January 28, 1547: Henry VIII Reverts Back to His Previous Line of Succession

Knowing death was coming to an end, Henry VIII thought again about the changes to the line of succession he had made. Katherine had suggested that he put Mary and Elizabeth back in the line of succession, as they were the daughters of his former wives.

But that wasn’t the case, was it? Both marriages had been annulled. They never legally happened and his two daughters were still illegitimate. Henry knew deep down that if his son Edward didn’t have heirs, there would be trouble in the kingdom. He’d already seen what the religious reformation could do. Mary was a Catholic, Elizabeth was a Protestant and both were viewed illegitimate by each side.

Deciding he wouldn’t risk the country falling apart, he decided to make changes to his last will. 

Edward and his heirs remained the next in line. After that, Mary and Elizabeth were removed. Now it was time to consider the next options. While the legal route would be to choose his elder sister’s line, he couldn’t accept it. Mary Stewart was just a baby and had regents that he despised. Plus they were Catholic. He wouldn’t have the situation that his own daughter Mary could cause.

So, he decided on his late sister’s line. Sure, they were girls, but they were protestant. And they were raised close to the crown. If Edward died without heirs, the crown would pass to Frances. She wouldn’t likely have any more children, so his great niece, Jane, would become queen. Henry could make sure she was ready for it with the right wording in his will and the right people around her.

With his council around, Henry dictated his will and quickly signed it. There would be no questions about the validity of his decision.

Mary and Elizabeth Hear of the Will

When Henry VIII died on January 28, 1547, news spread around the kingdom. Edward at just nine years old became King Edward VI of England; his council ready to lead through his minority years.

The first matter was to tell the Ladies Mary and Elizabeth about the change to the line of succession. To say they were both shocked was an understatement. They were angry that they had been removed once again. But really, they shouldn’t have been that surprised. Their father had a habit of giving with one hand and taking sharply away with the other.

It’s not like they really thought they would have a chance as the throne, anyway. Edward was a healthy, fit young boy. He would grow up to have heirs of his own.

However, in 1553, the two sisters realized that it should have been them. Edward died without children and the crown now passed to Lady Jane Grey. That’s right; Edward had decided to make another change to the line of succession, cutting Frances out completely and passing it straight onto Jane. The hope was that she would have sons to pass the crown onto.

After paying respects to her brother, Mary turned to Elizabeth to discuss their next moves. She wanted that crown. As the eldest daughter of Henry VIII, it was rightfully hers.

Yet since six years had passed since Henry’s death, the people had already accepted that Mary and Elizabeth wouldn’t become the next queen. While they didn’t like that Frances had been passed over, they supported Edward’s decision as their king. Elizabeth decided to listen to the people.

Mary decided to turn her attention to Scotland. There was someone else who may have been angry with the decision, Mary’s cousin, Queen Mary of Scotland (Marie, as she was known by the French). Marie was angry that Jane had been named queen. She had always been angry that Henry VIII had chosen Mary Tudor’s line instead of her grandmothers. Margaret Tudor was the elder sister and it should have been her line that was next.

Of course, the French were also interested in Marie being placed on the English throne. With common interests in mind, Henri II of France invited Mary Tudor to France. Now they could all discuss their options. When Marie married Francis, dauphin of France, there was a clear statement that Marie made it clear that she was the rightful Queen of England.

That statement came with the death of Mary Tudor, weakening the chances of Marie becoming queen.

A Time for War

With France rallying behind Marie’s claim, it was time to go to war. Queen Jane was shocked at the revelations. The young girl who never really wanted the crown (had been grateful when she heard that Uncle Henry was putting Mary and Elizabeth back in the line of succession) was now faced with a war that could bankrupt England. And there was no way out of it. She couldn’t just hand the crown over.

Not only that but by this point she had been queen for three years and had a four-month-old son, Prince Henry. The English people had accepted her and she now had her son’s future to consider. While she may not have initially wanted it, it was now hers and she would have to fight to protect it.

History wasn’t overly favorable to English monarchs with French invaders. She knew all about her great-grandfather’s upbringing and fight for the throne. She feared that she was the vilified Richard III in this war.

Luck was on Jane’s side. Henri was gravely injured in a jousting accident, leading to Francis’ ascension to the throne. He wasn’t as ambitious as his father, being the sickly boy that he was. The country was also in a state of mourning and these sudden changes meant that plans for England had to be put on hold. When Francis died 18 months later, Marie no longer had the support of the French court. Marie was forced to return to Scotland.

While Scottish wanted England, there wasn’t the same support. Plus, Marie had to secure her own line of succession. The English and Scottish discussed options to help create a suitable match, but Marie wasn’t interested. She chose her own (undesirable) husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.

Meanwhile, Jane could concentrate on her own family for a short while. In the space of France’s monarchy changing and Marie choosing her husband, Jane gave birth to two more children. 

Unfortunately the last, a stillborn son, would prove to be fatal. Queen Jane died of childbed fever and both mother and son would be buried together.

No Support for Mary, Queen of Scots

Jane’s death secured the English throne for the new House of Dudley. As Jane had given birth to a healthy son, Prince Henry took the throne as King Henry IX. The downside was that this young king was a toddler and needed a council to run the country. This council was headed by Henry’s father, Guildford Dudley.

Guildford wasn’t the strongest leader and the council listened to his father, John, more frequently. When Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to a son, the council made suggestions of a betrothal between King Henry’s sister, Frances, and the heir to the Scottish throne. John didn’t even entertain the decision, until the Scottish overthrew Mary and placed her son on the throne.

Mary Stuart fled to England for safety, when John suggested they put her under house arrest. He couldn’t risk his Protestant court being overthrown by the Catholics. However, the Catholics supported young King Henry IX. He was a male and they wanted a male on the throne. They definitely didn’t want to lose their throne to Scotland.

