Mary I Sees Her Husband Philip of Spain For The Last Time

 

 On this day - 3rd July 1557 
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 Mary I Sees Her Husband Philip of Spain For The Last Time 

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 Soon after her coronation in 1533, Mary's thoughts turned towards finding a husband - and hopefully producing an heir for the English throne.

At first, Mary contemplated a marriage to the Holy Roman Emperor's son, Prince Philip of Spain.

Mary was in two minds - thinking that she was too old for him at 37, and he being only 26.

 Secretly, Mary desperately wished for a husband and family.

Philip was her second cousin and nephew to her late beloved mother Katharine of Aragon.

Mary began to warm to the idea.
Feeling a sense of excitement and expectation, Mary looked forward to seeing her future husband in person.

 Philip arrived in England in July, 1554.

Mary was delighted in her new husband.
He was small, slender with blue eyes and a fair complexion with sandy hair and beard.

Mary was in love.......

What Philip thought of his bride, he made clear to his closest advisors.

She was older than he was told, dressed badly, and she had no eyebrows!
He would never love his wife, the way she loved him.

 Mary and Philip were married in Winchester Cathedral, on 25th July 1554.

After a short honeymoon, Mary was back at work ruling her country.

She rose at dawn, and worked till well past midnight.

They saw each other only for meals or in the evenings when Mary would play the lute or virginals for him.

 Philip, however, was bored with his wife.
He wanted an equal partnership out of this marriage, and he did not get it.

Philip's real goal, of course, was to bring England under the Habsburgs.
Then he could turn it into a country that can be easily manipulated by the Emperor.

However, Mary was made of strong stuff, she was a Tudor after all.
As much as she loved her husband, she only complied with Philip’s wishes, when they agreed with her own.

 By November Mary believed herself to be pregnant.

She was overjoyed and during the next months went through the preparations for the Catholic heir she had dreamed of.

In April of 1555 the couple moved to Hampton Court, in order for Mary to retire to her chambers and await the birth.....

 The days continued into May, with still no sign of a baby.

Beside the swelling of her stomach, Mary had no other usual signs of pregnancy.
By 21st May, her stomach had greatly reduced, and now Mary had her doubts.

By August the charade was over...
Everyone realised that there was not to be a child.

Mary returned to her usual routine, unhappy and humiliated in front of the whole country.

 In 1555 Emperor Charles V abdicated and divided his lands.
Philip would now be King of the Netherlands.

Now king, Philip needed to visit his new realm.
He departed from England on 29th August 1555, and Mary watched tearfully as he waved to her from the ship.

Philip seemed happy to be going, yet Mary was heartbroken.
She wrote to him every night asking for his return.

Philip, however, was enjoying his time in the Netherlands, going to masques and balls every night....

 By November Philip was demanding that Mary order the preparations for his coronation.

He wanted to share the government with her as King.
Mary told him a coronation was a very remote possibility.

But she missed Philip.
Terribly.

 By May she demanded Philip return to England, otherwise she would not consider him to be a trustworthy king.

Mary had heard rumors of his infidelity, and tried to keep a brave face.
However, the portrait of Philip that hung in the Council chamber was a constant reminder.

It began to irritate her, and she ordered it be removed.

 On 18th February 1556, Mary turned 40.

She was now aware that she held little attraction for her husband, and was feeling her age.
Philip returned in March 1557, but he would soon set sail again.

On the 3rd July 1557, Mary accompanied Philip to Dover, as he set sail for war with France.

She would never see her husband again....

 Mary, tormented with yet another false pregnancy, fell into a deep depression, and wouldn't leave her room.

All the hopes of her life were unfulfilled, she was sad, childless, lonely and unloved.

By 14th November, Mary was near the end.

She was fading in and out of consciousness, and woke to find her ladies weeping.
Mary told them not to fret, because she had dreams of many little angel children, playing before her, singing and giving her comfort.

 On 17th November 1558, Mary knew her time had come, and ordered mass to be celebrated in her room.

At the end of the service her ladies thought Mary had merely fallen asleep - but she had died peacefully, lonely to the last.

She was 42 years old.

The Tudor Intruders (and more)
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 Source - marytudor. net/philip-mary

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 Mary I of England and Philip II of Spain, traditionally attributed to Lucas de Heere.

Photo credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.