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2 | <!DOCTYPE Archive SYSTEM "http://greenstone.org/dtd/Archive/1.0/Archive.dtd">
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3 | <Archive>
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4 | <Section>
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5 | <Description>
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6 | <Metadata name="gsdlsourcefilename">import/englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/eliz1.html</Metadata>
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9 | <Metadata name="FileSize">69904</Metadata>
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10 | <Metadata name="Source">eliz1.html</Metadata>
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11 | <Metadata name="SourceFile">eliz1.html</Metadata>
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12 | <Metadata name="Language">en</Metadata>
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13 | <Metadata name="Encoding">windows_1252</Metadata>
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14 | <Metadata name="Author">Marilee Mongello</Metadata>
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15 | <Metadata name="Content">Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits with commentary, Primary Sources Elizabeth Tudor 1533 to 1603 The Virgin Queen Gloriana</Metadata>
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16 | <Metadata name="Page_topic">Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits with commentary, Primary Sources Elizabeth Tudor 1533 to 1603 The Virgin Queen Gloriana</Metadata>
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17 | <Metadata name="Title">Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits, Primary Sources</Metadata>
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18 | <Metadata name="FileFormat">HTML</Metadata>
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19 | <Metadata name="URL">http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/eliz1.html</Metadata>
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20 | <Metadata name="UTF8URL">http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/eliz1.html</Metadata>
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21 | <Metadata name="dc.Subject">Tudor period|Monarchs</Metadata>
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23 | <Metadata name="lastmodified">1436940768</Metadata>
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24 | <Metadata name="lastmodifieddate">20150715</Metadata>
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28 | <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">eliz1-queenuse.gif:image/gif:</Metadata>
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29 | <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">eliz1-rainbow.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
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30 | <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">elizmom.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
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33 | <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">edward4-cr.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
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34 | <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">elizsister.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
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35 | <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">mary1-eworth.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
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36 | </Description>
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37 | <Content>
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38 |
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39 | <table border="0" cellpadding="3" width="100%" height="667">
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40 | <tr>
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41 | <td width="25%" height="29"></td>
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42 | <td valign="top" width="50%" height="29"><p align="center">&nbsp;</td>
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43 | <td width="25%" height="29"></td>
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44 | </tr>
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45 | <tr>
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46 | <td width="25%" height="3"></td>
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47 | <td width="50%" height="3">
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48 | <p align="center">
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49 | <IMG height=98 alt="Queen Elizabeth I"
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50 | src="_httpdocimg_/eliz1-queenuse.gif" width=422></td>
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51 | <td width="25%" height="3"></td>
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52 | </tr>
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53 | <tr>
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54 | <td width="25%" height="610"></td>
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55 | <td valign="top" width="50%" height="610">
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56 | <p align="center">
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57 | <IMG height=444
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58 | alt="'The Rainbow Portrait' of Elizabeth I, c1600"
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59 | src="_httpdocimg_/eliz1-rainbow.jpg" width=350 align=center border=2><blockquote>
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60 | <p align="left">
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61 | &nbsp;</blockquote>
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62 | <DIV align=left>Visit
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63 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.marileecody.com%2feliz1-images.html">Elizabethan
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64 | Images</a> to view portraits of the queen and her courtiers, with
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65 | commentary.<BR>Read poems, letters, and speeches by the queen at <A
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66 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html">Primary
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67 | Sources</A>.<BR>&nbsp;</DIV>
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68 | <DIV align=left>Read ES Beesly's 1892 biography of Queen
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69 | Elizabeth I at <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fsecondary.html">
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70 | Secondary Sources</a>.<BR>&nbsp;</DIV>
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71 | <DIV align=left>Visit <A
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72 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fboleyn.html">the Anne
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73 | Boleyn website</A> to learn more about Elizabeth's mother.<BR>Visit <A
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74 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fmaryqos.html">the Mary,
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75 | queen of Scots website</A> to learn more about Elizabeth's
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76 | cousin.<BR><BR>Test your knowledge of Elizabeth's life and times at <A
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77 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2ftudor1.html">Tudor
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78 | Quizzes</A>.</DIV>
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79 | <DIV align=left>&nbsp;</DIV>
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80 | <DIV align=left>Meet other Elizabethan enthusiasts at
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81 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.alassea.net%2ffl%2felizabeth">The Virgin Queen
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82 | fanlisting</a>.</DIV>
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83 | <DIV align=left>&nbsp;</DIV>
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84 | </td>
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85 | <td width="25%" height="610"></td>
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86 | </tr>
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87 | </table>
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88 |
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89 | <blockquote>
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90 | <blockquote>
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91 | <blockquote>
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92 | <p>&nbsp;</p>
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93 | <p><B>Elizabeth Tudor is considered by many to be the greatest monarch in
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94 | English history.&nbsp; When she became queen in 1558, she was twenty-five
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95 | years old, a survivor of scandal and danger, and considered illegitimate
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96 | by most Europeans.&nbsp; She inherited a bankrupt nation, torn by
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97 | religious discord, a weakened pawn between the great powers of France and
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98 | Spain.&nbsp; She was only the third queen to rule England in her own
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99 | right; the other two examples, her cousin Lady Jane Grey and half-sister
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100 | Mary I, were disastrous.&nbsp; Even her supporters believed her position
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101 | dangerous and uncertain.&nbsp; Her only hope, they counseled, was to marry
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102 | quickly and lean upon her husband for support.&nbsp; But Elizabeth had
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103 | other ideas.&nbsp;</B> <BR><B>She ruled alone for nearly half a century,
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104 | lending her name to a glorious epoch in world history.&nbsp; She dazzled
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105 | even her greatest enemies.&nbsp; Her sense of duty was admirable, though
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106 | it came at great personal cost.&nbsp; She was committed above all else to
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107 | preserving English peace and stability; her genuine love for her subjects
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108 | was legendary.&nbsp; Only a few years after her death in 1603, they
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109 | lamented her passing.&nbsp; In her greatest speech to Parliament, she told
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110 | them, 'I count the glory of my crown that I have reigned with your
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111 | love.'&nbsp; And five centuries later, the worldwide love affair with
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112 | Elizabeth Tudor continues.</B></p>
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113 | <hr>
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114 | </blockquote>
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115 | </blockquote>