Not seen as a threat, Mary was allowed to remain in England but as a member of Princess Frances’ ladies. Mary had no choice but to accept if she wanted to keep most of her freedom. As Frances grew older and John Dudley lost power, Mary was able to talk to the council about Frances and James marrying. It was finally a suggestion taken seriously and even the Scottish agreed. James VI of Scotland and Princess Frances of England were betrothed and would later marry.

Eventually King Henry came of age, but he wouldn’t have heirs of his own. He would die at 15, leaving the throne in the capable hands of his sister and her husband, James. The two ruled as joint monarchs, officially joining the thrones of England and Scotland.

---What Really Happened on January 28, 1548?---

Henry VIII never reverted back to an older version of the line of succession. Instead, Edward VI died without heirs but changed the line of succession himself. Due to questions over the legalities of Edward changing the line of succession and support for Mary Tudor, Lady Jane Grey was only queen for nine days. Mary Tudor became Mary I of England.

July 19, 1553: Lady Jane Grey Is Crowned Queen Jane of England

Knowing his reign was coming to an end, Edward realised he had to do something. He couldn’t risk his work to turn England into a strong Protestant nation go to waste. His half-sister Mary may have been loved by the people, but she was a devout Catholic with a chip on her shoulder. She would ruin everything and put too many lives at risk.

Elizabeth may have been a Protestant, but he couldn’t choose one half-sister instead of the other, skipping over the elder half-sister. Besides, Elizabeth would never gain the Catholic-heretic support. Her mother was despised for everything she did in the past.

Edward needed to look past his sisters. His father had no business putting them in the line of succession anyway. They were both illegitimate. He needed a son of his own, but it was too late for that. He could feel death creeping up on him, so he needed to look at the next in line.

Edward Chooses Lady Jane Grey

Unfortunately, the rest of his family tree was full of women. Edward didn’t believe women could rule, but he had no choice. After Elizabeth, Henry VIII had named Frances Brandon Grey, daughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, as the next in line. Frances wasn’t going to have any more children, but she only had girls: three of them. Fortunately, the girls were young enough to have boys of their own. Suddenly Edward had a plan.

Of course, Frances wasn’t happy about giving up her rights to the crown, but she understand and agreed. Edward quickly went to work to name Lady Jane Grey, Frances’ eldest daughter, as his successor. His Lord Protector, John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, was ready in the wings to help but under the stipulation that Jane marry his fourth son Guildford. It wasn’t a great match, but it would do. Edward made sure Frances and Henry Grey and Jane knew that Guildford was never to be named king or receive the Crown Matrimonial.

After the marriage, Edward went to work to officially make Jane his successor. As he grew weaker, he summoned his sisters to him. Publicly announcing his plans, he then had his sisters escorted to the Tower “for their own protection.” The Boy King knew at least one would build a force to put Jane’s reign at risk and Edward wasn’t having it. The people weren’t entirely happy that Mary Tudor had been overlooked, especially the Catholics, but they moved onto another queenly suggestion: a queen already in her own right. Mary, Queen of Scots was suggested by the Catholics, but Edward refused to budge. Henry VIII had wanted his younger sister’s line put before his elder sister’s line.

When Edward died on July 6, Lady Jane Grey was officially proclaimed Queen Jane. It wasn’t really what the 16-year-old girl wanted, but she never had a choice. She had to do what was best for England.

The First Rebellion Attempt

John Dudley and Henry Grey knew they would have rebellions to quash. They also knew Jane’s public coronation needed to take place as soon as possible. July 19 was the date set, leading to attentions to turn on Guildford. John Dudley had expected his son to become king, and it wasn’t until the day of the coronation that he learned about the secret agreement. John kicked himself for never

stipulating something in the marriage contract about Guildford’s title after Edward’s death. John didn’t really have a choice but to accept the situation right now. He couldn’t support Mary’s claim to the throne right now.

It didn’t take long for a rebellion attempt with Mary as the figurehead. It came on the morning of Jane’s coronation to prevent her being an anointed queen. Catholics and Protestants surprisingly joined together in a bid for Mary to become queen, but it wasn’t enough. Jane’s supporters were ready. The rebellion did make one thing clear: Mary could never leave the Tower.

Elizabeth on the other hand was allowed to leave. She was placed under house arrest, in the care of Robert Dudley, fifth son of John Dudley. The two become close, making Henry Grey fear that John would find a different way to get one of his sons the throne. Henry Grey acted quickly and removed Elizabeth of Robert Dudley’s care and placed Elizabeth in his own household for the time being. He would focus on the illegitimate girl later.

With the first rebellion put down, Janes started to look at becoming the queen the people loved. Not allowing Guildford to become king was the first step. She then put down wars in France, keeping hold of some of the English territories in the country. Next was Scotland, where she wanted peace.

Peace with Mary, Queen of Scots

Peace wasn’t possible until 1558. Mary Tudor’s death in the Tower helped to quieten some of the Catholic factions. They no longer had a figurehead, except for Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary Stewart was in France though, and the Protestants in Scotland were gaining traction. The rise of a Protestant monarch in England had helped give the Scottish Protestants hope. They overthrew their Scottish regent Mary de Guise and agreed to terms with the English, in fear that Scotland would become a French dominion due to Mary Stewart’s marriage to Francis, dauphin of France.

When Mary Stewart returned to Scotland, she and Jane would regularly communicate through letter. They bonded as queens in a man’s world, seeing similarities despite their religious differences. The two would eventually meet and grow to like each other, even if Mary, Queen of Scots feared for Jane’s soul.

That relationship would Scotland gain a Protestant king, as Mary and Robert Dudley married. Jane had decided that her loyal brother-in-law deserved this, especially as he helped put down a number of rebellions over the years. Jane helped Mary realize that this marriage would be good for the Scottish people.

Motherhood would eventually help to bond them further. Jane was the first of the two queens to become pregnant. In 1562, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, named Henry after Jane’s father and great-uncle. Two years later, Mary Stewart and Robert Dudley had a son of their own, named James after Mary’s father. However, the next pregnancies the women would have led to sorrow. Mary gave birth to stillborn twins, while Jane’s difficult pregnancy led to no choice but a c-section that would claim her life on February 12, 1566. It wasn’t even worth it, as the baby boy died three days later.

