by John, Judith
LADY JANE GREY
JANE WAS – understandably – very nervous prior to her execution on 12 February 1554. She stressed her innocence of plots to depose Mary right up to the end and her last moments were filled with confusion and terror. Jane was blindfolded, as was traditional, and needed help finding her way to the block. Pardoning the executioner for his crime of taking her life, Jane asked for a speedy dispatch in return. Praying for God to take her soul, the Nine Days’ Queen breathed her last. Her execution was depicted by Paul Delaroche in The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (1833), now hanging in London’s National Gallery. It shows her feeling for the block, with one of her faithful ladies-in-waiting swooning with grief in the background.
… following Edward’s death … Religious beliefs were in chaos, with no one knowing quite where to turn. People of both Catholic and Protestant faiths were equally likely to be charged with heresy.
It is interesting to speculate how England would have been different had Edward not died so young. With both his intelligence and authority increasing during his final years, Edward had learned much from his protectors and had the makings of a great and powerful King. Under his authority, England may have prospered and Protestantism may have extended across Europe. Chances are his heirs would have succeeded him, meaning that neither Mary nor Elizabeth would ever be able to make their mark as English monarch. But this was not to be. The sorry state of affairs following Edward’s death left England in turmoil. Religious beliefs were in chaos, with no one knowing quite where to turn. People of both Catholic and Protestant faiths were equally likely to be charged with heresy. The country was poor and many feared invasion from abroad. Switching back to Catholicism under Mary I was about to result in the infamous Bloody Mary burning over 280 martyrs at the stake. The first Queen of England was about to make her mark in blood and fire.
Signed ‘Jane the Quene’, this letter was written by Lady Jane Grey to William Parr. It asks for Parr’s support against Mary. One wonders how much of the letter was written by Jane herself.
This image of Jane Grey shows a docile young girl. However, as Queen, Jane may well have dispensed with the conniving Seymour, having already refused his son (her husband) the title of king.
Pictured here looking pensive, the first crowned Queen of England had much to endure throughout her life, from being disowned by her father at the age of 17 to suffering several false pregnancies during her miserable marriage to Philip II of Spain.
V
TUDORS
MARY, MARY,
QUITE CONTRARY
To great adulation, Mary I began her reign as the beloved saviour of traditional religion in England. However, her five-year rule would see deaths, famine, war, martyrs and rebellion that led to England’s first Queen being one of the most abhorred English monarchs in history.
‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ – MARY I
Mary’s determination to restore the Tudor line to its rightful religion saw her overturn reforms set in motion by her father and brother, make an ill-advised foreign marriage, suffer illness and false pregnancies and leave her country worse off for her efforts. Bloody Mary would go from being hailed as the nation’s redeemer to dying estranged from her husband and sister, childless and reviled.
Henry’s Heir
Being the firstborn child of the King was never easy for a daughter. Mary suffered more than most as she went from being the adored heir to the English throne to an unwanted bastard while still a teenager. This tumultuous childhood affected her deeply and conferred on Mary the character traits that would mar her later reign. As Henry’s first surviving child, Mary was revered and adored. As a daughter, she was tolerated until a son came along. When Catherine of Aragon was Queen, Mary was the beloved successor to the throne. When Anne Boleyn was Queen, Mary was declared baseborn and feared for her life.
Brought up a devout Catholic, Mary later had to deny her beliefs and turn to the Church of England to appease her father, the man who had discarded her as illegitimate and destroyed her much-loved mother’s happiness. The pattern of her life was to lose anything of importance. It was a pattern that would reoccur even when she was Queen. Mary was never able to shake off the bonds of blood, which affected her both physically and mentally throughout her chaotic life.
This picture shows an ornate example of a virginal, a harpsichord-like instrument very popular in Tudor times. Both Mary and Elizabeth were keen players and the attractive example shown here actually belonged to Elizabeth.
The pretty princess was also useful in cementing alliances – Mary was betrothed several times during her childhood …
Born in 1516, for the first few years of her life Mary was beloved of both parents. Catherine of Aragon, Mary’s mother, had several miscarriages before managing to carry Mary to term. While Henry VIII was disappointed that she had not been a boy, Mary was seen as evidence that he would soon bear a son. Henry was fond of the young princess. Mary displayed remarkable skills in music and language and was well educated, her parents proud of her intelligence and perspicacity. The pretty princess was also useful in cementing alliances – Mary was betrothed several times during her childhood in the hope of forging strong alliances within Europe.
Lady Mary
When the princess was 17 years old, her life would change forever. Henry had fallen in love and was determined to rid himself of Catherine. Her father’s arrogant and autocratic nature meant that he discarded his wife and daughter without a second thought. Annulling the marriage meant that Mary had to be disowned. Henry was so sure of his ability to produce male heirs that he cast Mary aside with her now-useless mother. Now ‘Lady Mary’, she was quickly supplanted by her half-sister Elizabeth, the daughter of Anne Boleyn. Anne’s manipulative self-interest saw Mary sent away from court in isolation, removed from anyone sympathetic towards her. She became one of Elizabeth’s ladies-in-waiting, a role not fitting for a princess but suitable for a lady.
