Alleged daughter of Mary and Philip

In 1587, a woman named Anne Burnell (nee Kirkall) was found to be claiming she was the daughter of King Philip of Spain, former King consort of England, and Queen Mary I, and believed herself to be a royal heir to the throne of England.

Eight years earlier when Anne was visiting her mother-in-law in Winkbourn in Nottinghamshire, she met a man known as the 'witch of Nuttall', otherwise called Thomas Watson. Although later on this story changes to that Watson came and stayed at their home in Westminster. This witch, or wise man, told Anne that she was "a spanish birde & that she had marks above her, which would appeare hereafter & that she did not knowe her owne father for it was a wise childe that did"..."then he toulde her that the best spaniard that euer came in England was her father & toulde her that she had markes aboute her yt should appeare greater hereafter". With the onset of England's war with Spain, Anne came to understand this reading to mean that King Philip of Spain was her father.

Anne's husband, Edward Burnell, was a wealthy Catholic from Nottingham, and was the step brother of the poet Barnaby Googe. In 1586 Edward had been imprisoned in the Kings Bench, as part of a round up of Catholics after the Babington Plot. Edward did not support his wife's claims of royal parentage. Edward stated that; "Since Witsontide her husbande upbradeinge her with the basenes of her parentage her father beinge one Kirkall a Butcher in Eastcheape in London who died xiiii yeares past & her mother long before".

The Privy Council charged James Dalton with examining Anne's claim; he was chosen as he already knew the woman, and so Anne stayed with James and his wife Mary while this went on. Anne claimed she had on her body, on her back, the marks of the Arms of England which had only appeared after her meeting with Watson. Later, Anne swore she had never said she was Queen Mary's child but continued to affirm she had the arms of England on her skin. The wife of James Dalton, Mary Dalton, also backed up this claim and stated that Anne had never claimed to be the child of Queen Mary I, only to be an illegitimate child of King Philip.
When the wise man, Thomas Watson, was found and questioned about his meeting with Anne, he admitted to meeting her yet denied the suggestion that he had told her she was of royal parentage.
It would appear that Dalton was a genuine friend to Anne and did his best to protect her; the investigation came to nothing. This result can be seen as unusual when the political climate at that time concerning the war with Spain is considered.

Edward Burnell died later on in 1587 and Anne was left a widow, she was then alone with her delusions of royalty. Dalton had hinted during the 1587 investigation that Anne's mental health was not stable, something which would only worsen after the death of her husband.

Five years later in 1592, Anne's delusion had continued and she was again investigated by the Privy Council.
Anne was examined and it was found that there was nothing on her back, as she had always claimed. The only person who seemed to still believe her was her thirteen year old maid, Alice Digges, who was simply reprimanded for her part and sent back home to her parents.
As punishment, she was whipped through the streets of London on the 19th December 1592. It may have only been the intervention of Dalton that prevented Anne from suffering this punishment in 1587.

Queen Mary's 1554 pregnancy

Queen Mary Tudor married Prince Philip of Spain on July 15th 1554.

In the September of 1554, the court doctor told Queen Mary that she was pregnant. A Parliamentary Act was then passed which stated that if Queen Mary died in childbirth, Philip would act as Regent in England until the child reached the age of majority, however Philip would not be King of England.

At the end of April 1555, Lady Elizabeth was called to court in order to attend the imminent royal birth.

However, a letter written on the 25th April from Prince Philip to his brother-in-law Maximilian of Austria read;

"The queen's pregnancy turns out to not have been as certain as we thought"

On April 30th, false rumours were spread across England and Europe that the Queen had given birth to a son. However, there was no news from Hampton Court where the Queen was in confinement. Throughout the months of May and June, reports came from those inside Hampton Court, such as lady-in-waiting Susan Clarencieux, that the Queen no longer appeared pregnant. In June and July, Mary was said to be blaming her lack of child on the Protestant 'heretics' in her realm and that until she had rid her country of them, she would not be able to have a child.

In August 1555 Queen Mary came out of confinement, yet made no statement about the expected child. 

Her husband Philip left England later that month and would not return for two years. Lady Elizabeth remained at court until October, appearing to be back in favour as the heir presumptive to the throne. 

The following ballad was sung during the winter months of 1554, to celebrate the Queen's pregnancy being announced.

The Ballad of Joy

Now singe, now springe, our care is exiled.

Our vertuous Quene is quickned with child.

Nowe englande is happie, and happie in dede,

That god of his goodness, dothe prospir here seede:

Therefore let us praie, it was never more nede,

God prosper her highnes, god send her good sped.

How manie good people, were longe in dispaire,

That this letel englane, shold lacke a right heire:

But nowe the swet marigold, springeth to fayre,

That England triumpheth, without anie care.

How manie greate thraldoms, in englande were seene,

Before that her highness, was pwblyshed as quene:

The bewtye of England, was banished clene,

With wringing, and wrongynge, & sorrowes betwen.

And yet synce her highness was planted in peace,

Her subjects wer doubtful of her highness increase

But nowe the recofort, their murmour doth cease,

They have their owne wyshynge their woes do release. 

And suche as envied, the matche and the make

And in their proceedings, stoode styffe as a stake:

Are now reconciled, their malis doth slake,

And all men are wilinge, theyr partes for to take.

Our doutes be dissolved, our fancies contented,

The marriage is joyfull, that many lamented:

And suche as envied, like foles have repented,

The errours & terrours, that they have invented.

But God dothe worke, more wonders then this,

For he is Auther, and Father of blysse:

he is the defender, his working it is,

And where he doth favoure, they fare not amys.

Therefore let us praye, to the father of myght

To prosper her highness, and shelde her in ryghte:

With joye to deliver, that when she is lighte,

Both she and her people, maie Joye without flight.

God prosper her highnes, in every thinge,

Her noble spouse, our fortunate kynge:

And that noble blossome, that is planetd to springe,

Amen swete Jesus, we hartely singe.

Blysse thou swete Jesus, our comforters three,

Oure kynge, our Quene, our Prince that shal be:

That they three as one, or one as all three,

May govern thy people, to the plesure of thee.

Imprinted at London in Lumbarde strete

Signe of the Eagle, by

Wyllyam Ryddaell.