John Dudley instantly stepped in to help rule the nation as his four-year-old grandson’s regent, but Jane had already put a plan in place in case she didn’t make it through labour. She had ensured King Henry IX had a council overseeing everything, rather than one particular person in charge. Unfortunately, John Dudley attempted to overthrow the decision and it led to England falling into turmoil. Lands in France were lost and peace with Scotland was destroyed.

Mary, Queen of Scots saw her chance to claim the English throne. After all, Jane’s brother-in-law was her husband. They had the support of Catholics and Protestants in Scotland, but England gave support to the toddler king. As the only male in England and the eldest in Scotland in the line of succession, the Protestants and Catholics in England viewed Henry IX as the rightful heir.

A Change in Leadership

England was in a difficult state with John successfully claiming regency. When King Henry turned 13, the council found John stealing from the treasury. He was arrested and found guilty, possibly on some fictitious charges. It was convenient that the aging Henry Grey was able to take over as regent for the young king.

Henry Grey was a good influence, respecting everything that his daughter Jane had attempted to do in her reign. With his grandfather’s help, King Henry IX was able to build some of the bridges with Scotland. When Mary was deposed by the Protestants in favour of her own boy king, Henry IX offered the former queen support in England. She was placed under house arrest with Lady Elizabeth Tudor, but at least she had some sort of safety. The two fallen women grew to be close friends.

On Henry IX’s 18^th birthday, he chose to take over. Henry Grey remained a closed advisor, but it was time for England to have a ruling male monarch. Knowing how other men in his family died young or without strong male heirs, Henry IX made finding a bride and having an heir a priority.

A Pact with Spain

War was brewing in Spain, but Henry wanted peace. He made a political offer to King Philip II to marry his daughter Isabella. After some meetings and negotiations, a treaty was made. Isabella would marry Henry when she turned 12. It was young, but Henry needed to work fast and Spain wanted to gain some control over England. Philip’s condition to the marriage was that Isabella became a co-ruler. Henry agreed, knowing that it would fully appease the Catholics in his country but did have the stipulation that heirs would become Philip’s heirs regardless of any sons he had.

 

Isabella fell pregnant soon after her marriage. It was a difficult birth, but they did have a son. The boy was named Henry after his father and grandfather. The two would have a daughter two years later. This time it was a girl, who Henry named Jane. The third pregnancy would take the life of both mother and child. Philip accused Henry of poor medical care for his beloved daughter. Breaking the treaty, Philip declared war on England.

Fortunately, Mary Stewart’s good treatment in England and good relationship with her own son helped Henry gain support from the Scottish. That led to support from France and the Spanish Armada was sunk.

At 26, Henry caught smallpox. Everyone feared the worst, and Henry created a plan for a government to rule over his young son. He also released Elizabeth and Mary from their house arrests. Henry made it clear to both women that he only ever wanted peace and wished that they hadn’t been locked away for so long. He also wanted to see England and Scotland join together.

Henry’s wish for two countries with the same crown eventually happened. In the 1700s, Scotland was left without an heir and eventually had to turn to England. The crowns would join with the English King George I.

June 11 1509: Henry VIII of England Marries Eleanor of Castile

After Henry VII’s death on April 21, there were many questions in court about the new Henry VIII’s marriage decisions. The 18-year-old was finally entirely in control of his life. This was his chance to create an alliance with a country to help grow and support England against the French and Scottish.

While some believed he would marry his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon, Henry decided a different tactic. The papal dispensation had its flaws and Henry wasn’t entirely convinced that Catherine and Arthur hadn’t consummated their marriage. Neither was his grandmother, Margaret Beaufort.

Relying on his grandmother for advice, they decided that Catherine’s niece and the granddaughter of Maximillian I, Holy Roman Emperor, was the better choice. Maximillian was understandably ecstatic that Margaret and Henry had upheld the betrothal created by Henry VII just before his death. King Henry VIII announced his decision to the world on May 10, after getting full approval from Maximillian and Eleanor’s parents.

The Marriage of Henry VIII and Eleanor of Castile

Eleanor made her way to England at the start of June, landing in Dover on June 9. Henry decided to surprise his new bride, excited for what would lie ahead. Initially disappointed that his bride spoke very little English, Henry decided this could work. After all, Catherine had barely spoken a word and he knew the Catherine and Arthur had respect for each other—everyone else may have thought their marriage was unloving, but Henry had seen the truth.

To make it easier for Eleanor, Henry decided to invite Catherine to live at court. While he didn’t want to marry his former sister-in-law, he did want to stop her living in the poverty his father made her live in. This was his chance to right some of the wrongs Henry VII had done.

The marriage between Henry and Eleanor was instantly viewed positively. The English court enjoyed the positive relationship with Maximillian and then Eleanor’s brother Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

Proving the blessing for Henry was the birth of his and Eleanor’s first child, a boy. Unfortunately, the boy would live for just a day before dying of an unknown illness. Both parents were devastated, but they were still young and could have more children. Their second boy, born on New Year’s Day, 1511, was born a month prematurely.

Henry initially worried about the health of his young son, named Henry after the founder of the Tudor dynasty. He feared that he would lose another heir, but the physicians told him that the baby was strong despite his early birth. The young prince, nicknamed Harry, would prove the physicians right and quickly grew into a handsome, athletic young man.

Two years after Henry’s birth, Eleanor announced she was pregnant again. This would be her last living child and would be a daughter, Elizabeth. The young princess had the darker complexion of her mother and was the pride of her father’s eye. He knew this girl would become a bargaining chip with countries around the world.

Eleanor’s Miscarriages and Henry’s Affairs

Unfortunately, Eleanor’s subsequent pregnancies would end in heartache for the ruling monarchs. Eleanor turned to her aunt for support, but there wasn’t much Catherine could do to help. This wasn’t an area of Catherine’s expertise.

