Chapter 5: The stability of the monarchy 1547-58

• What was England like in 1547? (positive)

  • Captured Boulogne from the French
  • Henry established a regency council to run for Edward
• What was England like in 1547? (negative)

  • England at war with France and Scotland (Auld Alliance furthered threat)
  • Edward only a child — no image of powerful king (vulnerable)
  • council gave rise to faction
  • Henry spent all money from dissolution of monasteries on war
  • population rising => pressure
• How did Edward become king?

  • 1543: 3rd Succession Act issued => Edward, then Mary, then Elizabeth
  • 1546: Act confirmed
  • 1546: Regency Council becomes reformist-dominated
• What serious problems did a minor on the throne create?

  • Edward cannot lead troops into war => counties could exploit weakness, risk of civil war (previous minors seen unrest)
  • fears of factional struggles
  • image of king to public not a strong one
  • questionable about legality of Somerset taking control
• What were less serious problems of having a minor on the throne?

  • transfer of power to Somerset = smooth and council of 16 may not have made any decisions/ encouraged factional unrest
  • Ed not sickly - expected to become adult and have heir
• Timeline of instability during Edward’s reign

  • 1547: Somerset takes over regency council successfully
  • 1549: Somerset tries to hold onto power. Northumberland takes over, Somerset removed from court
  • 1550: Somerset returned to court, continues to plot and executed
  • 1553: Edward dies & Northumberland tries to keep power from Mary
• Evidence that Somerset’s attempted coup in 1549 was a threat to stability

  • anti-Somerset faction formed
  • Oct 6th 1549: he took Edward to Windsor Castle. Edward fell ill
  • Council unstable + stories of Catholic plot emerged (did not trust Northumberland)
  • Northumberland becomes Lord President
  • Somerset gets lots of power restored
  • Somerset plots again to take over (obtained supporters within council and plot to kill Northumberland)
• Evidence that Somerset’s attempted coup in 1549 was a threat to stability

  • Edward escaped Somerset and had him arrested
  • Somerset returned to council once released from prison and initially does not plot
  • Executed in 1552
  • Some evidence to suggest accusations fabricated
• 1543 Third Succession Act


  • confirmed that:
  • if Edward died without heirs, the throne would pass to Mary
  • if Mary died without heirs, the throne would pass to Elizabeth
  • reversed previous Succession Acts which excluded them but did not reverse their illegitimacy
  • later reversed by Edward's 1553 Devise for the Succession
• When was the Third Succession Act written up?

  1543, then confirmed in 1546 in Henry VII's will
• Edward's Regency Council

  • 'balanced' - Henry wanted political stability
  • reformists led by Seymour (later, Duke of Somerset)
  • Catholics led by Norfolk & Gardiner
  • eventually became more Protestant under Paget
• How did Edward's Regency Council become more Protestant?

  • Paget & Denny left space in Henry's will for changes
  • Henry's will was changed when he was close to death & could not prevent
  • Gardiner was eventually removed & Norfolk put in the Tower (after Catholic faction plotting), giving Paget more power
  • Denny controlled dry stamp so Henry did not need to sign will
  • Denny & Paget kept Henry's death quiet for a few days so reformists were able to consolidate position
  • Somerset was then able to establish himself as Lord Protector
• problems of a minor on the throne

  • unable to lead troops into battle
  • other states might try to exploit the weakness of a minor & attack
  • England might return to civil war (like Henry III, in 15th century)
  • unable to control factional struggles, like Henry VIII's last years
  • concerns about image - hard to portray as powerful or military adept (however sickly image only came later, not in 1547)
  • previous examples of minors on the throne having problems
• other minors on the throne before Edward

  • Henry III (9 years old, 1400s) - civil war broke out when he came of age
  • Richard III (10 years old, 1377) - was deposed in 1399
  • Henry VI (8 months old, 1422) - Wars of the Roses during reign
  • Edward V (12 years old, 1483) - one of Princes in Tower, imprisoned & probably murdered by Richard III
• emergence of Somerset

  • Edward's uncle
  • Protestant & in Regency Council
  • built up a reputation of a successful soldier during Scottish campaigns in 1540s
  • relatively smooth transfer of power
• problems of a woman on the throne

