The Horror of Marriage

"...and with this marriage, the Lady Elizabeth became the Lady Elizabeth Dudley. With the agreement of her brother and the support of her new family she was married in 1553. This, at the time, seemed to be the coup of the century; Elizabeth had the royal blood, the royal look and the youth. But, unfortunately, there was the a problem coming looming..."

The Tragedy of King Dudley by Edgar Olde

17th of April, 1553: The Lady Elizabeth Tudor is married to the Lord Ambrose Dudley, while her cousin and companion the Lady Jane Grey is married to his brother the Lord Guildford Dudley. The weddings are given the approval of King Edward, who attends the small affair.
 
"...with the death of Edward barely two months after the Dudley marriages people had no idea what to do. There was suddenly three viable options for the throne, two daughters of King Henry and one niece, two illegitimate and one legitimate. But one obvious thing to everyone was, whoever was picked, England would have a Queen.

There Was Nothing Queens by Professor Joshua Williams

10th of July, 1553: King Edward Tudor dies. While the court goes into mourning, three combatants for the throne begin to take shape. On one side Mary Tudor, unmarried woman of 38. On the next Elizabeth Tudor, married woman of 19. And in the third Jane Grey, married girl of 16. Sides begin to be drawn.
 
Just a small question: why Northumberland should support Jane Grey if he manages to marry one of his sons to Elizabeth? Albeit I have to admit the house of Dudley was quite messed up...
 
Just a small question: why Northumberland should support Jane Grey if he manages to marry one of his sons to Elizabeth? Albeit I have to admit the house of Dudley was quite messed up...

Not only that, but would this not anger the other nobles? With the House of Dudley as a 2/3 chance of being the next ruling house?
 
"...then it became clear that she was not the popular candidate, the Lady Dudley did the smart thing and moved her support from herself to Queen Mary, who repaid her with mild disdain..."

The Lady Dudley by William Thomas

28th of July, 1553: The Lady Mary Tudor is finally given the news that her brother has died. After weeping at the news, she is also told that the throne has been claimed by the Lady Elizabeth Tudor and by the Lady Jane Grey. She reacted by beginning to move towards the Northern end of England, so that she could gain the support of the conservative families.

29th of July, 1553: The Lady Elizabeth is shocked to find that her claim to the throne is being all but ignored by her new in-laws, who favour the Lady Jane as she comes from an 'undoubted' legitimate line. But Elizabeth isn't able to leave or complain much as she is under constant surveillance by either her husband or her mother-in-law.
 
29th of July, 1553: The Lady Elizabeth is shocked to find that her claim to the throne is being all but ignored by her new in-laws, who favour the Lady Jane as she comes from an 'undoubted' legitimate line. But Elizabeth isn't able to leave or complain much as she is under constant surveillance by either her husband or her mother-in-law.
The 'undoubted' legimate line comes from one of Henry VIII's wills in which he declared Mary and Elizabeth illegimate. Good Pod!

It also means that any noble supporting the Pretender Mary is automatically a traitor. Of course there are other wills.....
 
"...so with the death of the King, Mary found herself in a distinct disadvantage. While both of her opposition components were married and relatively young, she was almost forty and single. But that latter part would sort itself out eventually...

Mary Tudor by Kingsley Bennet

5th of August, 1553: The Lady Mary Tudor is now in Northern England, searching for allies in those conservative familes. And while she is there, a message comes from Norfolk. Support from the last true ducal family (Dudley doesn't count to them) could be hers, but they want her married. Now. To one of there's. Mary reacts by not responding...for now.

12th of August, 1553: In London the Lady Jane Grey is announced as Queen of England. Her cousin and sister-in-law is sent from the capital, to Hatfield, so that she does not eclipse her small, quiet cousin at the coronation.

15th of August, 1553: Queen Jane enters the Tower of London in preparation for her coronation.

18th of August, 1553: Two towns nearby Hatfield declare for Elizabeth. Ambrose, who has been with Elizabeth alone for most of the past month, decides to rebel from his family and try for the kingship through his wife.
 
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The Three Queens of England

Contestant One: Mary Tudor

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Queen by rights of the will of Henry VIII, she is currently unmarried and middle aged, but still declares herself fertile. She has much of the conservative North, but has the issue of the Howards, who have not yet made a declaration for any contenders, but have expressed interest if she would marry at to there wishes. She has the highest probability of foreign support, but has yet to receive any actual word from her family in Spain.

Contestant Two: Elizabeth Tudor

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The other child of Henry VIII, who actually is seen by some as the better choice as she is young, married and of the blood. However, she is the younger sister, more obviously illegitimate and married into the hated Dudleys, which she keeps two of them with her (Ambrose and Robert). She currently only has the area around Hatfield declaring for her and is in an extremely weak position.

Contestant Three: Jane Grey

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A full legitimate woman of the royal blood. She is currently in London and is the strongest position of the three. She is young, married and is rumoured to be expecting a child, though this has not been confirmed. She also has the might of the Dudley's and apparently the last will of Edward VI declared her Queen. However she lacks the direct link to Henry VIII that the others have.
 
