QUEEN MARY 1, OF ENGLAND AND HER MARRIAGE TO PHILIP II OF SPAIN.Having now been crowned, Queen Mary 1 sought a husband in order to produce an heir to the English throne. She found one in the future Philip II of Spain. In the Act of Succession 1544, Mary Tudor's half sister Elizabeth Tudor, had been restored to the line of succession to the throne. This had also been reinforced by their father King Henry VIII, under the terms laid down in his Will. It is said that Queen Mary 1 fell in love with Philip II of Spain, the only son of her cousin, the Holy Roman Emperor, when she viewed a full size Titian painting of him, which had been sent to her by the Emperor when he had suggested that she should marry Philip. They were married on 25th July 1554 when she was thirty eight years of age, at Winchester Cathedral. Philip had no love for Mary at all, viewing the marriage as a totally political affair and nothing else.The Queen's English subjects disliked Philip II of Spain intensely and together with the English parliament feared that England would become nothing more than a mere dependency of Spain. Parliament had taken the steps to petition the Queen to reconsider, partially due to the fact that she was England's first queen regnant (Queen in her own right and not Queen consort due to marriage) excluding Matilda (Henry I's daughter) and the tragic Lady Jane Grey. Now they were married however and there was a treaty which had to be upheld. Under the terms of the treaty, Philip was to be known as King of England, Parliament was to be called under the joint authority of the couple, all official documents had to be dated with both their names, including Acts of Parliament. All coins had to show both of their heads. England however, would not be required to provide any military support to Philip's father in the event of any war.
ABOVE: MARY I OF ENGLAND WITH PHILIP II OF SPAIN Queen Mary 1, became Queen of Naples and titular head of Jerusalem when Emperor Charles V ceded both crowns to his son Philip in order to raise his son to Mary's rank. She also became Queen of Spain when her father-in-law abdicated in 1556. The marriage of Queen Mary 1 to Philip II of Spain, whom she genuinely loved, proved so unpopular throughout the country, that there were uprisings. Lady Jane Gray was once again proclaimed Queen by her father, the Duke of Suffolk. This rebellion was crushed. A rebellion from Kent led by Thomas Wyatt the younger, in support of Elizabeth Tudor, was not defeated until he arrived at the gates of the City of London. He was the son of Thomas Wyatt the famous poet, whom rumour had it, was in love with Anne Bolyn and who was released from the Tower of London when charges of adultery with her, were dropped.
The Duke of Suffolk, his daughter, Lady Jane Grey and her husband were all accused, convicted of high treason and executed. A similar fate awaited Wyatt and though the future Queen Elizabeth 1 protested her innocence in the Wyatt rebellion, she was imprisoned for two months in the Tower of London. With pressure from Philip, Elizabeth was released from the Tower and placed under house arrest at Woodstock Palace. Elizabeth's release was due to Philip, who wished to be looked on favourably by Elizabeth if Mary happened to die in pregnancy. Queen Mary Tudor aquired the name Queen Bloody Mary for the numerous Protestants she had executed in what have been termed the Marian Persecutions. It all started with her genuine concern regarding heresy within the church. She had always regarded her father's break with Rome with the utmost horror and totally opposed the ruthless establishment of Protestantism by her half brother, the boy King Edward VI and his councillors. She immediately set about reconciling England with Rome, making Reginald Pole the Archbishop of Canterbury and executing his predecessor, Thomas Cranmer by having him burned at the stake. The Statute Repeal Act of 1553 abolished King Edward's religious laws in her first parliament. Many rich Protestants chose voluntary exile, just under one thousand leaving the country. In all, Queen Mary had two hundred and eighty four people executed, most of them being burned at the stake. The Marian persecutions are still commemorated in several towns. Two Hundred and eighty four deaths are certainly a lot, but many people are beginning to wonder why has she been so vilified, when the likes of her father have been responsible for thousands more executions, just on a whim. Some estimates have put Henry VIII's executions as high as fifty to seventy thousand. It must never be forgotten, that at least as many Roman Catholics were put to death, some of the records of these executions conveniently lost. Queen Mary 1, certainly was very active, it is agreed, but there were many bloodthirsty people on both sides in those terrible bloodletting days. Nowadays thank God, most of the bigotry has disappeared and may it always continue to be so. Philip II of Spain returned to England in July 1557 to persuade Mary to support the Spanish in their war against France. But when Queen Mary 1 declared war on France, which was in violation of the marriage treaty, a number of factions sprang up in England, all Protestant, stirring up the country against the unpopular Spanish and the even more unpopular Philip II of Spain. England suffered badly, losing their one remaining possession on the continent, Calais.
ABOVE: PORTRAIT OF MARY I OF ENGLAND Childless, Mary suffered two phantom pregnancies during her life. It is believed that this in fact was how she died. At the end of February 1558 thinking her confinement would come in March she went into seclusion as was the custom. She knew she was mistaken again when no child was born in April. Mary was feeling quite ill when the symptoms finally began to fade. In November she was drifting in and out of conciousness.Queen Mary 1, heard Mass in her bedroom on November 17th 1558, she was then given the Last Rites and died. She was given a royal funeral and interred in Westminster Abbey in the Chapel built by her grandfather Henry VII. This is still the resting place of Queen Mary 1, who was later joined there by her half sister Elizabeth Tudor, who became Queen Elizabeth 1 of England on the day her sister died. Return To Mary's Childhood Years Return From Queen Mary 1, To A-London-Tourist-Guide Home Page
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