Episode 1 – Battle for the Throne, aired 09.05.2017
Elizabeth I was England’s greatest queen – strong-willed, passionate and brave
Vulnerable woman surrounded by danger
Enemies scheming for her crown and plotting against her life
Would never know a moment’s peace
From the minute of her birth she was thrust into a bloody game – life and death
Never knew who to trust and who to fear
Hopes, fears, enemies who stalked her at every turn
What drove her enemies? Risks? Plots? How close they came to destroying Elizabeth
Elizabeth fell prey to a ruthless lord, sister’s love turns murderous
1603 Elizabeth I dying – reign a golden age
Inspired her country to defy the king of Spain and saw off the Armada
Survived assassination attempts, rebellions and a feud with Mary Queen of Scots
Born 7 September 1533 daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
Henry loved Anne – divorced his first wife and broke with Rome but 3 years later Henry’s love turned to murderous paranoia
Found guilty of incest and adultery and sentenced to death
Henry regretted marrying Anne and took it out on Elizabeth – cut her off and called her a bastard
Elizabeth was to be used as political bait
Henry more interested in Prince Edward – Elizabeth banished from court and raised by series of governesses
1543 aged 9 Elizabeth’s life changed, 12 July 1543 Henry VIII married Katherine Parr
Katherine was warm and caring and close to Elizabeth
Mother-figure Elizabeth always wanted
1544 Elizabeth welcomed back to court when Katherine persuaded Henry to restore her as heir, after Edward and Mary
Life starting to look up
28 January 1547 Henry VIII died
Elizabeth upset at death but world not falling apart
Healthy dose of fear for her father after he banished her and killed her mother
Edward VI became king – what would happen to Elizabeth?
Katherine Parr invited Elizabeth to live with her at Chelsea
Elizabeth loved living with Katherine but wasn’t to last – Katherine in love with Thomas Seymour, handsome and charming eligible bachelor
Within weeks of Henry’s death Katherine and Seymour married secretly
Katherine adored him but he had his eyes on Elizabeth
Seymour’s desire to have her would drag Elizabeth almost to the brink of death
Today Seymour’s behaviour would be described as grooming – incredibly risky
Seymour didn’t care and relied on natural charm to get him out of trouble
Seymour repeatedly visited Elizabeth in her chambers for the next year
January 1548 Katherine Parr fell pregnant and was overjoyed
Seymour still focused on Elizabeth – Katherine had no idea what Seymour was up to
Katherine found out, felt betrayed
Elizabeth left the following day – sent away as punishment? Only thing Katherine could do was send Elizabeth away for her own protection
Elizabeth devastated and would never see Katherine again
5 September 1548 Katherine died a week after giving birth to a daughter
Seymour didn’t mourn for long and her death probably helped him out
Within weeks of Katherine’s death Seymour was scheming for a new wife – Elizabeth
Henry VIII’s will banned Elizabeth from considering marriage without consulting the privy council – quick route to power
Privy council banned Seymour from discussing marriage with Elizabeth
Seymour persuaded Elizabeth’s advisor Thomas Parry to speak for him
“If, and when, that [privy council permits marriage to Seymour] comes to pass, I will do as God puts in my mind to do”
Seymour pursued Elizabeth harder
16 January 1549 Seymour broke into Westminster to speak directly to the king – wanted to persuade him to allow his marriage to Elizabeth
Stupidest plan and didn’t work – rumbled by palace guards and ran off
Rumours flew around court that Seymour planned to kidnap Edward VI, kill the privy council, and marry Elizabeth
Seymour arrest the day after for treason and sent to the Tower
Claimed he would never harm the king, asked about relationship with Elizabeth
Story emerged that Seymour and Elizabeth were engaged in an affair – planned to kill Edward VI and seize the throne themselves
January 1549 Elizabeth questioned as believed she was involved in Seymour’s plot
Elizabeth denied everything but council convinced she was guilty
Seymour had been meeting members of Elizabeth’s household – Kat Ashley and Thomas Parry arrested and questioned
Parry confessed what happened and Ashley followed suit
Wanted to know if Elizabeth was Seymour’s lover – role in plot?
