Changing Places: The Marriage and Royal Entry of Philip, Prince of Austria, and Mary Tudor, July-August 1554

Abstract

This article revisits accounts of the marriage and royal entry of Philip and Mary in the summer of 1554 to demonstrate the complex ways in which these public ceremonies responded to the uncertainties and concerns that surrounded Mary's Spanish marriage. From this fresh reading of the sources it emerges that Mary made every effort to reassure the English people that she would retain full sovereignty over them and that there was far greater willingness to embrace and accept Philip as king of England than has been believed. It is also suggested that the consecrated link between the return of papal jurisdiction and the notion that the marriage has resulted in an abrogation of English sovereignty needs to be carefully related to the polemic of exiled reformers who harped on concerns and doubts about Mary's female authority, despite both the contract's limitations on Philip's power in England and the act investing Mary with kingly authority.