The Horror of Marriage v.2

"...and with this marriage, the Lady Elizabeth became the Lady Elizabeth Dudley. With the agreement of her brother and the support of her new family she was married in 1553. This, at the time, seemed to be the coup of the century; Elizabeth had the royal blood, the royal look and the youth. But, unfortunately, there was the a problem coming looming..."

The Tragedy of King Dudley by Edgar Olde

1553: In the early days of April 1553, under the orders of Edward VI of England, the Lady Elizabeth Tudor and the Lady Jane Grey were married to Ambrose and Guildford Dudley, the sons of Sir John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. While the move of marrying Jane Grey to Guildford was one that had been known to the court, the double marriage involving the King's sister was not and when news of this event was made public many whispered that the arrogance of the Dudley clan knew no bounds. Shortly after these marriages, the King fell ill and by July 10th was dead.

Moving into action, John Dudley had his daughter-in-law the Lady Jane Dudley proclaimed Queen of England, citing that due to the illegitimacy of both Mary and Elizabeth Tudor. As she was both his daughter-in-law and Henry VIII's daughter, Elizabeth had expected to be used as the Queen figure and upon hearing the news was said to have attempted to leave the city under secrecy to support her elder sister's claim. However, she was soon discovered and would be be placed under the surveillance of both her husband and father in law.

During this time, Mary Tudor had moved to the North of England, gaining support from the mostly Catholic families who wished to put her on the throne. However, one prominent Catholic family that didn't immediately move to support her was the Howard clan, who made their support conditional. If Mary did not marry a man of their choosing, the choice being Thomas Howard, the heir to the Duke of Norfolk and a man of 17 years of age. However, Mary would not agree and thus, soon after, the Howard clan announced that they supported their kinswoman Elizabeth.

Then, in the first days of August, Ambrose Dudley, Elizabeth Tudor and Robert Dudley stole out of London and eventually arrived in Elizabeth's childhood home of Hatfield, where it was proclaimed that she was Queen. However, this news was overshadowed by the news that came from London, as it was announced Jane was pregnant with an heir. The news pushes Mary to quickly find a husband, as she is now 37 and nearing the age when most women stop having children. And she finds one in Arthur Pole of Lordington, a youth with royal blood .

Finally, on September 4th, Jane Grey is crowned as Queen with her husband as King. The coronation, however, is a disaster and many whisper that a 16 year old girl cannot rule. However, this ends for not as 10 men who chose to be vocal with their worries are hung. Meanwhile, Jane returns to her rooms at court, which is growing increasingly small as courtiers run to either support Elizabeth or Mary, depending on their religion.

The month ends badly for Jane, as the people of London begin to switch from her to Elizabeth, wanting the true Tudor line on the throne. As the days go on, chants that once went "Long Live Queen Jane" now simply sing "Elizabeth" and the people who once stared at the teen aged girl with respect now jeer at her, calling her a usurper and a whore. Finally, Elizabeth storms the capital with a small force and Jane loses her Queenship, being the Queen for only almost 3 months. She and her husband are kept in the Tower of London and many expect that, as Mary Tudor rushes through England to attempt to take London, Elizabeth will retaliate.

However, in a turn of events that shocked all but those closest to Elizabeth, she sent word to Mary that the city was hers. England was hers. All that Elizabeth asked was that Jane Grey, Robert Dudley, Ambrose Dudley and herself be spared, which Mary completely agreed to. And so, on the 11th of October, Mary Tudor entered England, flanked by her husband. Within the next month 20 men would be beheaded, including the Duke of Northumberland and his elder sons Henry and John and the Lady Jane Grey's husband Guildford. Elizabeth's husband Ambrose was created the Earl of Warwick soon after and the couple settled into Mary's court. However, one thing was still hanging over Mary's head as the year ended. She had a rival Queen in the Tower. And Jane Grey was pregnant.

1554: As the year began, many expected Mary Tudor to announce her pregnancy, as it was known that she and her husband were amorous together. However, the news that she was expecting would not take place until October of this year and many until that point looked to both her sister and cousin as the mothers of the next generation of Kings.