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116 | <p><font size="4">'Proud
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117 | and haughty, as although she knows she was born of such a mother, she
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118 | nevertheless does not consider herself of inferior degree to the Queen,
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119 | whom she equals in self-esteem; nor does she believe herself less
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120 | legitimate than her Majesty, alleging in her own favour that her mother
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121 | would never cohabit with the King unless by way of marriage, with the
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122 | authority of the Church....&nbsp; <BR>She prides herself on her father and
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123 | glories in him; everybody saying that she also resembles him more than the
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124 | Queen does and he therefore always liked her and had her brought up in the
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125 | same way as the Queen.' </font><FONT size=-1>&nbsp; <I>the Venetian
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126 | ambassador Giovanni Michiel describes Elizabeth; spring 1557</I></FONT></p>
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127 | <blockquote>
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128 | <blockquote>
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129 | <hr>
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130 | <p>Elizabeth Tudor was born on 7 September 1533 at Greenwich
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131 | Palace.&nbsp; She was the daughter of <A
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132 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fhenry8.html">King Henry
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133 | VIII</A> and his second wife, <A
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134 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fboleyn.html">Anne
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135 | Boleyn</A>.&nbsp; Henry had <A
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136 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2ffaq.html#Eleven-b">defied the
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137 | papacy</A> and the Holy Roman Emperor to marry Anne, spurred on by love
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138 | and the need for a legitimate male heir.&nbsp; And so Elizabeth's birth
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139 | was one of the most exciting political events in 16th century European
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140 | history; rarely had so much turmoil occurred on behalf of a mere
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141 | infant.&nbsp; But the confident predictions of astrologers and physicians
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142 | were wrong and the longed-for prince turned out to be a princess.&nbsp;
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143 | </p>
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144 | <P>Eustace Chapuys, the Imperial ambassador and enemy of Anne Boleyn,
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145 | described the birth to his master as 'a
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146 | <IMG height=324 alt="portrait of Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn"
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147 | src="_httpdocimg_/elizmom.jpg" width=250 border=2 align="left">great disappointment and sorrow to
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148 | the King, the Lady herself and to others of her party.'&nbsp; But for the
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149 | next two years, Henry VIII was willing to hope for a son to join this
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150 | healthy daughter.&nbsp; Immediately after Elizabeth's birth, he wrote to
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151 | his 17 year old daughter, <A
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152 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fmary1.html">Princess
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153 | Mary</A>, and demanded she relinquish her title Princess of Wales and
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154 | acknowledge both the annulment of his marriage to her mother, <A
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155 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2faragon.html">Katharine of
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156 | Aragon</A>, and the validity of his new marriage.&nbsp; Mary refused; she
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157 | already blamed Anne Boleyn (and, by extension, Elizabeth) for the sad
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158 | alteration of her own fortunes.&nbsp; In December, she was moved into her
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159 | infant half-sister's household.&nbsp; When told to pay her respects to the
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160 | baby Princess, she replied that she knew of no Princess of England but
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161 | herself, and burst into tears.&nbsp; </P>
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162 | <P>Henry already ignored Mary and Katharine's constant pleas to meet; now
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163 | he began a more aggressive campaign to secure Anne and Elizabeth's
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164 | position.&nbsp; For one mother and daughter to be secure, the other pair
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165 | must necessarily suffer.&nbsp; Most Europeans, and indeed Englishmen,
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166 | still believed Katharine to be the king's valid wife.&nbsp; Now old and
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167 | sickly, imprisoned in one moldy castle after another, she remained a very
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168 | popular figure.&nbsp; Anne Boleyn was dismissed in polite circles as the
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169 | king's 'concubine' and their marriage was recognized only by those of the new
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170 | Protestant faith.&nbsp; Henry attempted to legislate popular acceptance of
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171 | his new queen and heiress.&nbsp; But the various acts and oaths only cost
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172 | the lives of several prominent Catholics, among them <A
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173 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fmore.html">Sir Thomas
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174 | More</A> and Bishop John Fisher.&nbsp; The English people never accepted
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175 | 'Nan Bullen' as their queen.&nbsp; </P>
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176 | <P>But while she had the king's personal favor, Elizabeth's mother was
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177 | secure.&nbsp; And she held that favor far longer than any had
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178 | expected.&nbsp; It was only after she miscarried twice that Henry began to
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179 | consider this second marriage as cursed as the first.&nbsp; The last
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180 | miscarriage occurred in January 1536; Katharine died that same
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181 | month.&nbsp; With her death, the king's Catholic critics considered him a
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182 | widower, free to marry again.&nbsp; And this next marriage would not be
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183 | tainted by the specter of bigamy.&nbsp; It was only necessary to get rid
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184 | of Anne, and find a new wife - one who could hopefully deliver a
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185 | son.&nbsp; The king already had a candidate in mind; her name was <A
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186 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fseymour.html">Jane
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187 | Seymour</A>, a lady-in-waiting to both Katharine and Anne.&nbsp; </P>
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188 | <P>In the end, Henry VIII was not merely content to annul his marriage to
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189 | Anne.&nbsp; She was arrested, charged with a variety of crimes which even
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190 | her enemies discounted, and executed on 19 May 1536.&nbsp; Her little
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191 | daughter was now in the same position as her half-sister, Princess
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192 | Mary.&nbsp; However, all of Europe and most Englishmen considered Mary to
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193 | be Henry's legitimate heir, despite legislation to the contrary.&nbsp; No
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194 | one believed Elizabeth to be more than the illegitimate daughter of the
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195 | king.&nbsp; Also, there were already disparaging rumors of her mother's
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196 | infidelities; perhaps the solemn, red-headed child was not the king's
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197 | after all?&nbsp; It was to Henry's (small) credit that he always
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198 | acknowledged Elizabeth as his own, and took pride in her intellectual
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199 | accomplishments.&nbsp; As she grew older, even Catholic courtiers noted
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200 | Elizabeth resembled her father more than Mary did.&nbsp; </P>
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201 | <P>Henry married Jane just twelve days after Anne's execution and his
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202 | long-awaited son, <A
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203 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fedward6.html">Prince
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204 | Edward</A>, was born in October 1537.&nbsp; Elizabeth participated in the
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205 | christening, carried by Thomas Seymour, the handsome young brother of the
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206 | queen.&nbsp; Jane died shortly after the birth of childbed fever.&nbsp;
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207 | Henry VIII married <A
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208 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fcleves.html">Anne of
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209 | Cleves</A> on Twelfth Night (6 January) 1541.&nbsp; The marriage was a disaster,
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210 | and Henry quickly divorced Anne and married <A
