End of the Line

The next few years saw one Mary as Queen of England, Wales and Ireland and a second Mary as Queen of Scots.

England

Edward VI succeeded his father Henry VIII in 1547 at the age of 11. He was a sickly child and died in 1553 aged 17. He was succeeded by Mary I (Bloody Mary), the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. She attempted to enforce the wholesale conversion of England to Catholicism with utmost severity, plunging the country into a bitter blood bath, and earning her epithet.
Mary was succeeded by Elizabeth I, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth was a remarkable woman, noted for her learning and wisdom. From first to last she was popular with the people and had a genius for the selection of capable advisors. She never married, so on her death in 1603, the dynastic line changed again.

Scotland

After the turmoil of the Rough Wooing, Mary Queens of Scots returned to Scotland in 1561. She married her cousin Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, but it was not a success. Darnley became jealous of Mary’s secretary and favourite, David Riccio. He, together with others, murdered Riccio in front of Mary. She was six months pregnant at the time. In 1567 Mary abdicated and fled to England where her arrival as a Catholic of royal blood provoked a political crisis for Queen Elizabeth I. After 19 years of imprisonment Mary was found guilty of treason for plotting against Elizabeth and was beheaded at Fotheringhay.

When Mary abdicated in 1567, her son became King James VI of Scotland aged just 13 months. By his late teens he was already beginning to demonstrate political intelligence and diplomacy in order to control government. He assumed real power in 1583, and married Anne of Denmark in 1589.

English Monarchy 1547 to 1603

Reign	Name	Notes
1547 – 1553	EDWARD VI	The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was a sickly boy; it is thought he suffered from tuberculosis. Edward succeeded his father at the age of 9, the government being carried on by a Council of Regency with his uncle, Duke of Somerset, styled Protector. Even though his reign was short, many men made their mark. Cranmer wrote the Book of Common Prayer and the uniformity of worship helped turn England into a Protestant State. After Edward’s death there was a dispute over the succession. As Mary was Catholic, Lady Jane Grey was named as the next in line to the throne. She was proclaimed Queen but Mary entered London with her supporters and Jane was taken to the Tower. She reigned for only 9 days. She was executed in 1554, aged 17.

1553 – 1558	MARY I (Bloody Mary)	Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. A devout Catholic, she married Philip of Spain. Mary attempted to enforce the wholesale conversion of England to Catholicism. She carried this out with the utmost severity. The Protestant bishops, Latimer, Ridley and Archbishop Cranmer were among those burnt at the stake. The place, in Broad Street Oxford, is marked by a bronze cross. The country was plunged into a bitter blood bath, which is why she is remembered as Bloody Mary. She died in 1558 at Lambeth Palace in London.

1558-1603	ELIZABETH I	The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was a remarkable woman, noted for her learning and wisdom. From first to last she was popular with the people and had a genius for the selection of capable advisors. Drake, Raleigh, Hawkins, the Cecils, Essex and many more made England respected and feared. The Spanish Armada was decisively defeated in 1588 and Raleigh’s first Virginian colony was founded. The execution of Mary Queen of Scots marred what was a glorious time in English history. Shakespeare was also at the height of his popularity. Elizabeth never married.

Scottish Monarchy 1542 to 1603

Reign	Name	Notes
1542-1567	Mary Queen of Scots	Born just a week before her father King James V died. Mary was sent to France in 1548 to marry the Dauphin, the young French prince, in order to secure a Catholic alliance against England. In 1561, after he died still in his teens, Mary returned to Scotland. At this time Scotland was in the throes of the Reformation and a widening Protestant-Catholic split. A Protestant husband for Mary seemed the best chance for stability. Mary married her cousin Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, but it was not a success. Darnley became jealous of Mary’s secretary and favourite, David Riccio. He, together with others, murdered Riccio in front of Mary. She was six months pregnant at the time. Her son, the future King James VI, was baptised into the Catholic faith at Stirling Castle. This caused alarm amongst the Protestants. Darnley later died in mysterious circumstances. Mary sought comfort in James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, and rumours abounded that she was pregnant by him. Mary and Bothwell married. The Lords of Congregation did not approve of the liaison and she was imprisoned in Leven Castle. Mary eventually escaped and fled to England. In Protestant England, Catholic Mary’s arrival provoked a political crisis for Queen Elizabeth I. After 19 years of imprisonment in various castles throughout England, Mary was found guilty of treason for plotting against Elizabeth and was beheaded at Fotheringhay.

1567-1603	James VI	Became king aged just 13 months following the abdication of his mother. By his late teens he was already beginning to demonstrate political intelligence and diplomacy in order to control government. He assumed real power in 1583, and quickly established a strong centralised authority. He married Anne of Denmark in 1589.

< The Rough Wooing 1543 to 1551

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