The Sinking Ship, the Grand Applause - A Mary I of England TL
- Thread starter BlueFlowwer
- Start date
Voting for James of Scotland match for the early (and Catholic) union of the crowns and for the obvious similarities to Isabella and Ferdinand. The prospect of a Tudor-Stewart version of the Catholic Monarchs is rather interesting and unlike anything I've read before on this forum. Looking forward to see where this goes.
Exactly! Catherine will see the similarities a mile away!
@desmirelle Has a rather good TL about this scenario actually.
I just wanted to credit you with the inspiration for this story! Your wonderful story about our beloved Mary I of England. It's a north star for this TL, but I probably won't be as good as writing.
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Please don't sell yourself short!
You got tons of talent! You Will do Mary justice!
Chapter 2 - Messengers to the Queen
Chapter 2 – Messengers to the Queen
The horses were drenched in sweat when they arrived at Greenwich Palace early in the evening. The messengers had ridden hard to Catherine of Aragon, as she was now the Dowager Queen of England. Less then a day had passed since the storm had blown up in the channel. They were received by the worried Catherine, who had just become aware that a storm had occurred in the channel. Upon hearing the news that her husband had possible passed away, Catherine initially collapsed, but soon rallied as the possibilities of the future of England were at stake.
If the king had died, then she was a widow. If the king had died, then England’s true heir was her daughter. Mary would become the first true Queen Regnant of England. Her daughter was sixteen years old. Oh dear lord, “Mary”, Catherine thought. “Maria, my angel. I never wished you to receive the Crown in this way.”
Catherine of Aragon, Dowager Queen of England
Mary would be residing with her household in the Palace of Beaulieu in Essex. Only a day or two away from London. Both she and Mary needed to get to London quickly. And they needed allies quickly. Before the night came, Catherine had set out on her plan. She and her household guards would leave for London at dawn. Parliament would need to be called and Catherine needed the people of London on her side, while she had been shunned and disgraced from court, she was still respected and beloved. The treasury needed to be secured as well. Several messengers had been dispatched across both land and sea. Riders left for the homes of Thomas More, former Lord Chancellor of England, Mary Tudor the Elder, the former Queen of France and her husband, the Duke of Suffolk, Cardinal John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester and Maria de Salinas, dowager baroness Willoughby de Eresby, one of her closest friends. Two of the most important destinations were headed for Princess Mary in Essex and another had been ordered to make haste to the Low Countries and Spain, to seek out Emperor Charles V.
Catherine might have been a devoted wife, but she was first and foremost a daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella. And now she was a mother prepared to fight for her daughter’s right to the throne. The world needed to believe that Henry had survived for a few more days until she could reunite in London with her daughter. To the riders going toward Essex, Catherine had given a letter:
“My dear and beloved Maria. I fear that the Lord has called your sovereign father to his side in heaven now. The Boleyn family and their wretched daughter poisoned his mind against me, his lawful wife and you, his trueborn heir. Now, you must take the inheritance the Lord has intended for you as the Princess of Wales. Your late grandmother, my mother Isabel of Castile, strove to make her destiny as Queen of Castile and Leon against a bastard pretender. Your father's father also won his crown at Bosworth Field against a false king. Now you must do the same. Fitzroy must under no circumstances become King of England. Make the bastard your man of liege and limb and you shall have a loyal Duke. You are the beloved Princess of England. You know how to rally men, how to inspire loyalty and faithfulness in the people. Now it is time to cast off the robe of the young maiden and assume the mantle of Majesty. Call the people to your side. Ride for London with an army who will follow you to the very gates of hell. Call your banners and ride for London at dawn. Become the Queen you were born to become. My dear and darling Maria, I shall see your beautiful face when we meet in London again. Let me be the first to kiss your hand as the rightful Monarch of England.
Your loving mother, Catherine Mater Reginae.
Author's Note: Catherine begins to plan and all parties starts to head for London. Have fun spotting the pop culture references!
The horses were drenched in sweat when they arrived at Greenwich Palace early in the evening. The messengers had ridden hard to Catherine of Aragon, as she was now the Dowager Queen of England. Less then a day had passed since the storm had blown up in the channel. They were received by the worried Catherine, who had just become aware that a storm had occurred in the channel. Upon hearing the news that her husband had possible passed away, Catherine initially collapsed, but soon rallied as the possibilities of the future of England were at stake.
If the king had died, then she was a widow. If the king had died, then England’s true heir was her daughter. Mary would become the first true Queen Regnant of England. Her daughter was sixteen years old. Oh dear lord, “Mary”, Catherine thought. “Maria, my angel. I never wished you to receive the Crown in this way.”