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211 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fhoward.html">Catherine
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212 | Howard</A>.&nbsp; Catherine was a cousin of Anne Boleyn; they were both
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213 | related to Thomas Howard, 3rd duke of Norfolk and perhaps Henry's most
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214 | nervous peer.&nbsp; The king enjoyed a brief few months of happiness with
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215 | his fifth wife.&nbsp; But Catherine was thirty years younger than Henry
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216 | and soon enough resumed an affair with a former lover.&nbsp; She was
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217 | executed in February 1543 and buried beside Anne Boleyn in the Tower of
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218 | London.&nbsp; </P>
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219 | <P>For Elizabeth, these changes in her father's marital fortunes did not
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220 | pass unnoticed.&nbsp; She was part of her half-brother Edward's household;
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221 | her days were spent mostly at lessons, with the occasional visit from her
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222 | father.&nbsp; As a child, no one expected her to comment upon her
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223 | various stepmothers.&nbsp; It was only when she reached adulthood and
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224 | became queen that its psychological effects were revealed.&nbsp; Elizabeth
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225 | had a dim view of romantic love and, given her father's example, who can
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226 | blame her?&nbsp; </P>
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227 | <P>It was Henry's sixth and final wife, <A
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228 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fparr.html">Katharine
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229 | Parr</A>, who had the greatest impact upon Elizabeth's life.&nbsp; A kind
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230 | woman who believed passionately in<img border="2" src="_httpdocimg_/eliz1-scrots.jpg" align="right" alt="Princess Elizabeth, c1546, attributed to William Scrots" width="370" height="495"> education and religious reform,
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231 | Katharine was a devoted stepmother.&nbsp; Understandably, she had far more
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232 | of an impact with the young Edward and Elizabeth than with Mary, who was
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233 | just four years her junior.&nbsp; Katharine arranged for 10 year old
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234 | Elizabeth to have the most distinguished tutors in England, foremost among
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235 | them Roger Ascham.&nbsp; As a result, Elizabeth was educated as well as
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236 | any legitimate prince, and she displayed a genuine love and aptitude for
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237 | her studies.&nbsp; 'Her mind has no womanly weakness,' Ascham would write
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238 | approvingly, 'her perseverance is equal to that of a man.'&nbsp; And
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239 | later, 'She readeth more Greek every day, than some Prebendaries of this
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240 | Church do in a whole week.'&nbsp; And so she did; Elizabeth's love of
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241 | scholarship never faltered and, in an age when women were considered
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242 | inferior to men, she was a glorious exception.&nbsp; </P>
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243 | <P>
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244 | Along with
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245 | such classical subjects as rhetoric, languages, philosophy, and history,
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246 | Elizabeth also studied theology.&nbsp; Ascham and her other tutors were
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247 | famous Cambridge humanists who supported the Protestant cause.&nbsp;
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248 | Likewise, Katharine Parr was devoted to the reformed faith.&nbsp; Unlike
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249 | their half-sister Mary, both Edward and Elizabeth were raised Protestant
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250 | during its most formative years.&nbsp; Yet while Edward was known for his
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251 | piety and didacticism, Elizabeth already displayed the pragmatic character
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252 | which would make her reign successful.&nbsp; She studied theology and
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253 | supported the Protestant cause; she had been raised to do so and knew
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254 | only Protestants recognized her parents' marriage.&nbsp; But she was never
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255 | openly passionate about religion, recognizing its divisive role in English
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256 | politics.&nbsp; </P>
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257 | <P>&nbsp;Most people viewed the adolescent Elizabeth as a serious young
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258 | woman who always carried a book with her, preternaturally composed.&nbsp;
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259 | She encouraged this perception, which was as accurate as any, by dressing
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260 | with a degree of severity virtually absent at the Tudor royal court.&nbsp;
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261 | But she was not so serious that she avoided all the material trappings of
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262 | her position.&nbsp; Her household accounts, which came under the
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263 | management of William Cecil (who later became her secretary of state),
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264 | show evidence of a cultivated and lively mind, as well as a love of
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265 | entertainment:&nbsp; fees for musicians, musical instruments, and a
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266 | variety of books.&nbsp; As she grew older and her position more prominent,
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267 | her household also expanded.&nbsp; During her brother Edward's reign, she
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268 | lived the life of a wealthy and privileged lady - and apparently enjoyed
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269 | it immensely.&nbsp; </P>
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270 | <P>Elizabeth was thirteen years old when her father died.&nbsp; They
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271 | were never particularly close though he treated her with affection on her
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272 | few visits to his court.&nbsp; He even occasionally discussed the
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273 | possibility of her marriage for, in the 16th century, royal bastards were
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274 | common and often used to great advantage in diplomacy.&nbsp; Under the
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275 | 1536 'Second Act of Succession', which declared both her and the 19 year
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276 | old Mary illegitimate, Parliament gave Henry the ability to determine his
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277 | children's status, as well as the actual succession.&nbsp; Typically for
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278 | Henry, he simply let both his daughters live as princesses and gave them
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279 | precedence over everyone at court except his current wife.&nbsp; But they
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280 | had no real claim to the title of 'princess' and were known as 'the lady
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281 | Elizabeth' and 'the lady Mary'.&nbsp; This was often followed by the
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282 | explanatory 'the king's daughter.'&nbsp; It was an awkward situation which
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283 | the king saw no reason to resolve.&nbsp; His will did recognize his
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284 | daughters' crucial place in the succession.&nbsp; If Edward died without
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285 | heirs, Mary would inherit the throne; if Mary died without heirs,
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286 | Elizabeth would become queen.&nbsp; He also left them the substantial
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287 | income of 3000 pds a year, the same amount for each daughter.&nbsp; </P>
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288 | <P>Did Elizabeth mourn her father?&nbsp; Undoubtedly so, for at least
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289 | under Henry VIII she was three steps from the throne and protected by his
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290 | rough paternal affection.&nbsp; After his death, she had good cause to
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291 | wish him alive again.&nbsp; Ten year old Edward was king in name
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292 | only.&nbsp; The rule of England was actually in the hands of his uncle,
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293 | the Lord Protector Edward Seymour, soon titled duke of Somerset.&nbsp;
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294 | Elizabeth was now separated from her brother's household, moving to
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295 | Katharine Parr's home in Chelsea.&nbsp; This was perhaps the happiest time
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296 | of her adolescence.&nbsp; </P>
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297 | <P>But Katharine married again quickly, to the man she had loved before
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298 | Henry VIII had claimed her.&nbsp; Her new husband was Thomas Seymour, the
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299 | younger brother of Lord Protector Somerset and uncle to the new King
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300 | Edward.&nbsp; He was handsome, charming, and very ambitious.&nbsp; He also
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301 | had terrible political instincts.&nbsp; Seymour was not content to be
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302 | husband of the Dowager Queen of England.&nbsp; He was jealous of his
