15 - Mary I and her Ministers

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  • Mary I and her Ministers
    • Royal Authorities under Mary I
      • Popular support for Mary appeared quickly when Lady Jane Grey became Queen
        • Haigh - 'to the surprise and embarrassment of those politicians and local leaders who had supposed that there was no choice but to obey Northumberland, mary was swept to power by a revolution'
      • The Failure of the Devyse
        • Northumberland had attempted to interfere with the natural succession
        • He had done this through promoting his son's wife
          • Portrayed as his own attempts for power
        • Northumberland had little support
      • Royal Government under Mary I
        • Mary's succession was greeted favourably
          • It's debatable if the people prefered her or the Catholic faith
        • Problems in inheriting the Kingdom
          • England had religious divisions
          • She was a Catholic in a country with a significant Protestant minority
          • She had little political instinct and wasn't raised to rule
          • Her loyal supporters had no serious experience in government
            • Robert Rochester; Edward Waldegrave; Jerningham; Bedingfield
          • She would have to rely on those who served Edward
        • Mary's New Councillors
          • Bishop Stephen Gardiner - her father's secretary + an upholder of religious conservatism
          • Churchmen excluded from influence under Edward
          • Some conservative councillors who had served under Edward (eg. Paget)
          • She appointed 50 councillors - inefficient
      • She relied heavily on Philip and Simon Renard (Charles V's ambassador)
      • Mary was never quite at ease with her councillors
        • Paget's lack of confidence in her religious programme meant she lost confidence in him
        • Gardiner hadn't supported Mary's mother in the break from Rome so she didn't trust him
          • But she regarded him as indispensable and his death in 1555 left a gap
      • Cardinal Pole distanced himself from secualr issues
      • Around 80 MPs opposed the reversal of Edward's religious reforms
      • Concern for property rights and self-interest ensured that ex-monastic property would not be restored to the Church
        • Mary didn't press this issue
      • A 1555 bill to allow the seizure of the property of Protestant exiles was defeated
    • Problems of Succession
      • The Spanish Marriage 1554
        • Mary thought it was essential to produce a Catholic heir so she needed to marry quickly
          • Edward Courtenay (Earl of Devon) was the only English suitor
            • But marriage to an Englishman threatened factional rivalries
            • Courtenay lacked courtly skills
        • Mary preferred Philip of Spain - Renard reinforced her view
          • Charles V (Mary's cousin) was keen for Mary to marry his son
            • Philip was less keen but willing to do his duty
        • The English public weren't keen + parliament attempted to dissuade Mary
        • The Marriage Treaty
          • Philip would be given the title King but without its powers
          • No foreigners could hold English Office
          • If Mary died before Philip he would have no claim to the throne
        • They married 25 July 1554
          • English courtiers were hostile + Philip married a woman 11 years older than him
        • Parliament 1554 rejected a bill including Philip in a treason law + prevented his coronation as King
      • Plans for The Succession
        • Mary overthrowing LJG restored Henry VII's 1554 Succession Act
          • So the protestant Elizabeth would be Mary's successor if she had no children
        • Mary disliked Elizabeth as she represented the breakdown of her mother's marriage + saw her as only illegitimate
        • After Wyatt's Rebellion Elizabeth was put in the Tower
          • She was released after 2 months as Mary had no proof she was guilty
        • She failed to change the succession through act of parliament
          • Bth Mary and Philip had to accept Elizabeth as the successor
        • Elizabeth had been confined to Brocket hall - but lived comfortably with visitors and knew she was going to be the next Queen
    • Relations with Foreign Powers
      • She had two foreign policy aims
        • Restore England to Papal Supremacy
        • To marry Philip
      • She achieved both aims, it took longer than she expected + the 2 aims conflicted each other
      • England was dragged into a war against France
        • As well as the anti-Spanish Pope Paul IV which threatened Mary's plans for returning to Papal Supremacy
      • 1557 England declared war on France
        • Many nobility were excited as this offered opportunities to gain favour
      • Militarily the war began well
        • Aided the Spanish at the siege of St Quentin + dealt easily with a minor Scottish invasion
      • 1558 they lost Calais
      • An attack on the port of Brest in 1558 Summer failed

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