Queen Mary I

Queen Mary I of England, eldest child of King Henry VIII, succeeded to the throne after the death of her brother Edward VI when the public rallied to her side to overthrow the 9-day usurper Jane Grey. Queen Mary was the first queen regnant in English history and she is most remembered for restoring communion between England and the Roman Catholic Church and for restoring the anti-heresy laws. However, she also clashed with the Church and was very independent. She married King Philip II of Spain and attempted to renew the war with France allied to Spain but was blocked at home and was unsuccessful; losing the last English foothold in France, Calais. She reigned for only a few years before her death in 1558, heartbroken over the absence of her husband and her lack of children. After her death the throne passed to her sister Elizabeth I though many had tried to persuade Mary to disinherit her.

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• Mary I of England
• Queen
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[anaofaragon]

I agree with you on some points, but I still say she was trying to compensate for being neglected all those years. You just pointed out that Philip wasn't much of a saint himself. I recall reading he was the one pushing for Jane Grey's death or he wouldn't come to England and he also bullied Mary to name him king. Mary wouldn't have killed her cousin without SOME persuasion from her betrothed. Not saying she allowed it-she wanted to be married so badly and was eager to prove herself to everyone.

[anaofaragon]

I agree...I'm pretty sure Mary wanted Jane to remain imprisoned in the Tower, but the Protestants sealed poor Jane's fate when they staged an uprising in Jane's name. Mary could forgive ONE indiscretion on her timid little cousin's part, but the Protestants gave Mary a reluctant reason to have her executed. Mary is more forgiving than she seems, but given her decisions during her reign, I still say the abuse and neglect she suffered had a part to play in how she did things, not just her beliefs.

[bduhe219]

what forced mary to sing the death warrent for jane was not only the request by philip, but because her father helped lead a rebellion against mary in jane's name. this was too much of a threat to mary and especaially for philip as monarch. she had to do this, just as elizabeth did for mary stuart. the thrown was threated and she, as well as mary stuart in elizabeth's case, had to be executed. i think mary i gets a bad rap...a protastant twist of history. she was no worse than any other monarch.

[lionnnhearttt]

R.I.P. Mary Tudor, the most glorious and royal queen in the whole history of Western Europe.

[ivan765ful]

to bad that we will never see a real picture of her

[evaperonfan]

Mary Tudor was a great queen-- much better than her sister.

[MadMonarchist]

I don't think she *wanted* her dead either, but given what she had done, willingly or not, and given the subsequent rebellion there is no way any prince in Europe could have spared her. The country cannot have two queens.

[anaofaragon]

From my studies, he seemed indifferent to her when he came here because he wanted to be w/ his mistress, and I know Mary was reluctant to execute her cousin despite the usurption because Mary KNEW Jane was just a pawn for the Protestants who didn't want her to claim her rights to the Succession. I think Edward's council made him fix the papers when he was very sick. Edward didn't agree with his older sister's beliefs, but he wouldn't go against his father's wishes. Mary didn't want Jane dead.

[MadMonarchist]

I did? Anyway, the only remarkable thing is that Jane Grey was spared at all in the first place. She usurped the throne -there was simply no way she could not be executed for that. Philip was in no position to set many terms, he married because Emperor Charles wished it. Jane Grey was executed before Mary and Philip were betrothed and Pole said even at that stage Philip was extremely defferential to Mary in all their correspondence- even to the point of sounding like a son addressing his mother.

[MadMonarchist]

Actually she didn't let anyone rule her. King Philip advised her to be more easy-going about things and she even refused his greatest wish which was to be crowned because she knew England wouldn't have that. Also many of her advisors were people she didn't particularly like but needed. She was her own woman and was even at odds with the Pope a number of times.