Mary I Tudor was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. England's first queen regent, Mary took the throne after the death of her brother Edward VI in 1553. She married Philip of Spain a year later. They had no children.
Mary remained in history as a ruler who executed about 300 Protestants - women, men, children. For this she was given the nickname "Bloody Mary". Was it so in the context of history? Let's find out this, and first let's get acquainted with other facts about the infamous queen that will help reveal her identity.
Father's dislike
Mary was born on February 18, 1516. The only child of Henry VIII from Catherine, she was unloved by his father. The king divorced her mother to marry Anne Boleyn. At the same time, he declared his marriage to Catherine fictitious, and Mary illegitimate.
After the birth of Elizabeth Tudor (the future Elizabeth I) in 1533, an act was issued that officially deprived Henry's daughter of the right to the English throne from her first marriage. In addition, Mary was denied access to her mother, who was exiled by Henry. They never saw each other again.
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Zealous Catholic
Although Maria was forced to accept the Protestant religion of her father, who had renounced Catholicism due to disagreements with the Roman Church, she remained a devoted Catholic at heart. Due to their different religious views, they had constant contradictions with their brother. When Edward inherited the throne at the age of nine and turned against Catholicism, Mary declared that she would rather lay her head on the chopping block than renounce her faith.
Coup d'état
The first Queen of England to come to the throne not through marriage, Mary Tudor inherited the throne after her brother's death. Her rise to power has been described as an "outstanding coup d'etat." Edward struck Mary out of the heir to the throne and appointed Lady Jane Gray as his successor. But Mary, using the support of numerous supporters, came to power on July 19, 1553.
Historian Anna Whitlock writes about her: “Mary's achievements are often underestimated. She led a successful coup in 16th century England. In moments of crisis, she showed herself courageous, decisive and politically literate."
Marriage
At the age of 37, being unmarried, Mary realized that the only way to prevent her sister Elizabeth from coming to power was to get married faster and produce an heir. This was the reason for the decision to marry Philip.
Whitlock writes: “The prenuptial agreement was drafted in the best interests and security of England. Maria retained the fullness of royal power, and the influence of Spain was minimized."
Missed pregnancy
In January 1554 she faced a rebellion organized by Thomas Wyatt, who intended to prevent her marriage to Philip. The conspirator was later executed. Mary imprisoned her sister Elizabeth in the Tower of London, suspecting her of involvement in the Wyatt rebellion. Later, Elizabeth began to be kept under house arrest outside the city.
During the reign of the queen, one interesting episode occurred - her phantom pregnancy. On April 30, 1555, “the bells were ringing all over the country, fireworks were launched, mass celebrations were taking place in the streets - and all this after the news that Mary I had given birth to a healthy son. But there was no son. The hope of producing an heir soon faded. Maria's marriage to Philip was never crowned with the appearance of children, and her husband soon began to neglect her, spending most of his time in Europe.
Significant achievements
Historians often focus on the negative aspects of Mary's five-year reign, denouncing her religious persecution of Protestants and military failures. Recently, however, the Queen's achievements have begun to be recognized.
Anna Whitlock: “Mary's accession was a game changer. This feminized politics was not yet clearly defined at that time, but in many ways Maria proved herself worthy of the role she had taken on. The decisions she made largely anticipated the future. For example, in April 1555, the Queen passed the Kingship Act, which declared the queen's power to be “complete, complete, and absolute,” basically the same as that of her male predecessors. It has erased gender boundaries in the concept of royalty."
Domestic and foreign policy
Maria also restructured the economy and reorganized law enforcement. She rebuilt the fleet and successfully conducted business in parliament. By securing the throne, she provided an opportunity for the Tudor dynasty to retain the throne.
Maria is often remembered with dashing remembrance for her failed war with France, which led to the loss of Calais, the last English possession in French territory. But before the loss of Calais, Maria could boast of military successes. For example, in August 1557 the combined forces of England and Spain captured Saint-Quentin. In the course of this military operation, 3,000 French were killed, another 7,000 were taken prisoner.
Bloody Mary
Now that the facts of her biography have emerged more clearly, it is worth focusing on why this queen received such an ominous nickname.
Mary Tudor is known for her attempts to oppose the Reformation and return Catholicism to England. As time went on, her zealous aspiration grew more and more: she restored the supremacy of the Pope in the English Church, actively appointed Catholic bishops.
The Queen also reintroduced heresy laws to strengthen England's religious conversion. Heresy began to be equated with treason. Over the next few years, Mary executed several hundred Protestants. The approximate number that historians indicate is 300 people. In connection with these events, she was given the title "Bloody".
Assessment
The murder of people, especially the mass murder, is a terrible crime for which it is difficult to find an excuse. But let's try to look at the facts and figures.
Religious heresy has always been a pretext for persecution by the church. Only during the time of the Inquisition, hundreds and thousands of people were burned at the stake for their spiritual views, if they were at odds with the generally accepted.
For a church that preaches the Christian doctrine of love for one's neighbor, the execution of people is no less a grave crime. But what about the rulers who justify their monstrous activity by concern for the welfare of the state? Let us turn to an illustrative example - St. Bartholomew's Night in France.
About 2,000 Protestants were massacred in one night. In the following days, the number of victims increased significantly, reaching, according to rough estimates, 30,000 people. The massacre was fully sanctioned by the royal family, in particular by Charles IX of Valois. But why did no one call him "Bloody"?
Religious persecution has always entailed a huge number of victims, and the "achievements" of Mary Tudor in comparison with many other rulers of that time seem to be quite insignificant. Of course, this does not mean that there is even the slightest excuse for her actions from a moral point of view. And yet, she hardly deserves her "bloody" title.
conclusions
Summing up, we can call Mary Tudor a fairly competent politician who has done a lot for her country and deserves at least some respect. I would like the majority opinion about her inhuman cruelty to be reconsidered - even if the entrenched title remains with her.
Mary I Tudor died on November 17, 1558, probably of cancer. After her death, the throne passed to Elizabeth I Tudor - another woman who found herself in power and managed to keep and strengthen her.
Maxim Ewald
