Editing Elizabeth I (section)

==Reign of Mary I==
[[File:Mary I of England, 1516-58 and Philip II of Spain, 1527-98 RMG BHC2952.tiff|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Mary I]] and [[Philip II of Spain|Philip]], during whose reign Elizabeth was heir presumptive]]
[[File:Balustrade and steps Hatfield House Old Palace Hertfordshire England.jpg|thumb|The Old Palace at [[Hatfield House]] in Hertfordshire, where Elizabeth lived during Mary's reign]]

Edward VI died on 6 July 1553, aged 15. His will ignored the [[Succession to the Crown Act 1543]], excluded both Mary and Elizabeth from the succession, and instead declared as his heir Lady Jane Grey, granddaughter of Henry VIII's younger sister [[Mary Tudor, Queen of France]]. Jane was proclaimed queen by the [[Privy Council of England|privy council]], but her support quickly crumbled, and she was deposed after nine days. On 3 August 1553, Mary rode triumphantly into London, with Elizabeth at her side.{{Efn|Elizabeth had assembled 2,000 horsemen, "a remarkable tribute to the size of her affinity".<ref>Loades 24–25.</ref>}} The show of solidarity between the sisters did not last long. Mary, a devout [[Catholic]], was determined to crush the [[Protestant]] faith in which Elizabeth had been educated, and she ordered that everyone attend Catholic Mass; Elizabeth outwardly conformed. Mary's initial popularity ebbed away in 1554 when she announced plans to marry [[Philip II of Spain|Philip of Spain]], the son of [[Holy Roman Emperor Charles V]] and a Catholic.<ref>Loades, 27.</ref> Discontent spread rapidly through the country, and many looked to Elizabeth as a focus for their opposition to Mary's religious policies.

In January and February 1554, [[Wyatt's rebellion]] broke out; it was soon suppressed.<ref>Neale, 45.</ref> Elizabeth was brought to court and interrogated regarding her role, and on 18 March, she was imprisoned in the [[Tower of London]]. Elizabeth fervently protested her innocence.<ref>Loades, 28.</ref> Though it is unlikely that she had plotted with the rebels, some of them were known to have approached her. Mary's closest confidant, Emperor Charles's ambassador [[Simon Renard]], argued that her throne would never be safe while Elizabeth lived; and Lord Chancellor [[Stephen Gardiner]], worked to have Elizabeth put on trial.<ref>Somerset, 51.</ref> Elizabeth's supporters in the government, including [[William Paget, 1st Baron Paget]], convinced Mary to spare her sister in the absence of hard evidence against her. Instead, on 22 May, Elizabeth was moved from the Tower to [[Woodstock Palace]], where she was to spend almost a year under house arrest in the charge of [[Henry Bedingfeld]]. Crowds cheered her all along the way.<ref name="loades29">Loades, 29.</ref>{{Efn|"The wives of Wycombe passed cake and wafers to her until her litter became so burdened that she had to beg them to stop".<ref>Neale, 49.</ref>}}

On 17 April 1555, Elizabeth was recalled to court to attend the final stages of Mary's [[Mary I of England#False pregnancy|apparent pregnancy]]. If Mary and her child died, Elizabeth would become queen, but if Mary gave birth to a healthy child, Elizabeth's chances of becoming queen would recede sharply. When it became clear that Mary was not pregnant, no one believed any longer that she could have a child.<ref>Loades, 32.</ref> Elizabeth's succession seemed assured.<ref>Somerset, 66.</ref>

King Philip, who ascended the Spanish throne in 1556, acknowledged the new political reality and cultivated his sister-in-law. She was a better ally than the chief alternative, [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], who had grown up in France and was betrothed to [[Francis II of France|Francis, Dauphin of France]].<ref>Neale, 53.</ref> When his wife fell ill in 1558, Philip sent the [[Gómez Suárez de Figueroa y Córdoba, 1st Duke of Feria|Count of Feria]] to consult with Elizabeth.<ref>Loades, 33.</ref> This interview was conducted at [[Hatfield House]], where she had returned to live in October 1555. By October 1558, Elizabeth was already making plans for her government. Mary recognised Elizabeth as her heir on 6 November 1558 and Elizabeth became queen when [[Death and funeral of Mary I of England|Mary died]] on 17 November.<ref>Neale, 59.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC – History – Elizabeth I: An Overview |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/elizabeth_i_01.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117110845/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/elizabeth_i_01.shtml |archive-date=17 November 2020 |access-date=15 November 2020 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>