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303 | brother's position and desperate to upstage him.&nbsp; And so he
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304 | inadvertently played into the hands of the equally ambitious John Dudley,
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305 | earl of Warwick.&nbsp; Dudley wished to destroy the Seymour protectorship
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306 | and seize power for himself.&nbsp; He allowed the feuding brothers to
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307 | destroy each other.&nbsp; </P>
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308 | <P>For Elizabeth, the main problem with Seymour was his inappropriate and
|
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309 | very flirtatious behavior.&nbsp; As a teenaged girl with little experience
|
---|
310 | of men, she was flattered by his attention and also a bit
|
---|
311 | frightened.&nbsp; Certainly it placed great strain on Katharine Parr, who
|
---|
312 | had become pregnant soon after her marriage.&nbsp; The queen originally
|
---|
313 | participated in Seymour's early morning raids into Elizabeth's room, where
|
---|
314 | he would tickle and wrestle with the girl in her nightdress.&nbsp; But
|
---|
315 | while Katharine considered this simple fun, her husband was more
|
---|
316 | serious.&nbsp; He soon had keys made for every room in their house and
|
---|
317 | started visiting Elizabeth while she was still asleep and he was clad in
|
---|
318 | just his nightshirt.&nbsp; She soon developed the habit of rising early;
|
---|
319 | when he appeared, her nose was safely in a book. Edward's council heard
|
---|
320 | rumors of these romps and investigated.&nbsp; Elizabeth proved herself
|
---|
321 | circumspect and clever; she managed to admit nothing which would
|
---|
322 | offend&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
323 | <P>She left the Seymour home for Hatfield House in May 1548, ostensibly
|
---|
324 | because the queen was 'undoubtful of health'.&nbsp; Elizabeth and
|
---|
325 | Katharine exchanged affectionate letters, but they would not meet
|
---|
326 | again.&nbsp; The queen died on 4 September 1548 of childbed fever.&nbsp;
|
---|
327 | </P>
|
---|
328 | <P>After her death, Seymour's position became more dangerous.&nbsp; It was
|
---|
329 | rumored that he wished to marry Elizabeth and thus secure the throne of
|
---|
330 | England in case Edward died young.&nbsp; He had already bought the
|
---|
331 | wardship of <A
|
---|
332 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html">Lady Jane
|
---|
333 | Grey</A>, a Tudor cousin and heir in Henry VIII's will.&nbsp; He planned
|
---|
334 | to marry Jane and Edward, thus securing primary influence with his
|
---|
335 | nephew.&nbsp; Eventually, his grandiose plans unraveled and he was
|
---|
336 | arrested.&nbsp; Perhaps the most damning charge was his planned marriage
|
---|
337 | to Elizabeth.&nbsp; Immediately, the council sent Sir Robert Tyrwhit to
|
---|
338 | Hatfield with the mission to take control of Elizabeth's household and
|
---|
339 | gain her confession.&nbsp; He immediately arrested Elizabeth's beloved
|
---|
340 | governess Kat Ashley and her cofferer, Thomas Parry; they were sent to the
|
---|
341 | Tower.&nbsp; Now, Tyrwhit told the princess, confess all; he wanted
|
---|
342 | confirmation of the charge that Seymour and Elizabeth planned to
|
---|
343 | wed.&nbsp; If she confessed, Tyrwhit said, she would be forgiven for she
|
---|
344 | was young and foolish - her servants should have protected her.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
345 | <P>
|
---|
346 | <IMG height=122 alt="Elizabeth's signature as Princess of England"
|
---|
347 | src="_httpdocimg_/elizsig-sm.jpg" width=200 align=left border=2>Elizabeth did not hesitate to demonstrate her own wit and
|
---|
348 | learning.&nbsp; Indeed, she drove Tyrwhit to exasperation; 'in no way will
|
---|
349 | she confess any practice by Mistress Ashley or the cofferer concerning my
|
---|
350 | lord Admiral; and yet I do see it in her face that she is guilty and do
|
---|
351 | perceive as yet she will abide more storms ere she accuse Mistress
|
---|
352 | Ashley,' he wrote to Somerset, 'I do assure your Grace she hath a very
|
---|
353 | good wit and nothing is gotten of her but by great policy.'&nbsp;
|
---|
354 | Elizabeth refused to scapegoat her loyal servants and defiantly asserted
|
---|
355 | her complete innocence.&nbsp; She told Tyrwhit she cared nothing for the
|
---|
356 | Admiral and when he had mentioned some vague possibility of marriage, she
|
---|
357 | had referred him to the council.&nbsp; She also secured permission to
|
---|
358 | write to Somerset and, upon doing so, demanded a public apology be made
|
---|
359 | regarding her innocence.&nbsp; She also demanded the return of her loyal
|
---|
360 | servants for if they did not return, she said, her guilt would be
|
---|
361 | assumed.&nbsp; She read Ashley and Parry's 'confessions' in which they
|
---|
362 | described Seymour's romps with her at Katharine Parr's home.&nbsp; The
|
---|
363 | details were undoubtedly embarrassing but she recognized their
|
---|
364 | harmlessness.&nbsp; In short, she demonstrated every aspect of her
|
---|
365 | formidable intelligence and determination.&nbsp; Poor Tyrwhit left for
|
---|
366 | London with no damaging confession.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
367 | <P>But the council didn't need Elizabeth's confession to execute
|
---|
368 | Seymour.&nbsp; He was charged with thirty-three other crimes, and he
|
---|
369 | answered only three of the charges.&nbsp; He was not given a trial; a
|
---|
370 | messy execution was always best passed by a Bill of Attainder.&nbsp; He
|
---|
371 | was executed on 20 March 1549, dying 'very dangerously, irksomely,
|
---|
372 | horribly... a wicked man and the realm is well rid of him.'&nbsp; Contrary
|
---|
373 | to some biographies, Elizabeth did not say, 'This day died a man with much
|
---|
374 | wit, and very little judgment.'&nbsp; The 17th century Italian novelist
|
---|
375 | Leti invented this, as well as several forged letters long supposed to be
|
---|
376 | hers.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
377 | <P>Soon enough, Seymour's brother followed him to the scaffold.&nbsp;
|
---|
378 | Somerset was a kind man in private life and genuinely dedicated to
|
---|
379 | economic and religious reform in England but, as a politician, he failed
|
---|
380 | miserably.&nbsp; He lacked charisma and confidence; he preferred to bully
|
---|
381 | and bluster his way through council meetings.&nbsp; He simply did not
|
---|
382 | understand how to manage the divisive personalities of Edward VI's privy
|
---|
383 | council.&nbsp; Meanwhile, John Dudley had been quietly manipulating other
|
---|
384 | councilors and the young king to gain ascendancy.&nbsp; Upon Somerset's
|
---|
385 | execution, Dudley became Lord Protector; he was also titled duke of
|
---|
386 | Northumberland.&nbsp; He was the first non-royal Englishman given that
|
---|
387 | title.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
388 | <P>For Elizabeth, these events were merely background noise at
|
---|
389 | first.&nbsp; Dudley took pains to cultivate a friendship with her, which
|
---|
390 | she wisely avoided.&nbsp; He sent her and Mary amiable letters.&nbsp;
|
---|
391 | Since Mary was a Catholic, and Dudley a Protestant who had benefited
|
---|
392 | materially from the Reformation, he was necessarily more friendly to
|
---|
393 | Elizabeth.&nbsp; For example, Edward VI had given Dudley Hatfield House,
|
---|
394 | which was currently Elizabeth's residence.&nbsp; Dudley graciously
|
---|
395 | returned it to her in exchange for lesser lands in her possession.&nbsp;
|
---|
396 | He also passed the patents to her lands, which allowed her more
|
---|
397 | income.&nbsp; This, of course, should have been done at Henry VIII's
|
---|
398 | death.&nbsp; So Elizabeth at first benefited from Dudley's rise to
|
---|
399 | power.&nbsp; She was now a well-respected and popular princess, a landed
|
---|
400 | lady in her own right with a large income and keen mind.&nbsp; She was
|
---|
401 | also an heir to the English throne, though still officially recognized as
|
---|
402 | a bastard.&nbsp; But she was shown every respect, and a degree of
|
---|
403 | affection from Edward VI completely lacking in his relations with their
|
---|
404 | sister Mary.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
405 | <P>Their mutual faith was an important connection with the increasingly
|
---|
406 | devout Edward.&nbsp; Elizabeth visited Court occasionally, corresponded
|
---|
407 | with her brother, and continued her studies mainly at Hatfield.&nbsp; She
|
---|
408 | had always been excessively cautious and very intelligent, qualities she
|
---|
409 | displayed to great effect during the Seymour crisis.&nbsp; The only time
|
---|
410 | in her life when she demonstrated any recklessness had been during the
|
---|
411 | Seymour debacle; she had learned its lesson well.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
412 | <P>She also cultivated the image of a sober Protestant young lady.&nbsp;
|
---|
413 | When queen, she became known for her love of beautiful gowns and
|
---|
414 | jewels.&nbsp; But before 1558, she took care to dress soberly, the image
|
---|
415 | of chastity and modesty.&nbsp; This was perhaps a conscious attempt to
|
---|
416 | distance herself from Mary, a typical Catholic princess who dressed in all
|
---|
417 | the glittering and garish finery she could afford.&nbsp; It is an ironic
|
---|
418 | note on Mary's character that she has become known as a dour, plain woman;
|
---|
419 | she was as fond of clothes and jewelry as her sister would become.&nbsp;
|
---|
420 | It was Elizabeth who dressed plainly, most often in severely cut black or
|
---|
421 | white gowns.&nbsp; She wore each color to great effect.&nbsp; She had
|
---|
422 | matured into a tall, slender and striking girl, with a fair, unblemished
|
---|
423 | complexion and the famous Tudor red hair.&nbsp; She wore her hair loose
|
---|
424 | and did not use cosmetics.&nbsp; When she traveled about the countryside,
|
---|
425 | crowds gathered to see her, a Protestant princess renowned for her virtue
|
---|
426 | and learning, her appearance modest and pleasing.&nbsp; In this respect,
|
---|
427 | she was emulated by her cousin Jane Grey.&nbsp; When Jane was invited to a
|
---|
428 | reception for Mary of Guise, the regent of Scotland, Mary Tudor sent her
|
---|
429 | 'some goodly apparel of tinsel cloth of gold and velvet laid on with
|
---|
430 | parchment lace of gold.'&nbsp; Jane, a devout Protestant, was offended;
|
---|
431 | such apparel reflected the material trappings of Catholicism.&nbsp; When
|
---|
432 | her parents insisted she wear it, Jane replied, 'Nay, that were a shame to
|
---|
433 | follow my Lady Mary against God's word, and leave my Lady Elizabeth, which
|
---|
434 | followeth God's word.'&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
435 | <P>Elizabeth was honorably and extravagantly received at her brother's
|
---|
436 | court.&nbsp; For example, on 17 March 1552, she arrived at St James's
|
---|
437 | Palace with 'a great company of lords, knights and gentlemen' along with
|
---|
438 | over 200 ladies and a company of yeomen.&nbsp; Two days later she left St
|
---|
439 | James for Whitehall Palace, her procession accompanied by a grand
|
---|
440 | collection of nobles.&nbsp; The visit was a marked success for Edward was
|
---|
441 | open in his affection.&nbsp; She was his 'sweet sister Temperance,' unlike
|
