mary's spanish marriage to philip

when did mary and philip ii get married?

1554

• Mary = 38

• Philip = 27

positives

• alliance of Tudors and Hapsburgs

• favourable marriage treaty terms

  • Philip / heirs could not take Mary’s throne

  • heir gets England + Low Countries (but not Spain)

  • couldn’t promote foreigners to hold office in England

negatives

• incompatible ages - Philip not as desperate as Mary for child

• English thought they’d be dragged into foreign wars

• worried of increasing Spanish influence

  • Simon Renard

  • De Castro = known for prosecuting heretics

• no child

• support for Elizabeth

  • rumours of her marriage to Edward Courtenay

overall assessment of marriage

• achieved aim of being closer with Habsburgs

  • BUT no heir

• unpopular perception resulting in uprisings (e.g. 1554 Wyatt’s rebellion)

Philip’s disinterest concerning an heir with Mary

• leaves in 1555 when it’s clear she can’t have children (two phantom pregnancies)

• abdication of Charles V in 1555 = Philip gains west of HRE