he failed to control social unrest

Question 11

What were the factional issues under Northumberland?

Answer 11

• Northumberland AKA John Dudley took power after the fall of Somerset
• The problems he faced were
• He supported the devise as LJG was married to his Son so this meant that he would have a lot of power and the move backfired and it led to him being executed

Question 12

What was the factional conflict between Paget and Gardiner ?

Answer 12

• This took place under Mary
• They had factional conflict over Religious policy
• As Gardiner wanted a full restoration of Catholicism and wanted it to be enforced radically, however Paget was more moderate and he did support a return to Catholicism but wanted to avoid extreme persecution and he opposed the Marian burnings
• Gardiner also believed that Mary should have personal control over the government and make decisions based on her own beliefs, Whereas Paget believed Mary should govern through the Privy Council and this caused tension
• And lastly they had factional conflict over the Spanish marriage as Paget was strongly in support of the marriage as he saw it as a way to strengthen England’s position in Europe , However Gardiner was not in support of this and feared it would lead to foreign dominance and undermine England’s independence