Jane Grey would give birth on the 23rd of March to a son, who she named Henry Dudley, for her great grandfather Henry VII and her royal great-uncle Henry VIII. However, though this move was meant to appease the Queen of England, who had still not decided what to do with the young woman or her child, it did not move her in the slightest. Jane was left to languish in the Tower with her son, who oddly was never removed from her care throughout the year. The imprisonment was a surprisingly comfortable one and Jane was treated with the respect of one of the royal blood, though she was still confined to her rooms and a few small areas allocated for her to exercise. It is thought that Mary was trying to trap her in a web of treachery, so she might try to escape and thus Mary could have her taken care of. Even if this had been the plan, Jane would never even attempt to leave and even reported a man who had come to her with a plan in May, perhaps hoping to be allowed to leave if she showed good behavior.

In the same March that Jane Grey finished her pregnancy, Elizabeth announced her own and left for Hatfield, which had become her and her husband's main non-London residence. This move would cause the Tudor sisters to be both closer and more clashing, as Mary would seem both extremely excited and jealous of her sister's fertility. This would cause her to at once send extravagant gifts throughout her sister's pregnancy and also send the Dudley brothers Ambrose and Robert out of the country to ostensibly be 6 month ambassadors in the Scottish courts. However, on September 6th, Elizabeth would give birth to a son, which she named Henry. And so, in 1554, the two Henry Dudley's were born.

Mary Tudor would spend the year mostly organizing her country's religion, pushing for the return of the Catholic Church throughout England. She would found 20 monasteries in the year, and would eventually begin construction on a grand Cathedral, which would never be completed. Finally, on the 19th of October, Queen Mary excitedly announced her first pregnancy, at age 38. She would be sure that, with her sister and cousin having healthy sons that she would as well and in the late months decided that she too would name her child Henry, as it would not be fair for the non-Queens to give their children the name of her father and she to not. And, as the year came to a close Mary became more and more excited as to her future child.
 
"...and it can be sure that this is what sent the Queen mad..."

The Life of Arthur Pole by Thomas Golding

1555: As the year 1555 began, many looked to the Queen of England as she slowly approached her due date. Her sister, the Countess of Warwick, joined her at the court in February, after finalizing her son's household. She would, for the first time in her life, be the main person in her sister's life and acted as a guard against the stressful court politics. All petty problems went through the Countess and as thus Elizabeth would earn her sister's gratitude and her brother-in-law's friendship. However, Elizabeth's friendship with Arthur would come into question later in the year, with dire consequences for them both.

In the first week of April, though the exact date is unrecorded, Mary Tudor went into labour and would suffer between 3 days to a week of terrible pain, ending in the birth of a stillborn girl on the 10th of April. This terrible ending would break the woman, who demanded that her child had lived and, in a rash act that would haunt her when she was fully well, signed the death notice of Jane Grey and gave it to her husband. He would attempt to stall but eventually, on the 19th of April, Jane Grey was executed for treason.

During this time Arthur found himself feeling the guilt that he had played a part in killing a young girl, a mother. But ultimately, his sister-in-law would bring him out of his grief by sending him gifts and bringing her own son to court, so that he might focus on something alive. During this time, Henry Dudley (Jane Grey's son) would become a ward of the state and eventually be placed in the care of his grandmother, Frances Grey.

In May of 1555 Mary would return to court and for a time seemed to be in quiet grief. She had her daughter buried in a grand ceremony as the Princess of Wales, though the infant went to the grave unnamed. She, surprisingly, took the sight of Henry Dudley very well and would raise the boy to the Earl of Richmond, which many saw as her showing that her was her heir.

Grief would take over Mary in July of 1555, when her sister announced her second pregnancy. During the celebration feast, the Queen would make a scene in which she claimed her sister had slept with Arthur Pole and thus the child in her belly was a bastard. She would also bring up the history of Anne Boleyn and the possibility that Elizabeth was a bastard herself and thus unfit to be Queen. This attack would continue on throughout the next week or so until, finally, Elizabeth would leave the court with her family.

