WI- Elizabeth I dies before 1587

From the moment of her own accession in 1558 to her literal deathbed in 1603, there was a great deal of uncertainty as to who would be HER successor (and from a purely logical point of view, it's rather astonishing that James VI was able to succeed smoothly at all). However; before the Queen of Scots' Execution, there was little if anything to keep England from devolving into chaos upon Good Queen Bess's passing.
Could there have been an all-out Civil War between Protestants and Catholics each trying to champion their closest heir or could Parliament have attempted to abolish the monarchy upon the last Tudor's death? Any ideas?
 
Prior to 1587? Mary, the abdicated Queen of Scots, would be the logical choice. She was the closest regal relative, she had a history of letting people believe their conscience. It would still mean James in the end, though. The real question would be: who will she marry next?? They might put a rider on letting her have the throne: the council must approve him. (She did have the worst taste in men.)
 
Assuming Elizabeth dies at say 50 in 1583 then i would expect to find Mary had been quietly dispatched in her English prison - the council would have done anything to avoid a Catholic succession - and they would have proclaimed James as King of England - he had just started to exert control in Scotland and was still unmarried. The only other option was another woman - Lady Margaret Clifford (granddaughter of Mary Tudor), Lady Margaret Douglas (daughter of Margaret Tudor Queen of Scots) or the illegitimate sons of Lady Catherine Grey.
 
So who dispatches Mary? Elizabeth? Why? The evidence for overthrowing Elizabeth isn't in yet. I don't see the nobles raising their hands against an anointed queen, even if they despise her religion; it would be more practical to call in her son and let James deal with her if it came to that.
 
I've heard - according to one source - that someone in Elizabeth's council (Cecil, was it?) got up every morning with two ideas: 1) Keep queen [Elizabeth] queen; 2) get rid of Mary of Scots. That said, considering that Mary supposedly even managed to get her gaoler to start liking her could mean it's very difficult to get option 2 unless Elizabeth explicitly names James over Mary
 
Hence Cecil supporting Elizabeth in her paranoia against Mary. But that's quite different than murdering an anointed queen because you don't like her religion. Cecil is no Cromwell (Oliver, not Thomas). So, unless Elizabeth has a long illness before she dies, odds are Mary will survive her. Mary also has a history of toleration where religion is concerned (unlike Mary I). I can see Cecil trying to get James notified before getting around to telling anyone in the tower about E's death; I just don't see him slaughtering Mary, former Queen of Scots.
 
Last edited:
Top