Adulthood Mary I of England

mary in 1544

mary courted duke philip of bavaria late 1539, lutheran , suit hand unsuccessful. on 1539, king s chief minister, thomas cromwell, negotiated potential alliance duchy of cleves. suggestions mary marry duke of cleves, same age, came nothing, match between henry , duke s sister anne agreed. when king saw anne first time in late december 1539, week before scheduled wedding, did not find himself attracted unable, diplomatic reasons , in absence of suitable pretext, cancel marriage. cromwell fell favour , arrested treason in june 1540; 1 of unlikely charges against him had plotted marry mary himself. anne consented annulment of marriage, had not been consummated, , cromwell beheaded.

in 1541, henry had countess of salisbury, mary s old governess , godmother, executed on pretext of catholic plot, in son (reginald pole) implicated. executioner wretched , blundering youth literally hacked head , shoulders pieces . in 1542, following execution of henry s fifth wife, catherine howard, unmarried henry invited mary attend royal christmas festivities. @ court, while father between marriages , without consort, mary acted hostess. in 1543, henry married sixth , last wife, catherine parr, able bring family closer together. henry returned mary , elizabeth line of succession, through act of succession 1544, placing them after edward. however, both remained legally illegitimate.

henry viii died in 1547 , edward succeeded him. mary inherited estates in norfolk, suffolk , essex, , granted hunsdon , beaulieu own. since edward still child, rule passed regency council dominated protestants, attempted establish faith throughout country. example, act of uniformity 1549 prescribed protestant rites church services, such use of thomas cranmer s new book of common prayer. mary remained faithful roman catholicism , defiantly celebrated traditional mass in own chapel. appealed cousin emperor charles v apply diplomatic pressure demanding allowed practice religion.

for of edward s reign, mary remained on own estates , attended court. plan between may , july 1550 smuggle out of england safety of european mainland came nothing. religious differences between mary , edward continued. when mary in thirties, attended reunion edward , elizabeth christmas 1550, 13-year-old edward embarrassed mary, , reduced both , himself tears in front of court, publicly reproving ignoring laws regarding worship. mary repeatedly refused edward s demands abandon catholicism, , edward persistently refused drop demands.