Elizabeth and Mary Read online

  ELIZABETH

  AND

  MARY

  Cousins, Rivals, Queens

  JANE DUNN

  DEDICATION

  In memory of a much loved father

  DAVID ROLF THESEN

  1923–2002

  ‘out of the strong came forth sweetness’

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chronology

  Preface

  1 The Fateful Step

  2 The Disappointment of Kings

  3 The Education of Princes

  4 Apprenticeship for a Queen

  5 Wilfulness and God’s Will

  6 Complicity and Competition

  7 Raison de Coeur: Raison d’État

  8 Seeking a Future King

  9 Outrageous Fortune

  10 Double Jeopardy

  11 Singular Foes

  12 The Consequence of the Offence

  Select Bibliography

  Index

  P.S.

  About the Author

  About the Book

  Read On

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Author’s Note

  Notes

  By the Same Author

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  CHRONOLOGY

  1457

  28 JAN

  Henry VII born

  1485

  15 DEC

  Catherine of Aragon born

  1486

  19 SEPT

  Arthur, Prince of Wales, born

  1489

  29 NOV

  Margaret Tudor born (grandmother of Mary Queen of Scots)

  1491

  28 JUNE

  Henry VIII born

  1501

  14 NOV

  Catherine of Aragon marries Arthur, Prince of Wales

  1501

  Possible year of Anne Boleyn’s birth

  1502

  2 APRIL

  Arthur, Prince of Wales, dies (aged 15)

  1509

  22 APRIL

  Henry VII dies (aged 52); Henry VIII ascends t the throne (aged 17)

  11 JUNE

  Catherine of Aragon marries Henry VIII

  1512

  10 APRIL

  James V of Scotland born

  1515

  20 NOV

  Mary of Guise born

  1516

  18 FEB

  Mary I born

  1520

  13 SEPT

  William Cecil, Lord Burghley, born

  1532

  1 SEPT

  Anne Boleyn becomes Countess of Pembroke

  1533

  25 JAN

  Anne Boleyn marries Henry VIII

  23 MAY

  Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, pronounces marriage between Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII invalid

  28 MAY

  Cranmer pronounces Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn married

  1 JUNE

  Anne Boleyn crowned

  11 JULY

  Henry VIII excommunicated

  7 SEPT

  Elizabeth I born; possible date of birth of Robert Dudley

  10 SEPT

  Elizabeth baptized at Greenwich

  1534

  20 APR

  Elizabeth Barton, ‘Maid of Kent’, executed

  1535

  22 JUNE

  Bishop John Fisher executed

  6 JULY

  Sir Thomas More executed

  1536

  7 JAN

  Catherine of Aragon dies (aged 50)

  29 JAN

  Anne Boleyn miscarries a son

  17 MAY

  George Boleyn, Anne’s brother, executed

  19 MAY

  Anne Boleyn executed (Elizabeth aged 2 years 8 months)

  20 MAY

  Henry VIII betrothed to Jane Seymour

  30 MAY

  Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour

  1 JULY

  Mary Tudor and Elizabeth declared illegitimate

  1537

  5 JULY

  Queen Madeleine, wife of James V of Scotland, dies

  12 OCT

  Edward VI born

  24 OCT

  Jane Seymour dies (aged 28)

  1538

  9 MAY

  James V of Scotland marries Mary of Guise

  1540

  22 MAY

  James, Prince of Scotland, born

  28 JULY

  Thomas Cromwell executed

  1541

  APR

  Robert, Duke of Albany, James V and Mary of Guise’s second son, born

  29 APR-MAY

  Both Scottish princes, Robert and James, die within days of each other

  1542

  24 NOV

  Scottish forces routed by English at Solway Moss

  8 DEC

  Mary Queen of Scots born

  13 DEC

  James V dies (aged 30) and Mary becomes Queen of Scotland (aged 5 days)

  1543

  JUNE

  Mary Tudor and Elizabeth reinstated in the succession

  JULY

  Treaties of Greenwich; allowing for marriage of Mary to Prince Edward, Henry VIII’s heir

