BBC History UK 04.2020

The brilliance of Mary I

AKG-IMAGES/BRIDGEMAN

Four years into the

co-monarchy, Mary

was more secure

on the throne – and

Philip more popular

• than ever

conservatives or unscrupulous counsellors.

Such arguments are undermined by the fact

that witnesses at the later trial of Bartolomé

Carranza, one of the architects of the Catholic

restoration, attested to the queen’s personal

involvement in discussions with both him and

Cardinal Reginald Pole concerning religious

policy and theology. And there’s little escap-

ing the fact that the burning of dissenters was

particularly intense in England.

In fact, the only defence you could offer

Mary is that she was far from the only Euro-

pean monarch to persecute dissidents. The

Council of Blood in the Low Countries

claimed a thousand lives in just over seven

years, while more than 200 Catholics were

put to death under Elizabeth I. In short, all

rulers were under an obligation of intolerance

and burning ‘heretics’ was a ubiquitous

practice. What’s more, recent scholarship

has suggested that, by the end of Mary’s

reign, high-profile victims were declining

markedly and dissidence apparently weaken-

ing. Mary’s campaign of persecution may

have been brutal, but all the suggestions are

that it had the desired effect.

Getting her man

If Mary’s ardent Catholicism was – in the eyes

of generations of Protestant polemicists – her

greatest crime, then her choice of husband

only made matter worse. Mary’s marriage to

Philip, the future king of Spain, exposed her

to a barrage of criticism: that she had little

agency in the marriage; that it was an entirely

loveless marriage (for more on this, see box

right); that Philip’s true aim in marrying

Mary was to incorporate England into his

Spanish Catholic empire.

None of these arguments entirely stand

up to scrutiny. Mary was certainly no passive

onlooker during the marriage negotiations,

bargaining hard and exaggerating the weak-

ness of her position in order to extract greater

concessions and more favourable terms. She

certainly desired the union, too – and demon-

strated as much when facing down opposition

from parliament and her lord chancellor,

Stephen Gardiner. “If she were married

against her will she would not live three

months,” she declared.

Yet opposition to the marriage continued

to simmer – and, in early 1554, it exploded

into a popular uprising, led by the Kentish

politician and landowner Thomas Wyatt.

Soon the rebels were growing in number and

heading for London: Mary’s administration

found itself in an existential crisis.

But this was a challenge the queen proved

herself more than capable of meeting. As the

revolt gathered momentum, Mary delivered a

speech at the Guildhall that galvanised

resistance to the uprising among Londoners.

Philip of Spain

recognised Mary’s

superiority over

him in England

Casting herself as the mother of the people,

she declared: “I cannot tell how naturally the

mother loveth the child, for I was never

mother of any... if a prince or governor may

as naturally and earnestly love her subjects,

as the mother doth the child, then assure

yourselves, that I, being your lady and mis-

tress, do as earnestly and tenderly love and

favour you.” Denied Londoners’ support,

Wyatt’s rebellion was doomed to fail. He was

captured and executed, his head and limbs

placed on public display. Soon, both houses of

parliament had approved the marriage treaty.

Another charge directed at Mary and

Grisly scene Protestants are put to death in the 1550s, as shown in a contemporary etching. Attempts to

distance Mary from the killing of ‘heretics’ simply aren’t supported by the sources, argues Alexander Samson

Philip’s marriage is that it effectively turned

England into a vassal state of a foreign power.

This, too, ignores the evidence. Philip

respected Mary’s superiority over him in

England and had no intention of subverting

the constitution or the law of the land. He

demonstrated this in a letter to his father in

November 1554, in which he declared that: “I

am anxious to show the whole world by my

actions that I am not trying to acquire other

peoples’ states, and your Majesty I would

convince of this not by my actions alone, but

by my very thoughts.”

If Philip and Mary had produced an heir, a

dynastic inheritance uniting England and the

Low Countries would have created a northern

European powerhouse to eclipse France and

perhaps even Spain itself. This is hardly

consistent with the idea of a weakened nation

falling under the shadow of overweening

Spanish power.

In fact, after four years of their co-monar-

chy, Mary seemed more secure on the throne

• and Philip more popular – than ever. A
  global influenza pandemic hit England in
  1557–58, affecting as much as half the popula-
  tion in some parts of the country. Despite the
  high mortality rate, the regime weathered the
  storm without major social protest.
  But the stability of Mary’s regime was
  every bit as much the result of her personal
  qualities as her choice of husband. From a
  young age she demonstrated her conscien-
  tiousness, marking the running totals of her
  privy purse expenses at the top of each page in
  her own hand from her time as Princess of
  Wales. When she came to power, it was no
  different. The Venetian ambassador noted
  early in her reign that she rose at day-
  break, prayed, heard Mass and then
  conducted business incessantly

