Between 1553-1558, Mary I experienced limited pretender threats, the only one arising from her decision to marry the Spanish prince, Philip II. The prospect of a marriage alliance with Spain was unpopular with the English people who believed England would be involved in wars without the support of the nation. His strong Catholic faith combined with that of Mary’s also stirred up resentment and fear among the Protestant population in England and as a result, a Protestant courtier, Thomas Wyatt, led a rebellion against Mary aiming to dethrone and replace her with her half-sister Elizabeth I. However, this threat lacked any significance as the conspiracy was discovered and Wyatt’s supporters were hunted down and killed, quickly disposing of the
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As well as her efficient handling of the situation, the lack of threats may also be due to her determination to restore England to the Catholic faith and to secure her throne from Protestant threats. In order to do this, she had 200-300 Protestants burnt at the stake in the Marian Persecutions between 1555 and 1558, earning her the infamous name ‘Bloody Mary.’ People regarded her with horror and so the likelihood of pretender threats were increasingly small. No threats ensued the beginning of Elizabeth I’s reign due to her pragmatic way of dealing with religious affairs by practicing religious clemency and tolerance. For example, in 1559 the government advocated a church based on the Protestant settlement of Edward VI but with many Catholic elements, such as vestments in an attempt to placate both the Roman Catholics and the Church of England. This was necessary for Elizabeth to fully establish her power and to counter any pretender …show more content…
The looming threat of foreign interference and support for Mary suggests a situation that is beyond the control of the monarch and is liable to cause a huge disturbance. Perhaps the most obvious and significant reason as to why Mary was able to pose such a great threat to Elizabeth’s reign was due to Elizabeth’s failure to marry and as a result was unable to name her successor. This highlighted the weakness and instability of the monarchy and opened up the question as to what would happen to the Tudor dynasty without an heir. Mary was able to use this precarious situation to her advantage as G.R. Elton claims: ‘from the moment that Mary took refuge in England she created a situation which could not be resolved in a way that was both sensible and moral.’ It is evident that Elizabeth could not get rid of the threat of Mary in a practical way and thus highlights the problems she caused which eventually led her to order Mary’s execution. This drastic course of action suggests the severity of the threat as there was no alternative. On the other hand, it could be argued that Mary Queen of Scots did not pose such a great threat on the dynasty as ‘it was only after Mary had been in England for 20 years that Elizabeth agreed to Mary’s execution in 1587,’ suggesting that Mary did not appear to be an immediate threat as she was easily contained due to
As well as her efficient handling of the situation, the lack of threats may also be due to her determination to restore England to the Catholic faith and to secure her throne from Protestant threats. In order to do this, she had 200-300 Protestants burnt at the stake in the Marian Persecutions between 1555 and 1558, earning her the infamous name ‘Bloody Mary.’ People regarded her with horror and so the likelihood of pretender threats were increasingly small. No threats ensued the beginning of Elizabeth I’s reign due to her pragmatic way of dealing with religious affairs by practicing religious clemency and tolerance. For example, in 1559 the government advocated a church based on the Protestant settlement of Edward VI but with many Catholic elements, such as vestments in an attempt to placate both the Roman Catholics and the Church of England. This was necessary for Elizabeth to fully establish her power and to counter any pretender …show more content…
The looming threat of foreign interference and support for Mary suggests a situation that is beyond the control of the monarch and is liable to cause a huge disturbance. Perhaps the most obvious and significant reason as to why Mary was able to pose such a great threat to Elizabeth’s reign was due to Elizabeth’s failure to marry and as a result was unable to name her successor. This highlighted the weakness and instability of the monarchy and opened up the question as to what would happen to the Tudor dynasty without an heir. Mary was able to use this precarious situation to her advantage as G.R. Elton claims: ‘from the moment that Mary took refuge in England she created a situation which could not be resolved in a way that was both sensible and moral.’ It is evident that Elizabeth could not get rid of the threat of Mary in a practical way and thus highlights the problems she caused which eventually led her to order Mary’s execution. This drastic course of action suggests the severity of the threat as there was no alternative. On the other hand, it could be argued that Mary Queen of Scots did not pose such a great threat on the dynasty as ‘it was only after Mary had been in England for 20 years that Elizabeth agreed to Mary’s execution in 1587,’ suggesting that Mary did not appear to be an immediate threat as she was easily contained due to