  12 JULY

  Catherine Parr marries Henry VIII

  9 SEPT

  Mary Queen of Scots crowned at Stirling Castle

  1544

  19 JAN

  Francois II of France born

  14 SEPT

  Henry VIII’s forces capture Boulogne

  1545

  7 DEC

  Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, born

  1547

  28 JAN

  Henry VIII dies (aged 55); Edward VI ascends to throne (aged 9)

  20 FEB

  Edward VI crowned, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector

  3 MAR

  Francois I dies (aged 52); Henri II succeeds to French throne; Thomas Seymour and Catherine Parr betrothed

  10 SEPT

  English rout of the Scots at Pinkie Cleugh

  1548

  7 JULY

  Marriage contract between Mary Queen of Scots and the Dauphin Francois

  29 JULY

  Mary Queen of Scots sails to France

  5 SEPT

  Catherine Parr dies (aged 36)

  1549

  16 JAN

  Arrest ordered of Sir Thomas Seymour, Lord Sudeley

  20 MAR

  Sir Thomas Seymour executed

  1550

  Mary of Guise visits her daughter Mary Queen of Scots

  4 JUNE

  Lord Robert Dudley marries Amy Robsart

  1551

  2 MAY

  William Camden born (died 1623)

  1552

  22 JAN

  Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, executed; John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, new Protector

  1553

  21 MAY

  Lady Jane Grey marries Guildford Dudley

  6 JULY

  Edward VI dies (aged 15), succeeded by Mary I

  10 JULY

  Lady Jane Grey proclaimed Queen of England

  20 JULY

  Mary Tudor proclaimed Queen of England

  3 AUG

  Mary I and Elizabeth enter London

  21 AUG

  John Dudley, Earl of Northumberland, beheaded

  30 OCT

  Mary I crowned

  1554

  FEB

  Wyatt Rebellion

  12 FEB

  Lady Jane Grey executed (aged 16)

  18 MAR

  Elizabeth in Tower

  11 APR

  Sir Thomas Wyatt executed

  19
MAY

  Elizabeth released from Tower and goes to Woodstock

  25 JULY

  Mary I marries Philip II of Spain

  16 OCT

  Bishops Ridley and Latimer burnt at stake at Oxford

  30 NOV

  Philip Sidney born

  1555

  18 OCT

  Elizabeth goes to Hatfield

  25 OCT

  Holy Roman Emperor Charles V hands on his imperial position to brother Ferdinand, and sovereignty of the Low Countries to son Philip II

  1556

  21 MAR

  Archbishop Thomas Cranmer burnt at stake

  1557

  7 JULY

  Mary I declares war on France to support Philip II

  1558

  5 JAN

  Calais lost to the French

  24 APR

  Mary Queen of Scots marries Francois, Dauphin of France

  21 SEPT

  Charles V dies

  17 NOV

  Mary I dies (aged 42); Elizabeth I succeeds to the throne

  Henri II declares Mary Queen of Scots Queen of England and Ireland

  1559

  15 JAN

  Elizabeth I crowned Queen of England and Ireland

  2 APRIL

  Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis between England and France

  2 MAY

  John Knox returns to Scotland

  8 MAY

  Elizabeth’s Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity passed, implementing the Elizabethan religious settlement

  10 MAY

  Scottish Lords of Congregation rebel against Mary of Guise’s regency

  20 JUNE

  Henri II seriously injured in jousting tournament

  22 JUNE

  Elizabeth’s prayer book issued

  10 JULY

  Henri II dies; Francois II becomes King of France and Mary his queen,

  18 SEPT

  Francois II crowned; he and Mary claim they are King and Queen of England and Ireland too

  21 OCT

  Mary of Guise deposed for allowing French to fortify Leith

  18 DEC

  Elizabeth sends aid to Scottish rebel lords

  1560

  27 FEB

  Treaty of Berwick

  MAR

  Tumult of Amboise, failed coup d’état against Guise domination and French persecution of Protestants

  11 JUN

  Mary of Guise dies (aged 44)

