Somerset’s inability to meet any of the …show more content…
The most significant factor in the Mid Tudor crisis regarding foreign policy is the loss of Boulogne. Some historians have argued that Northumberland made the best of a bad situation. However the Treaty of Boulogne resulted in England giving up control for 400,000 crowns, an arranged marriage between Edward VI and Henry II’s daughter Elizabeth, the loss of England’s pension from France and the removal of English troops from Scotland. Each of these were considered humiliating by Northumberland but the loss of Boulogne was the most significant. The loss of Boulogne signified England’s loss of a great leader (Henry VIII) and the crown’s submission to France. In the public eye, this would have been considered a disgrace and made the laypeople reconsider their monarch’s power. Whilst England did receive money from the French for returning Boulogne, the French pension was ended. This reinforces Northumberland’s failure as the lump sum from Boulogne would not have covered the debt England was experiencing. The loss of the pension was significant as it left England without long term monetary benefits. Aside from the detrimental financial issues Northumberland faced from foreign policy, the Anglo-French alliance also angered Charles V. This put Northumberland in a difficult position. Charles V was the …show more content…
Edward’s illness created a crisis for Northumberland. Northumberland intended on preventing the restoration of Catholicism which was likely to take place should Edward die and Mary be proclaimed queen as Henry VIII’s will declared. The lack of time caused a significant problem for Northumberland as it posed a crisis because he was unable to ensure Lady Jane Grey’s succession took place. Without legal force, there was a clear decent into crisis as the Protestant succession was no longer secure. Northumberland’s non-existent planning and delayed reaction (such as waiting for three days before proclaiming Lady Jane Grey queen) is an example of the effect Edward’s early death had. It shows the difficulty that Northumberland faced during this period of uncertainty. The decent into crisis was confirmed by the public’s reaction to Northumberland’s attempt to regain control by deploying troops to the part of the country where he was most hated for the reaction to the Kett’s rebellion. Northumberland’s diminishing control was shown by the navy switching to Mary’s side. The public’s support for the Tudor dynasty was evident; many ordinary people joined her to march on London. The public’s support highlights that the Protestant changes that both Somerset and Northumberland had not been received well and they had not achieved what they set out to during the reign. Northumberland’s decline in power and