With her sister gone, Mary turned her attention to her husband, Arthur. She attacked him endlessly for weeks, announcing to the court he was a man of 'little substance' and 'small ability'. She would also blame him for the execution of Jane Grey, and claimed that he had signed the paper in her own place. Eventually, not being able to take it any longer, Arthur attempted to leave the court and was then stopped by Mary's guard, who had him locked in the royal couple's rooms. And, in the last days of November, Mary would announce that she was pregnant again.

In Hatfield, where Elizabeth and Ambrose Dudley had stayed since the unfortunate events of July, Isabel Dudley was born to the couple. A healthy daughter, the couple were incredibly happy with their daughter. However, they decided to refrain from returning to court at the time, until they knew it to be safe.
 
Talk about ingratitude, turning on your own sister who backed you to the hilt by accusing her of sleeping with your husband. As for Mr. Pole, I hope he got some friends in high places (a letter to the Pope pleading your innocence to the charge of adultery with the Queen's sister might be your only play here). If no one intervenes (the Pope / Spain) however, Queen Mary will likely take a page from her father's playbook and have her husband executed for adultery / treason. I can see the situation erupting into a possible civil war if Mary isn't careful although part of me wishes it, if nothing else to see Mary meet her death Shakespearan style at the hands of Elizabeth in single combat. Shakespeare himself could then write about the events in an ATL play titled either Queen Mary or War of the Sisters.
 
Talk about ingratitude, turning on your own sister who backed you to the hilt by accusing her of sleeping with your husband. As for Mr. Pole, I hope he got some friends in high places (a letter to the Pope pleading your innocence to the charge of adultery with the Queen's sister might be your only play here). If no one intervenes (the Pope / Spain) however, Queen Mary will likely take a page from her father's playbook and have her husband executed for adultery / treason. I can see the situation erupting into a possible civil war if Mary isn't careful although part of me wishes it, if nothing else to see Mary meet her death Shakespearan style at the hands of Elizabeth in single combat. Shakespeare himself could then write about the events in an ATL play titled either Queen Mary or War of the Sisters.

She isn't grateful to anyone at the moment, she's too busy being broken and angry. Mary ITL is a woman who is a lot more fragile than OTL, for many good reasons. She's just lost what will amount to her only child and has a husband who, in all honesty, isn't attracted to her and probably never was. She's approaching her 40th birthday and feels the pressure of the need for a Catholic heir. Her sister, who has been a model of the loyal subject, did in fact claim the throne for a time. She has a rival, male heir in the form of the 2 year old Henry Dudley, son of Jane Grey. And speaking of Jane Grey, that was an act she sits on and will continue to grieve over until her ITL death, as she killed what amounted to a 16 girl she has known since infancy. It all adds up and on top of her fragility OTL it stands to reason she won't be the sanest of people.
 
A letter from Arthur Pole, King Consort of England to his dearest sister Elizabeth Dudley, Countess of Warwick in 1556:

To My Sister,

I find the weeks turn to months as I am trapped in this room, without comfort or contact with my fellow man. My wife, if such a woman could be named as such, has trapped me without but a word. I am almost starved and yet, for all my pleading, she does not submit as a true and honest wife or free me as a just sovereign, instead keeping me hidden from the court. I feel like a male concubine, a whore for just her pleasure, though I abstain from her at all times.

I smuggle this to you by a Mr. Thomas Everidge, a servant of low birth but noble spirit. If you have received this note, please send him $20 as a reward for his services and I shall repay you when I can escape this prison. Until then, do not return to the court of the Queen, as her jealousy grows daily and to return at this current time would place both you and your husband in a danger surpassed only by mine own at this moment.

Be sure that if the Queen announces a pregnancy it should be false, for I have not lain with her in many a night and not since the birth of the dead princess. It would be the ramblings of a madwoman and not our Queen, who is not her correct mind. Please protect yours and your own, as nothing at the moment puts them in more danger.