If Elizabeth were guilty it would be treason
January 1549 Elizabeth suspect in treasonous plot to kill king and marry Seymour
February 1549 Elizabeth confronted with confessions of Parry and Ashley
Confessed secret meetings, enquiries into Elizabeth’s fortune, morning romps
Elizabeth admitted communication with Seymour, but denied involvement in plots – admitted Seymour’s treason
Elizabeth out of danger but Seymour found guilty of treason and executed
20 March 1549 Seymour executed on Tower Hill – didn’t die quickly as executioner botched the first attempt
This period had a profound effect on Elizabeth
Had been naive to get involved in an ambitious man’s power games
Elizabeth knew that she was a magnet for power-hungry men – all would have one eye on her and one on the throne
Seymour’s execution marked the end of Elizabeth’s childhood
Elizabeth not allowed to drop her guard
1553 Edward VI died – Elizabeth’s life thrown into danger again when her half-sister Mary became queen
Elizabeth had been close to Edward but not to Mary
Tudors a dysfunctional family – Henry VIII had abandoned Mary’s mother, Katherine, to marry Elizabeth’s mother, Anne
Mary a Catholic where Elizabeth a Protestant – guaranteed to come to blows
1553 Mary agreed to marry Prince Philip of Spain
Mary’s decision unpopular
Husband was the boss and wife did what she was told – even the queen, Philip would be the real ruler of England
Mary refused to give in – big mistake
Early 1554 protestant nobles cooked up a plot to overthrow Mary I and put Princess Elizabeth on the throne
Thomas Wyatt behind the plot – fiery protestant
January 1554 Wyatt rumoured to have written to Elizabeth, wanting her to bless his plot – most dangerous position of her life
If rebellion was successful she would be crowned queen
Agreeing to help conspirators was an act of treason – Elizabeth could be executed if found to be involved
Stephen Gardiner reported rumours that Elizabeth was planning to move to Donnington Castle to meet with Wyatt
Gardiner advised Elizabeth’s execution for Mary’s safety.
Mary ordered Elizabeth brought to court – no excuses to be accepted
Elizabeth in serious trouble and wanted to avoid going to London so dragged her heels over 11 days to make the journey
By the time Elizabeth arrived in London Wyatt’s rebellion was crushed and Wyatt was imprisoned
Elizabeth arrested on suspicion of treason and sent to the Tower on 17 March 1554
Elizabeth asked to speak with Mary
She refused to confess to any connection with the revolt
Wyatt was tortured to try and find a connection with Princess Elizabeth and the revolt but he refused to implicate her
11 April 1554 Wyatt publicly proclaimed Elizabeth innocent on the scaffold before being hung, drawn and quartered
Mary had no choice but to free Elizabeth on 19 May 1554, 18 years to the day since her mother’s execution
Elizabeth knew Mary I and Stephen Gardiner were actively looking for an excuse to send her to her death
Elizabeth found innocent but was still suspected by Mary I
Mary sent Elizabeth from court, ill and terrified for her life, Mary about to become more powerful
25 July 1554 Mary I married Philip II of Spain at Winchester
Mary fell head over heels in love but Philip not as keen – did his duty and in November 1554 Mary declared she was pregnant
Mary convinced the child was a boy who would one day rule England and Spain
Mary was deluded as there was no baby and never would be – phantom pregnancy
Women tricked by own brains and bodies into believing they were pregnant – same happened again 3 years later
Turned out to be a terrible illness – possibly ovarian cancer which would prove fatal
Late 1558 Mary fatally ill but refused to name an heir
Council pressed her to name Elizabeth but she wouldn’t, almost to the last
17 November 1558 Mary died
15 January 1559 Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey as Queen of England
Aged 25 walked on blue linen carpet to the altar
No one believed Elizabeth would ever reign over England
Survived so much to obtain the throne – ambitious men manipulating her, influential Catholic enemies who wanted her dead, and her own sister who wanted her dead
Troubles only just beginning
Tudor Blogger 