The Third Act of Succession

1543

Petra Tindall-Mather

Context

• Henry VII d.1509– War of the Roses– peace

• Succession– Arthur d. 1502– Henry

• Tudor line – Ended with Elizabeth I

d.1603

Henry VIII• Older brother Arthur

dies, Henry named heir • Obsession with

succession• Desperate for male heir

to continue the Tudor line

• Crowned 1509

Catherine of Aragon• Marries Catherine of

Aragon his brother’s widow. 1509

• Mary I born• No other heirs

forthcoming • Divorce of Catherine of

Aragon 1533• She dies in 1536

Succession to the Throne:1533 (First Act)

• Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn

• The First Act of Succession passes

• Names Mary I illegitimate

• Unborn Elizabeth made legitimate heir and any further issue

Succession to the Throne: Marriage Act 1536 (Second Act)

• Made after Anne executed

• Names both Mary I and Elizabeth I as bastards

• The king can choose his own heir in his Will

Succession to the Crown Act 1543

(Third Act)• Catherine Parr is given

credit for reuniting Mary and Elizabeth with Henry

• Catherine urges Henry to create the ‘Third Act Of Succession’

Succession to the Crown Act 1543

(Third Act)• 4 years before his death • Names Edward VI heir

as well as any heirs he might have

• Reinstates Mary I and Elizabeth I as heirs

• Names the line of succession for future generations

Edward VI• King aged 9 - 1547• Did not want England to

be Catholic again• Tried to stop Mary from

becoming queen• Named the Lady Jane

Grey heir to circumvent the Third Act

Lady Jane Grey• Queen for 9 days• Forced by relatives to

advance the family name

• Parliament did not recognize her as queen

• Executed by Mary 6 months later

Mary I• Crowned 1553• Known as Bloody Mary

for burning Protestants • Sought to reestablish

Catholicism • Married to King Philip of

Spain 1554• Died in 1558

Elizabeth I• Inherited throne after

Mary I died of cancer• Reinstated

Protestantism • Promoted exploration

eg. Sir Francis Drake• Reigned till 1603• Three consecutive

Tudor Monarchs died without legal issue

Bibliography • Elton, G. England Under the Tudors, History of England volume IV, Methuen & Co

LTD. Published 1965• Luminarium; Encyclopaedia Project, The Third Act of Succession, A.D. 1544, 35

Henry VIII. CAP.1.3S.r.955. Act Fixing the Succession, http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/actsuccession3.htm

• Unknown, Everything Tudor, Henry VII, 2/9/2011, Henrhttp://www.everythingtudor.com/tudorpersonalities/henryviii.html

• Unknown, The Tudor Monarchs, 11/9/2011, http://tudorhistory.org/monarchs/• Unknown (image), Tudor stuff: Tudor history from the heart of England,

11/9/2011, http://tudorstuff.wordpress.com/2009/06/27/lady-jane-grey/lady-jane-grey/