Mary I 1553-1558 / Catholic
Overall summary of each ruler
Public opinion at the time Preparation for and attitude Aims and ambitions
towards being a monarch
Henry VII Miser Exile = little Consolidation of power
Wasn’t popular experience Improve finance
Council learned = Didn’t think he was Fear and control
Empson and Dudley going to be king =
wasn’t prepared
Henry VIII Popular Arthur was the heir = Renaissance warrior
Renaissance king some training English dominance
Golden prince (sports) abroad
Dynasty
Edward VI Child = protectorate Sheltered Establish Protestantism
Limited popularity Well taught = Economic = common
educated people
Mary I Optimistic After Henry Reinforce Catholicism
Popular enough to gain repudiated Catherine Relations with the Pope
the throne of Aragon 1531, who
was once betrothed
to Charles V = Mary
became dependent
on him for advice
Forced to live as part
of her half-sister
Elizabeth’s household
Threat of execution =
did not conform
Henry VIII tried to
leave her out of the
succession
Structure of her government
What the agenda should be?
Restore Catholic religion
Links with Spain
Reduce inflation
Marry – heir
Northumberland
Problems facing the government:
, Mary I 1553-1558 / Catholic
She inherited a kingdom that had fundamentally religious divisions
She was Catholic in a kingdom which had a substantial Protestant minority
She had not been brought up to rule, and had little in the way of political instinct to
help her cope with the challenges with which she was confronted
Mary would have to rely on those who had served her half-brother and were
therefore implicated in the introduction of religious reforms that were distasteful to
her
New councillors:
Bishop Stephen Gardiner, who had been her father’s secretary and had been a
steadfast upholder of religious conservatism during Edward’s reign in which he had
suffered imprisonment = supported the break with Rome
Other churchmen, who had been excluded from influence during Edward’s reign
Some of the more conservative councillors who had various times served Edward,
most importantly Lord Paget
Sir William Paget:
Appointed to clerk to the Privy Council in 1540 and in 1543 became one of Henry
VIII’s two principle secretaries
He was close to Somerset, but also served Northumberland and Mary. He was
excluded from the Privy Council by Elizabeth
Cardinal Reginald Pole:
A grandson of Edward IV’s brother
He was made cardinal in 1536 and was an influential figure under Popes Paul III and
Julius III
He returned to England as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1554 under Mary, but his
wider influence diminished under Pope Paul IV, who disliked him and regarded him
as a heretic
Role of parliament:
The relationship between Mary and Parliament was usually one of cautious
cooperation
A substantial minority of about 80 MPs opposed the reversal of the Edwardian
religious legislation, and there were other example of opposition to Crown polices
A bill in 1555 to allow the seizure of property of Protestant exiles was defeated
Mary also quarrelled with parliament over the issue of the succession
Marriage situation
The marriage contract:
Heir inherits = not Spain
Phillip status is limited (regent) = not King in his own right
Can’t take Mary to Spain
Limits political power
Factors that caused difficulties for the marriage initially:
Hardly knew each other
Overall summary of each ruler
Public opinion at the time Preparation for and attitude Aims and ambitions
towards being a monarch
Henry VII Miser Exile = little Consolidation of power
Wasn’t popular experience Improve finance
Council learned = Didn’t think he was Fear and control
Empson and Dudley going to be king =
wasn’t prepared
Henry VIII Popular Arthur was the heir = Renaissance warrior
Renaissance king some training English dominance
Golden prince (sports) abroad
Dynasty
Edward VI Child = protectorate Sheltered Establish Protestantism
Limited popularity Well taught = Economic = common
educated people
Mary I Optimistic After Henry Reinforce Catholicism
Popular enough to gain repudiated Catherine Relations with the Pope
the throne of Aragon 1531, who
was once betrothed
to Charles V = Mary
became dependent
on him for advice
Forced to live as part
of her half-sister
Elizabeth’s household
Threat of execution =
did not conform
Henry VIII tried to
leave her out of the
succession
Structure of her government
What the agenda should be?
Restore Catholic religion
Links with Spain
Reduce inflation
Marry – heir
Northumberland
Problems facing the government:
, Mary I 1553-1558 / Catholic
She inherited a kingdom that had fundamentally religious divisions
She was Catholic in a kingdom which had a substantial Protestant minority
She had not been brought up to rule, and had little in the way of political instinct to
help her cope with the challenges with which she was confronted
Mary would have to rely on those who had served her half-brother and were
therefore implicated in the introduction of religious reforms that were distasteful to
her
New councillors:
Bishop Stephen Gardiner, who had been her father’s secretary and had been a
steadfast upholder of religious conservatism during Edward’s reign in which he had
suffered imprisonment = supported the break with Rome
Other churchmen, who had been excluded from influence during Edward’s reign
Some of the more conservative councillors who had various times served Edward,
most importantly Lord Paget
Sir William Paget:
Appointed to clerk to the Privy Council in 1540 and in 1543 became one of Henry
VIII’s two principle secretaries
He was close to Somerset, but also served Northumberland and Mary. He was
excluded from the Privy Council by Elizabeth
Cardinal Reginald Pole:
A grandson of Edward IV’s brother
He was made cardinal in 1536 and was an influential figure under Popes Paul III and
Julius III
He returned to England as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1554 under Mary, but his
wider influence diminished under Pope Paul IV, who disliked him and regarded him
as a heretic
Role of parliament:
The relationship between Mary and Parliament was usually one of cautious
cooperation
A substantial minority of about 80 MPs opposed the reversal of the Edwardian
religious legislation, and there were other example of opposition to Crown polices
A bill in 1555 to allow the seizure of property of Protestant exiles was defeated
Mary also quarrelled with parliament over the issue of the succession
Marriage situation
The marriage contract:
Heir inherits = not Spain
Phillip status is limited (regent) = not King in his own right
Can’t take Mary to Spain
Limits political power
Factors that caused difficulties for the marriage initially:
Hardly knew each other
