Page "John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland" Paragraph 21

The use of the Book of Common Prayer became law in 1549.

King Edward's half-sister, Mary Tudor, de facto had licence to continue hearing mass in private.

So soon as he was in power, Dudley put pressure on her to stop the misuse of her privilege, as she allowed her entire household and flocks of visitors to attend.

Mary, who in her turn did not tolerate the Book of Common Prayer in any of her residences, was not prepared to make any concessions.

She planned to flee the country but then could not make up her mind in the last minute.

Mary totally disregarded Edward's personal interest in the issue and fell into " an almost hysterical fear and hatred " of John Dudley.

After a meeting with King and Council, in which she was told that the crux of the matter was not the nature of her faith but her disobedience to the law, she sent the Imperial ambassador de Scheyfye to threaten war on England.

The English government could not swallow a war threat from an ambassador who had overstepped his commission, but at the same time would not risk all-important commercial ties with the Habsburg Netherlands, so an embassy was sent to Brussels and some of Mary's household officers were arrested.

On his next visit to the Council de Scheyfye was informed by the Earl of Warwick that the King of England had as much authority at 14 as he had at 40 — Dudley was alluding to Mary's refusal to accept Edward's demands on grounds of his young age.

In the end a silent compromise came into effect: Mary continued to hear mass in a more private manner, while augmenting her landed property by exchanges with the Crown.