Mary Tudor (1516–58) was Queen Mary I from 1553 until her death. She was the first female ruler of England. The only child of Henry VIII and his first wife, Katharine of Aragon, she was almost immediately embroiled in European dynastic politics when, at the age of two, she was betrothed to the Dauphin of France. Nothing came of the engagement, and she spent much of her life as a spinster.
She was a highly educated Catholic, fluent in Latin, French, Spanish and Italian, an accomplished player of the lute and clavichord, but her life was not a happy one.
The breakdown of her parents' marriage began in 1528, and by 1531 she was barred from seeing her mother, to whom she nevertheless remained stubbornly loyal. In 1533, at the age of 17, she was declared illegitimate when Henry’s marriage to Katharine was anulled. Henry’s new wife, Anne Boleyn, gave birth to Elizabeth, and Mary was forced to become a lady-in-waiting to her infant half-sister. Further humiliation followed in 1536 when her deprived circ*mstances forced her to write a letter to Henry, acknowledging her illegitimacy, recognising the divorce from her mother and accepting Henry’s authority as head of the Church.
Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, was more sympathetic to Mary. When in 1537 Henry eventually produced a son, Edward, who superseded Mary’s right to inherit the throne, she was re-established in the royal household.
Edward succeeded Henry to the throne, but his reign was short. After his death in 1553, an attempt was made to put Lady Jane Grey upon the throne. Nine days after Jane's coronation, however, Mary marched on London and was herself crowned queen. Although her accession to the throne met with popular acclaim, her insistence on restoring the supremacy of the pope led to strong public opposition. Her popularity waned further when in 1554 she married Philip, son of the hated Spanish King Charles V, later to become Philip II of Spain.
Mary met Protestant opposition uncompromisingly and brutally. In 1555 she oversaw the reintroduction of heresy laws, and over the next three years over three hundred Protestants were burned at the stake. The rightful heir of the house of Tudor had become ‘Bloody Mary'.
Her reign was cut short by stomach cancer in 1558, and she died in the full knowledge that her half-sister Elizabeth would entirely overturn her attempts at reconcilliation with Rome.
FAQs
Mary did not deserve the nickname because… she didn't execute as many people as Henry VIII/she wasn't any more bloodthirsty than many European kings at the time.
What was Mary Tudor's quote? ›
I recognise no Queen but my mother. But if the King's Mistress would intercede with the King on my behalf, then I would be grateful.
Does Mary Tudor marry? ›
Following Louis's death, Mary married Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. Performed secretly in France, the marriage occurred without the consent of Mary's brother Henry VIII.
Did Mary Tudor and Elizabeth ever meet? ›
Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots have met many times on stage and on screen. Yet in reality the two women famously never met.
Is Bloody Mary a bad guy? ›
Bloody Mary is a supervillain in the DC Comics universe, and a junior member of the Female Furies.
What was Bloody Mary's full name? ›
Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, and as "Bloody Mary" by her Protestant opponents, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain and the Habsburg dominions as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558.
What happened to Mary I Tudor? ›
Mary died on 17 November 1558, possibly from cancer, leaving the crown to her half-sister Elizabeth. Mary is buried beneath Elizabeth I in Westminster Abbey. King James I arranged for Elizabeth I to be dug up from elsewhere in the abbey three years after her death and moved into Mary's grave.
What was Mary's famous quote? ›
Top 10 Best Mother Mary Quotes:
"And Mary said, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. ' And the angel departed from her." "His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do [it]." "And Mary said, 'My soul glorifies the Lord.
What did Mary say to her cousin Elizabeth? ›
The Holy Spirit is active as God's presence and power in the world. and said “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” She went on to say that her baby jumped with gladness at the sound of Mary's voice.
Did Mary Tudor have a baby? ›
If you mean Queen Mary I, no she didn't. If you mean Mary, the younger daughter of Henry VII,. then yes she did. She had no children as Queen of France but four from her second marriage to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, most notably Frances Grey, the mother of Lady Jane Grey.
Anyone she married, especially an advantageous match abroad, would have a legitimate claim to the throne of England and the ability to raise up armies in her name. So while she'd been discussed for plenty of advantageous marriages before the divorce, once the process got started she could make no such suit.
Is Mary Tudor Mary, Queen of Scots? ›
No, Mary Tudor and Mary, Queen of Scots are two different queens. Mary Tudor became Queen Mary l of England. Her father was King Henry Vlll. Mary, Queen of Scots, was the daughter of King James V of Scotland.
Did Philip love Mary Tudor? ›
And yet, duty was Philip's overriding emotion. As Mary's love for him deepened, he remained respectful, but did not reciprocate her feelings. A reserved and proud man, he was deeply discontented at having been denied a coronation and was not given an English patrimony, forcing him to rely upon his Spanish funds.
Did Mary, Queen of Scots, have blue eyes? ›
The jewel-like colours and contrasts of blue background and pink dress emphasise the Scots Queen's renowned beauty, with sparkling hazel eyes and auburn hair.
How old was Mary Tudor when she came to the throne? ›
Aged 37 at her accession, Mary wished to marry and have children, thus leaving a Roman Catholic heir to consolidate her religious reforms, and removing her half-sister Elizabeth (a focus for Protestant opposition) from direct succession.
What is the reason for the Bloody Mary name? ›
Some stories suggest that the Bloody Mary was named after a server named Mary who worked at a saloon bar called The Bucket Of Blood in Chicago. Others claim it was named after Queen Mary Tudor of England. No one knows for sure, but as Prohibition waned the drink took off in America and the name stuck.
Why did the call her Bloody Mary? ›
Mary I (born February 18, 1516, Greenwich, near London, England—died November 17, 1558, London) was the first queen to rule England (1553–58) in her own right. She was known as Bloody Mary for her persecution of Protestants in a vain attempt to restore Roman Catholicism in England.
What was the original name for Bloody Mary? ›
The co*cktail is said to have been created on the spur of the moment, according to the bar's own traditions, consisting only of vodka and tomato juice. It was originally referred to as a "Bucket of Blood".
What is the story behind the Bloody Mary? ›
A number of historical figures have been put forward as candidates for "Mary" including Mary I of England (daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon), who had around 300 religious Protestant dissenters burned at the stake during her reign, earning her the nickname "Bloody Mary"; Elizabeth Báthory, a 17th-century ...
