OCR Specification focus:
‘Issues of Edward VI’s age and Mary Tudor’s gender; marriage of Mary Tudor and Philip.’
Edward VI’s minority and Mary I’s gender challenges shaped mid-Tudor politics. Questions of legitimacy, succession, and authority fuelled instability, rebellion, and factional rivalries.
Edward VI’s Minority
The Problem of a Child King
When Edward VI succeeded Henry VIII in 1547, he was only nine years old.
Edward VI portrayed in russet velvet trimmed with lynx fur, attributed to William Scrots (1546–47). The image captures the king’s youth, underscoring the constitutional challenges of a minority. Period dress and iconography emphasise status while highlighting his inability to rule independently. Source
His minority presented serious challenges to stability because he lacked the capacity to govern directly. Rule during a minority inevitably meant regency government, raising concerns about the dominance of ambitious nobles and factional struggles for power.
Minority: The period when a monarch is legally too young to rule independently, requiring regents or councillors to govern on their behalf.
Historically, minorities in England had been periods of instability and civil war, such as during the reign of Henry VI. These precedents heightened fears in 1547.
The Regency Council and Somerset
Henry VIII’s will had established a Regency Council of sixteen to govern until Edward came of age. However, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, Edward VI’s maternal uncle, quickly assumed the role of Lord Protector, consolidating power in his own hands.
Key features of Somerset’s dominance included:
Reliance on proclamations to rule without Parliament.
Pursuit of ambitious foreign policy against Scotland.
Attempts at religious and social reform that alienated elites.
His authority weakened due to military failure in Scotland, economic hardship, and widespread unrest in 1549.
Challenges of Faction and Rebellion
Edward’s minority created fertile ground for factional competition:
Somerset vs. Northumberland: Somerset’s downfall in 1549 led to the rise of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who restored order but remained vulnerable to shifting loyalties.
Kett’s Rebellion (1549) and the Western Rebellion (1549) demonstrated how weak leadership during Edward’s youth allowed discontent to erupt into widespread rebellion.
Factional politics and unrest were direct consequences of the absence of an adult monarch.
Mary I’s Gender Challenges
Prejudices Against a Female Monarch
In 1553, Mary Tudor became England’s first crowned queen regnant.
Mary I by Hans Eworth (1554), based on a sitting from life. The portrait’s sober palette, jewels and devotional pose communicate authority, offering a visual counterpoint to contemporary prejudices against female monarchy. It directly supports the section on gendered challenges to legitimacy and governance. Source
Her accession presented challenges rooted in contemporary views of gender. Sixteenth-century political theory, heavily influenced by religion and tradition, regarded women as unsuited for rule.
Queen Regnant: A queen who rules in her own right, exercising sovereign power, as opposed to a queen consort who is the wife of a king.
Opposition was fuelled by biblical injunctions, particularly St Paul’s teaching that women should not “have authority over men.” Political theorists feared a woman’s rule would invite faction and foreign influence.
The Marriage of Mary and Philip
The issue of marriage was central to Mary’s reign. As a single woman, she was expected to marry, but marriage raised fears over the loss of national independence.
Mary’s choice of Philip of Spain, son of Charles V and future king of Spain, caused intense controversy:
Coat of arms used during the joint reign, displaying England impaled with Habsburg-Spanish quarters to denote the union of Mary I and Philip. This visualisation supports the constitutional safeguards discussed in the 1554 marriage treaty and contemporary fears of Spanish influence. The diagram includes additional heraldic elements (e.g., Order of the Garter and supporters) not required by the syllabus but helpful for understanding how marriage was publicly signalled. Source
Parliament feared England becoming subordinate to Spain.
A marriage treaty in 1554 limited Philip’s authority in England, stipulating he could not bring foreigners into office or claim the throne if Mary died childless.
Despite these safeguards, opposition remained, fuelling Wyatt’s Rebellion in 1554, which aimed to prevent the marriage.
Succession and Legitimacy Issues
Mary’s gender compounded problems of succession. As a woman, her authority was perceived as weaker, encouraging rivals:
Lady Jane Grey, briefly proclaimed queen in 1553, was supported by those unwilling to accept a female ruler.
Mary’s failure to produce an heir by Philip left Elizabeth as her successor, creating further uncertainty.
Gender and Governance
Mary sought to demonstrate her capability as monarch:
She asserted her authority firmly in 1553, rallying support against Jane Grey and entering London in triumph.
