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The Stability of the Monarchy 1547-1558 (Problems Caused by the Minority…
The Stability of the Monarchy 1547-1558
Problems Caused by the Minority of Edward VI
The Establishment of the Regency Council:
Henry created this before he died to stop an individual exploiting Edwards age and taking over the Monarchy.
This was balanced between 'reformists' led by Seymour (Duke of
Somerset
), and the 'Catholics' led by
Norfolk
and
Gardiner
.
However, this was undermined by the actions of
William Paget
and Denny, who left plenty of space in the King's will for it to be altered. Moreover their task was made easier as Gardiner had been removed and Norfolk was in the tower.
The changes did not even require Henry's signature as Denny controlled the dry stamp.
They also
kept Henry's death quiet
for a few days, allowing the
reformists to take control
and place
Somerset
essentially in royal power.
There were concerns a minor would create instability:
he would be
unable to lead troops into battle
other states might
exploit the weakness
England might return to
civil war
there were
concerns about his image
; it would be difficult to portray Edward as
powerful
There had been minors on the Throne before:
Henry II
was 9 - civil war broke out
Edward V
was 12 - he was imprisoned and probably murdered
The Emergence of Somerset:
His assumption of power was unsurprising as he was
Edwards uncle
and built a
reputation of a successful soldier
during the campaigns against Scotland.
The
transfer of power
to him was
smooth
and there were
good arguments against a regency council
of 16 with every member having an equal voice as it was very
unlikely any decisions would be reached
.
Some questioned the
legality of Somerset's power
as it went against Henry's wishes.
Somerset's Attempted Coup
As
Lord Protector
, Somerset was able to use the position to
increase his personal wealth and power
, which resulted in criticism from opponents and even former supporters.
Although the unrest in the countryside was put down the ruling elite were concerned by the disorder. However, the personal style of Somerset's government also caused resentment and led to the formation of an
anti-somerset faction
. This group had little in common except their dislike for Somerset's methods and policies, including Wriothesley, Warwick and Paget.
Wriothesley
was opposed to Somerset's religious changes,
Warwick
may have been looking for the opportunity to advance his power and
Paget
was concerned about Somerset not taking his advice.
Coup
-
A sudden, violent and illegal seize of power from a government
Somersets loss of Power:
As
Somerset's
hold on
power declined
, he
retreated to Hampton Court
with Edward. On October 5th he summoned loyal subjects there to defend him and the King, but the next day moved to Windsor with Edward.
However,
Edward fell ill
, claimed he was a prisoner and
abandoned his uncle
.
Edward stated that
Somerset had threatened riots
if he was
removed from power
. Although Somerset denied this,
he could not contradict the king.
The Triumph of Warwick (Northumberland):
Although Somerset had been removed,
Warwick's
triumph was far from guaranteed. The council contained a
majority of religious conservatives
who did not trust Warwick. He
brought in his own allies
so that he had a protestant majority, but in early December there were rumours of a Catholic plot to remove him.
Warwick seized the opportunity, declaring that any who attacked Somerset were attacking him. By January 1550 the leading Catholics the Earls of Arundel and Southampton had been dismissed and
Warwick was Lord President of the Council.
He
placed his own supporters
in important positions around Edward, but in order to succeed he had been
forced to ally with more religiously radical members
and this would have an
impact on religious developments.
Once he was secure he attempted a reconciliation with Somerset.
Despite the
factional struggle
lasting from October 1549 until early 1550, the
administration of the country
continued to function and
did not impact on the efficiency of the government
. The crisis in October was
short-lived
and
did not threaten the monarchy
.
The Execution of Somerset:
Warwick
released Somerset from jail
, his goods were restored and his
daughter married to Warwick's son
. He was also restored to court and the Privy Council.
However,
Somerset continued to plot
in attempt to
recover his position
and this led the Privy Council to
execute him
on January 22nd
1552
, although some of the
evidence
may have been
fabricated
to
justify his death
.
The Alteration of the Succession
The Succession in 1553:
When Edward's health began to decline in 1553, a plot was developed to
change the succession
to
exclude Mary
. In attempt to continue the line of Protestant Monarchs, Edward wrote
Lady Jane Grey
and her male heirs into the succession.
Most evidence suggests that the scheme was the work of the
Lord President Northumberland.
They suggest he was behind it as; it was
essential to preserve his power
, and as a
Protestant
he would would
lose power
when the Catholic Mary came to the throne. These suspicions are supported as Northumberland's son married Lady Jane Grey, however this was before the succession was altered.
There is also evidence, however, to suggest
Edward
was the
driving force
behind it. He was playing a
greater role in government
, he was a committed
Protestant
and he wanted his
religious reformation to continue
.
The plot was
poorly managed
, suggesting it was
Edward
who was behind it rather than Northumberland.
Northumberland
would have
ensured Mary was captured
and launched
propaganda
if he had been behind it.
When Edward died in July it was
kept quiet
for a few days, however
Mary responded quickly and proclaimed herself Queen
.
Although Jane was proclaimed Queen, it did not last for long.
Mary's Death:
Mary made no attempt to alter the succession but dd try to
persuade Elizabeth
to keep the
Catholic faith
.
When she died the crown was
passed peacefully to her sister
, suggesting Henry's
succession act was more important
than her
religious beliefs
.
Problems of a Female Ruler & Mary's Marriage
Problems of a Female Ruler:
Many feared that:
A women would be unable to control faction
A woman would be unable to lead an army into battle
A woman was expected to marry, but this created further problems:
If Mary married an Englishman the power of her husbands family would increase and they might dominate court.
If Mary married a foreigner there were fears that the country would be dominated by foreigners.
Mary's Marriage:
Mary informed the Council in 1553 that it was her intention to marry Phillip.
There was a
petition from the House of Commons opposing her desision
, but she ignored it.
On december 7th a
marriage treaty
was presented to the Council, which was approved in January 1554.
-This
did not prevent Wyatts rebellion
, this was
only 6 months after the lady Jane Grey affair
, and can be further evidence of the instability of a female ruler.
However, it is unsure whether this was the main cause of unrest or whether it was religious based as Wyatt was protestant.
Despite the defeat of the rebellion, it did have an
impact on the stability
as the marriage
did not take place until 12 months after Mary came to rule
, and
Phillip spent more time abroad
than in the country,
limiting his influence
to a distant confidant.
Potential Issues of Mary's Marriage:
The only two realistic candidates were
Edward Courtenay
, who was backed by Gardiner, and
Phillip of Spain
, who was backed by Paget.
Mary's preference was Phillip as it would bring England closer to the Hapsburgs.
Phillip was powerful
and could protect England, however
Mary had to be subservient
, so she could be
dragged into wars
which would not benefit the nation.
Mary's skill that
defeated Wyatt's rebellion
however, proving that female rule was able to preserve the monarchy.