Team Mary & Team Elizabeth: Jes89's view on a sisterly relationship

Jes89's view on Mary's and Elizabeth's relationship

Before the power: Both Mary and Elizabeth got along very well before Mary become queen. They both were suppose to be the long awaited sons to carry on a dynasty but were charming little girls, they basked in their fathers love and were the 'Pearl' and 'Rose' of their fathers eye only to be demoted to "the bastard daughters of King Henry" because of other peoples opinions and actions which resulted in the loss their mothers and the constant presence of their love. They shared some differences, while Mary was the elder daughter, she was related to the powerful royal lineage of Spain and could use her ties hypothetically to threaten her father, the people of England never believed in her illegitimacy and her paternity was never questioned, and she never was treated by the people as a bastard; on the other hand Elizabeth was alone, she was not related to any other royalty, her legitimacy was always questioned because of Henry's break with Rome Catholics would never recognise her and Henry's decision to divorce her mother some protestants would never recognise her, her mother was also executed as a traitor and because of the charges against Anne Boleyn Elizabeth's paternity was always questioned. Mary was one of the people who recognized the toddler Elizabeth skills when living with her, skills that Elizabeth would show to the world later in her glorious reign. Mary made sure that her father knew how intelligent Elizabeth was and sent her gifts and letters, all of this was reciprocal by Elizabeth's part. Step-mothers came and went, Jane favoured Mary and brought her back in their fathers kind graces, Anne's Queenly reign was too short but she became good friends with both after Henry divorced her, Katherine and Mary never got along with but intervened to save Margaret Pole's life on behalf on Mary but Henry didn't grant it, she favoured Elizabeth because after all she was her 'Kinsman' as Katherine and her mother were Howard cousins. But then came along Catherine Parr who was already good friends with Mary and brought Elizabeth back into their father's good graces making the royal family whole for a few years untill Henry's death. During the reign of their brother, Edward VI, both would suffer greatly, Mary was a catholic, and her brother a fervent protestant banished her from court and denied her a catholic mass, she used her royal Spainish blood and asked for her cousin's help, Edward's council was afraid of wars between England and Spain, so he allowed her have catholic masses in her own household only. Elizabeth was involved in a scandal with Thomas Seymour, the dowager queen's husband and uncle of the king, Edward's sense of morality kicked in and he viewed that his young sister had done a act out of lust, she was banished also, so Mary and Elizabeth were in the same situation, they visited each other and sent beautiful gifts, the wronged and unwanted sisters were together again. After power: Mary was the next heir by her fathers last will, but her brother died and named their cousin Jane Grey as his successor, Mary and Elizabeth were not in line to inherit the throne by Edward's last will, and Mary again refused to leave her rightful place that she thought was given to her by birthright. Elizabeth made no "big step" to show support for Mary as she was protestant and got along well with Jane, but after Mary won, she kindly invited Elizabeth to rode beside her as she saw it not only her triumph but Elizabeth's too as Elizabeth was put back into the succession making her the next heir as their father wanted. Soon all the joy and friendship would be broken. Mary's advisors made sure to let her know that "she had open enemies" one of them they made sure to point out was Elizabeth. Then came the Wyatt rebellion, Wyatt supported Elizabeth and thought she should be Queen instead of Mary, this was enough for the Queen to believe that Elizabeth wanted to better her position, she arrested Elizabeth and defeated the revolt. But Mary was not the kind queen anymore, her spirit was broken. Mary's advisors were on the search for any plot to dethrone Mary's and put Elizabeth on it and suspected Elizabeth was always at the root of the plans (it's hard to believe that a person like Elizabeth would try to dethrone her as she recognized that any monarch was appointed by god) Elizabeth lived in fear that she would go to the tower and face the death of many close to her or be murdered and Mary was disappointed. The sisters were no more friends. The case of their fathers "great matter" thing came back and Mary couldn't recognize Elizabeth as heir, to her she was the daughter of the ***** and a bastard, in Elizabeth's second part of her reign Mary's memory started to be vilified by John Foxe books(Elizabeth banished him from England after he claimed that a woman could not rule a country), and this book was heavily circulated during the early part of her reign. Sadly this family was broken after their father died, everything that happened with Edward to Mary and Elizabeth and then to with the last two ruined their family dynamic. Both of their lives were very hard, they suffered so much, but certainly the rememberance of their golden times, as friends, sisters and strong women, which they were indeed, was never forgotten by them.