1 July 2009

Fidei Defensatrix

Moved by Duffy's new book, I went to look at some medals in the B Mus; not least the one Duffy reproduces showing Anglia supplex being raised up by a beneficent Roman Pontiff.

There is another medal nearby, presumably dating from before the Spanish Marriage since Good Queen Mary is shown alone and without any Hapsburg titles. But she does have the title Fidei Defensatrix.

Was the statute by which Henry Tudor secured Fidei Defensor to himself after the breach with Rome still on the statute books? Did Mary continue too use it? Was Elizabeth ever Defensatrix, or did she go for the unisex Defensor?

That's just the sort of information Professor Tighe would have at his fingertips.

10 comments:

William Tighe said...

I believe that the 1544 statute, 35 Henry VIII, c. 3, which made the title "Defender of the Faith" hereditaty, was never repealed during the reign of Good Queen Mary, and that is why Base-Born Bess was able to use it immediately upon her accession (together with a slippery "etc." of her own addition, which insinuated, but did not claim, the Royal Supremacy).

By the way, in our most recent conversation I meant to ask you if you had rec'd the little book on Laurentius Petri. It makes for interesting comparisons with Cranmer's analogous activities.

William Tighe said...

I don't know whether Bad Queen Bess ever used "Fidei Defensatrix," although I have myself never seen anything other than "Fidei Defensor."

Arch Anglo-Catholic said...

Father,
Neither Mary I alone, nor in coinage issued with her husband, used the term defensor fidei nor the abbreviated df as far as I am aware - see this very comprehensive site/page http://www.psdetecting.com/Inscriptions-EdwardVI-&-MaryI.html
regards
Justin Parker

William Tighe said...

I was wrong on both counts: the Henrician statute was repealed early in Mary's reign (and revived at the beginning of Elizabeth's), and there are a variety of examples, in official documents and otherwise, of "Fidei Defensatrix" being used of Elizabeth I.

Despite the repeal of the Henrician statute, however, Mary employed the title throughout her reign, and on occasion, as "Fidei Defensores," it can be found used of both Philip & Mary.

Unknown said...

Arch Anglo-Catholic refers to Queen Mary as Queen Mary I. This would be incorrect usage unless there was a subsequent Queen Mary.

There were, of course, the joint sovereigns, William and Mary but I have never seen the terms Queen Mary I or II ever used.

Interestingly, this error was made by Pope John Paul I in choosing his name. When informed of this later by a subordinate he is reported to have said, "Oh that's alright! I don't expect to be around long."

Arch Anglo-Catholic said...

David's point is interesting and contains its own answer. Since William and Mary were joint monarchs, then Mary II is a queen and accordingly Mary Tudor may rightly be described as Mary I since both were lawfully acclaimed, annointed and crowned.

johnf said...

I suspect that our host is a crypto Jacobite, and therefore he might claim that Mary II was Mary, Queen of Scots (who was of course Mary I of Scotland). There are two further Jacobite Marys up to the present day: Mary III & II,Duchess of Modena (1792-1840) and Mary IV and III, Queen Consort of Bavaria (1849-1919)

Ben Whitworth said...

Did the Stuarts continue to use the title after the Hannoverian usurpation? I like the idea of Cardinal Henry IX, FD.

Fr John Hunwicke said...

Yes!He struck medals with it on.

Anonymous said...

Poor Queen Mary II? (d.1694) always takes it on the chin because of that rotter William. I am reminded that in the poem "Now Does the Glorious Day Appear," Thomas Shadwell effervesced:

Her hero to whose conduct and whose arms
The trembling Papal world their force must yield,
Must bend himself to her victorious charms,
And give up all the trophies of each field.

Our dear Religion, with our Law's defense,
To God her zeal, to man benevolence,
Must her above all former monarchs raise
To be the everlasting theme of praise.

No more shall we the great Eliza boast,
For her great name in greater Mary's will be lost.

PS. These words were immortallized by H. Purcell, making them indissoluble.