Four main rebellions took place between 1549 and 1571; the Western and Kett Rebellion in the reign of Edward VI, Wyatt's Rebellion in the reign of Mary I and finally the Northern Rebellion under Elizabeth I. Mary's succession in 1553 is considered by some historians to be a successful rebellion, but others see it as a legitimate succession. These rebellions threatened the throne in various ways, depending largely on their causes and supporters. Although the Kett Rebellion and the Western Rebellion were large-scale, they did not directly threaten Edward VI. However, Wyatt and the Northern Rebellion were largely focused on the queens in power at the time and the rebels were intent on replacing the monarch, which posed a far greater threat to the Crown. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essayThe Western Rebellion and the Kett Rebellion of 19549 posed limited threats to Edward VI as they were primarily directed against his regent, the Duke of Somerset, and caused largely by local economic and religious problems. The Western Rebellion began in the summer of 1549 due to opposition to religious reform and economic problems that plagued the country during Somerset's rule. Crowds in Cornwall and Devon began to oppose the Reformation and destroyed attempts at enclosure. Local opposition to Protestantism had been present in many communities since 1547, showing that although it was the introduction of an English prayer book that sparked more organized rebellion in Crediton, greater social and economic unease was to blame. Inflation, Cornish opposition to the application of an English prayer book, the ceding of former Church lands to the nobility and enclosure inspired many rebels – particularly in Bristol and the Somerset where fences erected for sheep farming were torn down by mobs. This shows that the rebellion did not directly threaten the Crown; much of the anger was directed at the region's wealthy gentry and Somerset's economic policies rather than Edward's devout Protestantism. However, religious opposition to the Protestant Reformation became a unifying factor for unorganized mobs, making them a dangerous force. The Western Rebellion proved to be a limited threat as they did not advance as far as London, stopping instead near Exeter; they clearly did not intend to overthrow Edward – only to air their grievances to the government, like most rebellions of the time. This changed greatly when Kett's Rebellion began in Norfolk, the result of similar causes to those of the Western Rebellion and the fact that he did not march on London, but remained near Norwich. However, Kett's Rebellion posed even less of a threat to Edward – centering on exploitative government ministers, peacefully campaigning against the enclosure and for improved local government, and showing some support for Protestant Reformation while complaining of inadequate clergy. This was a large, well-organized rebellion with nearly 15,000 men, but it did not directly threaten the Crown, much like the Western Rebellion. In fact, only Somerset's slow and ineffective response made this appear a real threat and many troops were committed to combat against Scotland, leaving the Crown in a vulnerable position in the face of two rebellions. Both were ultimately defeated, with a fewdifficulties. The rebellions proved to be a threat to the government and alarmed many ministers, leading to a sense of fear, leading to Somerset being imprisoned for several months and distrust spreading within the Council. However, there is no evidence that either rebellion threatened or planned to oppose Edward's rule in any way, although they did undermine his government. Mary's succession, seen as a rebellion against Lady Jane Grey, was clearly a successful rebellion. Edward VI wished to protect his Protestant Reformation and made Lady Jane Gray the legal heir to the throne before his death in July 1553 while both Mary and Elizabeth remained illegitimate according to Henry VII's decision. Mary managed to be crowned just nine days into Gray's reign and had many supporters. Most of the country believed she was the rightful heir, chosen by God, while Lady Jane Gray was seen as a usurper. Seen as a rebellion against a legitimate heir, appointed by the previous king, it is very clear that this was a successful threatening rebellion, especially as Lady Jane Gray was executed shortly afterwards. However, Mary's coup can be seen as the succession of the rightful heir to the throne, overthrowing a "pretending queen". The great support that Mary had from the Privy Council indicates that this was not an external rebellion, with many councilors seeing the succession of Lady Jane Gray as an attempt by Northumberland to retain its power by having its fair -girl as queen. Mary's popularity and strong claim to the throne indicate that this was not a rebellion but the accession of a legitimate ruler. Wyatt's Rebellion in February 1554 was a direct threat to the Crown. Unlike Kett and the Western Rebellion, it was aimed at Queen Mary I, particularly her husband, Philip of Spain, and his Catholic reformation. Although Kent's textile industry had been in decline for some time, leading to much unrest that helped drive the rebels forward, the rebellion was undeniably anti-Spanish and anti-Catholic. The marriage between Philip and Mary was the main cause, with many people fearing that this would make England a Spanish pawn because Philip was the king and Mary was supposed to be submissive to her husband. The marriage deal in Parliament effectively prevented this, but fears were exacerbated by xenophobia, which made it a major cause. Contemporary sources such as John Proctor's book identify Protestantism as a cause, supported by the Protestant rebel's plan to replace Mary with the Earl of Devon, married to her sister Elizabeth who was Protestant. The fact that the rebels had a plan to replace Mary shows that it was a real plan to overthrow her, and not just to express grievances as they later claimed during interrogation. This shows that this was a real threat to the Crown, also indicated in the fact that this rebellion was planned by the nobility, not disgruntled commoners – particularly Sir Thomas Wyatt – who held real power and a real influence. The rebellion was initially planned for four rebellions in various parts of the country that could have successfully overthrown Mary, although these did not come to fruition due to the plans moving forward. Although Wyatt's rebellion failed within a week, the initial plans show how widespread the discontent was. This, and the fact that the 3,000-man rebellion closed to within half a mile of the Queen, shows that this was a truly threatening rebellion.