Succession Crisis of 1553 (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes
Succession Crisis of 1553
Edward VI's declining health and the succession problem
In spring 1552, Edward VI contracted and survived both measles and smallpox. However, by January 1553 the first signs of a more serious illness affecting his chest appeared. It became evident that, short of a miracle, the fifteen-year-old would not live to be crowned king. This created an immediate problem for the Northumberland government.
The 1544 Succession Act was a statute that established the order of inheritance to the throne. Under its terms, Edward's heir was Princess Mary, creating a direct conflict between legal succession and religious continuity.
Under the terms of the 1544 Succession Act, Edward's heir was Princess Mary. This posed a serious difficulty: Mary was a committed Catholic and had drawn close to her cousin, Emperor Charles V. If she succeeded to the throne, the Protestant religious policies pursued since 1550 would be swept aside along with the men who had promoted them. For Northumberland and his allies, Mary's accession threatened both their political survival and the Protestant faith they had worked to establish.
Northumberland's position and objectives
Northumberland's desire to prevent Mary's succession cannot be separated from his position as the dominant figure in Edward VI's government. By 1553, the Duke had emerged as leading minister and became Lord President of the Council. Although the international situation remained threatening and Northumberland's position had weakened with the deterioration of Edward's health in spring 1553, he retained control of the government apparatus.
Historian D. Hoak praised Northumberland's governance abilities, describing him as "one of the most remarkably able governors of any European state in the sixteenth century." This assessment highlights the complexity of Northumberland's legacy – both capable administrator and ambitious politician.
To protect both himself and the Protestant faith, Northumberland attempted to alter the succession before Edward died. He based his plans on two facts which he believed could legally justify changing the established order of inheritance.
The legal basis for altering the succession
Northumberland's scheme rested on two arguments:
First, Mary had been made illegitimate when Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon had broken down. Similarly, Elizabeth had also been made illegitimate by the collapse of Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn. Although both women had been officially restored to the succession, these changes had been damaging to their claims. This illegitimacy could be used to question their right to inherit.
The argument of illegitimacy was legally questionable. While Mary and Elizabeth had been declared illegitimate during their fathers' marriage disputes, Parliament had subsequently restored them to the succession. Northumberland's attempt to use this historical stigma to bypass them ignored these later parliamentary acts.
Second, Henry VIII's will had directed the succession towards his own children, but had not set aside the claims that his younger sister's family might make. From these two strands, Northumberland decided to ensure that Edward's will did not pass the Crown to either Mary or Elizabeth, but to Lady Jane Grey.
Grey had married Northumberland's son in May 1553, six weeks before Edward's death. This marriage connected the Duke directly to the potential new monarch and secured his family's position.
Edward VI's agreement and motivation
Edward VI agreed to this plan – some recent research suggesting that he was a keen instigator – though it is clear that he wanted to protect the Protestant faith. He signed his agreement days before his death in July 1553, aged fifteen. Northumberland had not had time to prepare properly for the succession of Lady Jane Grey, who 'reigned' for nine days before Mary was crowned queen.
Edward VI's personal religious convictions played a crucial role in his willingness to alter the succession. As a devout Protestant, the young king genuinely feared what would happen to the reformed faith under Catholic rule. His involvement was not merely passive acceptance of Northumberland's plan.
Popular and political responses
The events of 1553 demonstrated that, for most people, it was more acceptable that God's rightful choice of monarch – Mary – should take the throne rather than a usurper. Moreover, there was still substantial support for traditional ways outside London, so the provinces backed Mary to succeed. The fact that Mary was Catholic and Lady Jane Grey Protestant seems to have assumed little importance in the eyes of many.
Legitimacy trumped religion: The succession crisis revealed that respect for legitimate hereditary succession remained stronger than religious allegiance for most of the political nation. Even in Protestant areas, people supported Mary's right to the throne over religious considerations.
The Privy Council initially agreed to support Northumberland after much cajoling, and because it was the dying King's wish. The only local authorities outside London to back Lady Jane Grey were Berwick on the Scottish border and King's Lynn in East Anglia.
Northumberland quickly saw the lack of support for the change in succession, and he himself ended the attempted coup when he surrendered to Mary near Cambridge. Very soon he, his son and Lady Jane Grey were all in the Tower of London.
The collapse of the coup and Mary's triumph
The events surrounding Mary's succession illustrated both how vulnerable the country could be to political disruption and yet how secure the Tudor dynasty had actually become. The only successful coup against the Tudors lasted just nine days.