---|
442 | Mary who continued to defy his religious policy.&nbsp; The Primary Sources
|
---|
443 | section of this site contains an excerpt from Edward VI's journal in which
|
---|
444 | he records a religious argument with Mary.&nbsp; In that matter, Elizabeth
|
---|
445 | remained distant, preferring to let her siblings argue without her.&nbsp;
|
---|
446 | </P>
|
---|
447 | <P>Edward's ministers, especially after the Seymour affair, were careful
|
---|
448 | with her.&nbsp; Dudley recognized Elizabeth's formidable
|
---|
449 | intelligence.&nbsp; When Edward VI became ill in 1553 and it was clear he
|
---|
450 | would not survive, Dudley had a desperate plan to save himself from Mary
|
---|
451 | I's Catholic rule - place Henry VIII's niece, Lady Jane Grey on the
|
---|
452 | throne.&nbsp; (This is discussed in great length at the <A
|
---|
453 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html">Lady Jane
|
---|
454 | Grey</A> site.)&nbsp; Simply put, Dudley believed he would be supported
|
---|
455 | because Jane was Protestant and the English would not want the Catholic
|
---|
456 | Mary on the throne.&nbsp; Of course, the question arises - Elizabeth was
|
---|
457 | Protestant, so why not put her on the throne instead of Jane?&nbsp; The
|
---|
458 | main reason is that Dudley was well aware that Elizabeth Tudor would not
|
---|
459 | be his puppet, unlike Jane Grey whom he had married to his son
|
---|
460 | Guildford.&nbsp; As for Edward VI, he went along with the plan because of
|
---|
461 | two main reasons: Elizabeth was illegitimate so there might be resistance
|
---|
462 | to her rule and, as a princess, she might be persuaded to marry a foreign
|
---|
463 | prince and England would fall under foreign control.&nbsp; Jane was
|
---|
464 | already safely wed to an Englishman.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
465 | <P>
|
---|
466 | <IMG height=228
|
---|
467 | alt="a profile portrait of Elizabeth's half-brother, King Edward VI"
|
---|
468 | src="_httpdocimg_/edward4-cr.jpg" width=150 border=2 align="left">Edward VI's decision should not indicate any great dislike of
|
---|
469 | Elizabeth.&nbsp; He was primarily determined to preserve the Protestant
|
---|
470 | regime in England.&nbsp; He believed this was necessary for his personal
|
---|
471 | and political salvation.&nbsp; He was also practical.&nbsp; He
|
---|
472 | disinherited Mary because of her Catholicism; however, it was officially
|
---|
473 | sanctioned because of her illegitimacy.&nbsp; Like Elizabeth, Mary had her
|
---|
474 | illegitimacy established by an act of Parliament during Henry VIII's
|
---|
475 | reign.&nbsp; Since he had ostensibly disinherited Mary because of this
|
---|
476 | act, he couldn't let Elizabeth inherit - it simply wasn't logical.&nbsp;
|
---|
477 | So the throne would pass to the legitimate - and Protestant - Lady Jane
|
---|
478 | Grey.&nbsp; As most know, she ruled for just nine days before Mary became
|
---|
479 | queen of England.&nbsp; It should be noted that Edward originally told
|
---|
480 | Dudley that, though he didn't want Mary to succeed him, he saw no logical
|
---|
481 | reason for Elizabeth to be disowned.&nbsp; It was Dudley who pointed out
|
---|
482 | the logical inconsistency - that Mary 'could not be put by unless the Lady
|
---|
483 | Elizabeth were put by also.'&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
484 | <P>Dudley attempted to place Mary and Elizabeth in his power while Edward
|
---|
485 | was dying.&nbsp; He knew that if he imprisoned the two princesses, they
|
---|
486 | would be unable to rouse popular support against his plan.&nbsp; But if
|
---|
487 | that failed, he was determined to prevent them from seeing Edward,
|
---|
488 | especially Elizabeth.&nbsp; Dudley feared that Edward's affection for his
|
---|
489 | sister, and Elizabeth's cleverness, might persuade Edward to rewrite his
|
---|
490 | will in her favor.&nbsp; Like her sister, Elizabeth would undoubtedly
|
---|
491 | destroy Dudley, making him the scapegoat for Edward's ineffectual
|
---|
492 | regime.&nbsp; In fact, Elizabeth had suspected her brother was ill and set
|
---|
493 | out from Hatfield to visit him just a few weeks before Edward died, but
|
---|
494 | Dudley's men intercepted her and sent her home.&nbsp; She then wrote her
|
---|
495 | brother a number of letters, inquiring about his health and asking
|
---|
496 | permission to come to Court.&nbsp; These were intercepted as well.&nbsp;
|
---|
497 | </P>
|
---|
498 | <P>But as Edward's health continued to deteriorate and death was imminent,
|
---|
499 | Dudley sent a message to Hatfield, ordering Elizabeth to Greenwich
|
---|
500 | Palace.&nbsp; She may have been warned of his intentions - more likely she
|
---|
501 | guessed them.&nbsp; She refused the summons, taking to her bed with a
|
---|
502 | sudden illness.&nbsp; As a further precaution, her doctor sent a letter to
|
---|
503 | the council certifying she was too ill for travel.&nbsp; As for Mary,
|
---|
504 | Dudley had told her that Edward desired her presence; it would be a
|
---|
505 | comfort to him during his illness.&nbsp; She was torn - though Dudley hid
|
---|
506 | the true extent of the king's illness, the Imperial ambassador had kept
|
---|
507 | Mary informed.&nbsp; He was the agent of her cousin, the Holy Roman
|
---|
508 | Emperor Charles V; Mary's mother had been his aunt.&nbsp; Conscious of her
|
---|
509 | sisterly duty, Mary set out for Greenwich from Hunsdon the day before
|
---|
510 | Edward died.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
511 | <P>Dudley was enraged by Elizabeth's refusal but he could do
|
---|
512 | nothing.&nbsp; Soon enough, events moved too quickly for the princess to
|
---|
513 | be his primary concern.&nbsp; It was being whispered that Dudley had
|
---|
514 | poisoned the king to place his daughter-in-law on the throne.&nbsp; Of
|
---|
515 | course, this was untrue since Dudley needed Edward to live as long as
|
---|
516 | possible for his plan to work.&nbsp; To this end, he had engaged a female
|
---|
517 | 'witch' to help prolong the king's life.&nbsp; She concocted a mix of
|
---|
518 | arsenic and other drugs; they worked, at least for Dudley's purpose.&nbsp;
|
---|
519 | The young king lived for a few more weeks though he suffered
|
---|
520 | terribly.&nbsp; Finally, on 6 July 1553, Edward VI died.&nbsp;
|
---|
521 | Immediately, Dudley had Jane Grey proclaimed queen, an honor she had not
|
---|
522 | sought and did not want.&nbsp; It was only Dudley's appeal to her
|
---|
523 | religious convictions which convinced her to accept the throne.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
524 | <P>Meanwhile, Jane's cousin, Mary Tudor, was still on her way to Greenwich
|
---|
525 | to see her brother, until a sympathizer (sent by Nicholas Throckmorton or
|
---|
526 | William Cecil) rode out to meet her; the summons was a trap, he told her,
|
---|
527 | and Dudley intended to imprison her.&nbsp; Mary rode to East Anglia, the
|
---|
528 | conservative section of England where her support would be
|
---|
529 | strongest.&nbsp; Eventually she would realize the true extent of her
|
---|
530 | support.&nbsp; Protestants and Catholics alike rallied to her cause since
|
---|
531 | she was Henry VIII's daughter and the true heir under his will.&nbsp; As
|
---|
532 | she left for East Anglia, she didn't know her brother was already dead but
|
---|
533 | she sent a note to the Imperial ambassador Simon Renard; once she knew of
|
---|
534 | Edward's death, she said, she would declare herself queen.&nbsp; She sent
|
---|
535 | another note to Dudley, telling him she was too ill to travel.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
536 | <P>The failure of Dudley's ambitions is discussed at the <A
|
---|
537 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html">Lady Jane
|
---|
538 | Grey</A> site.&nbsp; Suffice to say, he was overthrown and executed and
|
---|
539 | Mary Tudor, at the age of thirty-seven, was declared queen of England in
|
---|
540 | her own right.&nbsp; During the nine days of Jane's reign, Elizabeth had
|
---|
541 | continued her pretense of illness.&nbsp; It was rumored that Dudley had
|
---|
542 | sent councilors to her, offering a large bribe if she would just renounce
|
---|
543 | her claim to the throne.&nbsp; Elizabeth refused, remarking, 'You must
|
---|
544 | first make this agreement with my elder sister, during whose lifetime I
|
---|
545 | have no claim or title to resign.'&nbsp; So she remained at her beloved
|
---|
546 | Hatfield, deliberately avoiding a commitment one way or another.&nbsp;
|
---|
547 | When word reached her that Mary was finally queen, she sent a letter of
|
---|
548 | congratulation to her sister and set off for London.&nbsp; On 29 July, she
|
---|
549 | entered the capital with 2000 mounted men wearing the green and white
|
---|
550 | Tudor colors.&nbsp; There she awaited Mary's official arrival into the
|
---|
551 | city.&nbsp; On 31 July, Elizabeth rode with her attendant nobles along the
|
---|
552 | Strand and through the City to Colchester, the same path her sister would
|
---|
553 | take.&nbsp; It was here she would receive her sister as queen.&nbsp; They
|
---|
554 | had not seen each other for about five years.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
555 | <P>Mary had always disliked her half-sister for many reasons, not least
|
---|
556 | because she sensed an innate shiftiness in Elizabeth's character.&nbsp;
|
---|
557 | Elizabeth, Mary believed, was never to be trusted.&nbsp; Originally, this
|
---|
558 | dislike was because of Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn.&nbsp; Mary had
|
---|
559 | long blamed Anne for her own mother's tragic end as well as the alienation
|
---|
560 | of her father's affections.&nbsp; After Anne died and Elizabeth, too, was
|
---|
561 | declared illegitimate, Mary found other reasons to hate Elizabeth, chief
|
---|
562 | among them religion.&nbsp; Like her mother, Mary was a devout Catholic;
|
---|
563 | she recognized Elizabeth's lack of religious zeal.&nbsp;<img border="2" src="_httpdocimg_/elizsister.jpg" align="right" alt="portrait of Elizabeth's half-sister, Queen Mary I; she ruled England from 1553 to 1558" width="350" height="522"> But at her
|
---|
564 | accession, the moment of her great triumph, she was prepared to be
|
---|
565 | conciliatory.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
566 | <P>Mary ordered that Elizabeth share her triumphal march through
|
---|
567 | London.&nbsp; Their processions met at Wanstead on 2 August.&nbsp; There,
|
---|
568 | Elizabeth dismounted and knelt in the road before her sister.&nbsp; Mary
|
---|
569 | dismounted and raised her sister, embracing and kissing her with
|
---|
570 | affection.&nbsp; She even held her hand as they spoke.&nbsp; Their two
|
---|
571 | parties entered London together, the sisters riding side by side.&nbsp;
|
---|
572 | The contrast between their physical appearances could not have been more
|
---|
573 | striking.&nbsp; Mary, at thirty-seven, was old beyond her years.&nbsp; An
|
---|
574 | adulthood passed in anxiety and tribulation had marred her health and
|
---|
575 | appearance.&nbsp; She was small like her mother and thin, with Katharine's
|
---|
576 | deep, almost gruff voice.&nbsp; Elizabeth was nineteen years old, taller
|
---|
577 | than her sister and slender.&nbsp; While Mary was richly attired in
|
---|
578 | velvets covered in jewels and gold, Elizabeth was dressed in her usual
|
---|
579 | strikingly severe style.&nbsp; Neither sister was conventionally beautiful
|
---|
580 | but onlookers commented upon Mary's open compassion and kindness and
