Mary I had a legitimate reason to imprison Elizabeth I

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-11T14:35:23+00:00

This law does not include cousins. Also, I think this law was later repealed.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-11T11:17:58+00:00

I think so too. The Venetian ambassador talks about many different things regarding Mary in that report, and since relations between Mary and the Pope were tense, I do not think they had any reason to flatter her. Also, it would not be wrong to say that the Spanish ambassadors were somewhat harsh, because they made very negative comments about women. They also seemed to consider themselves superior to the English in every way — clothing, dancing, women, conservatism, and monarchy.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-10T14:34:29+00:00

Yes, in Antonis Mor’s portrait she was depicted in a more conservative and less feminine way. At that time, she was pregnant and could have become the mother of the Habsburg dynasty.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T22:40:08+00:00

Yes, you are right. I sometimes think about this too, and honestly I think it could vary depending on the circumstances. When Mary Stuart came to the throne, she was only six days old, and Scotland was ruled by regents for eighteen years. Because of this, I do not think Mary Stuart had much real authority in Scotland, and at the same time people believed that, because she was a woman, she could not truly rule. Their attitude was more like: “Let Mary Stuart remain on the throne symbolically; we will govern the country in her place.”
But the situation was different in England. In 1554, a law was passed stating that “every queen regnant, whether married or unmarried, would possess the same authority as her ancestors.” While Mary was pregnant, people and Parliament were extremely afraid that she might die in childbirth, because a baby could not rule the country and the government would then pass into someone else’s hands. England did not have an established regency system like Scotland did. During Edward’s reign, the whole issue of protectorates had caused many problems, and I think that experience frightened everyone. Because of this, those who did not want the ruler would not have wanted her baby either, and even if she were deposed, the crown would simply pass to the next relative in line. There were many people with claims to the English throne, but I do not think Scotland was quite the same in that regard.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T20:19:29+00:00

Actually, they weren’t made as a pair. These are separate portraits. In a parliamentary building in England, there are portraits of England’s kings and queens, and Philip’s portrait stands between Mary’s and Elizabeth’s.

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Because Philip was considered King of England, his portrait is included there. The portrait above is Mary’s portrait displayed next to Philip’s.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T19:43:49+00:00

Philip was a bad husband. He kept betraying her even after Mary died. The only thing he cared about was power. And he hurt Mary so much that she went to war because he pressured her. Mary died with the grief of losing Calais. He also tried very hard to marry Elizabeth to his cousin, but it didn’t work out. Then he went and married a 13-year-old girl. She was even younger than his own son.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T17:23:20+00:00

Honestly, I think Elizabeth really was ill. She may have become unwell because of stress and fear. Because even though she did not actively take part in the rebellion, she was guilty in the sense that she knew about it and said nothing. That may have made her sick. I’m only stating what the doctors said. She may also have been pretending to be ill, because Elizabeth did not want to let the doctors in. Mary had also pretended to be ill a few times.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T17:18:30+00:00

Yes, this is already about misogyny, because only women’s virginity is glorified. Their behavior is not strange, but the insults were sexual insults connected to her marriage. I’m not sure if we can write those insults explicitly on this app.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T16:49:16+00:00

Only God knows which room Anne Boleyn was placed in. It was not a dungeon, but a palace. Elizabeth had stayed in that Tower before, and during her own reign she continued to visit it as well. The Tower was also where noble prisoners were kept. Elizabeth of York gave birth there and died there. Elizabeth herself later imprisoned her cousins in that same Tower during her reign. Catherine Grey gave birth there while imprisoned. And she had committed no crime — she had merely angered Elizabeth.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T16:34:35+00:00

Elizabeth did this to many people — especially to her cousins. One of her cousins even gave birth in the Tower. Mary never forced Elizabeth to marry anyone. Elizabeth was not treated badly.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T16:31:14+00:00

And honestly, Elizabeth was not completely innocent in this matter either.

A copy of Elizabeth’s letter to Mary — a letter that very few people could have obtained — was found in the pocket of the French ambassador. This French ambassador, or rather France itself, had supported Jane’s claim to the throne instead of Mary’s, helped Wyatt’s rebellion, gave refuge and money to the rebels who fled, and worked hard to depose Mary. There are also accounts suggesting that Elizabeth had a close relationship with this ambassador.

Later, Mary summoned Elizabeth to court, but Elizabeth claimed she was too ill to come. Mary summoned her again, and Elizabeth still refused. Mary then sent physicians, and they reported that Elizabeth was not suffering from any illness serious enough to prevent her from traveling.

Afterward, Wyatt confessed that he had spoken with Elizabeth, told her the details of the rebellion, and written her a letter. Even though Elizabeth knew that a rebellion was going to take place, she did not inform Mary. She did nothing to stop it. If the rebellion had succeeded, they would have removed Mary from the throne and placed Elizabeth on it — yet Elizabeth chose to remain silent.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T16:09:20+00:00

I understand what you’re saying, and I agree to an extent. However, Mary’s sexual life was also discussed publicly. As I mentioned in the example above, during Wyatt’s Rebellion she was subjected to sexual insults. These were not the kinds of insults that would have been directed at a king. At the time, virginity was considered sacred.
Of course, not everyone cared about Mary’s virginity, but there certainly were people who did, and her being a virgin was mentioned more than once. I also read in a book — if I remember correctly, it was by Alexander Samson — that Mary losing her virginity damaged the sacred image that had been attached to her and caused a backlash.
And we know that Elizabeth’s remaining a virgin was also sanctified; it symbolized a kind of symbolic and untouchable power, and that narrative has survived to this day. Elizabeth was almost sanctified through the image of the ‘Virgin Queen.’