Mary's victory owed much to widespread respect for legitimate succession and traditional authority. Provincial England rallied to her cause, viewing her as the rightful heir regardless of her religious beliefs. Even members of the Privy Council, who had initially supported Northumberland under pressure, eventually abandoned the scheme.
Mary's success demonstrated the strength of provincial opinion. When central government attempted to impose an unpopular succession, local communities and gentry across England mobilised in support of what they saw as the legitimate heir. This pattern would not repeat itself in later Tudor succession crises.
Aftermath and executions
Mary was initially reluctant to execute Jane Grey because she recognised her as an innocent pawn in Northumberland's plans. However, she also realised that the pretender queen would continue to represent a hope for English Protestants as long as she remained alive.
Confirmation of this came in the form of an attempted rebellion led by the Duke of Suffolk, Lady Jane Grey's father. For this reason, she was convicted and beheaded on the charge of treason. Northumberland and other ring-leaders had already been executed within weeks of their arrest. Northumberland himself was executed in August 1553.
Jane Grey's tragic fate: Lady Jane Grey became one of history's most sympathetic figures – a teenage girl used as a political pawn who paid with her life. Her execution was not for her own ambitions but because her very existence posed a continuing threat to Mary's rule.
Historical significance
The succession crisis of 1553 revealed several important realities about mid-Tudor England:
- It demonstrated that respect for legitimate hereditary succession remained stronger than religious allegiance for most of the political nation
- The crisis exposed the limitations of central government control when provincial opinion mobilised against London
- It confirmed the resilience of the Tudor dynasty despite the vulnerability created by a minor king's death and an ambitious minister's attempted coup
The nine-day reign of Lady Jane Grey marked a turning point in understanding Tudor power. While the monarchy appeared vulnerable with a dying teenage king and an ambitious minister, the rapid collapse of the coup demonstrated that the dynasty's legitimacy was deeply rooted in popular consciousness.
Key dates: The rule of Northumberland, 1549-53
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct 1549 | Fall of Somerset; power struggle to replace him |
| Feb 1550 | Earl of Warwick (becoming Duke of Northumberland in 1551) emerged as leading minister, became Lord President of the Council |
| Mar 1550 | Peace of Boulogne with France; Scotland closely linked with France |
| 1551 | Strengthening of currency after effects of debasement; failed harvest and collapse in value of cloth exports |
| Jan 1552 | Somerset executed |
| Mar 1552 | Second Book of Uniformity |
| May 1553 | Marriage of Northumberland's son to Lady Jane Grey |
| Jul 1553 | Death of Edward VI; Lady Jane Grey proclaimed queen under terms of Edward's will; failure of coup and succession of Mary Tudor |
| Aug 1553 | Execution of Northumberland |
Family tree: Lady Jane Grey's claim to the throne
The succession operated through the following lines:
Henry VII had children including Henry VIII and Margaret (who married James IV of Scotland).
Henry VIII married six times:
- m.(1) Catherine of Aragon → Mary I
- m.(2) Anne Boleyn → Elizabeth I
- m.(3) Jane Seymour → Edward VI
- m.(4) Anne of Cleves
- m.(5) Catherine Howard
- m.(6) Catherine Parr
Margaret married James IV of Scotland, producing Mary (who married Louis XII of France and then m.(2) Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk).
Frances, Duchess of Suffolk (daughter of Mary and Charles Brandon) married Lady Jane Grey to Lord Guildford Dudley (Northumberland's son).
This genealogy shows how Lady Jane Grey's claim derived from Henry VIII's sister Margaret, bypassing Mary and Elizabeth through the argument of their illegitimacy. Grey was Henry VIII's great-niece through the female line.
Summary
Key Points to Remember:
-
Edward VI's serious illness from January 1553 created a succession crisis because his heir, Mary, was Catholic and threatened Protestant reforms
-
Northumberland's plan to bypass Mary and Elizabeth rested on two arguments: their illegitimacy through their mothers' failed marriages, and Henry VIII's will not excluding his sister's descendants
-
Lady Jane Grey, who married Northumberland's son in May 1553, was proclaimed queen after Edward's death in July 1553 but 'reigned' for only nine days
-
Mary's victory demonstrated that legitimate hereditary succession mattered more to most people than religious affiliation, with provincial England rallying to support her claim
-
The failed coup resulted in the execution of Northumberland (August 1553) and later Lady Jane Grey, but ultimately confirmed the stability of the Tudor dynasty despite the apparent vulnerability created by Edward's death