To make things harder for the young queen, Henry turned his eye to the women in court. One of those was Eleanor’s lady-in-waiting Bessie Blout. The two would have a son together, Henry FitzRoy. Sure, Eleanor had already produced an heir to the throne, but it still hurt her to know there was another son out there.

When Bessie Blout fell out of favour, another mistress came into Henry’s life; Mary Boleyn. This woman gave Henry two children, although Henry never officially acknowledged them. In fact, Mary seemed clear that these two children weren’t Henry’s at all, but her own husbands. Eleanor was sure that wasn’t the case. A man as physical and strong as Henry had to be the father.

As Henry’s affairs went on, Eleanor found herself going down a dangerous path of suspicion and jealousy. Everyone became her enemy. Catherine tried to keep her niece on track, but Eleanor started making enemies on court. The Boleyns and Howards were the worst of the lot and made sure they took Henry’s ear with suspicions of treason and adultery. Those suspicions would soon prove fruitful.

Eleanor Begins a Questionable Relationship

In 1523, Eleanor’s brother visited with Frederick II, Elector Palentine. There was an instant attraction between the two, but nothing went any further than a few smiles and a couple of dances. The two remained in contact over the years and Frederick started to become Eleanor’s friend and confidante.

She would often send him letters about Henry’s affairs and births of babies. By 1527, it was clear that Eleanor had fallen in love with the man who wrote to her. What Catherine couldn’t tell was whether her niece’s affections were returned.

It wasn’t worth the risk of the Boleyns and Howards finding out the truth though. Catherine got in touch with her nephew Charles and arranged for the relationship to end. It was hard for Eleanor, as she couldn’t understand why Frederick would stop writing to her. Catherine couldn’t bring herself to tell Eleanor the truth.

However, the silence didn’t last. Frederick made his way to England under the pretence of a diplomatic mission as religious reforms swept Europe. While there, he met with Eleanor in secret.

One of Eleanor’s ladies, Anne Boleyn, noticed the two meeting in secret. She never saw anything conclusive, but it was enough for her to put the seeds of doubt into the court. It all started with her brother, George. The two worked together to let the Howard family know of the deceit from the queen and that was all that was needed for Henry to question the fidelity of his queen.

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn Meet

As lady-in-waiting, Anne had the chance to put herself in front of the king. With the doubt growing over Eleanor, Anne’s father and uncle, Thomas Boleyn and Thomas Howard, encouraged her to make herself known. They needed her to gain more power and authority in court, but they needed her to hold his attention longer than her sister.

Anne wasn’t afraid to tell Henry no. She wanted the crown on her head.

Of course, with a son and heir, there was no way that Henry would discard his wife, even if she did doubt her fidelity. He would lock her away and prevent her from seeing visitors, but he wouldn’t petition for a divorce. Anne had to put up with the idea of being Henry’s official mistress.

What Anne didn’t realize at the time was that being Henry’s official mistress would save her life. She wasn’t under constant scrutiny from the men in court and there were no expectations of her to give birth to a son, which she did manage to do in 1529, followed by a daughter in 1533.

Eleanor hated Anne, but hated her life even more. After learning about Frederick, Eleanor was left with nothing. She was confined to her apartments and not even allowed to see her aunt. She was given one lady to attend to her needs and expected to smile and act as if nothing was wrong in front of others. Of course, the English people knew something was going on but they couldn’t believe the rumors that Eleanor had had an affair with Frederick. Their queen was dutiful and pious, wasn’t she?

Anne Boleyn Dies in Childbirth

In 1537, Anne Boleyn gave birth to her final child. Unfortunately both mother and baby wouldn’t make it, devastating Henry. The king had loved his mistress deeply and never wanted to lose her. This was a woman who would debate with him intellectually and discuss the religious reformation with him to help him understand the views of the heretics. She wasn’t queen material but made the perfect mistress.

Losing the child—another daughter—was also devastating. The two were buried together, but Henry didn’t attend the funeral. He mourned for a few years after that, refusing to do anything other than basic duties.

Eleanor was happy that Anne was gone, but her mental state was deteriorating. She hadn’t been allowed to see her family and there were rumours of her madness. Many believed that she had the same mental disease as her mother Joanna, who was locked away to avid causing trouble. As depression set in, Eleanor found her physical health deteriorating too. She would regularly suffer from illnesses, and when the sweating sickness took over her body in 1538, she wasn’t in a state to fight it.

Henry was left mourning the death of his mistress and looked to mourn the death of his wife. His children mourned the loss of their mothers, particularly Harry who had turned against his father for the ill treatment of his mother.

Harry Marries Against Henry’s Permission

The problems with Harry were so bad that he refused to meet any bride that Henry suggested. In fact, he acted out and married a bride of his own choice—the Protestant Anne of Cleves. Henry was furious with the marriage decision and refused to see the marriage as being valid. After all, they married in a Protestant ceremony.

The English nobles feared what would happen with Harry’s decision. It was clear that he was a Lutheran sympathizer. Would he bring the religious reformation to England? The fear was so bad that they needed Henry to interfere now.

Henry arranged for Harry and Anne’s arrest as heretics the moment she and Harry returned to England. This caused problems with the secret Protestants in England and the Duke of Cleves. England had war on its hands if Henry didn’t release his son and daughter-in-law.

Despite Henry’s treatment of Eleanor, Charles stood by his brother-in-law and arranged for Spain’s army to stand by the English. Of course it came with a requirement: Henry’s daughter Elizabeth had to marry Charles’ son Philip. By this point Henry didn’t have much time to argue. It was a small price to pay.

Elizabeth wasn’t happy with her father’s decision but she had no choice as a political pawn. Henry was losing the respect of his legitimate children, but as long as there were living legitimate children nothing else mattered.

With Spain a major threat to Germany, the war against England never happened. Harry and Anne remained in prison until Henry’s death 10 years later. It was only because there was no other heir to the throne that Harry was released and he then released his wife. By the time they had the chance to be together, it was too late for children.

