Mary I- succession

When was Lady Jane Grey Queen

10th-19th July 1553

Dudley’s 2 main mistakes in securing the throne for Jane

• underestimated the public support for Mary and her Tudor name

• failed to secure Mary in captivity before proclaiming Jane so she was free to rally support

Where did Mary flee to to build support

Framlingham Castle in Suffolk

Dudley’s march to Suffolk

took 2000 troops to go and arrest Mary but many deserted on the way

What did the Privy council do whilst Dudley was marching to Suffolk

realised their position was impossible and proclaimed Mary queen

Henry VIII succession act

1544

4 reasons Mary won the throne

• legitimacy/Tudor name

• religion

• tactics

• public dislike of Northumberland

Mary’s legitimacy as a reason for her win

Mary named as the heir after Edward if he died without issue in 1544 succession act which hadn’t been changed legally under Edward VI so the majority of nobles supported her as the rightful heir

Arguable limitations of 1544 succession act

restored Mary and Elizabeth back to the line of succession by statute but didn’t actually declare them legitimate again

Mary’s surname as a reason for her win

Mary was a Tudor and the English people felt that they had experienced decades of prosperity and increasing standing in Europe under the Tudors so her name was enough to give her the support of most normal people

Mary’s religion as a reason for her win

most protestants didn’t fear Mary as she was seen as an English Catholic rather than a Papist so she was supported by key protestants like Throckmorton

Mary’s tactics as a reason for her win

her escape to Framlingham allowed her to build up support and build an army from the East Anglian gentry who crowned her

Example of a defector to Mary

Henry Fitzalan Earl of Arundel, he had signed Edward’s devise for the succession but defected to Mary soon after LJG became queen

public hatred of Northumberland as a reason for her win

Northumberland seen by the public as grabbing power through his son, seen as the ‘evil duke’ by the commoners

what does widespread support for Mary’s claim show

At least in 1553 people were more concerned about having god’s rightful choice of monarch than faith

when did mary proclaim herself queen

11th july 1553

evidence to show public support on Mary’s accession

A mass held in Parliament despite it technically still being illegal under Edwardian law

Bells rung across London on 19th July like St Pauls

Mary’s first royal proclamation date

18th August 1553

content of Mary’s first proclamation

it ambiguously told her subjects that they were free to worship as they pleased albeit quietly