Yours Most Respectfully, Your Dearest Brother,

Arthur the King
 
A letter from Arthur Pole, King Consort of England to his dearest sister Elizabeth Dudley, Countess of Warwick in 1556:

To My Sister,

I find the weeks turn to months as I am trapped in this room, without comfort or contact with my fellow man. My wife, if such a woman could be named as such, has trapped me without but a word. I am almost starved and yet, for all my pleading, she does not submit as a true and honest wife or free me as a just sovereign, instead keeping me hidden from the court. I feel like a male concubine, a whore for just her pleasure, though I abstain from her at all times.

I smuggle this to you by a Mr. Thomas Everidge, a servant of low birth but noble spirit. If you have received this note, please send him $20 as a reward for his services and I shall repay you when I can escape this prison. Until then, do not return to the court of the Queen, as her jealousy grows daily and to return at this current time would place both you and your husband in a danger surpassed only by mine own at this moment.

Be sure that if the Queen announces a pregnancy it should be false, for I have not lain with her in many a night and not since the birth of the dead princess. It would be the ramblings of a madwoman and not our Queen, who is not her correct mind. Please protect yours and your own, as nothing at the moment puts them in more danger.

Yours Most Respectfully, Your Dearest Brother,

Arthur the King

I wouldn't be surprised if Mary with her fragile mental state and the need for a heir before menopause decides to rape her husband (since he's clearly refused to be near her, poor guy must the butt of cruel jokes in foreign courts). Once Mary gives birth to a living heir, Henry Dudley will suffer the same fate as his mother. Mary in TTL is on her way to becoming "Bloody Mary" with a little bit of Richard III thrown in. The only thing missing is a claimant returning from exile at the head of an army (cue Elizabeth who flees the country to return once she hears of both the rape of her brother in law and the death of Henry Dudley. The two sisters meet on the battlefield where Elizabeth kills Mary in single combat after certain nobles refuse to support Mary ala the Stanley brothers).
 
I wouldn't be surprised if Mary with her fragile mental state and the need for a heir before menopause decides to rape her husband (since he's clearly refused to be near her, poor guy must the butt of cruel jokes in foreign courts). Once Mary gives birth to a living heir, Henry Dudley will suffer the same fate as his mother. Mary in TTL is on her way to becoming "Bloody Mary" with a little bit of Richard III thrown in. The only thing missing is a claimant returning from exile at the head of an army (cue Elizabeth who flees the country to return once she hears of both the rape of her brother in law and the death of Henry Dudley. The two sisters meet on the battlefield where Elizabeth kills Mary in single combat after certain nobles refuse to support Mary ala the Stanley brothers).

Mary, while crazy, hasn't resorted to rape quite just yet. However, in her very fragile mind at the moment she has imagined a pregnancy, like a more imagined version of her phantom pregnancies from OTL. And Arthur Pole is more the subject of pity than jokes. He's a young man married to a rapidly aging, insane woman who is so terrified of her sister that she imagines her seducing her husband at the first possible moment. He can't leave the three rooms he's being locked away in and is only visited by the aforementioned insane wife and her servants.

And as for Elizabeth and Mary having a showdown, that won't be happening. Mary, despite her current crazy and treatment of her husband, is still fairly popular with the people and actually is beginning to make friends with some courtiers who she remembers fondly from childhood. Elizabeth also will not have a chance to escape England, as you will see in the next year.
 
"...and the day she killed the child, England began to turn against her..."

Low Fell England by Edmund Princeston

1556: As the year began, Ambrose and Robert Dudley were called into the Court, with the promise that they would be treated justly and kindly by the Queen. Though Elizabeth begged her husband and best friend not to leave her, she was quite easily ignored and as thus the men became hostages of the Queen for their stupidity.

Soon after, Frances Grey returned to court, with her grandson and eldest living daughter. Catherine Grey was, at this time, a 15 (turning 16) young woman and a renowned beauty. And as such, Mary saw her young niece as a possible bargaining chip to marry off to some Catholic man who could go over her sister. Mary had forgotten her supposed pregnancy and as such the court had to follow suit. But, for the moment, Mary simply welcomed back her cousin and took Henry Dudley from her, claiming she would take care of him.

