England returning (or even remaining) in the fold of the Catholic Church is a pretty common alternate history trope. Catherine of Aragon delivering a son, so the break never happens, or Mary Tudor managing to become pregnant and give birth to an heir. I love taking these alternate history tropes and turning them on their head, so... here we go.
Mary I succeeds to the throne as OTL, following the death of Edward VI—she pursues the Spanish marriage as OTL, with the same resulting fiasco. Elizabeth is consigned to the tower, but eventually released to Woodstock in May of 1554, as per OTL. While robust and healthy compared to her sister, Elizabeth falls ill during her winter at the dilapidated hunting palace, the sickness of your choice... but the result is the same: she passes away. Mary is in the first months of her 'pregnancy' and privately thinks it divine retribution.
Whispers abound that the queen has had some evil hand in this. Though a coroner's jury rules it a natural death, rumors will dog Mary for the rest of her reign. Her pregnancy is discovered to be a sham, to her bitter weeping—she claims the awful business of her sister's death has caused her to miscarry, though many in the queen's household report otherwise. By July of 1555, Mary's belly fully recedes, and in August Philip departs to command his armies in Flanders. Mary falls into a deep depression—Philip will not return to England until 1557.
Mary eventually dies on schedule in 1558. Without Elizabeth, Mary is the last of the Tudor line. The senior claim through blood falls to Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, wed to the Dauphin of France—but she has no chance of attaining the throne. The English will not countenance it, nor would the Spanish. Mary personally wished for Margaret Douglas, the Countess of Lennox to succeed her—she is Catholic, and also has two sons to boot.
With Elizabeth gone, would she wrangle with Parliament to pass a succession act of her own? Through Henry's will, there is the possible succession of Frances Grey (mother of Jane, Katherine, and Mary)... in 1558 she is married to her Master of the Horse, however. She also dies in 1559, for even more fun. Aside from the Greys, there is also Margaret Clifford, daughter of Eleanor Brandon. She is young and married to the Earl of Derby.
For those who tire of the dreaded petticoat government, Yorkist blood flows in the veins of Henry Hastings, the Earl of Huntington.
What might happen next? Not only is the throne totally and completely up for grabs, but it will also effect the religious settlement in England, with the claimants all having a variety of religious views. With the French holding the little Queen of Scots, and Philip II as the widower of Queen Mary, I expect both Spain and France to have keen interest over the succession...
Mary I succeeds to the throne as OTL, following the death of Edward VI—she pursues the Spanish marriage as OTL, with the same resulting fiasco. Elizabeth is consigned to the tower, but eventually released to Woodstock in May of 1554, as per OTL. While robust and healthy compared to her sister, Elizabeth falls ill during her winter at the dilapidated hunting palace, the sickness of your choice... but the result is the same: she passes away. Mary is in the first months of her 'pregnancy' and privately thinks it divine retribution.
Whispers abound that the queen has had some evil hand in this. Though a coroner's jury rules it a natural death, rumors will dog Mary for the rest of her reign. Her pregnancy is discovered to be a sham, to her bitter weeping—she claims the awful business of her sister's death has caused her to miscarry, though many in the queen's household report otherwise. By July of 1555, Mary's belly fully recedes, and in August Philip departs to command his armies in Flanders. Mary falls into a deep depression—Philip will not return to England until 1557.
Mary eventually dies on schedule in 1558. Without Elizabeth, Mary is the last of the Tudor line. The senior claim through blood falls to Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, wed to the Dauphin of France—but she has no chance of attaining the throne. The English will not countenance it, nor would the Spanish. Mary personally wished for Margaret Douglas, the Countess of Lennox to succeed her—she is Catholic, and also has two sons to boot.
With Elizabeth gone, would she wrangle with Parliament to pass a succession act of her own? Through Henry's will, there is the possible succession of Frances Grey (mother of Jane, Katherine, and Mary)... in 1558 she is married to her Master of the Horse, however. She also dies in 1559, for even more fun. Aside from the Greys, there is also Margaret Clifford, daughter of Eleanor Brandon. She is young and married to the Earl of Derby.
For those who tire of the dreaded petticoat government, Yorkist blood flows in the veins of Henry Hastings, the Earl of Huntington.
What might happen next? Not only is the throne totally and completely up for grabs, but it will also effect the religious settlement in England, with the claimants all having a variety of religious views. With the French holding the little Queen of Scots, and Philip II as the widower of Queen Mary, I expect both Spain and France to have keen interest over the succession...