Protestants Forced Into Hiding

Harry and Anne died childless, but they did help to bring the Protestant reformation. Knowing that he didn’t want a Catholic monarch on the throne, Harry made Jane Grey the heir to his throne. Only male heirs would be allowed to inherit the throne, although there were plenty of unasked questions about what would happen if there were no male heirs.

The questions didn’t need to be asked ever. Jane was queen for just 9 days before Philip of Spain rode into England and deposed her, with the view that Harry’s sister Elizabeth was the rightful heir. The two became co-rulers, although England hated being under Spanish rule.

Protestants were forced to flee their homeland. While some remained and just went into hiding, others fled to Scotland and mainland Europe as a way to save their lives. Some were persecuted and burned for their heretical views.

Elizabeth soon found her pregnant. The Catholics rejoiced but the Protestants feared the worst. Elizabeth and Philip had a boy, named Charles Henry, and it was clear that Protestants would never have a chance. They would only have one child, though.

In 1568, when Mary, Queen of Scots fled Scotland and asked for help to reclaim her throne, Philip and Elizabeth agreed. Mary was made a guest in their court, although the war against Scotland didn’t work out. Mary remained safely in England, helping to raise the young heir to the throne, sad that she would never see her own son again.

As for Charles Henry, he became King of Spain in 1598 after his father’s death. His mother’s death five years later made him King of England. England and Spain became one.

May 12,1536: Four Men Found Innocent in Shock Trial

King Henry VIII couldn’t believe the news. He had been assured that these men were guilty of their crimes; that his marriage to Anne Boleyn would rightfully be annulled due to her infidelities.

Now, on May 12, 1536, he had learned that the four men accused of sleeping with his wife had been found innocent. He would have the heads of the jurors. How could they find the men innocent? One had even confessed to having sex with Anne on multiple occasions.

It later turned out that Mark Smeaton had recanted his confession. He shared with the court that the only reason he confessed was so that the torture would stop. He didn’t want to be left a cripple permanently. But in the end he couldn’t see an innocent person die because of his lies.

But that wasn’t all. To make it very clear that this recant was real, he had opted to tell the court that he was a homosexual. He couldn’t have sex with Anne before he preferred to sleep with men. Sure it was a death sentence for him, but Anne would be found innocent on charges against her involving himself.

Thomas Cromwell’s evidence started to fall apart. He had dates and places all laid out in front of him, but soon the jurors realized that the dates were fabricated. The men couldn’t have been with the queen because she would have been elsewhere; with the king, pregnant, or unchurched and laid in bed.

King Henry VIII Furious with Thomas Cromwell

When Henry learned of the truth about Mark Smeaton’s confession, he made sure a court found him guilty of sodomy and whatever other charges they could put against him. His death would be painful—there would be no mercy shown at all. Smeaton had embarrassed the king, as once he was found innocent the others were too.

The people of England laughed. He could hear them from behind his walls. They wanted their queen freed from the Tower of London, but Henry wanted her gone. He didn’t love her and he certainly didn’t trust her. Rumors came from some sort of truth. They had to.

But while he couldn’t go after Anne’s head right now and Smeaton was already going to face the chopping block, he could go after another person. The one person who made a promise that Anne and her followers at court would be taken down: Thomas Cromwell.

Cromwell had clearly lied. He couldn’t have someone who would fabricate evidence and not learn the deep truths of those accused of sleeping with the queen. After all, what would happen to a future bride once Henry took another?

Cromwell attempted to save his own life, but it was in vein. He was arrested and locked away in the Tower. Henry would come to him later. For now he could stew in filth and have only rats for company. Cromwell would remain in prison and die from unknown causes.

Queen Anne Learns the Truth

Preparing for her own trial three days later, Queen Anne would learn of the truth. Sir William Kingston came with the news that her trial would not go ahead. The evidence had fallen through. Sir Henry Norris, Sir William Brereton, and Sir Francis Weston would be released in due course.

There was a fourth name missing from the list. She knew Mark Smeaton was to face the court too. If her trial wasn’t going to happen—would that mean she was found innocent of the false charges?—then why would Mark be released? Poor Mark. She had liked him. He was funny and an excellent musician. But she would never betray the king. She had worked hard to get to where she was.

Kingston shared that Mark was facing other charges, and Anne knew that wasn’t good. While she didn’t ask for more, she said a prayer for his soul.

Despite no trial, Anne was confined to the Tower for now. Was this just normal or would Henry search for another way to get rid of her? Anne had hoped that Henry would see the truth and agree to send her to a nunnery instead. There was hope now, as there not?

No, she wouldn’t hope just yet. There was still a chance that Cromwell would find a way to take her down.

Jane Seymour Angry at the Outcome

Another woman to hear the news late was Jane Seymour. Days after the trial, she finally got word from Henry that the men were found innocent. Anne would have to be found innocent too—after all, who would she have committed adultery with—and she would still be viewed as queen by many of the reforming people.

To say she was angry was an understatement. She had been relying on this, getting her hopes up that she would be the next queen. It hadn’t helped her father and brother were pushing her in this direction. Instead she was left as “the other woman;” the person Anne was viewed as during the “King’s Great Matter” all those years ago. She didn’t want to be that woman.

It would be days later that her brother Edward had found a way to take down the Boleyn faction. While the adultery charges were dropped, there were still incest charges against Anne and George. And there were witchcraft charges against Anne. Unfortunately, the incest charges were no longer holding up. With Cromwell in the Tower, witnesses were coming forward to say that he had forced false confessions from them. The witness who had seen George and Anne together shared what she had really meant—that George was a caring, kind brother who helped Anne emotionally.

There were only the witchcraft accusations left. But there was no evidence at all to back those up. Rumors of Anne having dark marks spread around England, but surely Henry would have seen them. Just in case he was bewitched, Edward convinced Charles Brandon to have Anne’s body searched for dark marks. Were there any signs of dark magic on her?