Catherine of Aragon, Dowager Queen of England
Mary would be residing with her household in the Palace of Beaulieu in Essex. Only a day or two away from London. Both she and Mary needed to get to London quickly. And they needed allies quickly. Before the night came, Catherine had set out on her plan. She and her household guards would leave for London at dawn. Parliament would need to be called and Catherine needed the people of London on her side, while she had been shunned and disgraced from court, she was still respected and beloved. The treasury needed to be secured as well. Several messengers had been dispatched across both land and sea. Riders left for the homes of Thomas More, former Lord Chancellor of England, Mary Tudor the Elder, the former Queen of France and her husband, the Duke of Suffolk, Cardinal John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester and Maria de Salinas, dowager baroness Willoughby de Eresby, one of her closest friends. Two of the most important destinations were headed for Princess Mary in Essex and another had been ordered to make haste to the Low Countries and Spain, to seek out Emperor Charles V.
Catherine might have been a devoted wife, but she was first and foremost a daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella. And now she was a mother prepared to fight for her daughter’s right to the throne. The world needed to believe that Henry had survived for a few more days until she could reunite in London with her daughter. To the riders going toward Essex, Catherine had given a letter:
“My dear and beloved Maria. I fear that the Lord has called your sovereign father to his side in heaven now. The Boleyn family and their wretched daughter poisoned his mind against me, his lawful wife and you, his trueborn heir. Now, you must take the inheritance the Lord has intended for you as the Princess of Wales. Your late grandmother, my mother Isabel of Castile, strove to make her destiny as Queen of Castile and Leon against a bastard pretender. Your father's father also won his crown at Bosworth Field against a false king. Now you must do the same. Fitzroy must under no circumstances become King of England. Make the bastard your man of liege and limb and you shall have a loyal Duke. You are the beloved Princess of England. You know how to rally men, how to inspire loyalty and faithfulness in the people. Now it is time to cast off the robe of the young maiden and assume the mantle of Majesty. Call the people to your side. Ride for London with an army who will follow you to the very gates of hell. Call your banners and ride for London at dawn. Become the Queen you were born to become. My dear and darling Maria, I shall see your beautiful face when we meet in London again. Let me be the first to kiss your hand as the rightful Monarch of England.
Your loving mother, Catherine Mater Reginae.
Author's Note: Catherine begins to plan and all parties starts to head for London. Have fun spotting the pop culture references!
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I'm surprised she didn't mention Henry VII, who also fought a battle for his crown
Mary will come up in the next chapter!
I just added that part!
Because London is where the main center of royal power are (and also where the treasury and parliament are).
And where Westminster Abbey is, where Mary would traditionally be crowned!
good developments in sight for Mary (I'm happy for her, I feel great pity for her and all those who had to do with Henry VIII) Catherine, worthy heir of her parents, has already prepared everything for the passage of the throne (even informing Charles V is an excellent idea, thus instilling the Habsburg - Tudor alliance can continue but without marriage between cousins, also taking away one of their very old ally from the French (Charles as emperor can create or raise titles, therefore for the marriage if it is confirmed James can create as a wedding gift to his cousin a new royal title that unites England and Scotland, as well as forcing the pope to recognize him 😉) furthermore with the English still pro-Spanish, France will not be able to help the Protestants in the empire any more so the Smalkandic ? league is weakened, and Ferdinand can keep Wurttemberg (a key territory that further strengthens Austria and brings the archducal territories closer to Burgundy)
moreover, if England and Scotland unite, their influence in Rome can also increase (I think Charles would exploit it to balance the large faction made up of French and pro-French in the Vatican) also because the Henryian rift is not completely completed, it can still be healed, perhaps Pole is more likely to become pope here, Certainly Mary will have to face some revolts but nothing serious (perhaps we do not see heretics transformed into martyrs, but rather exiled or reconverted (because with France that can be distracted on four sides, Charles can apply even more pressure to keep the Council of Trent, it would help that the 4 popes who succeeded Paul III (uncle of Alessandro Farnese, alias duke of Parma as well as nephew of Charles V) were not so anti-imperial or that they underestimated the reform (fearing the Ottomans more)
perhaps the estates of the Knights of Malta are not broken up in England
moreover, if England and Scotland unite, their influence in Rome can also increase (I think Charles would exploit it to balance the large faction made up of French and pro-French in the Vatican) also because the Henryian rift is not completely completed, it can still be healed, perhaps Pole is more likely to become pope here, Certainly Mary will have to face some revolts but nothing serious (perhaps we do not see heretics transformed into martyrs, but rather exiled or reconverted (because with France that can be distracted on four sides, Charles can apply even more pressure to keep the Council of Trent, it would help that the 4 popes who succeeded Paul III (uncle of Alessandro Farnese, alias duke of Parma as well as nephew of Charles V) were not so anti-imperial or that they underestimated the reform (fearing the Ottomans more)
perhaps the estates of the Knights of Malta are not broken up in England
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Mary is definitely gonna be helped by her mother for the first years in her reign. And they need foreign allies.
I don't think Charles V has the ability to create titles for anything in England. That sounds like a good thing.
Yes, the effect of that union (if it happens). I have no clue about the Malta thing.
technically Charles can do it, he did it in Tuscany creating the title of Grand Duke for the Medici, it is enough that he convinces the pope on duty to support him. ( it is part of the imperial prerogatives )
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