Hello everybody and welcome to the history of England episode 295, Marvelous Good Order.

Marriage and succession as you can see was an early Elizabethan obsession, a real brain

teaser. And it was complicated by the existence of parallel lives, rival queens. While Elizabeth

was trying to stop everyone talking about her personal business and probably feeling

reasonably strongly against the idea of marriage, her thoroughly attractive and successful

neighbour was determined to find herself a husband. By the way, we are going to be talking

quite a bit about Mary Queen of Scots this week. If you want to know more about Mary's

life in greater detail, he just so happens we have reached Mary in the history of Scotland,

available to members. And there is a suite of five episodes of her life. So maybe this is the

moment when you decide to take the plunge and sign up for membership. If it is, then high

v to the history of England.co.uk or indeed to the new sister site, the history of Scotland.co.uk,

which is there just to make the point that Scotland is not part of England, should anyone

need reminding. Finding a husband was not purely a matter for Mary as it happens, but also

for Elizabeth or at least the English felt they should be consulted. Which feels all wrong.

But in the diplomatic to and fro in the continuing discussion about ratifying the treaty of Edinburgh,

about Mary's rights to the English succession, England had leverage. If she wanted to be recognised

as Elizabeth's heir, she really had to make sure that her choice of husband was acceptable.

Mary resented having to consult the English, considering it suggested an inferior status that

she completely denied. For the moment though, she went along with it, but there was chafing,

ladies and gentlemen, chafing, worse than after a long walk in wet trousers.

But the reason for said chafing was the labyrinthine, bison-tine, impenetrable diplomacy

of Elizabeth at this point. Patiently, Mary asked Elizabeth, well then, okay then, if you

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