|
---|
581 | Elizabeth's innate majesty.&nbsp; And since Mary was thirty-seven, quite
|
---|
582 | old to have a child, Elizabeth was viewed as her probable heir.&nbsp; As
|
---|
583 | such, she was cheered as much as the new queen.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
584 | <P>On 1 October, Elizabeth rode to Mary's coronation with Henry VIII's
|
---|
585 | discarded fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.&nbsp; She was once again accorded a
|
---|
586 | place of honor amongst the English ladies, though not the highest position
|
---|
587 | as was her due.&nbsp; The Imperial ambassador Renard reported that she
|
---|
588 | spoke often with the French ambassador de Noailles.&nbsp; For his part, de
|
---|
589 | Noailles reported that Elizabeth complained her coronet was too heavy and
|
---|
590 | made her head ache.&nbsp; He replied to her that, God willing, she would
|
---|
591 | soon wear a heavier crown.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
592 | <P>This was dangerous talk, as Elizabeth soon discovered.&nbsp; Mary's
|
---|
593 | mood was fickle regarding her clever half-sister.&nbsp; For every kind
|
---|
594 | word or gesture, there were public statements dismissing Henry VIII as
|
---|
595 | Elizabeth's father, or allowing distant cousins precedent at court.&nbsp;
|
---|
596 | It was simply impossible for Mary to forget the past, etched so acutely
|
---|
597 | upon her spirit.&nbsp; She could not like Elizabeth, nor trust her.&nbsp;
|
---|
598 | Elizabeth responded to this emotional hostility by retreating to
|
---|
599 | Hatfield.&nbsp; There she continued her studies and attempted to remain
|
---|
600 | safe in the morass of English politics.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
601 | <P>But however much she might wish for peace, she was not to have
|
---|
602 | it.&nbsp; She was destined to be the focal point for all discontent over
|
---|
603 | Mary's reign.&nbsp; And there was soon much reason for discontent.&nbsp;
|
---|
604 | Edward VI's council had left the economy in shambles; currency was debased
|
---|
605 | and near worthless.&nbsp; There was a series of bad harvests.&nbsp; Prices
|
---|
606 | rose and discontent spread.&nbsp; And worst of all, Mary soon decided to
|
---|
607 | marry King Philip II of Spain, son and heir of Charles V.&nbsp; This was
|
---|
608 | yet another example of her inability to forget the past.&nbsp; Philip
|
---|
609 | represented the homeland of her beloved mother, and a chance to bring all
|
---|
610 | the weight of the Holy Roman Empire to bear upon the heretics of
|
---|
611 | England.&nbsp; Mary was determined to turn back the clock on twenty years
|
---|
612 | of religious reform and make England a Catholic nation again.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
613 | <P>Understandably, her subjects were less than thrilled.&nbsp; Even
|
---|
614 | English Catholics did not want their country to become a powerless
|
---|
615 | appendage of the Hapsburg empire.&nbsp; Certainly a queen had to marry,
|
---|
616 | but not the emperor's son!&nbsp; In this climate of rebellion and
|
---|
617 | repression, Elizabeth's life was in great danger.&nbsp; It could not be
|
---|
618 | otherwise; she was the only alternative to Mary's rule.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
619 | <P>Elizabeth conformed outwardly to the Catholic faith.&nbsp; But she
|
---|
620 | could not distance herself too much from her Protestant supporters.&nbsp;
|
---|
621 | When Sir Thomas Wyatt, the son of her mother's great poetic admirer, led a
|
---|
622 | rebellion in January 1554, matters came to an unpleasant impasse.&nbsp;
|
---|
623 | Wyatt had written to Elizabeth that he intended to overthrow Mary but his
|
---|
624 | letter was intercepted, as was a letter from de Noailles to the king of
|
---|
625 | France.&nbsp; His letter implied that Elizabeth knew of the revolt in
|
---|
626 | advance, and repeated rumors that she was off gathering armed
|
---|
627 | supporters.&nbsp; The government was able to suppress the rebellion before
|
---|
628 | it spread very far and Wyatt was arrested.&nbsp; Mary's council could find
|
---|
629 | no real proof that de Noailles's suppositions were true but they decided
|
---|
630 | to summon Elizabeth back to London for questioning.&nbsp; She was
|
---|
631 | understandably frightened and ill; she sent word that she could not
|
---|
632 | travel.&nbsp; Two of Mary's personal physicians were sent to evaluate her
|
---|
633 | condition.&nbsp; They diagnosed 'watery humors' and perhaps an
|
---|
634 | inflammation of the kidneys.&nbsp; She was ill, they reported, but not too
|
---|
635 | ill to travel the 30 miles to London in the queen's own litter.&nbsp;
|
---|
636 | Three of the queen's councilors - Howard, Hastings, and Cornwallis, all of
|
---|
637 | whom were friendly with Elizabeth - escorted her back to London.&nbsp;
|
---|
638 | They traveled quite slowly, covering just six miles a day.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
639 | <P>Elizabeth kept the curtains of the litter pulled back as she entered
|
---|
640 | the city, and the citizens were able to see her pale, frightened
|
---|
641 | face.&nbsp; She had good cause for her fear; the heads and corpses of
|
---|
642 | Wyatt and his supporters were thrust upon spikes and gibbets throughout
|
---|
643 | the city.&nbsp; The queen waited for her at Whitehall but they did not
|
---|
644 | meet immediately.&nbsp; First, Elizabeth's household was dismissed and she
|
---|
645 | was told that she must undergo close interrogation about her
|
---|
646 | activities.&nbsp; She was questioned by the unfriendly bishop of
|
---|
647 | Winchester, Stephen Gardiner, but she was not intimidated.&nbsp; She
|
---|
648 | denied any involvement in the rebellion and repeatedly asked to see the
|
---|
649 | queen.&nbsp; But she was told that Mary was leaving for Oxford where she
|
---|
650 | would hold a Parliament.&nbsp; Elizabeth would be leaving Whitehall as
|
---|
651 | well, though at first the council could not decide where to send
|
---|
652 | her.&nbsp; No councilor wanted the responsibility of keeping her in close
|
---|
653 | confinement at their homes; it was too unpleasant and potentially
|
---|
654 | dangerous.&nbsp; And so Gardiner and Renard had their way and she went to
|
---|
655 | the Tower of London.&nbsp; The earl of Sussex and the marquess of
|
---|
656 | Winchester were sent to escort her from Whitehall.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
657 | <P>Elizabeth was terrified.&nbsp; The mere mention of the Tower was enough
|
---|
658 | to shatter her already fragile nerves.&nbsp; She begged to be allowed to
|
---|
659 | write to her sister, and the men agreed.&nbsp; The letter was long,
|
---|
660 | rambling, and repetitious - proof of her fear and trepidation:&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
661 | <BLOCKQUOTE>
|
---|
662 | <p>I have heard in my time of many cast away for want of coming
|
---|
663 | to the presence of their Prince....&nbsp; Therefore once again kneeling
|
---|
664 | with humbleness of my heart, because I am not suffered to bow the knees
|
---|
665 | of my body, I humbly crave to speak with your Highness, which I would
|
---|
666 | not be so bold to desire if I knew not myself most clear as I know
|
---|
667 | myself most true.&nbsp; And as for the traitor Wyatt, he might
|
---|
668 | peradventure write me a letter but on my faith I never received any from
|
---|
669 | him; and as for the copy of my letter sent to the French king, I pray
|
---|
670 | God confound me eternally if ever I sent him word, message, token or
|
---|
671 | letter by any means, and to this truth I will stand it to my
|
---|
672 | death.&nbsp; <BR>....Let conscience move your Highness to take some
|
---|
673 | better way with me than to make me be condemned in all men's sight afore
|
---|
674 | my desert know.</p>
|
---|
675 | </BLOCKQUOTE>
|
---|
676 | <p>After finishing, she carefully drew lines
|
---|
677 | throughout the rest of the blank sheet so no forgeries could be added, and
|
---|
678 | she signed it 'I humbly crave but one word of answer from yourself.&nbsp;
|
---|
679 | Your Highness's most faithful subject that hath been from the beginning
|
---|
680 | and will be to my end, Elizabeth'.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
681 | <P>The letter had taken too long to write; they had missed the tide.&nbsp;
|
---|
682 | They could wait a few hours and take her to the Tower in the darkest part
|
---|
683 | of night, but the council disagreed.&nbsp; There could be an attempt to
|
---|
684 | rescue her under cover of darkness.&nbsp; They decided to wait until the
|
---|
685 | next morning, Palm Sunday, when the streets would be nearly deserted since
|
---|
686 | everyone would be in church.&nbsp; Meanwhile, her letter was sent to Mary
|
---|
687 | who received it angrily and refused to read it through.&nbsp; She had not
|
---|
688 | given permission for it to be written or sent, and she rebuked her
|
---|
689 | councilors fiercely.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
690 | <P>The next morning, 17 March 1554, arrived cold and grey; there was a
|
---|
691 | steady rain.&nbsp; At 9 o'clock in the morning, Elizabeth was taken from
|
---|
692 | her rooms and through the garden to where the barge waited.&nbsp; She was
|
---|
693 | accompanied by six of her ladies and two gentleman-attendants.&nbsp; She
|
---|
694 | waited under a canopy until the barge began to slow; she then saw that
|
---|
695 | they would enter beneath Traitor's Gate, beneath St Thomas's Tower.&nbsp;
|
---|
696 | This was the traditional entrance for prisoners returned to their cells
|
---|
697 | after trial at Westminster.&nbsp; The sight terrified her and she begged
|
---|
698 | to be allowed entry by any other gate.&nbsp; Her request was
|
---|
699 | refused.&nbsp; She was offered a cloak to protect her from the rain but
|
---|
700 | she pushed it aside angrily.&nbsp; Upon stepping onto the landing, she
|
---|
701 | declared, 'Here landeth as true a subject, being prisoner, as ever landed
|
---|
702 | at these stairs.&nbsp; Before Thee, O God, do I speak it, having no other
|
---|
703 | friend but Thee alone.'&nbsp; She then noticed the yeoman warders gathered
|
---|
704 | to receive her beyond the gate.&nbsp; 'Oh Lord,' she said loudly, 'I never
|
---|
705 | thought to have come in here as a prisoner, and I pray you all bear me
|
---|
706 | witness that I come in as no traitor but as true a woman to the Queen's
|
---|
707 | Majesty as any as is now living.'&nbsp; Several of the warders stepped
|
---|
708 | forward and bowed before her, and one called out, 'God preserve your
|
---|
709 | Grace.'&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
710 | <P>She still refused to enter the Tower.&nbsp; After the warder's
|
---|
711 | declaration, she sat upon a stone and would not move.&nbsp; The Lieutenant
|
---|
712 | of the Tower, Sir John Brydges, said to her, 'You had best come in,
|
---|
713 | Madame, for here you sit unwholesomely.'&nbsp; Elizabeth replied with
|
---|
714 | feeling, 'Better sit here, than in a worse place, for God knoweth where
|
---|
715 | you will bring me.'&nbsp; And so she sat until one of her attendants burst
|
---|
716 | into tears.&nbsp; She was taken to the Bell Tower, a small corner tower
|
---|
717 | beside Brydges's own lodgings.&nbsp; Her room was on the first floor, and
|
---|
718 | had a large fireplace with three small windows.&nbsp; Down the passageway
|
---|
719 | from the door were three latrines which hung over the moat.&nbsp; It was
|
---|
720 | not as destitute or uncomfortable as she had feared, but it was still the
