OCR Specification focus:
‘Issues of Edward VI’s age and Mary Tudor’s gender.’
The succession of Edward VI and Mary I raised profound concerns about minority rule and female monarchy, shaping perceptions of stability, legitimacy, and authority in mid-Tudor England.
Minority Rule: Edward VI’s Age
The problem of a child king
Edward VI came to the throne in 1547 aged only nine years old.
Hans Holbein the Younger’s c.1538 portrait shows Edward VI as a child with a gesture of benediction and a rattle shaped like a sceptre. The iconography asserts royal authority while revealing his youth—an image that encapsulates the challenges of minority rule. The object’s clarity and composition make it ideal for discussing perceptions of a boy king. Source
The problem of a child ruler was acute in Tudor England because monarchs were expected to lead in war, oversee government, and command loyalty among nobles.
Minority rule: The condition in which a monarch inherits the throne before reaching the age of majority, typically creating vulnerability to manipulation by councillors and magnates.
A child monarch was seen as inherently weak because:
He could not command in battle.
He lacked political experience and judgement.
He was more susceptible to being dominated by ambitious councillors.
This meant that real power would inevitably lie with regents or protectors, raising questions about legitimacy and unity within the monarchy.
The Protectorate of Somerset
Edward’s uncle, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, established himself as Lord Protector. This arrangement was not directly provided for in Henry VIII’s will, which had envisaged a conciliar regency. Somerset’s assumption of power created discontent among councillors who felt excluded. His dominance illustrates how minority rule encouraged factional rivalry and power struggles.
Northumberland’s dominance
By 1549, Somerset was replaced by John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who styled himself Lord President of the Council. His rise demonstrates that Edward’s minority allowed strongmen to seize authority. Edward increasingly involved himself in government during his teens, but minority rule created the conditions for instability, particularly around religion and succession.
The issue of legitimacy
Although Edward was the legitimate son of Henry VIII, his youth meant that legitimacy was undermined by perceptions of incapacity. Contemporaries feared rebellion, usurpation, or foreign exploitation, since a boy king was seen as a weak figurehead.
Female Monarchy: Mary I’s Gender
The problem of a queen regnant
Mary Tudor became queen in 1553.
Anthonis Mor’s 1554 portrait presents Mary I with the restrained authority typical of Habsburg-court portraiture. The sober dress, rigid pose and direct gaze communicate power and decorum, challenging period assumptions about female incapacity to govern. This visual supports analysis of ideology surrounding a queen regnant. Source
Her accession raised anxieties about a female monarch, as England had never experienced sustained rule by a woman before. In patriarchal sixteenth-century society, women were viewed as weaker, more emotional, and less suited to leadership.
Queen regnant: A female monarch who reigns in her own right, not through marriage or as a consort.
Concerns about governance
Key concerns regarding a female monarch included:
Inability to lead armies in person.
Perceived unsuitability for exercising political and judicial authority.
Dependence on male councillors, risking dominance by favourites.
Potential instability if marriage brought foreign influence into English affairs.
The marriage question
Mary’s decision to marry Philip of Spain in 1554 intensified fears. Parliament and political elites worried that England would become subordinate to Habsburg interests. The Marriage Treaty attempted to limit Philip’s authority, but his presence nonetheless provoked rebellion, most notably Wyatt’s Rebellion (1554), fuelled partly by fears of foreign domination.
Legitimacy and succession
Mary’s legitimacy was contested by those who supported Lady Jane Grey in 1553. Gender amplified doubts about her suitability, providing fuel for rival claimants. However, Mary’s resolute seizure of power demonstrated that gender alone did not prevent her from asserting royal authority effectively.
Religious policy and gender
Mary’s efforts to restore Catholicism also intertwined with perceptions of female monarchy. Critics linked her “weakness” to her reversal of Edwardian reform, portraying her as manipulated by male advisers such as Cardinal Pole and by her Spanish husband. Gendered criticism was weaponised to undermine her policies.
Broader Implications of Minority and Female Rule
Comparisons between Edward and Mary
Edward’s age meant that his rule was controlled by protectors, producing instability through factional conflict.
Mary’s gender raised doubts about her ability to rule independently and heightened fears over foreign marriage.
Both monarchs faced challenges rooted not in their personal qualities but in societal expectations of monarchy.
The stability of the monarchy
These issues highlight the fragility of Tudor monarchy between 1547 and 1558. Concerns about age and gender linked directly to:
The risk of rebellion and plots.
The influence of powerful nobles and councillors.
The question of succession, particularly as neither monarch produced a secure heir.
Ultimately, both Edward’s minority and Mary’s gender demonstrate how Tudor conceptions of monarchy were tied to ideals of adult, male kingship. Departures from this norm generated instability, faction, and uncertainty.
FAQ
Writers such as Sir Thomas Smith and John Fortescue stressed that kings required maturity, judgement, and martial ability. A child monarch contradicted these ideals.
Minority rule was seen as an opportunity for factional struggle, with the risk that councillors would manipulate the crown for their own advantage.
The broader fear was that instability could encourage rebellion, foreign interference, or even usurpation.
Mary’s supporters produced imagery emphasising her piety and dynastic legitimacy, presenting her as God’s chosen ruler.
Opponents circulated pamphlets portraying her as weak, emotional, and dominated by men, especially her husband Philip of Spain.
These gendered narratives shaped how her policies were received, particularly in religion and foreign affairs.
From around 1550, Edward began attending Privy Council meetings and taking a greater interest in policy.
He strongly supported Protestant reform, influencing the introduction of the 1552 Prayer Book.
His growing independence reduced Northumberland’s ability to dominate, although factionalism still remained.
This shows that while technically a minor, Edward’s personal views mattered more than historians once believed.
The treaty signed in 1554 included provisions to protect England:
Philip would be styled King, but without sovereign authority.
He could not appoint foreigners to English offices.
England would not be compelled to fight Habsburg wars.
Although designed to safeguard independence, the treaty failed to prevent widespread fears of Spanish dominance.
Foreign powers, notably France and Scotland, saw Edward’s minority as a chance to exploit English weakness.
France supported Scottish resistance during the Rough Wooing, knowing England lacked strong leadership.
Negotiations with the Habsburgs were shaped by perceptions of instability at court.
The minority therefore had direct consequences for England’s international standing as well as its domestic politics.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Why was Edward VI’s minority considered a problem for the stability of the monarchy in 1547?
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for identifying a problem such as lack of experience or inability to lead in war.
1 mark for explaining how this made the monarchy unstable, e.g., it left power in the hands of protectors or encouraged factional rivalry.
Question 2 (6 marks)
How far did Mary I’s gender create political difficulties during her reign?
Mark Scheme:
1–2 marks: General description with limited development, e.g., simply stating that being a woman caused problems.
3–4 marks: Some explanation of gender-related difficulties, such as doubts about her capacity to rule or concerns about marriage to Philip of Spain, with limited supporting detail.
5–6 marks: Developed explanation showing clear understanding of the political consequences of her gender, e.g., linking perceptions of female weakness to Wyatt’s Rebellion, fears of foreign influence, and difficulties with legitimacy. Use of specific detail gains full credit.
