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Born 1516, died 1558
Ruled from 1553
Mary was the only child of Henry VIII's long marriage to Catherine of Aragon. She was made a bastard when the king unilaterally annulled that marriage and wed Anne Boleyn. Separated from her beloved mother, holding fast to her Catholic faith and even being forced to act as lady in waiting to her half-sister Elizabeth, it is hardly surprising that Mary was consumed with hatred for the new regime when, in 1547, on Henry's death, Edward VI took the throne.
Faced with the radical Protestant reforms of her half-brother and his Council, Mary decided to become the focus of Catholicism in England. She and Edward clashed, but with the threat of action from her cousin, the Holy Roman emperor Charles V, she was allowed to continue following her religion.
Edward died on 6 July 1553. His plan to prevent Mary becoming queen and instead have the Protestant Lady Jane Grey take the throne came to nothing. Forewarned, Mary fled to East Anglia where she had estates and a loyal following, and on 10 July, she proclaimed herself the rightful queen of England. Troops flooded in, but no blow needed to be struck. Faced with Mary's overwhelming strength, the Grey faction threw in the towel and Queen Jane was deposed.
It was legality, legitimacy and the sense that she was Henry VIII's daughter that had won the day for Mary. However, she was convinced that her accession was a miracle and she became a woman with a mission: to restore England to the Catholic faith. But to ensure that, she had to ensure the Catholic succession and so must marry and produce a Catholic heir. The man she had in mind was Philip of Spain, son of Charles V.
For many, the idea of a Spanish king was a step too far. A large group of mostly Protestant noblemen, led by Sir Thomas Wyatt, rebelled. The uprising almost succeeded, and for a while Mary's throne was in jeopardy. But the rebellion was finally crushed, and Mary exacted a terrible revenge, executing all the conspirators. She also took this opportunity to rid herself of any lingering Protestant threat – she had the innocent 17-year-old Lady Jane Grey beheaded.
On 25 July 1554, Philip and Mary were married, and soon after, she thought she was pregnant. The prospect of an heir enormously strengthened her hand in bringing back Catholicism. Her cousin Cardinal Reginald Pole addressed Parliament to explain his mission to secure England's return to Rome, and two days later, he pronounced full and formal absolution on England for its apostasy.
Mary approved the reintroduction of heresy laws, and for Protestants, the choice was simple: conformity or being burned alive. The burnings began in February 1555, and over the following three years, more than 300 men and women died in agony at the stake – including Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. Even more perished in prison or fled into exile.
On 30 April 1555, the bells of London rang out to celebrate the birth of Mary's child. But the news proved false, and the waiting began again. By August even Mary had to admit that this was a phantom pregnancy. It may well have been ovarian cancer, but whatever the cause, she was 39 and unlikely ever to bear a child.
By 1557, Mary was despised by her people. Her situation was made far worse when Philip dragged England into an unpopular and financially draining war with France. Worst of all, the great prize of Calais was lost. When she heard the news, Mary said: 'When I am dead and opened, you shall find "Calais" lying in my heart.'
She became convinced that she was pregnant once more. On 30 March 1558, supposedly nine months pregnant, she drew up her will. In it, she took for granted that she would die giving birth, but remained serenely confident that her child would live and succeed her. However, six months later, with her health rapidly fading, even Mary had to face reality. She added a codicil to her will, acknowledging that she would be succeeded 'by her next heir and successor, by the laws and statutes of this realm' – Elizabeth. Mary died on 16 November 1558, seeing visions of heavenly children to the last.
Mary Tudor
http://home.earthlink.net/~elisale/
Extremely detailed enthusiast's site, which covers such things as the queen's music, her costume, the way she has been portrayed in films.
Bloody Mary: The life of Mary Tudor by Carolly Erickson (Robson, 2001)
The biography of the first queen to rule England in her own right.
Get this book
Intrigue and Treason: The Tudor court 1547-1558 by David Loades (Longman, 2004)
This book analyses events from Edward VI's school room, through Mary and Philip's reign to the dawn of the Elizabethan era. It charts how the court changed through a series of plots, affairs and religious roller coasters that sent seismic waves reaching to the heart of the royal family.
Get this book
Framlingham Castle
In Framlingham, Suffolk on the B1116
OS reference: TM 287637
Tel: 01728 724 189
Website: www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/ Framlingham-Castle.html
This is where the devoutly Catholic Mary proclaimed herself queen in 1553. Ironically (or, perhaps, deliberately), her successor, the Protestant Elizabeth, used the castle as a prison for priests who defied the Church of England.
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