|
---|
721 | Tower of London and she was a prisoner.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
722 | <P>This was the beginning of one of the most trying times of her
|
---|
723 | life.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
724 | <P>Elizabeth spent just two months in the Tower of London, but she had no
|
---|
725 | idea that her stay would be so brief - and it did not feel particularly
|
---|
726 | brief.&nbsp; She truly believed some harm would come to her and she dwelt
|
---|
727 | most upon the possibility of poison.&nbsp; She knew Mary hated her and
|
---|
728 | that many of her councilors constantly spoke ill of her, encouraging
|
---|
729 | either her imprisonment or execution.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
730 | <P>However, Elizabeth had enough popular support that she would not face
|
---|
731 | death at her sister's orders.&nbsp; But Lady Jane Grey, the unfortunate
|
---|
732 | Nine Days' Queen, and her husband were neither so popular or lucky.&nbsp;
|
---|
733 | They, too, had lived in the Tower under threat of execution; both had been
|
---|
734 | convicted of treason.&nbsp; But Mary had always been fond of Jane and was
|
---|
735 | close friends with her mother Frances; she allowed her cousin to live very
|
---|
736 | comfortably in the Tower while her fate remained undecided.&nbsp; Mary
|
---|
737 | probably intended to release Jane as soon as the country settled under her
|
---|
738 | own rule.&nbsp; But Renard wanted both Jane and her husband
|
---|
739 | executed.&nbsp; He warned Mary that the emperor would not allow Philip to
|
---|
740 | enter England as long as Jane lived.&nbsp; She was a traitor, and it was
|
---|
741 | only a matter of time before the Protestants tried to place either Jane or
|
---|
742 | Elizabeth upon the throne.&nbsp; Mary was not persuaded by Renard's
|
---|
743 | arguments, but his threat carried greater force - she wanted to marry
|
---|
744 | Philip and he would not come to England until it was safe.&nbsp; The small
|
---|
745 | rebellion led by Jane's father clearly did not help matters.&nbsp; And so
|
---|
746 | Jane and the equally unfortunate Guildford Dudley were executed.&nbsp;
|
---|
747 | Elizabeth herself arrived at the Tower just six weeks later, and her
|
---|
748 | cousin's fate must have weighed heavily on her mind.&nbsp; After all, she
|
---|
749 | and Jane had lived and studied together briefly under Katharine Parr's
|
---|
750 | tutelage, and Jane's admiration of Elizabeth had been open and
|
---|
751 | obvious.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
752 | <P>It was abundantly clear to Elizabeth that her position was precarious
|
---|
753 | and dangerous.&nbsp; During the first weeks of her imprisonment, she was
|
---|
754 | allowed to take exercise along the Tower walls but when a small child
|
---|
755 | began to give her flowers and other gifts, Brydges was told to keep her
|
---|
756 | indoors.&nbsp; Elizabeth had always been active, both physically and
|
---|
757 | mentally.&nbsp; She chafed at her confinement and its boring
|
---|
758 | routine.&nbsp; She was occasionally interrogated by members of Mary's
|
---|
759 | council, but she held firm to her innocence.&nbsp; She had faced such
|
---|
760 | interrogations during Thomas Seymour's fall from grace, and could not be
|
---|
761 | easily intimidated.&nbsp; Still, the stress - which she handled with
|
---|
762 | outward aplomb - took its toll on her physical health.&nbsp; She lost
|
---|
763 | weight, and became prone to headaches and stomach problems.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
764 | <P>Ironically enough, it was the impending arrival of Philip of Spain
|
---|
765 | which led to her freedom.&nbsp; Renard had urged Mary to execute Jane and
|
---|
766 | imprison Elizabeth so that Philip would be safe in England.&nbsp; Philip,
|
---|
767 | however, was far more sensitive to the political implications of such an
|
---|
768 | act.&nbsp; He knew the English were acutely sensitive to any shift in
|
---|
769 | Mary's policies simply because she had chosen to marry a foreigner.&nbsp;
|
---|
770 | If she made an unpopular decision, it would be blamed upon his
|
---|
771 | influence.&nbsp; He knew, too, that the Protestant faith was still popular
|
---|
772 | in the country, and that Elizabeth embodied its greatest hope.&nbsp; If
|
---|
773 | she were harmed in any way, his arrival in England would be even more
|
---|
774 | unpopular and dangerous.&nbsp; And the Wyatt rebellion had merely
|
---|
775 | reinforced Philip's natural inclination to tread lightly.&nbsp; His
|
---|
776 | intention was to wed Mary, be crowned king of England, and find a suitable
|
---|
777 | husband for Elizabeth, preferably one of his Hapsburg relations.&nbsp;
|
---|
778 | Then, if Mary died without bearing a child, England would remain within
|
---|
779 | the Hapsburg sphere of influence, a willing and useful adjunct of the
|
---|
780 | empire.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
781 | <P>Accordingly, Philip wrote to Mary and advised that Elizabeth be set at
|
---|
782 | liberty.&nbsp; This conciliatory gesture was not appreciated by Mary,
|
---|
783 | always inclined to believe the worst in her half-sister, but - once again
|
---|
784 | - her eagerness for Philip's arrival made her desperate to please
|
---|
785 | him.&nbsp; She dispensed with Renard's advice and on Saturday 19 May at
|
---|
786 | one o'clock in the afternoon, Elizabeth was finally released from the
|
---|
787 | Tower; incidentally, her mother had been executed on the same day eighteen
|
---|
788 | years earlier.&nbsp; She spent one night at Richmond Palace, but it was
|
---|
789 | clear that her release had not lifted Elizabeth's spirits.&nbsp; That
|
---|
790 | night she summoned her few servants and asked them to pray for her, 'For
|
---|
791 | this night,' Elizabeth said, 'I think to die.'&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
792 | <P>She did not die, of course, but she was still frightened and
|
---|
793 | lonely.&nbsp; She had been released into the care of Sir Henry
|
---|
794 | Bedingfield, a Catholic supporter of Queen Mary whose father had guarded
|
---|
795 | Katharine of Aragon during her last years at Kimbolton Castle.&nbsp; He
|
---|
796 | had come to the Tower on 5 May as the new Constable, replacing Sir John
|
---|
797 | Gage, and his arrival had caused Elizabeth no end of terror.&nbsp; She
|
---|
798 | believed he was sent to secretly murder her for, not long before, a
|
---|
799 | credible rumor had reached her; it was said that the Catholic elements of
|
---|
800 | Mary's council had sent a warrant for her execution to the Tower but that
|
---|
801 | Sir John Brydges, the strict but honest Lieutenant, had not acted upon it
|
---|
802 | because it lacked the queen's signature.&nbsp; With Bedingfield's arrival,
|
---|
803 | Elizabeth lost her almost preternatural self-control and she asked her
|
---|
804 | guards 'whether the Lady Jane's scaffold was taken away or no?'&nbsp; When
|
---|
805 | told it was gone, she asked about Bedingfield, and if 'her murdering were
|
---|
806 | secretly committed to his charge, he would see the execution
|
---|
807 | thereof?'&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
808 | <P>From Richmond, Bedingfield took his cowed charge to Woodstock, a
|
---|
809 | hunting-lodge miles from London and once favored by her Plantagenet
|
---|
810 | grandfather, Edward IV.&nbsp; She was neither officially under arrest nor
|
---|
811 | free, a nebulous position which confused nearly everyone.&nbsp; She could
|
---|
812 | not be received at court, but she could not be set at liberty in the
|
---|
813 | countryside.&nbsp; And so Bedingfield was essentially her jailer, but not
|
---|
814 | referred to as such; and Woodstock was her prison, but also not called
|
---|
815 | such.&nbsp; The journey to Woodstock certainly raised her spirit.&nbsp;
|
---|
816 | She was greeted by throngs of people shouting 'God save your grace!' and
|
---|
817 | other messages of support.&nbsp; Flowers, sweets, cakes and other small
|
---|
818 | gifts were given to her.&nbsp; At times, the reception was so enthusiastic
|
---|
819 | that Elizabeth was openly overwhelmed.&nbsp; It was now clear to her that
|
---|
820 | the English people loved her, perhaps as much as they did Queen
|
---|
821 | Mary.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
822 | <P>But the love of the people was small comfort when faced with the
|
---|
823 | dilapidation of Woodstock.&nbsp; The main house was in such disrepair that
|
---|
824 | Elizabeth was lodged in the gatehouse.&nbsp; The queen had ordered that
|
---|
825 | her sister be treated honorably and given limited freedom; Elizabeth was
|
---|
826 | allowed to walk in the orchard and gardens.&nbsp; She also requested
|
---|
827 | numerous books.&nbsp; After a few weeks, her initial fear of Bedingfield
|
---|
828 | had settled into a bemused appraisal of her jailer.&nbsp; She now
|
---|
829 | recognized him for what he was - a conscientious, unimaginative civil
|
---|
830 | servant with a difficult assignment.&nbsp; They got on tolerably well, and
|
---|
831 | Bedingfield even forwarded her numerous letters to the Council and the
|
---|
832 | queen.&nbsp; Elizabeth was concerned that her imprisonment in the
|
---|
833 | countryside would remove her too much from the public eye and her
|
---|
834 | ceaseless letter-writing was an attempt to reassert her position as
|
---|
835 | princess of England.&nbsp; Mary did not read the letters and angrily order
|
---|
836 | Bedingfield to stop sending them along.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
837 | <P>At the end of June, Elizabeth fell ill and asked that the queen's
|
---|
838 | physician Dr Owen be sent to her.&nbsp; But Dr Owen was busy tending to
|
---|
839 | Queen Mary and told Bedingfield that his charge must be patient.&nbsp; He
|
---|
840 | recommended the services of Drs Barnes and Walbeck.&nbsp; Elizabeth
|
---|
841 | refused to allow their examination; she preferred to commit her body to
|
---|
842 | God rather than to the eyes of strangers, she told Bedingfield.&nbsp;
|
---|
843 | Finally, on 7 July, Mary finally sent permission to Woodstock for
|
---|
844 | Elizabeth to write to her and the Council about her various
|
---|
845 | concerns.&nbsp; Elizabeth was petulant and took her time with the
|
---|
846 | composition of this most important letter.&nbsp; When it was finally sent,
|
---|
847 | written in Bedingfield's hand from her dictation, it was a typically
|
---|
848 | shrewd and pointed document.&nbsp; Elizabeth wanted the Council to
|
---|
849 | consider 'her long imprisonment and restraint of liberty, either to charge
|
---|
850 | her with special matter to be answered unto and tried, or to grant her
|
---|
851 | liberty to come unto her highness's presence, which she sayeth she would
|
---|
852 | not desire were it not that she knoweth herself to be clear even before
|
---|
853 | God, for her allegiance.'&nbsp; Elizabeth specifically requested that the
|
---|
854 | members of the queen's council who were executors of 'the Will of the
|
---|
855 | King's majesty her father' read the letter and be allowed to visit with
|
---|
856 | her.&nbsp; It was a pointed reminder that despite her deprived
|
---|
857 | circumstances, she was still next in line to the English throne.&nbsp; The
|
---|
858 | Council heard the document uneasily.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
859 | <P>Mary, however, had other matters on her mind.&nbsp; Finally, on 20
|
---|
860 | July, even as Elizabeth mulled over her letter, Philip II of Spain finally
