Who was Queen Bloody Mary?
Queen Mary I was Queen of England and Ireland from 1553 until 1558, and was commonly known as Bloody Mary. She was the first daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
She is known for trying to bring England to Catholicism, which led to a lot of persecutions of protestants, and thus earnt her the name “Queen Bloody Mary”.
Queen Bloody Mary was the first female monarch of England and was succeeded by her half sister Elizabeth I. Probably due to the controversy and deaths surrounding her, Queen Bloody Mary is of course remembered as a significant figure in English history to this day.
What was Queen Bloody Mary’s life like?
Mary the First, otherwise known as Queen Bloody Mary was born on February 8th 1516, and passed on November 17th 1558, she is also known as Mary Tudor or Bloody Mary by her most protestants.
Though we know her as Queen Mary of England and Ireland she was also the Queen consort of Spain and Habsburg dominions as the wife of King Philip II of Spain from January 1556, until 1558.
She is known for her attempts to reverse the English reformation, which began during her fathers (Henry VIII) reign. Queen Bloody Mary had her coronation on October 1st, 1553. Her successor was as stated before, Elizabeth the First. And her co-Monarch was Philip from 1554 until 1558.
Queen Bloody Mary was the only surviving child from Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, following the annulment of their parents’ marriage Queen Bloody Mary was declared illegitimate and was Barred from the succession. But later she was restored that right through the third successor Act of 1543.
Mary was baptized into the catholic church of the observed friars in green within three days of her birth. And though she was described as a precious child and that, by her father it's said she never cried.
A huge part of her education came from her mother, and by the age of nine Mary could read and write Latin, she studied French, Spanish, music, and dance. And it is said Queen Bloody Mary had a fair complexion with pale blue eyes, and red or reddish-gold hair with similar traits from her parents.
The most famous portrait that was painted for her was painted by Antonis Mor, and it was painted in 1554.
How did Queen Bloody Mary rule?
Upon the death of her brother Edward, Mary fled to Norfolk, because Lady Jane Grey had seized the throne, even though it's believed the country had seen Mary as the rightful Queen, and so within a few days she made a triumphant entry into London.
Though Queen Bloody Mary was forceful, sincere, bluff, and hearty like her father, in contrast to him, she disliked cruel punishments and the signing of death warrants. Though she was unable to adapt herself to novel circumstances and lacked self-interest, Mary really wanted to bring her people back to the church of Rome. Her hopes are what led her to marry Philip II of Spain.
And the English noblemen who had acquired wealth and the lands when Henry VIII confiscated the Catholic monasteries had a vested interest in retaining them, and Mary’s desire to restore Roman Catholicism as the state religion made them her enemies.
This is the very reason Queen Mary earned the nickname “Queen Bloody Mary” You can learn more about Queen Bloody Mary and her life right here at World of Monarchs.