She had to be dissuaded from ordering her brother Edward’s funeral be celebrated after the Catholic rite. It is said that she finally relented
when Charles himself wrote to suggest that it was inappropriate to bury him as
a Catholic who had never repented his heresy while living.
While the countryside welcomed the return to the mass,
London was determined to prevent it within its boundaries. Attempts to
celebrate the mass within the city were met with violence. An undaunted attempt
at St. Paul’s Cross, on August 13, in which the city was chastised for having
adopted the heretical religion of Protestantism erupted in a riot.
Even monarchs had to be careful of the opinion of the
citizens of London. They depended upon the city in vital ways for their power. On
the 18th, Mary issued a proclamation with a notably vague statement intended
to quiet the Protestants’ fears:
she doth signify unto all her Majesty's loving subjects, that
of her most gracious disposition and clemency, her Highness mindeth not to
compel any her said subjects thereunto, unto such time as further order, by
common assent may be taken therein[1]
She would follow this up by sending a bill to her first
Parliament abrogating “all laws concerning religion that had been passed during
the two preceding reigns”.[2]
Foremost among the laws was Henry’s Bill of Divorce from her mother, Catherine. Included was Mary’s express restoration as his legitimate child and heir.
As preparations for Mary’s October 1 coronation were underway negotiations were also underway to come to a marriage agreement with
King Philip of Spain. This was Charles first payment for his years of support.
The blow to the interest of his enemies the French would be enormous. Those who
knew of the negotiations, regardless of their rank in English society were so
deeply opposed to being ruled by a foreign king that the reaction was deeply negative
even among the Catholics in the realm.
Princess Elizabeth was also summoned to the Royal Court to
declare her submission to Mary as Queen. Her resistance toward converting to the
Catholic faith had to be overcome. The Princess was highly popular with the
English Protestants. Her conversion would count for a great deal. Being
constantly in the company of the Queen and her officers, combined with the
implication that failure to convert would be received as tantamount to treason,
extorted attendance at mass in the Royal chapel and what could be interpreted
as a conversion. That accomplished, Elizabeth
was directed to return to her private life at her estate in Ashridge.
The outrage and desperation in the face of a Spanish king on
the English throne was deepened further by a December 15 proclamation
establishing the Catholic Church as the religion of the country.[3]
In early January 1553 [1554 N.S.], the final contract for marriage to Philip
was agreed between the parties. At the same time plans were underway in the
councils among numerous Protestant noblemen for a military rebellion and to free
Lady Jane Grey from her confinement in The Tower and revive her brief Protestant monarchy.
One of the rebels having been inveigled into revealing the plot, Thomas Wyatt, the leader of the rebellion that now bears his name, ordered the operation to begin prematurely. At the same time, he sent a letter to Elizabeth advising her to move her household away from the danger to Donnington Castle. Elizabeth received the following letter forthwith.
Right dear and entirely beloved Sister, We greet you well:
And where certain evil-disposed persons minding more the satisfaction of their
own malicious and seditious minds, than their duty of allegiance towards us,
have of late foully spread divers lewd and untrue rumours; and by that means and
other devilish practices, do travail to induce our good and loving subjects to
an unnatural rebellion against God, us and the tranquillity of our realm, we
tendering the surety of your person, which might chance to be in some peril, if
any sudden tumult should arise, where you now be, or about Donnington, whither,
as we understand, you are minded shortly to remove, do therefore think
expedient, you should put yourself in good readiness, with all convenient
speed, to make your repair hither to us. Which we pray you, fail not to do;
assuring you, that as you may most surely remain here, so shall you be most
heartily welcome to us. And of your mind herein we pray you to return answer by
this messenger. And thus we pray God to have you in his holy keeping.
Given under our signet, at our manor of St. James's, the
26 Jan. in the first year of our reign.
Your loving sister
Marye the Queen.[4]
[1] Stone,
J. M. The History of Mary I,… as found in the Public Records (1901).
239.
[2]
Ibid. 257.
[3] Nichols,
J. G. Chronicle of Queen Jane And Two Years of Queen Mary (1850 ). 33. “Note,
the xvth of December, 1553, the proclamacion for the stablyshing
again of the masse was proclaymed.”
[4]
Stone, 277-8. Citing Strype, Ecclesiastical Memorials, vol.
iii., part i., p. 126.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
- Excerpts from Letters about the Origin of the 1563 Plague. January 17, 2021. “on the progress of the conflict between Queen Elizabeth I’s forces and those of the French Regent, the Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici.”
- A Thousand Years of English Terms. June 2, 2019. ‘One person did not say to another, “Meet you at three o’clock”. There was no clock to be o’. But the church bell rang the hour of Nones and you arranged to meet “upon the Nones bell”.’
- A Most Curious Account of the Funeral of Queen Elizabeth I: April 28, 1603. April 28, 2019. “Once it was clear that James I would face no serious challenges, Cecil and the others could begin to give attention to the matter of the Queen’s funeral.”
- The Battle Over Shakespeare's Early and Late Plays. September 24, 2018. “The answers to the post-Oxford dilemma, of course, are three.”
- Check out the English Renaissance Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
- Check out the English Renaissance Letter Index for many letters from this fascinating time, some related to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
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