Expert: Mark Smith - 5/27/2009

Question
QUESTION: I just watched the movie Mary Queen of Scots.  I understand that her grandmother was Henry VIII's sister, Maragret.  But I am still unclear why she thought she had rights to the throne over Elizabeth I of England?

ANSWER: Hello Laura.
It was all about Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth's mother. In the eyes of the Catholic Church Henry and Anne were never legally married and therefore Elizabeth was illegitimate. As far as Catholics concerned, after the death of Mary I of England in 1558 the throne should have passed to the next legitimate heir and that was Mary, Queen of Scots.
Henry VIII never divorced Katherine of Aragon, he simply announced that the marriage had never been legal, and he went ahead and married Anne Boleyn instead. So for Catholics, Elizabeth, the child of that marriage, was illegitimate.
Mark

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Mark. I am still confused.  I understand the illegimate issue.  But who was Mary I?  So the throne went from Henry VIII's dad, to Henry...and then Henry VIII had no sons so it went to Eliz (but illegitimate) But where does Mary I come in?  Is this the "mary" produced from Henry and Catherine of Aragon?

Answer
At the time of his death in 1547 Henry VIII had three children, he was succeeded by his only son, 9 year old Edward who was the child of his third marriage to Jane Seymour. Edward died in 1553 aged 15, so the Crown passed to his elder sister Mary I, who was the child of Henry's first marriage to Katherine of Aragon. She died childless in 1558 when the Crown passed to her younger sister Elizabeth I who was the child of Henry's second marriage to Anne Boleyn.
At various times during Henry's reign both Mary and Elizabeth had been excluded from the succession, but in 1544 he passed a Bill laying down the order of succession - Edward, Mary then Elizabeth.
Elizabeth I also died childless so the Crown then passed to the line of Henry VIII's sister who married the King of Scots and that's where Mary, Queen of Scots comes into it.
Mark