The brilliance of Mary I

AKG-IMAGES/BRIDGEMAN

Fouryearsintothe

co-monarchy,Mary

wasmoresecure

onthethrone– and

Philipmorepopular

• thanever

conservativesorunscrupulouscounsellors.
Suchargumentsareunderminedbythefact
thatwitnessesat thelatertrialofBartolomé
Carranza,oneofthearchitectsoftheCatholic
restoration,attestedtothequeen’spersonal
involvementindiscussionswithbothhimand
CardinalReginaldPoleconcerningreligious
policyandtheology.Andthere’slittleescap-
ingthefactthattheburningofdissenters was
particularlyintenseinEngland.
Infact,theonlydefenceyoucouldoffer
Maryis thatshewasfarfromtheonlyEuro-
peanmonarchtopersecutedissidents.The
CouncilofBloodintheLowCountries
claimeda thousandlivesinjustoverseven
years,whilemorethan 200 Catholicswere
puttodeathunderElizabethI. Inshort,all
rulerswereunderanobligationofintolerance
andburning‘heretics’wasa ubiquitous
practice.What’smore,recentscholarship
hassuggestedthat,bytheendofMary’s
reign,high-profilevictimsweredeclining
markedlyanddissidenceapparentlyweaken-
ing.Mary’scampaignofpersecutionmay
havebeenbrutal,butallthesuggestions are
that it had the desired effect.

Gettingherman
If Mary’sardentCatholicismwas– intheeyes
ofgenerationsofProtestantpolemicists– her
greatestcrime,thenherchoiceofhusband
onlymadematterworse.Mary’smarriageto
Philip,thefuturekingofSpain,exposedher
toa barrageofcriticism:thatshehadlittle
agencyinthemarriage;thatit wasanentirely
lovelessmarriage(formoreonthis,seebox
right);thatPhilip’strueaiminmarrying
MarywastoincorporateEngland into his
SpanishCatholicempire.
Noneoftheseargumentsentirelystand
uptoscrutiny.Marywascertainlynopassive
onlookerduringthemarriagenegotiations,
bargaininghardandexaggeratingtheweak-
nessofherpositioninordertoextractgreater
concessionsandmorefavourableterms.She
certainlydesiredtheunion,too– anddemon-
stratedasmuchwhenfacingdownopposition
fromparliamentandherlordchancellor,
StephenGardiner.“Ifsheweremarried
againstherwillshewouldnot live three
months,”shedeclared.
Yetoppositiontothemarriagecontinued
tosimmer– and,inearly1554,it exploded
intoa popularuprising,ledbytheKentish
politicianandlandownerThomasWyatt.
Soontherebelsweregrowinginnumberand
headingforLondon:Mary’sadministration
founditselfinanexistentialcrisis.
Butthiswasa challengethequeenproved
herselfmorethancapableofmeeting.Asthe
revoltgatheredmomentum,Marydelivered a
speechat theGuildhallthatgalvanised
resistance to the uprising among Londoners.

Philipof Spain

recognisedMary’s

superiorityover

him in England

Castingherselfasthemotherofthepeople,

shedeclared:“I cannottellhownaturallythe

motherloveththechild,forI wasnever

motherofany...if a princeorgovernormay

asnaturallyandearnestlylovehersubjects,

asthemotherdoththechild,thenassure

yourselves,thatI, beingyourladyandmis-

tress,doasearnestlyandtenderlyloveand

favouryou.”DeniedLondoners’support,

Wyatt’srebellionwasdoomedtofail.Hewas

capturedandexecuted,hisheadandlimbs

placedonpublicdisplay.Soon,bothhousesof

parliamenthadapprovedthemarriagetreaty.

Another charge directed at Mary and

GrislysceneProtestantsareputto deathin the1550s,asshownin a contemporaryetching.Attemptsto

distance Mary from the killing of ‘heretics’ simply aren’t supported by the sources, argues Alexander Samson

Philip’smarriageis thatit effectivelyturned

Englandintoa vassalstateofa foreignpower.

This,too,ignorestheevidence.Philip

respectedMary’ssuperiorityoverhimin

Englandandhadnointentionofsubverting

theconstitutionorthelawoftheland.He

demonstratedthisina lettertohisfatherin

November1554,inwhichhedeclaredthat:“I

amanxioustoshowthewholeworldbymy

actionsthatI amnottryingtoacquireother

peoples’states,andyourMajestyI would

convinceofthisnotbymy actions alone, but

bymyverythoughts.”

If PhilipandMaryhadproducedanheir,a

dynasticinheritanceunitingEnglandandthe

LowCountrieswouldhavecreateda northern

EuropeanpowerhousetoeclipseFranceand

perhapsevenSpainitself.Thisis hardly

consistentwiththeideaofa weakenednation

fallingundertheshadow of overweening

Spanishpower.

Infact,afterfouryearsoftheirco-monar-

chy,Maryseemedmoresecureonthethrone

• andPhilipmorepopular– thanever.A
  globalinfluenzapandemichitEnglandin
  1557–58,affectingasmuchashalfthepopula-
  tioninsomepartsofthecountry.Despitethe
  highmortalityrate,theregimeweathered the
  stormwithoutmajorsocialprotest.
  ButthestabilityofMary’sregimewas
  everybitasmuchtheresultofherpersonal
  qualitiesasherchoiceofhusband.Froma
  youngageshedemonstratedherconscien-
  tiousness,markingtherunningtotalsofher
  privypurseexpensesat thetopofeachpagein
  herownhandfromhertimeasPrincessof
  Wales.Whenshecametopower,it wasno
  different.TheVenetianambassadornoted
  earlyinherreignthatsheroseat day-
  break,prayed,heardMassandthen
  conducted business incessantly