|
---|
861 | landed at Southampton.&nbsp; The handsome, fair-haired 27 year old King
|
---|
862 | was already a widow with a male heir; his first wife Maria of Portugal had
|
---|
863 | died in childbirth in 1545 after two years of<IMG height=480
|
---|
864 | alt="another portrait of Elizabeth's half-sister, Queen Mary I"
|
---|
865 | src="_httpdocimg_/mary1-eworth.jpg" width=332 border=2 align="right"> marriage.&nbsp; He was a
|
---|
866 | conscientious and pious man who impressed all who met him with his
|
---|
867 | discipline and work ethic.&nbsp; But he also had a tendency toward
|
---|
868 | religious asceticism which worsened as he grew older.&nbsp; As a child, he
|
---|
869 | had accompanied his father to the inquisition in Spain, watching
|
---|
870 | impassively as heretics were burned alive.&nbsp; But his marriage to Mary
|
---|
871 | was one of political necessity and Philip had no intention of threatening
|
---|
872 | its success with unpopular religious policies.&nbsp; He was willing to
|
---|
873 | move England slowly back into the Catholic fold; faced with Mary's
|
---|
874 | impatience, it was Philip who advised moderation.&nbsp; He wed his cousin
|
---|
875 | at Winchester Cathedral on 25 July in a splendid ceremony.&nbsp; On 18
|
---|
876 | August they finally entered London in triumph, its citizens plied with
|
---|
877 | enough free drinks and entertainment to greet Philip
|
---|
878 | enthusiastically.&nbsp; But there were already signs of trouble; the
|
---|
879 | anonymous pamphlets condemning foreigners and the queen's marriage
|
---|
880 | circulated, and Philip's Spanish entourage were unhappy over a number of
|
---|
881 | petty slights and insults from their English hosts.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
882 | <P>Elizabeth had hoped the marriage would result in some change in her
|
---|
883 | circumstances.&nbsp; But she was sadly mistaken.&nbsp; Instead she passed
|
---|
884 | the months needling Bedingfield for more books, scribbling more letters,
|
---|
885 | and listening to the occasional rumor from her servants.&nbsp; The rumors
|
---|
886 | were hardly comforting.&nbsp; The queen was reportedly pregnant and she
|
---|
887 | and Philip would open Parliament together on 12 November.&nbsp; From then
|
---|
888 | on, the reunion between England and the papacy could begin in force.&nbsp;
|
---|
889 | Mary was the happiest she had been since childhood, but the problem of
|
---|
890 | Elizabeth remained.&nbsp; Gardiner wanted her executed; he argued that
|
---|
891 | Protestantism could not be completely eradicated until its great hope,
|
---|
892 | Elizabeth herself, was gone.&nbsp; But Philip and most other councilors
|
---|
893 | were more pragmatic.&nbsp; Parliament had already agreed that if Mary died
|
---|
894 | in childbirth, Philip would be regent of England during their child's
|
---|
895 | minority.&nbsp; However, if both mother and child died, then Elizabeth
|
---|
896 | once again assumed prominence.&nbsp; Philip, always prudent, preferred to
|
---|
897 | know his sister-in-law before making an enemy of her.&nbsp; With his
|
---|
898 | encouragement, and flush with happiness at her marriage and pregnancy,
|
---|
899 | Mary finally invited Elizabeth to court.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
900 | <P>In the third week of April 1555, almost a year since she was sent to
|
---|
901 | Woodstock, Elizabeth was brought to Hampton Court Palace.&nbsp; Mary had
|
---|
902 | gone there to prepare for her lying-in.&nbsp; They did not meet
|
---|
903 | immediately.&nbsp; Elizabeth was brought into the palace through a side
|
---|
904 | entrance, still closely guarded.&nbsp; According to the French ambassador,
|
---|
905 | Philip visited her three days later but Mary never came.&nbsp; Two weeks
|
---|
906 | later, the most powerful members of the council appeared to chide her for
|
---|
907 | not submitting to the queen's authority; she was told to admit her past
|
---|
908 | wrongdoing and seek the queen's forgiveness.&nbsp; Elizabeth replied that
|
---|
909 | she had done nothing wrong in the past and wanted no mercy from her sister
|
---|
910 | 'but rather desired the law'.&nbsp; She told Gardiner she would rather
|
---|
911 | remain in prison forever than admit to crimes she had never
|
---|
912 | committed.&nbsp; He went off immediately to tell Mary of her sister's
|
---|
913 | continued stubbornness.&nbsp; The queen was not pleased.&nbsp; The next
|
---|
914 | day, Gardiner told Elizabeth that the queen marveled that 'she would so
|
---|
915 | stoutly use herself, not confessing that she had offended'.&nbsp; Did
|
---|
916 | Elizabeth really believe she was wrongfully imprisoned? Gardiner asked.&nbsp;
|
---|
917 | Elizabeth refused the bait.&nbsp; She did not criticize her sister
|
---|
918 | explicitly, telling him only that the queen must do with her as her
|
---|
919 | conscience dictated.&nbsp; Gardiner replied that if she wanted her liberty
|
---|
920 | and former position, she must tell a different story; only by admitting
|
---|
921 | her past faults, confessing all sins, could she hope for
|
---|
922 | forgiveness.&nbsp; It was a stalemate.&nbsp; Elizabeth again told him she
|
---|
923 | would rather be unjustly imprisoned than gain freedom with lies.&nbsp;
|
---|
924 | </P>
|
---|
925 | <P>The next week passed with no word from anyone.&nbsp; And then, around
|
---|
926 | 10 o'clock one evening, a message arrived that the queen would see
|
---|
927 | her.&nbsp; Elizabeth had begged for an interview for more than a year but
|
---|
928 | now that the moment had at last arrived, she was understandably
|
---|
929 | nervous.&nbsp; She was accompanied into Mary's apartments by one of her
|
---|
930 | own ladies-in-waiting and Mary's close friend and Mistress of the Robes
|
---|
931 | Susan Clarencieux.&nbsp; The queen's bedroom was lit with flickering
|
---|
932 | candlelight; the queen herself was half-hidden in shadow.&nbsp; Without
|
---|
933 | asking permission, Elizabeth immediately prostrated herself and declared
|
---|
934 | her innocence.&nbsp; And though she and Mary sparred for a short while,
|
---|
935 | the queen was willing to be generous at her own moment of triumph.&nbsp;
|
---|
936 | It was rumored that Philip watched the sisters from behind a curtain;
|
---|
937 | whether or not he was there, Mary was content to make peace of
|
---|
938 | sorts.&nbsp; She sent Elizabeth away amicably enough and a week later poor
|
---|
939 | Bedingfield was relieved of his duties.&nbsp; Elizabeth would remain at
|
---|
940 | Hampton Court, still under light guard but with her own household and
|
---|
941 | permission to receive certain guests.&nbsp; It was the end of over a year
|
---|
942 | of tiresome captivity and she was delighted.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
943 | <P>While she enjoyed her newfound liberty, the burning of Protestant
|
---|
944 | heretics began in earnest.&nbsp; These killings have earned Mary the
|
---|
945 | nickname 'Bloody Mary' and blighted her reputation.&nbsp; In truth, the
|
---|
946 | roughly 300 people killed (about 60 women) was not considered excessive by
|
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947 | Mary's European contemporaries; and in the government's mind,
|
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948 | Protestantism had become dangerously linked with treason, sedition, and
|
---|
949 | other secular crimes.&nbsp; For Mary, who was perhaps the most personally
|
---|
950 | kind and gentle of the Tudor rulers, the killings were necessary to save
|
---|
951 | the heretics' souls as well.&nbsp; It is a telling feature of her
|
---|
952 | character that she could often forgive treason against herself, but would
|
---|
953 | not countenance treason against God.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
954 | <P>The burnings, coupled with the Spanish marriage, caused enough
|
---|
955 | resentment; but, unfortunately for Mary, famine and poverty added to her
|
---|
956 | list of woes.&nbsp; But the greatest tragedy of all for the queen was the
|
---|
957 | humiliating and heartbreaking realization that her pregnancy was not
|
---|
958 | real.&nbsp; Mary had truly believed she was pregnant; her stomach had
|
---|
959 | become swollen and she had felt the child quicken.&nbsp; But she had
|
---|
960 | always suffered from digestive and menstrual troubles.&nbsp; It is
|
---|
961 | probable that she developed a tumor in her stomach which, combined with
|
---|
962 | the lack of a cycle and her own fervent prayers, made her believe she was
|
---|
963 | pregnant.&nbsp; All of April was spent in a state of readiness.&nbsp;
|
---|
964 | Dozens of nurses and midwives crowded into Hampton Court, joined by a
|
---|
965 | throng of noble ladies who would assist in the delivery.&nbsp; On 30 April
|
---|
966 | a rumor reached London that a male child had been born and celebrations
|
---|
967 | ensued.&nbsp; But it was a false alarm; the next three months were spent
|
---|
968 | in a state of suspended disbelief.&nbsp; Finally, on 3 August, the queen's
|
---|
969 | household departed to Oatlands and the pregnancy was not mentioned
|
---|
970 | again.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
971 | <P>Mary's heartache was soon worsened by the impending departure of
|
---|
972 | Philip.&nbsp; He had spent over a year in a country he disliked, married
|
---|
973 | to a woman he pitied but did not love.&nbsp; He used the excuse of
|
---|
974 | pressing business in the Low Countries to leave England.&nbsp; Mary
|
---|
975 | protested passionately, begging him to stay; it was clear to everyone that
|
---|
976 | she truly loved her husband.&nbsp; But Philip was equally determined to
|
---|
977 | go.&nbsp; It was perhaps clear to him that Mary was seriously ill and
|
---|
978 | would never have children.&nbsp; If that was the case, he had no reason to
|
---|
979 | remain in England.&nbsp; He left explicit instructions that she treat her
|
---|
980 | sister well.&nbsp; </P>
|
---|
981 | <P>Elizabeth was sent to a small manor house a few miles from Oatlands
|
---|
982 | where she played another waiting game, only this time with some measure of
|
---|
983 | freedom and hope.&nbsp; But it was to be another three years before she
|
---|
984 | would become queen of England.</P>
|
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985 | <P>&nbsp;</P>
|
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986 | <CENTER>
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987 | <P><B><A
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988 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz2.html">CONTINUE
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989 | READING</A></B> <BR>&nbsp; </P>
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990 | <P><FONT size=-1><A
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991 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs.html">to Tudor
|
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992 | Monarchs</A></FONT></P>
|
---|
993 | </blockquote>
|
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994 | </blockquote>
|
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995 | </blockquote>
|
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996 |
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997 |
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998 |
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1001 | </Content>
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1002 | </Section>
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1003 | </Archive>
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