In 1553, Mary I took the English throne after her half-brother, Edward VI, died. Mary was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. During her five-year reign, she became known as Bloody Mary due to her violence and tyranny.
Mary was born on February 18, 1516, at the Palace of Placentia in London. From a young age, she received an impressive education. She was a skilled dancer and could speak French, Spanish, and Latin.
When she was nine years old, her father sent her to Wales with her own personal court to act as a royal representative. Because of this, many thought that she would succeed her father, even though she was a girl.
In 1533, Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon for failing to produce a male heir. He married Anne Boleyn, and the union caused Mary to lose her title as princess.
In September 1533, Anne gave birth to a baby girl. As a result, Mary was deemed an illegitimate child and was removed from the line of succession.
After Anne Boleyn was executed in May 1536, Mary was invited back to court. However, as a devout Roman Catholic, she refused to accept her father’s position as the head of the Church of England. Eventually, she was persuaded to return. She was back in the line of succession by 1544.
When her father died in 1547, Mary’s nine-year-old half-brother, Edward, ascended the throne. Before Edward passed away in 1553, he declared his Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey, as his successor.
Jane was proclaimed queen in July 1553, but many people did not accept her and saw Mary as the legitimate ruler.
On July 19, 1553, Mary gathered up some troops, overthrew Lady Jane Grey, and was officially declared queen. At the time she became queen, Mary was 37 years old and unmarried.
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She quickly negotiated a marriage with Philip of Spain, who was a Catholic. Her council and the public did not approve of the match, so they rebelled in 1554.
Mary had the leader of the rebellion executed. On July 25, 1554, she married Philip of Spain. By the end of 1554, she believed that she was pregnant.
But in reality, she wasn’t. She stayed in confinement until 1555, when royal physicians finally managed to convince her that she was not pregnant.
During her reign, Mary brought back the heresy laws, which stated that those who did not follow her faith would be burned to death.
Nearly 300 men, women, and children across England were burned at the stake for not being Catholic in the first three years of her rule.
There were some good things that Mary did for the kingdom. For instance, restored the navy, established new hospitals, increased the authority of local government, improved the education of the clergy, and more.
In 1557, England was at war with Spain against France. England soon lost control of Calais. Shortly after, Mary’s health went downhill. She died on November 17, 1558, at the age of 42.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