Anne Found Innocent of All Charges

When Anne was ordered to undress in front of five men, she was embarrassed and angry. How could Henry allow such a thing? But rather than fight back, she stood strong and dignified. She knew they needed to find some sort of evidence that she was a witch—her ladies had shared the rumors—and she wasn’t going to let the men believe she had anything to hide.

They wouldn’t find anything of course. She had no dark marks anywhere. She knew that and so did Henry. This search was all in vain—and pointless attempt to find her guilty of something.

When the men left disappointed, Anne quickly dressed and allowed herself to shed the tears of embarrassment and deep fear. Even if they couldn’t find a mark, they could easily claim they had. Would she be subject to that in front of the people? Would they sneer and laugh at the sight of their queen naked in front of them?

After a week of wondering and fear, Kingston returned to her chambers to tell her that she was to be escorted out of the Tower. She was certain that she would face public humiliation. Would Henry spare no expense to see their marriage dissolved and her position as queen taken away?

Remaining dignified, she followed Sir Kingston out of her chambers and through the Towers. She waited to hear the sneering crowds, but there was silence. Nobody was there except for Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. So he would be the one to lead her to her public shame. He didn’t even look sorry for doing this. There was no emotion in his eyes, but there was a slight bow of the head.

Without word, Brandon led Anne through the courtyard and into court. Would she face humiliation in front of all lords and dukes instead? Would Henry be there to see how everyone reacted?

She was surprised when she found herself in front of Henry. He sat proudly on this throne, with just Brandon in the room. Where was that snivelling Cromwell? She would have his head if she could for everything he had done to her. But first, she needed to bow deeply and show her husband and lord respect and find out her fate.

It was then that she finally learned she and her brother had been cleared of all charges. They were free—although George was banished from court. Anne didn’t care to find out why. She wanted to know what would happen to her.

Anne Boleyn Arranges a Divorce

Henry wasn’t exactly apologetic for what had happened. A king never apologized, even if he was in the wrong. Anne new that, but as a husband she had hoped that he would show some humiliation and repent. Instead, he remained stone-eyed and calm. All he wanted now was an annulment. Anne would be free to go to a nunnery of her choosing should she agree.

Did she want to agree? Part of her knew that would be better than facing a trial, but she didn’t want to back down. After all this time, she wanted to prove to Henry that she loved him. If she annulled her marriage now, it would show the world that they were never right. Elizabeth would be a bastard.

No, she couldn’t do to her daughter what had happened to Mary—Lady Mary would be someone Anne would need to see after this, if she could. Anne wanted to make sure her daughter was provided for and kept her birth right as the future Queen of England. Anne wouldn’t settle for a marriage to some prince or duke overseas.

Instead of agreeing to an annulment, Anne wanted a divorce. This would mean that the two did marry and Elizabeth would remain a legitimate child of Henry VIII. She would be a legitimate princess, still. Initially angry, Henry did decide to accept the terms. These terms also made it clear that Anne would return to her title Marquis of Pembroke, and she would live in the Welsh lands, away from court. However, she would be allowed a residence near London to see her daughter.

It was a win-win situation for them both. Henry got a legitimate divorce that would be accepted by both the Protestants and Catholics, Elizabeth would remain legitimate, and Anne would keep her head and have the right to marry again if she found someone. She had a feeling that she never would.

Henry VIII and Jane Seymour Marry

Once the divorce was finalised in June 1536, Henry and Jane were free to marry. They would marry at the end of June but it would take a while for Jane to conceive. When she finally did, she gave birth to a son but died soon of childbed fever. England mourned the loss of a queen, but they had a prince. Edward would be placed before Elizabeth in the line of succession, but the two continued to displace Mary from the throne.

Mary Tudor tried to love her siblings. She favored Edward more than Elizabeth. Even if she had remained princess, Edward would always become the heir apparent. They lived in a man’s world. What annoyed her the most was that Elizabeth had kept her position. The concubine had managed to avoid death and humiliation.

As for Anne, she and Henry did end up on speaking terms again. Henry even started to fall in love with her again, but she wouldn’t let him continue that. He needed to find another wife to give England another male heir. She wouldn’t be the one to go through that again. His council found him a few options and Henry agreed to the marriage to Christina of Milan, the granddaughter of Joanna and Philip I of Castile.

There were some questions about this marriage. Christina was the great-niece of Catherine of Aragon. Henry brushed them off. Christina was still young, still in her teens. Of course, Henry wanted to marry her. She didn’t quite want to marry him, but a brewing war between France and Spain meant that she didn’t have much of a choice. Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor effectively made her accept Henry’s proposal.

The two were married in December 1538. The marriage would lead to one more son, Henry, who wouldn’t last past his first birthday. Henry blamed her for the lack of heirs. It was Anne who helped Christina through Henry’s mood swings and encouraged her to keep trying with him. Henry’s health was failing and she would be set well as the dowager queen.

In 1547, the inevitable happened. Henry VIII died and Christina was made a widow for the second time. Young Prince Edward was now King of England. Without Katherine Parr there to help, Mary had been kept out of the line of succession.

After Edward’s death in 1553, Elizabeth inherited the throne. Edward’s reign hadn’t been without its ups and downs, of course. Both his uncles had been executed for treason—one of those uncles had attempted to marry Elizabeth. One Lord Protector had attempted to coerce the king into marrying the Lady Jane Grey off to his fourth son, but Edward wouldn’t have it. Instead, he considered the marriage to Jane himself.

Queen Elizabeth I Ascends to the Throne

When Edward died in 1553, Elizabeth would become Queen of England. Elizabeth placed her uncle into the privy council, trusting him to guide her. Anne returned to court, placing herself in the proud position as Queen Mother. Many compared her to Margaret Beaufort, which she definitely didn’t mind. In fact, she had respect for her late grandmother-in-law.