However, on the 19th of February, Mary announced what she had been planning. And what she had been planning was terrible. Four people were put on trial for treason and would be prosecuted then executed. Of these people there would be: Robert Dudley, Ambrose Dudley, Edward Courtney and finally Henry Dudley, a young child. Upon hearing that she had been tricked into giving up her grandchild to the slaughter Frances Grey was said to have fled the court in shame and would die herself months later of natural causes.

The executions of Ambrose, Robert and Edward were all public, but Henry Dudley was killed in a private ceremony. This was the last straw for many at court and Mary Tudor lost over half the men and women who had thus far served her with devotion. And when she attempted to call her sister to court, she was met with pleas of illness.

Finally, on the 19th of October, Mary had the then obviously pregnant Countess of Warwick, who had discovered her pregnancy soon after her husband had been executed. However, the men that had been sent to retrieve the Lady were rough and thus, by the time Elizabeth made it to London she had lost her child, who would have been a second son.

As the year ended, Mary found herself rejected as a bride for Philip II of Spain, instead he would marry Magdalena of Austria instead. Faced with this rejection, Mary would find herself unable to find another husband, having alienated domestic options and, due to her age and increasingly unfavourable reputation. She would put herself forward as a replacement bride for Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor due to his own wife’s death years prior. Negotiations for this match would be continuing throughout the end of the year.

SIKE
 
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Isn't this a bit overboard? IOTL, the burnings and beheadings only started because of Philip's cajoling. Mary was even willing to pardon Jane and her husband if only they'll become Catholic. And neither she nor her father who might actually be the insane one in the family ever beheaded a child. You might be falling into Protestant propaganda trap.
 
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When Mary executed a child (who seems to have existed only for Mary to dramatically kill at some point), my suspension of disbelief just went "nope." Mary's actions forcing Elizabeth into a miscarriage just made Mary even more into an overdone villain than an actual human being with believable character flaws.
 
I had a feeling that young Henry Dudley wasn't long for this world; but by a rigged trial and execution? Even Richard III had enough common sense not to have his two nephews killed in public. Also you would think that Mary would've waited until after she gave birth to a living heir to have Henry Dudley eliminated. Finally, what as happened to King Arthur? Since you mentioned that Mary was looking for a new husband, did she somehow convinced the Pope to grant a divorce? Did King Arthur managed to flee the country, or did Mary decide to use a page out of her father's playbook and have King Arthur executed for alleged treason / adultery against the Queen? Also assuming Charles V knows about Mary's misdeeds via his son Philip II (who in TTL rightfully refuses to marry Mary), he should be at the least warn his brother Ferdinand against marrying Mary. Based on this update, I wouldn't be surprised if after all the major European courts reject her marriage offers, she'll be desperate enough for a heir to ask the Ottoman Sultan for the hand of one his sons in marriage. Finally my suspicions tells me that Mary won't die of natural causes (more likely, she'll die like either Richard II or Richard III).
 
Isn't this a bit overboard? IOTL, the burnings and beheadings only started because of Philip's cajoling. Mary was even willing to pardon Jane and her husband if only they'll become Catholic. And neither he nor her father who might actually be the insane one in the family ever beheaded a child. You might be falling into Protestant propaganda trap.

Didn't Henry VIII do something with the countess of Salisbury's one grandson? He was still preteen wasn't he?
 
Didn't Henry VIII do something with the countess of Salisbury's one grandson? He was still preteen wasn't he?

Nope, that boy wasn't beheaded, just held in the Tower until Mary released him when she became queen.

So no, Mary beheading one of her own heirs who is still a child isn't really that much believable and it's also taboo to do so. Even the Princes in the Tower merely disappeared from record.
 
Ok guys, I thought I'd made it too ridiculous but obviously not. That was meant to be a joke one, because I was having trouble finishing up the real 1556. I'll be more obvious next time.
 
Ok guys, I thought I'd made it too ridiculous but obviously not. That was meant to be a joke one, because I was having trouble finishing up the real 1556. I'll be more obvious next time.

It's not April 1 nor Dec 28 so we got bad about how that happened...i still kinda liked how it was,;)
 
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