  6 JUL

  Treaty of Edinburgh between Scotland and England, Mary’s claims on English throne nullified, but Mary refuses to sign treaty

  11 AUG

  Scottish Parliament establishes the reformed Protestant religion in Scotland

  8 SEPT

  Lady Dudley (Amy Robsart), Lord Robert’s wife, found dead

  5 DEC

  Francis Bacon born

  1561

  22 JAN

  Francois II dies (aged 15) Mary becomes dowager queen of France; Charles IX King of France, Catherine de Medici as regent

  14 AUG

  Mary leaves France

  19 AUG

  Mary Queen of Scots returns to Scotland (aged 18)

  1562

  1 MAR

  Massacre of Protestants at Vassy, instigated by Duc de Guise, beginning of French wars of religion

  26 MAY

  Shane O’Neill leads a rebellion in Ireland

  OCT

  Elizabeth seriously ill with smallpox

  28 OCT

  Mary victorious over Earl of Huntly and his men at Corrichie

  1563

  22 FEB

  Pierre de Chastelard executed

  24 FEB

  François, Duc de Guise, assassinated (aged 44)

  JUNE

  Mary’s first Parliament

  27 JUL

  Havre surrendered to French

  1564

  6 FEB

  Christopher Marlowe born

  23 APRIL

  Reputed birthday of William Shakespeare

  25 JULY

  Maximilian I succeeds as Holy Roman

  Emperor, as King of Austria, Bohemia and Hungary on death of Ferdinand I. Rest of Hapsburg dominions to Archduke Charles

  29 SEPT

  Lord Robert Dudley created Earl of Leicester

  1565

  29 JULY

  Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, enters Scotland

  FEB

  Mary Queen of Scots marries Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (she is 22, he 19)

  AUG-OCT

  The Chaseabout Raid when Mary suppresses Moray’s rebellion

  1566

  1 JAN

  Mary’s pregnancy announced

  9 MAR

  David Rizzio murdered

  19 JUN

  James, Mary’s son, born (James VI and I 1566–1625)

  NOV

  Mary at Craigmillar Castle where she discusses the Darnley problem

  10 NOV

  Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, born

  17 DEC

  Prince James of Scotland baptized at Stirling Castle

  1567

  10 FEB

  Darnley murdered at Kirk o’ Field, just outside Edinburgh (aged 21)

  19 APRIL

  Ainslie Bond signed by Scottish nobles accepting Bothwell’s suit of Mary

  24 APR

  Mary ‘abducted’ by James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell

  7 MAY

  Lord and Lady Bothwell granted a divorce

  15 MAY

  Mary marries Bothwell as her third husband

  15 JUNE

  Mary surrenders to Confederate Lords at Carberry; Bothwell escapes

  17 JUNE

  Mary imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle

  24 JULY

  Mary forced to abdicate, James is declared King of Scotland (aged 13 months)

  29 JULY

  James VI crowned at Stirling, James Stewart, Earl of Moray, becomes regent

  1568

  17 JAN

  Lady Catherine Grey (Lady Catherine Seymour), Countess of Hertford, dies (aged 29)

  2 MAY

  Mary escapes from Loch Leven

  13 MAY

  Mary and supporters defeated at Langside

  18 MAY

  Mary lands in Cumbria and conducted to Sheffield Castle

  23 MAY

  Prince William of Orange defeats Spanish at the start of revolt in Low Countries

  15 JULY

  Mary moved to Bolton Castle

  OCT

  York conference to investigate Mary’s part in Darnley’s murder

  25 NOV

  Enquiry moves to Westminster

  1569

  26 JAN

  Mary moved into custody of Earl of Shrewsbury at Tutbury Castle

  APRIL

  Elizabeth decides Mary must be returned to Scotland

  JULY

  Moray declines to have Mary back

  10 OCT

  Duke of Norfolk arrested

  14 NOV

  Northern earls take possession of Durham Cathedral in Northern Rebellion

  22 NOV

  Mary moved south to Coventry

  16 DEC

  Northern earls flee to Scotland

  1570

  21 JAN

  James Stewart, Earl of Moray and regent, assassinated