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"...was futile. Jane had the capital and most of the south, Mary had the North and possibly Spain and all Elizabeth had was the scraps around Hatfield..."

Mother of Ambition by Will Streams

25th of August, 1553: Queen Jane Grey announces, from the Tower of London, that she is pregnant with a royal baby.

28th of August, 1553: Queen Mary Tudor begins a descent through England as she marches with an army of supporters towards the capital.

29th of August, 1553: Queen Elizabeth, who has spent her time setting up a court at Hatfield, begins to rally support with her husband and brother-in-law, announcing her Queenship to all she can and amassing a sizable army herself. Nothing the size of Mary, but she isn't at war with Mary. She is at war with Jane.
 
"...Mary was the best choice, but family matters..."

Elizabeth Tudor by Gina Holland​

3rd of September, 1553: The Howards declare for Elizabeth after Mary refuses that they might have her marry a man of their family. They manage to pull a large chunk of Mary's army from her with this, as many of that group was loyal to them.

5th of September, 1553: The coronation of Queen Jane is a disaster as she faints midway through the ceremony, to the horror of the crowd. It is played off as the fainting spells of a pregnant woman but many murmur that such a delicate girl is too fragile to rule and begin to look outward for leadership.

9th of September, 1553: Robert Dudley is sent by Queen Elizabeth to go to the Capital to attempt to gain support from those people who are now wary of Queen Jane.
 
"...so was she unpopular that the very streets ran with blood..."

Jane Grey: Queen of London by Thomas Egglet

14th of September, 1553: During a public appearance Queen Jane is shocked when riots begin throughout London, with many men dying in attempts to get to her. She herself is hurt and receives a particularly nasty bruise across her shoulder when a series of rocks are thrown at her.

15th of September, 1553: Queen Jane has the men who incited the riot hung, drawn and quartered and 50 others suspected to have through those rock hung.

18th of September, 1553: Queen Mary marries Arthur Pole of Lordington, who promises that he will bring their families closer and also strengthen her cause.
 
"...the marriage, of course, was to conceive a child. Mary could have married Philip of Spain himself, but that wasn't what the people wanted. They wanted an English king. And with the marriages of both her opponents and the pregnancy of Jane Grey, Mary Tudor was forced to consider a lower than expected man..."

Mary Tudor by Kingsley Bennet

22nd of September, 1553: Lady Anne of Cleves leaves the capital, stating that only god shall provide England with it's true ruler. Privately, she expresses her horror of the fate of the rioters and that she doesn't care which sister wins, just that Queen Jane is no longer on the throne.

24th of September, 1553: During another public ceremony, the words"LONG LIVE ELIZABETH" are heard being chanted throughout the streets and Queen Jane is whisked away as the crowds start drawing forwards. Lady Dudley leaves with the younger children of the Dudley clan stating:

"She has lost the people..."

27th of September, 1553: Queen Elizabeth takes the South when she storms up to London and steals the capital out from under Jane. She keeps Jane in the Tower of London and has it declared that such a usurper was not properly anointed and as such is not a Queen.
 
"...Jane Grey was not the Queen of any part of England by this point. Elizabeth had the cards in her hands. But she did something unexpected..."

Elizabeth Tudor by Gina Holland​

30th of September, 1553: Queen Elizabeth begins a trial for Guildford and Jane, having them both tried as traitors to the crown. Guildford is sentenced to be beheaded and Jane is sentenced to house arrest.

2nd of October, 1553: Ambrose, now King Consort, pleads for his brother's life. In a scene reminiscent of how medieval queens would plead with their husbands, he drops to his knees and begs. Queen Elizabeth, however, refuses him on the grounds that traitors do not get leniency.

5th of October, 1553: Guildford Dudley, formerly King Consort and now just a lord, is beheaded by an inexperienced boy who misses seven times before the head is fully gone. Queen Jane, upon hearing she is a widow, replies:

"It is a pity such a pretty youth had such poison blood and ambition."
 
"...so she was pregnant, widowed and cast down from her thrown. She no longer had the support of the Protestants or even the Dudleys. No, Jane Grey was nothing but an accident in the line of many a failed rebellion. She was called Bloody Jane, the Maid of Treachery and even the Young Bitch. But this ignored the problem with the whole story, this was a teenaged girl given power and very little support. The mass hangings done in her name were because she had been attacked, she had never before expressed a wish for power and, when historians have researched her younger years, they find that she was a sheltered, privileged yet misunderstood girl. Her parents were as indulgent as they could be but there were expectations to be made and after she was married they effectively had no control over her..."

Jane Grey: Queen of London by Thomas Egglet​

10th of October, 1553: Queen Mary reaches London and announces that she expects that the capital will fall to her or there will be blood.

11th of October, 1553: Elizabeth Tudor meets with her sister and discussed her terms. She wants to be formally invested as heir, for her husband to be made a Duke and, surprisingly, for Jane Grey to be treated well and her child to be given to Elizabeth to be made ward.

12th of October, 1553: Mary agrees to the conditions given to her and she enters the city with her husband, brother-in-law and sister at her sides.
 
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