Anne was convinced that as the eldest child, Mary would one day succeed to the throne and overthrow Elizabeth. This fear may have spurred Henry, previously Mary’s devoted father, to push his eldest daughter into acknowledging Anne as Queen and her children as the rightful heirs, meaning that she accepted her own illegitimacy. For Mary, this would also mean conceding that the marriage of her dear mother was unlawful and false.
Henry’s break with the Church of Rome was the cause of much anguish for Mary, who was under great pressure to recognize Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England, as well as denouncing the office of the Pope. Lady Mary expressed her stubborn and spirited nature here by flat-out refusing to submit to her father’s demands. Henry maliciously banned Mary and Catherine from seeing each other, showing no sympathy even though both suffered from ill health throughout this time. But even this punishment would not soften Mary’s resolve. It was only when her cousin, Charles V, persuaded her to capitulate that Mary gave in and made the acknowledgements Henry demanded. This decision would haunt Mary for the rest of her life.
BLESSING OF THE BED
A CUSTOM FROM medieval times was to bless the marital bed of the happy couple on the day of their wedding. Based on the Sarum Rites – a form of worship based itself on the traditional Roman Church ceremony, which Mary revived under her rule – on the evening of the wedding, the priest would come to the marriage bed with the bride and groom (plus various well-wishers). He would bless the room, bed and couple, asking God to watch over them. The blessing was especially important when the couple needed to procreate successfully. The curtains around the bed would then be shut to afford some privacy, but trusted servants would often remain in the room to ensure the man did his duty! The bloodied sheets of the marriage consummation were sometimes even kept as proof of the union.
The queen’s private bedchamber at Hampton Court Palace.
Mary is often pictured looking serious and devout. Note the crucifix around her neck, a visible sign of her strong Catholic beliefs, worn even when she had to ke
ep on the right side of her father.
Another common pose for Mary shows her at prayer. This engraving captures her committed nature and hints at the determination with which she would enforce religious doctrine on England, an action that Mary thought would save the souls of her people.
Growing Up at Court
Mary was soon reconciled to her fickle father, despite Anne’s hostility towards her, and returned to life at court. Her situation improved when Anne was executed and Henry married Jane Seymour, who sought to further reunite father and daughter. Mary also soon had company in her illegitimate status when Henry passed his second Act of Succession in 1536 to ensure that any children he had with Jane became heir to the throne over both daughters. Henry was finally rewarded with the son he so desired and Mary again became a useful bargaining tool as a bride, even though she was now 21 years old and certainly less acquiescent than she used to be.
Still charming and pretty, Mary was courted by Philip, Duke of Bavaria, but his Lutheran beliefs made his advances intolerable. Thomas Cromwell then proposed a match between Mary and the Duke of Cleves, eager to ally England to Germany in the face of hostility from Rome and the Catholic countries of Europe. In the end this came to nothing, but was the cause of Cromwell’s downfall after he engineered the marriage of Henry VIII to Anne of Cleves, the Duke’s homely sister. Mary would act as Henry’s hostess between his marriages, being an accomplished dancer as well as a skilled musician. It was during Henry’s sixth marriage to Catherine Parr that Mary enjoyed closer relations with her father, sister and brother. Henry even restored Mary and Elizabeth to the line of succession in 1544, although both daughters remained illegitimate in the eyes of the law.
… Edward VI … felt he could not make Mary or Elizabeth his heir as they were not legally Henry’s children. However, the main issue for Edward was Mary’s ardent Catholic beliefs.
This would be a sticky issue under Edward VI, who felt he could not make Mary or Elizabeth his heir as they were not legally Henry’s children. However, the main issue for Edward was Mary’s ardent Catholic beliefs.
Mary is here crowned Queen Mary I of England. At the beginning of her reign, Mary was a far more popular choice than Lady Jane Grey. However, the eager crowds that can be seen cheering her coronation soon turned against her violent and irrational acts.
A Strong Faith
Brother and sister were equally obstinate and convinced of their own righteousness. Unfortunately, their opinions on religious righteousness were opposite, which meant that no matter how much affection had once been between them, they could never truly be friends. Mary absolutely refused to turn her back on Catholicism, even while Edward and his advisors were pushing to make Henry’s Church of England far more Protestant. Edward saw it as heresy that Mary still took the mass in Latin and followed Catholic doctrine. She flouted him further by inviting his subjects to join her in open worship. The only concession Mary made – when believing herself to be in real danger – was to hold her beloved mass in private.
Mary even toyed with the idea of fleeing from England to Brussels, where she could practice her faith without fear. She was guided by her cousin, Charles V, whom she often sought for help and advice. So strong was their relationship that Charles had a guiding hand in her later marriage to his son, Philip II of Spain. Mary also asked Charles to bring his might against a heretical England and forcibly restore the country to its Catholic faith.
