The story of Bloody Mary, England’s first queen

A princess

Mary’s early life was marked by royal splendor. Mary was born to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon on February 18, 1516, and she grew up as a beloved princess in the public eye.

Short engagement

In 1518, when Mary was two years old, she was engaged to marry Francois, Dauphin of France (pictured), who was also two at the time. The engagement was canceled three years later in 1521.

A destructive divorce

When Mary was a teenager, her father became infatuated with Anne Boleyn (pictured), which led him to divorce Mary’s mother and split with the Catholic Church. Mary was stripped of her status, declared illegitimate, and separated from her mother.

Support from nobility

Mary’s strategic brilliance allowed her to rally key noble support and push her to ascend to power alongside her half sister, the future Elizabeth I (pictured).

A quest for religious unity

Mary’s religious mission centered on reviving Catholicism. Early efforts were cautious, but as tensions grew her measures became harsher. Over her five-year reign, she burned around 280 Protestants at the stake, branding them as heretics.

Political association

Mary’s marriage to Philip II of Spain fueled xenophobic fears, linking her religious policies to foreign influence. Despite her own desire for a stable Catholic England, this alliance heightened suspicion, diminished her popularity, and tarnished her reputation further.

Heretics as threats

In Mary’s era, heresy was seen as a threat to the stability of society, equated with treason. This fear justified severe punishments. Mary’s advisors believed that they were protecting souls from damnation, and so they considered execution to be a moral necessity.

Religious intolerance

Respecting different religious beliefs was inconceivable in the 16th century. Society was polarized, and both oppressors and martyrs emerged. Mary’s uncompromising religious position was a reflection of the broader intolerance seen in Europe at the time.

Numbers in perspective

While 280 people burned under Mary, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I executed thousands. Edward VI, too, crushed uprisings violently and killed thousands of Catholics. Mary’s total death count paled in comparison, yet propaganda immortalized her as a singularly bloodthirsty monarch, despite her reign being far less lethal.

Phantom pregnancy

In 1554, a mere months after her marriage, Mary announced her pregnancy. But this proved to be false, and resulted in a public and private disaster. The anticipation of an heir followed by crushing disappointment eroded confidence in Mary’s rule.

Destructive rumors

Following her phantom pregnancy and Philip’s supposed abandonment, rumors began to spread about Mary’s aging and unappealing appearance. This worsened the monarch’s humiliation and overshadowed her genuine political and administrative successes.

Propaganda’s power

In 1563, historian John Foxe published ‘ Foxe's Book of Martyrs,’ which immortalized Mary’s reign as a period of terror. With visceral illustrations and heart-wrenching stories, the Protestant text shaped English identity and villainized Mary for generations.

Calculated contrasts

Elizabeth I carefully distanced herself from her sister’s religious zeal, and ensured that her Catholic persecutions appeared politically justified rather than religiously driven. This calculated approach shielded her image, presenting her as a more merciful, pragmatic ruler, despite her own record of brutality.

Quick demise

Mary had grown increasingly ill and weak by 1558. Having no heir, she was forced to decree that Elizabeth would be her successor. She passed on November 17, 1558, and many historians have attributed her cause of death to ovarian cysts or uterine cancer. Her body was interred in Westminster Abbey, and she now shares a tomb with Elizabeth.

The stubborn trailblazer

Mary was inflexible but undeniably strong-willed, navigating a male-dominated world with conviction. Her determination to restore Catholicism was both her strength and downfall. She made mistakes, yet her resilience and political acumen were ahead of her time.