Now all that mattered was arranging a marriage for Elizabeth, as Henry had failed to due his duty while alive. There were plenty after her hand, including Lord John Dudley’s fifth son Robert. While Elizabeth enjoyed his flirtations, she had her eyes set on Spain. While her mother favored France, the French dauphin was betrothed to Mary, Queen of Scotland.

When Elizabeth looked towards Spain, there were suggestions that she married Edward Courtenay, the currently imprisoned member of the Courtenay family. It would take some work, as Edward’s father had been executed for treason. The more Elizabeth looked into it, the more she realized that Edward was a good match. He was a descendent of Edward IV of England.

Anne Boleyn wasn’t too happy that Elizabeth wasn’t considering a French marriage, but extremely happy that it wasn’t a Spanish one. The marriage did help to unify most of England. With Edward’s lands and titles restored and a posthumous pardon given to his father, the English people viewed him as a legitimate heir to the throne. However, Elizabeth refused to allow him the Crown Matrimonial—something she later learned another cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, was pushing for with the Scottish Queen Mary.

Their marriage had been relatively happy, despite no Crown Matrimonial. They did have three children, and Edward was there to support Elizabeth when Anne and George died in 1562 and 1568 respectively. Elizabeth’s only wish was that her mother had got to meet her daughter, Anne Tudor, the eldest of the three children. The other two were sons, Henry and George, who would go on to continue the Tudor dynasty; first Henry and then George after his brother’s untimely death.

When Mary, Queen of Scots did turn to Elizabeth for support after losing her throne, Elizabeth opened her arms and court to her cousin. She wasn’t about to see a queen in her own right lose her throne. The problem was Scotland and England were now Protestant nations. Elizabeth offered Mary a marriage into a good family, but Mary wanted her throne back. Knowing how Elizabeth would be if the tables were turned, she offered financial help and an army. While Mary never got her throne back, she did become regent for her young son with the backing of Elizabeth. The Scots attempted a couple of uprisings but they were pushed down until James VI of Scotland came of age.

Elizabeth helped to secure the position and support for Mary through the marriage of her daughter to the young king. It would be their line who would one day join the English and Scottish thrones and create what would be known as Great Britain.

[All images in the public domain]

April 14, 1483: Edward IV of England Is Killed at the Battle of Barnet

What if Edward IV never survived the Battle of Barnet. What would life have been like had George, Duke of Clarence betrayed his brother to become King George I of England? Would he have succeeded or still faced the same fate?

The Battle of Barnet looked to be a Yorkist victory. Edward IV’s army had its enemies trapped in the mud. They could pick them off one-by-one. Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick had tried, but failed to bring an end to the Wars of the Roses. But he wasn’t going down without a fight and he would have to be killed to give up this battle.

He thought that would happen, until the unthinkable took place. Just as Edward IV came towards him, he stopped; a look of shock in his eyes. Suddenly blood dripped from his mouth and he landed hard on his knees. Warwick looked up in awe to see George, Duke of Clarence standing above his own brother, his own sword stuck into Edward’s back.

George, Duke of Clarence Changes Warwick’s Fate

George had always been a tricky man to trust. He would switch sides whenever it suited him for power. While initially unwilling to kill his brother, that changed today. Warwick wasn’t sure why it changed right now, but it didn’t matter.

The actions of George meant that Edward’s army had no leader. Well they did, but that new leader had just usurped the old one. And that new leader was now clearly on the side of the Lancastrians.

Or was he?

George looked straight at Warwick, glee in his eyes. This was all part of a game; part of a plot. George just wanted his older brother out of the way. The battle was still on and Warwick realised that he wasn’t going to make it out alive.

Yet, somehow he did. He just made it out maimed. George had decided to capture the Lancastrians that still lived and pulled them from the mud. Many of them were executed, but Warwick was spared. It just so happened that Warwick was George’s father-in-law and George didn’t want to leave his wife without a father. He knew how that felt.

Instead, George cut off Warwick’s sword hand. It was excruciating, but Warwick was able to remain alive.

The Battle of Tewkesbury Still Takes Place

Over the next two weeks, Warwick was pulled in to give George some council. No, it wasn’t council, but news of Henry VI’s army. Warwick wasn’t just going to give that answer away. He wanted reassurances from George first.

It was Isabel, his elder daughter, who was able to give him some reassurances. Warwick would be

welcomed back to Court as the king’s advisor and would be made a duke. After all, there were positions available since Edward IV’s downfall and now death. On top of that, his elder daughter would be queen and her children with George would be heirs to the throne.

Unlike Anne, Isabel had already proven fertile. She lost the baby, but she could at least bear children. Anne was still to conceive with her husband. And it wasn’t like Henry VI or his son were really fit to rule. George wasn’t the most stable, but Warwick could help ensure the safety for England, ruling behind the scenes through Isabel.

Yes, he decided to help and that gave George a major advantage when it came to the Battle of Tewkesbury on May 4, 1471. Henry VI’s Lancastrian forces were no match. Everyone died, including the king’s son Edward of Westminster. Only the women, Margaret of Anjou and Anne Neville, lived but they were taken straight to the Tower of London to be put on trial for treason.

Henry VI was also captured and taken to the Tower of London.

The Execution of Royalty

George knew that he couldn’t execute Margaret of Anjou without bringing about a war with France. He wasn’t ready to do that, so arrange a ransom for her with the French instead. King Louis XI agreed a handsome sum for his niece and also agreed to the return of some of the lost lands due to Margaret and Henry’s wedding contract.

Warwick was impressed with George’s actions. He never expected this from the wildfire that was now George I of England. However, he was more interested in the action taken against his younger daughter, Anne.

George had wanted to execute her as a traitor. Isabel pleaded with her husband to keep Anne alive, even placing her under house arrest, but George refused. George knew that once Warwick died, Isabel and Anne would get his land and inheritance. He didn’t want Anne to get any of it, so for Anne’s trial put together a range of men who would have a reason to find the young former Princess of Wales guilty of treason.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester attempted to save Anne from her execution, but was caught by guards. George had his own brother locked away, before swiftly taking Anne’s head and life.