WOMEN IN POWER
A FEMALE MONARCH was almost unheard of and certainly unprecedented (although Matilda, Henry I’s daughter and Lady Jane Grey were both proclaimed Queen, although neither were crowned). Indeed, Salic law in France even forbade women to reign. While no such law applied to Mary, a female ruler was hard for many to take and was exactly what Henry VII and Henry VIII had been eager to avoid. Was a woman able to govern her nation with the same authority as a man, in the face of possible rebellion, war or unrest? Could a weak and emotional woman ever be as strong as a man? There was also a practical issue. On her marriage, the Queen would be giving authority to her husband, so fears of a love marriage rather than a political union was cause for concern.
Mary was able to silence many fears. She ruled with authority and majesty – in a style reminiscent of her father – and had the influence to turn the tide of Protestantism back, restoring the country to Catholicism. However, Mary also confirmed some of these reservations. She believed herself to be in love with Prince Philip of Spain after merely seeing his portrait, which led to the ill-advised marriage and potential of a foreigner taking the English throne. Her desire for a child resulted in false pregnancies that saw her ridiculed and pitied throughout Europe, and her single-minded religion blinkered her to the harm she caused her country and own reputation. It would be Elizabeth turning away from such female traits that would somewhat restore the balance.
The Great Seal of Queen Mary I.
Mary I is seen here on her triumphant return to London to claim her rightful throne. In this sumptuous painting, Mary receives blessings from her supporters. Princess Elizabeth stands just behind her, not looking best pleased at the attention bestowed on Mary!
Lady Jane Grey … was the granddaughter of Henry VIII’s sister Mary, whom Edward had chosen because her male heirs would carry on the Tudor line and because of her Protestant beliefs.
Always popular with her countrymen, Mary had a devoted following who were eager to see her ascend to the throne in place of Edward, whose reforms under Seymour were becoming more and more intolerable. One of the demands of the Pilgrimage of Grace under Henry VIII was that Mary be restored to legitimacy. It would be these devoted followers who supported Mary on Edward’s death.
Replacing Lady Jane
While Mary would tolerate her brother ruling over her, despite his minority, it was an insult that she had been passed over in favour of her second cousin, Lady Jane Grey. Jane was the granddaughter of Henry VIII’s sister Mary, whom Edward had chosen because her male heirs would carry on the Tudor line and because of her Protestant beliefs. Edward was confident that Jane would not undo his reforms, which he was equally sure that Mary would do away with the first chance she got. But the King’s will was not to be. Mary would soon be crowned the first Queen of England at Westminster Abbey.
The country had spoken. As soon as Edward was on the brink of death, Mary fled to East Anglia. She had been advised of a plot to remove her so that Jane Grey’s accession would not be obstructed. Mary also knew there was no way she could convince Edward – the intractable brother so like herself and their father – that the crown should pass to her. But that no longer mattered. Mary had the majority of the public on her side and God in her corner. Her support had been growing for years and was most buoyant in East Anglia, the area that had been so harshly repressed during Kett’s Rebellion. From her safe house, Mary wrote to the Privy Council of her intent to succeed Edward as the rightful Tudor heir.
This painting of Lady Jane Grey’s execution depicts the would-be queen as young and innocent, further highlighting the tragedy of her final years and death. Despite her youth, Jane was a strong Protestant and refused to convert to Catholicism before her death.
Lady Jane Grey … was proclaimed Queen … Having no official coronation, Jane was famously ruler of England for only nine days.
Despite this, Lady Jane Grey – a political pawn used by Dudley and his cronies – was proclaimed Queen on 10 August. Having no official coronation, Jane was famously ruler of England for only nine days. It took Mary a matter of days to gather a large crowd of supporters. As her army grew, any remaining support for Jane faded away. Without even having to come to blows with Dudley’s troops (many of whom soon defected to Mary’s army), Mary and her supporters managed to depose the Nine Days’ Queen and imprison her in the Tower, along with her husband, Guildford, and his father, Dudley, who was executed on 22 August 1553.
Protestant leaders were given a choice of exile to another country, reconciliation to Catholicism or punishmen
t. It is thought that around 800 people left England under Mary …
One of her very first acts was to free her Catholic supporters from the Tower, namely Stephen Gardiner, Edmund Bonner and Thomas Howard. Gardiner became Bishop of Winchester again and was given a seat on Mary’s council (still filled with Protestant men after Edward’s reign). It was Gardiner who presided over Mary’s coronation on 1 October 1553. Never as bloodthirsty as her father, despite her infamous nickname, Mary was loath to execute Jane, whom she saw as innocent and manipulated.
Mary: The Monarch
Mary was eager to reunite England with the Catholic Church. She made immediate steps towards this by calling Parliament on 5 October. The council, as well as proclaiming her parents’ marriage valid, pronounced that any religious reforms made under Edward’s reign were to be abolished. Despite Mary saying that she would move with caution and that her subjects would not be forced to follow Catholicism, it soon became clear that the new Queen was just as dogmatic as her brother. Influential Protestant leaders were silenced or imprisoned, and Mary quickly returned doctrine to the point of the 1539 Act of Six Articles. This meant that priests who had married were now guilty of committing an offence. From 20 December 1553 it became illegal to take part in a Protestant mass, and the Latin mass was reinstated.