Mary I of England: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:29, 19 September 2005

Revision as of 23:41, 26 September 2005

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==Accession==

Edward VI died in 1553 whilst Mary was staying at [[FramlinghamFralingham Castle]] in [[Suffolk]]. He did not desire that the Crown go to either the Lady Mary or the Lady Elizabeth; consequently, he excluded them from the line of succession in his will, which was unlawful, because it contradicted an Act of Parliament passed in 1544 restoring the Lady Mary and the Lady Elizabeth to the line of succession, and because it was made by a minor. Under the guidance of [[John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland]], Edward VI instead devised the Crown to the [[Lady Jane Grey]], a descendant of Henry VIII's younger sister, [[Mary Tudor (queen consort of France)|Mary Tudor, Duchess of Suffolk]], and the Duke of Northumberland's daughter-in-law.

Thus, after Edward died on [[6 July]] 1553, the Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen. Jane's accession was met with popular disapproval, which was suppressed by the use of force. A young boy so bold as to hail "Queen Mary" was punished by having his [[ear]]s cut off. Still, the country remained devoted to Mary. On [[19 July]], Jane's accession proclamation was deemed to have been made under coercion and was revoked; instead, Mary was proclaimed Queen. All support for the Lady Jane vanished and Mary rode into London triumphantly and unchallenged, with her half-sister, the Lady Elizabeth, at her side, on [[3 August]].