Her use of Parliament showed determination to exercise her prerogatives.
However, persistent fears of Spanish dominance and the burden of her gender meant her rule remained contested.
Comparative Challenges: Age and Gender
Similarities
Both Edward VI’s minority and Mary I’s gender exposed vulnerabilities in the monarchy:
Each raised doubts about the monarch’s capacity to rule independently.
Both fostered factional rivalries that destabilised politics.
Each prompted rebellions — Edward faced widespread uprisings in 1549, while Mary faced Wyatt’s Rebellion in 1554.
Differences
Edward’s problem was his youth, creating reliance on protectors and councils; Mary’s problem was her gender, creating doubts about the very legitimacy of her rule.
Edward’s reign was dominated by noble factions, whereas Mary’s reign was shaped by anxieties over foreign influence and marriage.
Long-Term Impact
The difficulties of Edward VI’s minority and Mary I’s gender challenges:
Undermined the stability of the Tudor monarchy in the mid-sixteenth century.
Reinforced the perception that strong, adult, male monarchs were essential for national stability.
Created conditions of uncertainty that Elizabeth I had to carefully navigate when she inherited the throne in 1558.
FAQ
Edward’s minority came after the Wars of the Roses, a period when weak monarchs had destabilised the kingdom. Memories of Henry VI’s disastrous reign made contemporaries fear factionalism and civil war.
Moreover, Edward was the first monarch to inherit under a new, fragile Tudor dynasty. Any instability risked undermining the legitimacy of Henry VII’s line. Unlike medieval minorities, religious upheaval also compounded political uncertainty in Edward’s reign.
Somerset claimed authority as Edward’s maternal uncle, portraying himself as the king’s natural protector. He also sought to maintain stability by presenting himself as indispensable in safeguarding both the boy king and the Protestant faith.
To consolidate control, he relied on issuing royal proclamations, effectively bypassing the Council, and surrounded himself with loyal allies to diminish opposition within the governing elite.
Mary emphasised her legitimacy as Henry VIII’s lawful daughter and asserted her right to rule through dynastic inheritance, not marriage.
She also drew on religious symbolism, casting herself as God’s chosen ruler, which was powerful in a devoutly Catholic monarchy. In practice, she carefully framed her authority in public rituals and speeches to project confidence and deflect anxieties about her gender.
The 1554 marriage treaty included:
Philip could not appoint foreigners to English offices.
England would not be drawn into Habsburg wars.
If Mary predeceased Philip, he had no claim to the English throne.
These measures were designed to calm fears of Spanish domination, but public distrust remained strong, leading to open rebellion despite the legal protections.
Without a child, the succession passed to Elizabeth, who was Protestant and associated with reformist opposition. This created anxiety among Catholic supporters of Mary’s regime.
Factional divisions sharpened as rival groups prepared for an uncertain future. Hopes of a Catholic succession faded, weakening Mary’s authority and fuelling unrest about the kingdom’s long-term religious direction.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Give two reasons why Edward VI’s minority created instability in England between 1547 and 1553.
Mark scheme
1 mark for each valid reason given, up to 2 marks.
Acceptable answers include:
Edward VI was too young to rule independently, so government was run by regents.
Rivalries between nobles such as Somerset and Northumberland caused factional conflict.
Weak authority encouraged rebellion, e.g. Western and Kett’s Rebellions in 1549.
Historical precedent (e.g. Henry VI) made minorities seem unstable.
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain how Mary I’s gender created political challenges during her reign.
Mark scheme
Award 1–2 marks for general or limited description (e.g. simply stating that people doubted women could rule).
Award 3–4 marks for answers that provide developed explanations with examples (e.g. linking Mary’s gender to opposition over her marriage to Philip of Spain, or the Wyatt’s Rebellion).
Award 5–6 marks for well-developed explanations that demonstrate clear understanding, use specific detail, and connect Mary’s gender with wider political instability.
Indicative content:
Contemporary belief that women were unsuited to exercise authority (religious and cultural prejudice).
Concerns that marriage to Philip would lead to Spanish dominance, sparking opposition.
The Wyatt’s Rebellion in 1554 was partly fuelled by opposition to her marriage.
Fear over female succession encouraged rivals like Lady Jane Grey.
Gendered challenges undermined perceptions of legitimacy and stability.