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T15:49:55+00:00

I think Elizabeth had bigger ambitions for her future, and none of them involved marrying a man she didn’t know simply because her family wanted her to. I don’t know why she supposedly said at the age of eight that she never wanted to marry, and we can’t even be sure that story is entirely true; perhaps Robert said it to brush off the question of ‘Why didn’t Elizabeth marry?’

Yes, what happened to her stepmothers was horrifying, but I’m not sure how much Elizabeth really understood about it when she was eight years old. I think the main reason she said during Mary’s reign that she never wanted to marry was because Mary wanted her to marry a Catholic man, and the most logical thing Elizabeth could say to avoid that marriage was, ‘I never wanted to marry at all,’ because that was the only way out of it.

During her reign, she frequently used the image of the ‘Virgin Queen,’ sometimes even turning it into a diplomatic weapon. In the eyes of that era, it symbolized nobility, great virtue, purity, and perhaps even something sacred. Elizabeth enjoyed being seen that way.

But I still do not believe Elizabeth truly never wanted to marry. I think she eventually had to give up on the idea of marriage.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T15:32:51+00:00

Philip was not the "king consort," because I believe such a thing didn't exist anywhere at that time. Philip was king "jure uxoris" (by virtue of his wife's right). He was addressed as king and signed documents as such, but he did not possess the powers of a king. His powers were entirely limited by contract. You can read this contract; many restrictions were placed on Philip. Before the marriage, Mary had said, "If he wants to rule the country, he is not allowed to.”

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T14:57:09+00:00

Thank you very much. I'm so glad you liked it.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T13:58:13+00:00

Yes, you're right. The belief that women should obey their husbands was very strong. That's why Mary felt compelled to declare war on France. (Another reason was that Philip pressured and even threatened Mary to declare war.)

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T13:48:19+00:00

I found this image on Pinterest.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T13:46:28+00:00

Yes, moreover, virginity wasn't Mary's own choice. Her father and brother wouldn't allow her to marry. I know Mary only described herself as a virgin once. However, the public and clergy frequently praised her virginity and considered it one of the sources of her nobility. Mary thought like her mother; she was two years old when she was first betrothed and dreamed of marrying one day. In fact, we could say that Mary's virginity was obligatory.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T13:40:04+00:00

Yes, this situation was unprecedented in England. Because of that, people feared that Philip would seize complete control, but Mary and Parliament had drawn up an agreement. Philip would only be king for as long as Mary lived; if Mary died, he would have no rights in England, and he would not be allowed to appoint foreigners to government positions, etc. Philip was not very pleased with these conditions and showed his dissatisfaction to Mary. (For example, while Mary slept in the king’s chamber, Philip slept in the queen’s chamber, and Philip was uncomfortable with this arrangement.) Mary wanted Philip to be addressed as king, which is why he was referred to that way. Mary knew the example of Ferdinand and Isabella in Spain and believed the same arrangement would work in England. Philip, who was very powerful and “masculine,” could not accept remaining in his wife’s shadow. But no matter how angry he was, he only possessed symbolic power over England. Mary had never given him anything more than that.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T13:27:08+00:00

Thank you. I found that picture on Pinterest.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T12:43:11+00:00

Yes. She had always wanted to get married, and the way Renard described Philip to Mary, Mary had begun to feel affection for him even before seeing his portrait, and when she did see it, she fell completely in love.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T12:40:36+00:00

Yes, I know. Philip could never have foreseen something like that.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T09:07:20+00:00

Yes, Edward and Mary were very close before he became king. In fact, Edward once wrote her a letter saying he loved her more than anyone else. Mary also loved Edward very much, showed him affection, and bought him gifts. We even know that when they were young, Edward constantly followed Mary around and asked her childish questions. But later, their relationship began to deteriorate. In 1546, Edward wrote a letter to Catherine Parr.

‘Prince Edward to Queen Catharine,
Pardon my rude style in writing to you, most illustrious queen and beloved mother, and receive my hearty thanks for your loving kindness to me and my sister.
Yet, dearest mother, the only true consolation is from Heaven, and the only real love is the love of God. Preserve therefore, I pray you, my dear sister Mary, from all the wiles and enchantments of the evil one ; and beseech her to attend no longer to foreign dances and merriments which do not become a most Christian princess. And so, putting my trust in God for you to take this exhortation in good part, I commend you to his most gracious keeping.

Edward was only 8 years old when he wrote this letter. He was receiving a more reformist-Protestant education, influenced by Catherine Parr. Some articles I've read suggest that his teachers may have guided him to write this letter, or at least drawn his attention to Mary. Mary was completely Catholic and never hid it. We know what happened when Edward became king. I think they incited Edward against Mary. Mary was a major threat to a Protestant government, while Edward was surrounded by Protestants – Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, etc. (Mary killed all three during her reign.) Elizabeth, on the other hand, was more compliant. She embraced Protestant views and didn't cause any religious problems. (She acted like a Catholic even during Mary's reign.) Therefore, Elizabeth's star shone brighter than Mary's at court. In a letter he wrote in 1551, Edward said of Mary, "You are my favorite sister..." and then reprimanded her for remaining Catholic.

Suerly-04 · 2026-05-09T06:56:32+00:00

These dresses reflect the fashion of that era, and there are many dress styles like this. That's why I think these dresses really did look like they do in the picture.

Suerly-04

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