Dealing with His Sister-in-Law

While all this happened, Elizabeth Woodville remained living in sanctuary with her children. George learned that Elizabeth had given birth to a son while in sanctuary. Those who supported Edward’s

claim to the throne would now have someone to place as a figurehead. He may have just been an infant now, but it wouldn’t take long for him to be a viable contender for the throne. Elizabeth and Anthony Woodville would make sure Edward Plantagenet would become King Edward V one day.

George needed to do something. He needed to remove Edward and the rest of the Woodvilles as a threat, but he couldn’t breach sanctuary. Nobody would ever forgive him if he did that. He would have to lure her out somehow instead.

But before he could do that, he heard news that his wife was pregnant. George excitedly awaited the birth of the prince. After all, if Elizabeth Woodville had finally given birth to a boy, his wife as Queen of England would too. Unfortunately, Isabel gave birth to a girl. This one was quickly named Margaret but George wasn’t happy. He needed an heir to his throne. Edward IV had one and Henry VI had one, so he needed an heir too.

The problem now was the Lancastrians rising again. They had a king in the Tower of London. Lead by the Duke of Buckingham and (as George would later find out) instructed by Margaret Beaufort, they aimed to break Henry VI out of the Tower. The revolt didn’t work. The soldiers were killed, the Duke of Buckingham executed, and Margaret Beaufort placed under house arrest.

As for Henry VI, George had him killed to avoid any more problems. Warwick, who had still not been given the title of duke, reminded George of another man in the Tower who would be a greater threat to his crown: his younger brother, Richard. Richard had gained supporters around England while working with Edward IV. While George had proven to lack loyalty, Richard had not.

George knew that his brother was a bigger threat to his safety than his sister-in-law, nieces, and nephew currently in sanctuary, but wouldn’t do anything yet. He could execute his wife’s sister, but not his own brother. Especially not when he had nothing that he could use against Richard that would warrant death.

The Death of a Queen

Isabel soon found herself with child again. This time the child was a son, named Richard after his father. Bonfires were lit around England, as an heir was born. George was ecstatic, and pushed for Isabel to be rechurched as soon as possible so they could make another heir.

It wouldn’t be good for Isabel’s body. While she quickly became pregnant again, her body hadn’t fully recovered. She was weak from the last pregnancy and gave birth to a weak baby boy, who would be called George. Isabel struggled to recover and was consumed by childbed fever. Just months after the birth of her second son, she died of childbed fever just before Christmas of 1476. Baby George followed on New Year’s Day.

The country mourned for the loss of their queen and prince. George took the deaths extremely hard.

Believing them to be witchcraft, George turned to the only source he could believe would want to see Isabel and the baby dead: Elizabeth Woodville. She had to be conspiring to put her own son on the throne. First it would be Isabel and the new baby, since they were already weak, and then it would be Richard, Margaret, and finally himself.

Without Isabel by his side, Warwick saw that George was losing all sense of control. England had something to worry about when George stormed into Sanctuary to retrieve Elizabeth Woodville and her children. When George and Warwick reached sanctuary, they realised that something wasn’t right.

Everyone had disappeared. Somehow Elizabeth and her children had fled the country. Nobody could tell them when or how. On further inspection around the country, all the Woodvilles had fled. It would be months later that they would hear of the Woodvilles in exile with Margaret of York, Edward’s sister. She refused to allow who she viewed as the rightful heirs to the throne die at the hands of her mad brother.

George was furious. In retaliation, he had his own brother Richard executed in secret. Legend has it that Richard was drowned in a barrel of Malmsey wine, a way that George had said he would always like to go. Margaret Beaufort was also executed, as George didn’t trust her while her son Henry Tudor was in France.

The Death of King George I of England

George didn’t last long after the events of February 1478. England turned against him, as his mental health deteriorated. Warwick had to handle more of the king’s affairs, and worked to put a council in place (with him as Lord Protector, of course) for George’s young son Richard to take the throne.

In February 1483, George died suddenly. Nobody knows the real causes, but it meant that 8-year-old Richard was now King Richard III of England. The country hoped that he would be as strong has his Uncle Edward, but that wasn’t possible with Warwick controlling everything behind the scenes.

In Europe, the Woodvilles realised that this was the time to attack. They’d spent the last decade recruiting an army and were working with Jasper and Henry Tudor. On August 22, 1485, the Woodville and Tudor army headed to Bosworth Field, against Warwick’s forces. Evenly matched and nothing to lose, Anthony Woodville and Henry Tudor overpowered Warwick and his men, usurping the throne.

The 14-year-old Edward Plantagenet was now able to make his way to England safely and take his place as the rightful King of England. Henry Tudor married Elizabeth of York, a promise Elizabeth had made to Jasper in return for his men and smarts. While Henry wouldn’t become king, he would have a place close to the throne. It wasn’t exactly what his father wanted, but it was enough for him, for now.

The young Richard III of England was placed in the Tower of London temporarily. Elizabeth wouldn’t allow her son to act in the same way as George had by executing his own kin. Instead, Elizabeth worked with Margaret of York to have Richard raised with her. He actually didn’t mind, especially when he heard the stories of his father’s actions.

The Plantagenet line continued for another four generations.

What Really Happened on April 14, 1471

George, Duke of Clarence never did betray his brother on the battlefield. Edward IV’s men were able to overpower Warwick’s, killing the Earl of Warwick on the battlefield. At the Battle of Tewskesbury, Richard of Westminster was killed, but Anne Neville’s life was spared. She would go on to marry Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

Elizabeth Woodville would return to Edward IV’s side as his consort and they would have six more children after Prince Edward. George would go on to betray his brother again and did falsely accuse a woman of witchcraft after the death of his wife. After George’s actions, Edward IV felt he had no choice but to execute his brother, and legend says it was in a barrel of Malmsey wine.

The Battle of Tewkesbury would be the last Wars of the Roses battle for more than a decade. Edward IV would remain in power until his death on April 9, 1483.