Stability of the Monarchy - Edward VI

Causes of challenges to the monarchy:

• VIII’s complicated marriages
• age of the ruler
• gender of the ruler
• issues of marriage

How did VIII try to solve the succession problem?

• Male heir
• Third Act of Succession
• VIII’s will
• Regency Council established
  • sixteen equal members
  • balance between reformist and religious conservatives.

How serious a threat to the power of the monarchy was Edward’s age?

• England’s record of young kings usually resulted in civil war
• Factional struggles in the Regency Council
• Edward was unable to lead troops in war
• Image of the monarchy
• emergence and strength of Somerset

The Devise:

• 1533
• declared both Mary and Elizabth illegitimate
• names Lady Jane Grey (male heirs then herself) as the successors.

Individuals:

• Cranmer
  • hero to Protestants, failure to Catholics
  • Made archbishop of Canterbury in 1533
  • trusted with the annulment
• Somerset
  • contrasting opinions of him
  • good duke concerned about the poor
  • typical Tudor statesman: greedy and out to imporve his own position
  • Commission into enclosure
  • anti-somerset faction rose up - Norfolk, Gardiner, Northumberland etc - shows he was unpopular to the nobility.
  • accused of plotting against the Privy Council - arrested and executed
• Northumberland (Dudley)
  • low reputation
  • conspired against Somerset
  • married his son to Lady Jane Grey
  • potential influence on the Devise.

Parts of provenance to pick up on:

• tone
• who wrote
• when written
• format
• religion of writer
• motive
• audience