Marriage and succession: Elizabeth's Dilemma

Why was the question of marriage with Liz urgent?

• 25 years old and should have already been married off to a European Prince

• Many people felt discomfort at the idea of a female ruler

• Need someone to co-rule with Liz and have a male heir to guarantee succession

What was the main difficulty of this dilemma?

Deciding who the husband might be

What would happen if the potential husband was foreign?

Establish or reinforce England’s alliance

What would happen if the potential husband was English?

Danger of upsetting the balance of power within the English nobility

What other questions about the potential husband was there?

Religion- catholic or protestant

What would any marriage may upset?

The delicate balance that had been achieved in Liz’s religious settlement

What was at the forefront of her ministers?

Fears of her dying prematurely without a successor

Why did this predicament get worse after 1562?

Liz was taken ill with smallpox at Hampton Court Palace and was a serious epidemic at the time with a substantial proportion of suffers were dying

What could happen of Liz died with a successor or husband?

England could have easily descended into a civil war

What did ministers want her to marry to prevent?

A catholic inheriting the throne

What did the queen felt strongly that issues of marriage and succession lay within and where shouldn’t it be discussed?

The royal prerogative- shouldn’t be discussed in Parliament or council

What was Liz’s answer when the House of Commons petitioned the Queen in 1963?

‘Great and weighty matter to defer mine answer till some other time’

What happened in 1566 when Parliament pressed Liz again to marry?

Liz was furious, banished Leicester from the presence chamber, publicly rebuked councillors, and said ‘marriage was a matter of royal prerogative’

Who was the candidates for Liz to marry?

Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester

Phillip II of Spain

Archdukes Ferdinand and Charles of Austria

Prince Erik of Sweden

Francois, Duke Anjou

Phillip II of Spain

Offered his hand in marriage to Liz in a polite gesture but lacked serious intent as he is a devout Catholic

Would be his 3rd marriage and married 2 other times

Archdukes Ferdinand and Charles of Austria

Both sons of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand

Both were Catholic

Prince Erik of Sweden

A Protestant to whom Liz gave little encouragement towards

Francois, Duke Anjou

Brother of King Henry III of France

Suggested match by Cecil

Scared people as any children may be under French influence

Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester

Son of Northumberland

Liz’s favourite choice

Cecil didn’t like this

Marriage between the two would have caused many political risks

Uncertainty about death of his first wife Amy

Who was going to be the heir if the succession followed H8’s sister Mary?

Catherine Grey

Why wasn’t Catherine made the successor?

She married without Liz’s consent and was imprisoned in the Tower of London where she had 2 of her sons

Why was MQOS not a good option for successor?

Had Catholic support as they viewed Liz as being illegitimate

Why did Liz take the political decision not to marry?

Disadvantages outweighed the advantages despite their being a potential risk of not having a direct heir

Why did the execution of MQOS in 1587 mean?

Mary’s son James VI of Scotland had the best claim to inherit the English throne

Why was James also a good choice for successor?

James was protestant and already had 2 sons

What did Liz do until the end?

Refused to name a successor