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Mary accession - Coggle Diagram
Mary accession
Mary legitimacy + support
Popular due to her legitimacy as Henry VIII’s daughter.
Reflected majority Catholic sentiment in England.
Raised her standard in East Anglia.
Attracted 15,000 supporters at Framlingham.
Secured throne peacefully.
Entered London in royal purple with the sword of state.
Performed rituals traditionally reserved for kings (e.g., Maundy Thursday foot-washing).
Embodied the king’s two bodies doctrine → female naturally, male politically.
Succession crisis
Edward VI’s Device for the Succession excluded Mary and Elizabeth.
Named Lady Jane Grey as heir.
Motivated by fear of Mary’s Catholicism and belief that women were unfit to rule.
Device never approved by Parliament → legally invalid.
Significance
First queen regnant of England.
Overcame doubts about female monarchy despite precedent of Empress Matilda’s failure in the 12th century.
Asserted her authority despite patriarchal society and succession coup.
1554 Act of Parliament confirmed female rulers had equal authority to male monarchs.