  • last Queen (Matilda) led to civil war as many refused to accept her
  • belief that a female leader would create dynastic weakness
  • unable to control faction
  • unable to lead an army into battle
  • expected to marry - but would be subservient to her husband
  • if an English marriage = power of husband's family would increase and potentially dominate court
  • if a foreign marriage = fears the country would be dominated by foreigners
• John Knox's book

  • 'The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women'
  • 1558
  • claimed it was unnatural & insulting to God for a woman to rule
• two candidates for Mary to marry

  Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon

  • backed by Gardiner
  • descended from royal blood

  Philip of Spain

  • backed by Paget
  • Mary's preference - bring England closer to Habsburgs (related to her mother)
• Mary's announcement of her intended marriage to Philip

  • October 1553
  • petition from House of Commons which opposed her decision (but she ignored)
  • marriage treaty drawn up & presented to the Council in December
  • approved in January (6 months after LJG defeat) - caused much outrage, unrest & plotting
• Who was plotting behind the Wyatt rebellion?

  Sir James Croft, Sir Peter Carew, Sir Thomas Wyatt

  (all held office under Henry & Edward, now feared losing influence)
• Wyatt rebellion

  • four-pronged rising planned - Devon, Leicestershire, Welsh borders, & Kent
  • only Kent ended up rising
  • Courtenay was captured by govt & revealed plans
  • rebels forced to act early & unprepared
  • Mary gathered a force & made a speech at Guildhall, refusing to flee London = showed strength of female ruler
• impact of 1549 unrest

  • unrest in countryside was put down but ruling elite were still concerned by the disorder (some complaints about them)
  • disquiet in govt circles about personal nature of Somerset's govt (revealed by Paget's letters = close advisor of Somerset)
  • formation of anti-Somerset faction
• Somerset's loss of power

  • anti-Somerset faction formed of governing bodies after 1549 unrest (complaints about gentry scared them)
  • faction disliked Somerset's methods & policies
  • included figures:
  • Paget - concerned about Somerset ignoring his advice
  • Warwick (made Northumberland, 1547) - saw opportunity to advance
  • Wriothesley - opposed religous policy
  • Somerset retreated to Hampton Court with Edward (Oct 1549), summoned loyal subjects to defend him & moved to Windsor
  • Edward fell ill & claimed he was prisoner, abandoning Somerset (threatened Edward with rioting if he was removed)
  • Somerset could not contradict the King so was removed
  • sent to jail, was eventually restored by Northumberland but was executed 1552 after continuing to plot
• Northumberland's rise to power

  • Privy Council = mostly religious conservatives who didn't trust him SO he brought in his own allies (Protestant majority)
  • early December -> rumours of Catholic plot to remove him
  • Northumberland seized opportunity - claimed any who attacked Somerset were attacking him
  • January 1550 -> leading Catholics (Earls of Arundel & Southampton) dismissed, Northumberland = Lord President of Privy Council
  • placed his own supporters around Edward
  • was forced to ally with more religiously radical members
  • attempted reconciliation with Somerset once secure (released him from jail, goods restored, S's daughter married N's son)
• When was Somerset executed?

  22nd January 1552 (after plotting to restore position)
• divisions between the Privy Council (under Mary)

  • large Council as Mary brought in her own supporters who helped her gain the throne & kept many experienced administrators
  • some saw this as ineffective
  • it was rare for all councillors to be present
  • average size of meetings was similar to those under Northumberland
  • committees were established in 1554 which excluded casual councillors
  • 1555 -> 'inner council' established
  • Philip's departure in 1555 & death of Gardiner (Nov 1555) allowed Paget to dominate
• clashes between Gardiner & Paget

  • initially over Mary's marriage (G wanted Courtenay & P wanted Philip)
  • over the revival of heresy laws
  • April 1554 - parliament rejected them
  • did not agree until they had guarantees on monastic land
  • delay in introducing heresy legislation
  • both wanted to persuade Mary of their policy preferences but managed to put aside differences for much of the reign
• What did Mary do to resolve divisions within council?

  • Mary was aware of divisions within councillors & did not trust their advice
  • had everything referred to Cardinal Pole (papal legate) or Simon Renard (Spanish ambassador)
  • debates over policy in Privy Council = mostly constructive, & did not necessarily stop administration from working