The Heirs of King Henry VIII by Weir Alison

Author:Weir, Alison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vintage Books

Children of England: The Heirs of King Henry VIII 1547-1558

Part III

Mary and Elizabeth

Children of England: The Heirs of King Henry VIII 1547-1558

9

‘A Merciful Princess'

On 4 August 1553, the Privy Council made its formal submission to Queen Mary. She refused to issue immediate pardons to those who had declared for Jane, and rebuked them gentry for their disloyalty, but, knowing she had no choice but to be conciliatory, she allowed them to kiss her hand. A few lords burst into tears at her magnanimity, but the Emperor's envoys expressed grave misgivings at such ill-​advised mercy. On 5 August, acting on Charles's orders, Renard urged the Queen to be ruthless in punishing traitors; there were those who were a threat to her security, such as Jane of Suffolk', Northumberland, Suffolk and Guilford Dudley, and they should be put to death. Mary firmly refused to order Jane's execution, saying she had been the innocent tool of ruthless men, though Renard warned her that she was displaying a weakness that might have fatal results. The Queen, however was not to be moved; she would consider putting the men to death, but not Jane. Renard accepted that in most respects she had no choice but to be merciful, and drily observed that, if Mary had executed all those involved in Northumberland's coup, she would have very few subjects left.

Winchester and Pembroke had been arrested and imprisoned, but by 13 August they were at liberty and sworn again to the Council. Northampton was also released. Archbishop Cranmer had been refused a place on the Council, as had several others who had supported Northumberland, but the Queen retained twelve councillors who had served under King Edward, reappointed seven more who had served under Henry VIII, including Norfolk, and preferred twelve members of her household, who were loyal to her but lacked political experience. Her Council was therefore larger than hitherto, and hence cumbersome, as well as being riven by sometimes bitter divisions, rendering effective government difficult. As Renard put it, 'The Council does not seem to be composed of experienced men endowed with the necessary qualities to conduct the administration and government of the kingdom.' Even the Queen, with her piercing, intimidating glance and her deep, manly voice, found her councillors hard to control, and complained to the ambassador, 'I spend my days shouting at the Council and it makes no difference at all.'

Many councillors changed their religion in order to placate the Queen and retain her favour. To others she owed a debt of gratitude for their - admittedly belated - assistance in helping her overcome her enemies. Most were men of the world upon whom she was forced to rely heavily.

Gardiner - the best statesman among them - was appointed Lord Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal: the Queen's chief councillor. He was vastly experienced in politics and, like many bishops at that time, an ambitious, worldly man. Born a cloth-​maker's son in Bury St Edmunds, he early on showed exceptional academic ability, studying canon law at university.

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