Elizabeth I's Succession Question
A List of Those in Line to Succeed to the Throne of England
As the queen’s reluctance to marry became clear and after a near-fatal bout with smallpox in December 1562, Parliament pressured Elizabeth to name a successor. Many believed that if the queen died without issue and with unsettled succession arrangements, the country would once again be plunged into civil war.
Claimants to Succeed Elizabeth I
The four with the strongest claims were Lady Margaret Strange; Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon; Catherine Grey; and Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Lady Margaret Strange was a member of the Suffolk family and the cousin of the unfortunate Lady Jane Grey.
Although her claim was weak, in Mary I’s time, some considered it stronger than those of Jane Grey’s sisters because of the taint associated with Jane’s execution. Henry Hastings was the only male of the group. He was descended from Edward III on his father’s side and Edward IV on his mother’s side.
The Suffolks Versus the Stuarts
The struggle to be heir presumptive, however, was ultimately between Mary Stuart and Catherine Grey. The question was whether the claim of the Stuart line or the Suffolk line was stronger. Mary Stuart was the granddaughter of Henry VII’s elder daughter, Margaret, who had married James V of Scotland in 1503. Catherine Grey was the granddaughter of Henry VII’s younger daughter, Mary, Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk. In his will, Henry VIII had disinherited the Stuarts, but Elizabeth did not share his view.
Mary Stuart had the better hereditary right. Not only was the Stuart line the elder, but the purity of her descent from Henry VII was not in question. She was, in fact, Henry’s only living descendant whose lineage could not be challenged by alleging a doubtful marriage. Other arguments were more favorable to Catherine Grey. The lines were drawn, dividing the Court, as each side attempted to persuade Elizabeth to either marry or name a successor.
Elizabeth Refuses to Name an Heir
In 1559, Elizabeth assured Parliament that she wished to remain unmarried, but if “it might please God to incline her heart to marry, her choice would light upon one who would be as careful for the preservation of the realm as she herself.” If, however, she continued to live unmarried, she would make provisions for the succession to the throne.
In 1566, the country still faced the same situation – Elizabeth still had not named a successor. The years had not simplified the succession question. On the contrary, printed literature appeared criticizing the queen for failing to name heir. Critics considered Elizabeth’s hesitation irresponsible and careless. In answer to these calls, Elizabeth responded that the time was not convenient to name an heir.
Elizabeth, however, continued to refuse to name an heir. She risked chaos after her death for the sake of stability while she lived. During Mary I’s reign, Elizabeth, as the heir-presumptive, had been the focus of discontent. She did not want the same to occur during her reign. In addition, the succession was not a gift; it was a right. Once given, it could not be withdrawn. By not naming an heir, Elizabeth strengthened her position. The uncertainty made her survival essential and focused her subjects’ loyalty on her alone.
Selected Bibliography:
Guy, John. Tudor England. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.
Hoak, Dale. Tudor Political Culture. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Jones, Norman L. The Birth of the Elizabethan Age: England in the 1560s. Cambridge, B. Blackwell, 1995.
Levine, Mortimer. The Early Elizabethan Succession Question 1558-1568. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1966.
Neale, J.E. Queen Elizabeth I: A Biography. Garden City: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1957.
Eliza Triumphans attributed to Robert Peake
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