The 1553 Succession Crisis
Chapter 6 : Timeline of Events
A timeline of events in the 1553 Succession Crisis.
| 1544 | Third Act of Succession | |
| 30th | December 1546 | Henry VIII made his will |
|---|---|---|
| 28th | January 1547 | Henry VIII died |
| 9th | February 1547 | Edward VI crowned |
| Early 1553 | Edward VI draws up first ‘Devise for the Succession’ | |
|
| Edward VI amends ‘Devise’ | |
| 9th | February 1553 | Edward VI visited at Westminster by his half-sister, the Lady Mary. |
|
| The Duke of Northumberland, as Lord President of the Council, authorised the Lady Mary to use the royal arms as she had prior to the annulment of her parents’ marriage. | |
| Late April 1553 | A marriage was agreed between Lady Jane Grey, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, and great-granddaughter of Henry VII, with Lord Guilford Dudley, son of the Duke of Northumberland. | |
| 24th | April 1553 | Royal warrant for wedding clothes for Lady Jane |
| 25th | May 1553 | Lady Jane and Lord Guilford married |
|
| Lady Katherine Grey married Henry Herbert, son of the Earl of Pembroke | |
|
| Lady Katherine Dudley married Henry Hastings, son of the Earl of Huntingdon | |
| 12th | June 1553 | Judges of the King’s Bench summoned to give effect to the Devise. |
| 14th | June 1553 | Judges refused to implement the Devise |
| 15th | June 1553 | Edward insisted that Letters Patent drawn up to give effect to ‘Devise’. Judges assented, under threat and promise of a pardon under the Great Seal. |
| 21st June 1553 | Edward’s Council signed the Letters Patent. | |
| 1st July 1553 | Edward’s last public appearance, in the window of the palace at Greenwich. | |
| 4th | July 1553 | Imperial Ambassador heard a rumour that Edward was dying and that Lady Jane Grey had been named his successor |
| 5th | July 1553 | Council sent request to Ladies Mary and Elizabeth to visit their dying brother. |
| 6th | July 1553 | Edward VI died |
|
| Lady Jane Grey left Chelsea for Syon House where she was told of Edward’s death and that she would be queen. | |
| c. 7th | July 1553 | Mary warned that Edward is already dead. She left Hunsdon for Sawston, in Cambridgeshire. |
| 8th | July 1553 | Lord Mayor and thirty-one City burgesses sign Edward’s ‘Devise’. |
|
| Mary reached Kenninghall, Norfolk and proclaimed herself Queen | |
| 9th | July 1553 | Mary wrote to the Council, demanding they proclaim her as queen. |
| 10th | July 1553 | Lady Jane travelled by river to the Tower of London |
|
| Jane proclaimed as Queen in London | |
|
| Jane and Council receive Mary’s letter | |
|
| Jane informed Guilford that he would not be king, only a duke. | |
| 11th | July 1553 | The Council respond to Mary, affirming her illegitimate status |
|
| Both Mary and Jane proclaimed separately in Norwich. | |
| 12th | July 1553 | Mary arrived at Framlingham Castle, Suffolk |
| 13th | July 1553 | Northumberland accepted commission to raise troops and try to capture Mary. He reminded his colleagues on the Council that they had all agreed to Jane being proclaimed queen. |
|
| Jane and Council issued orders for troops to be raised | |
| 14th | July 1553 | Northumberland set out from London with around 600 troops, later rising to around 3,000. |
| 15th | July 1553 | The royal ships sent to prevent Mary escaping to the Low Countries declared in her favour. The artillery was taken to her at Framlingham. |
| 16th | July 1553 | Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London preaches at St Paul’s Cross, declaring Mary and Elizabeth to be illegitimate. |
| 18th | July 1553 | Earl of Oxford declared for Mary |
|
| Northumberland advanced from Cambridge towards Bury St Edmunds, but then turned back. | |
| 19th | July 1553 | Council, led by Arundel and Pembroke, had Mary proclaimed queen at St Paul’s Cross and wrote to Northumberland to stand down. |
|
| Suffolk informed Jane she was no longer queen | |
| 20th | July 1553 | Mary reviews her troops at Framlingham |
|
| The Earl of Arundel and Sir William Paget arrived at Framlingham to seek pardon. | |
|
| In Cambridge, Northumberland received the letter from the Council and proclaimed Mary as queen. | |
| 21st July 1553 | Northumberland arrested by the Earl of Arundel | |
| 24th | July 1553 | Mary left Framlingham for London |
| 28th | July 1553 | Suffolk arrested and taken to the Tower |
| 30th | July 1553 | Northumberland brought to London |
| c. 30th | July 1553 | Frances, Duchess of Suffolk pleads for her husband. |
| c. 31st July 1553 | Suffolk released to house arrest at Sheen | |
| 3rd August 1553 | Mary made her entrance into London | |
| 8th | August 1553 | Edward VI buried in a Protestant ceremony |
| c. 10th | August 1553 | Jane wrote to Mary, declaring her unwillingness to be proclaimed as Queen. |
| c. 13th | August 1553 | Mary received Jane’s letter. |
| 18th | August 1553 | Northumberland tried and found guilty |
| 21st August 1553 | Northumberland’s execution delayed so that he can see a priest. He returns to the Catholic faith. | |
| 22nd August 1553 | Northumberland executed | |
| 1st October 1553 | Mary crowned at Westminster Abbey | |
| 13th | November 1553 | Lady Jane, Lord Guilford and Archbishop Cranmer tried and found guilty of treason. |
| November 1553 | Lady Jane wrote to her former tutor, castigating him for being reconciled to the Catholic faith. | |
| 17th | December 1553 | Lady Jane allowed to take exercise in the Tower |
| 2nd February 1554 | Suffolk arrested. | |
| 8th | February 1554 | Dr Feckenham visited Lady Jane in the Tower |
| 10th | February 1554 | Suffolk brought to the Tower |
| 12th | February 1554 | Lady Jane and Lord Guilford executed. |
