Mary Tudor, known to her enemies as Bloody Mary, was the third woman to ascend the throne of England. She is known for opposing the religious reforms introduced by her father, King Henry VIII, and for bringing England back under the rule of the pope. The life of Queen Mary was full of torment, sorrow, wealth, passion and disease. Here we will talk about the last period of the life of Bloody Mary - from coronation to death. /website/
Rapid loss of popularity due to religious reforms
After her coronation on October 1, 1553, one of the first steps taken by Mary, Queen of England, was to restore the legality of the marriage between her parents: Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Initially, Mary was as popular as her mother, whom the people loved (even after she divorced Henry VIII). However, Mary's popularity quickly declined as soon as she repealed all laws favorable to Protestantism.
Shortly after she assumed the throne, Queen Mary decided to get married. Her haste is explained, among other reasons, by an obsessive desire to give the desired crown to the Catholic heir and not to allow her sister, the Protestant Elizabeth, to the throne.
Her religious fervor also quickly manifested itself - on November 30, 1554, with the support of Cardinal Reginald Pole, Queen Mary restored Rome's ecclesiastical authority over England. Religious persecution lasted almost four years, and dozens of Protestant leaders were executed. Many were forced to emigrate, about 800 remained in the country.
Among those executed were the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, and the reformist Hugh Latimer. Despite disputes over the number of deaths, John Fox writes in his Book of Martyrs that 284 people were executed for "faith". The executions were enough for this Protestant historian to refer to Queen Mary as Bloodthirsty Mary or, more popularly, Bloody Mary.
Fragment of an illustration from The Book of Martyrs by John Fox depicting preparations for the burning at the stake of Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley. Photo: Public Domain
Marriage to Philip II, Spanish prince
The story goes that Mary refused an offer from Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon, as she apparently fell madly in love while looking at a portrait of the Spanish Prince Philip II, son of her cousin, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Seeing her infatuation with Philip, Lord Chancellor Gardiner and the House of Commons begged Mary to choose an Englishman, fearing that England would be forced to rely on Spain in the future. But Mary stood firm, and on July 25, 1554, just two days after they met, Mary and Philip were married. The ceremony was held at Winchester Cathedral. Philip was 26 at the time and Mary 37. For him it was just a state marriage, but she really loved him.
Portrait of Mary, Queen of England and Ireland by Hans Eworth. On the chest of the queen is the famous pearl of La Peregrina, which Philip II gave her in 1554, on the occasion of their marriage. Photo: Public Domain
The marriage contract clearly stated that Philip's Spanish advisers could not interfere in the affairs of the English state, and England was not obliged to fight the enemies of Spain. In addition, Philip will be called the King of England, and all official documents, including parliamentary ones, will be signed by the king and queen. Parliament can only be convened under their joint leadership. Coins with portraits of both were also issued. But marriage to Philip did not add to the popularity of Mary, the British did not trust their new foreign king.
Portrait of a young Philip II by Titian (1554) Photo: Public Domain
Three months after their wedding, Mary began to suspect that she was pregnant, her belly began to grow. However, doctors attributed it to inflammation due to fluid retention. She subsequently suffered another false pregnancy. The symptoms, which included secretion of breast milk and loss of vision, are suggestive of some kind of hormonal disorder (possibly a pituitary tumor).
Portrait of Mary, Queen of England, and her husband Philip II. The couple lived together for about 15 months. Artist Hans Eworth. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Kingdom of Ireland and war with France
The establishment of the Kingdom of Ireland in 1542 was not recognized by the rest of Catholic Europe, but in 1555 Mary received a papal bull confirming her and her husband as Irish monarchs.
In August of the same year, Philip left the country to participate in the abdication of his father, Emperor Charles V. After a long wait, Mary urged her husband to return as soon as possible, but, as he was busy with his new role as King of Spain, Philip refused return until March 1557.
Philip II returned mainly to try to persuade Mary to support Spain in the war against France, which was allied with the new Pope Paul IV against the Habsburgs. The queen provided her husband with significant financial support and promised military assistance if the French attacked the Netherlands.
In June 1557 Mary declared war on France and in July Philip left England forever, Mary never seeing him again. The English army landed at Calais, a strategic point overlooking the English Channel. But in January 1558, the French captured the city in a surprise attack.
Then the Protestant faction, due to the fact that Mary violated the marriage contract (by starting a war with France at the request of Philip II), launched a campaign against the queen. The streets were filled with pamphlets inciting anger against the Spaniards. The loss of Calais, famine caused by crop failure, and a new influenza epidemic in the country did not bode well for Maria.
The French occupied Calais, 1558. Painting by François-Édouard Picot, 1838. Photo: Public Domain
The Last Years of Queen Mary
Despite the fact that Mary was married to the Spanish king Philip II, England did not benefit from the lucrative trade with the New World: the Spaniards jealously guarded their income. Because of her marriage to Philip, Maria could not approve of piracy against Spanish ships. In addition, constant rains and floods caused famine that hit the country.
Mary tried to create a modern form of government, with a corresponding increase in spending, based on the medieval tax system. However, the absence of import duties deprived the state of its main source of income. To solve this problem, the queen drew up a plan for a currency reform, but it was not put into practice until her death.
Mary's health was gradually deteriorating, it was necessary to think about the heir to the throne. Knowing that her husband would never agree to take the reins of power in England, she chose her sister Elizabeth. Despite her sister's notorious Protestantism and her popularity, which threatened Mary, she respected Elizabeth, but limited her life to the palace, instead of taking more drastic measures.
In early November 1558, Queen Mary made her will. In it, she named her sister Elizabeth as her successor, sincerely hoping that she would renounce Protestantism. In addition, in her will, she expressed her desire to be buried next to her mother, Catherine of Aragon.
Princess Elizabeth Tudor, future Elizabeth I. Painting by William Scrots (1546). Photo: Public Domain
Queen Mary died on 17 November 1558 at St. James's Palace, said to be of a fever, at the age of 42. Against her last wishes, she was buried in Westminster Abbey, far from her mother's grave located in Peterborough Cathedral. Years later, her sister Elizabeth, who restored Protestantism in England after her accession to the throne, was buried next to her.
Some argue that the Protestant Elizabeth I became queen only because of her older sister, the Catholic Mary, who, despite significant ideological differences between them, defended her sister's right to inherit the throne of England.
Portrait of Mary, Queen of England. Painting by Hans Eworth, 1554. Photo: Public Domain
Mary I Tudor (years of her life - 1516-1558) - also known as Bloody Mary. Not a single monument was erected to her in her homeland (it is only in Spain, where her husband was born). Today, the name of this queen is associated primarily with massacres. Indeed, there were many of them in the years when Mary the Bloody was on the throne. Many books have been written on the history of her reign, and interest in her personality has not faded to this day. Despite the fact that in England the day of her death (then she ascended the throne) was celebrated as a national holiday, this woman was not so cruel as many imagined her. After reading the article, you will be convinced of this.
Maria's parents, her childhood
Mary's parents are the English King Henry VIII Tudor of Aragon, the youngest Spanish princess. The Tudor dynasty was still very young at that time, and Henry was only the second ruler of England to belong to it.
In 1516, Queen Catherine gave birth to a daughter, Maria, her only viable child (she had previously had several unsuccessful births). The girl's father was disappointed, but he hoped for the appearance of heirs in the future. He loved Mary, called the pearl in his crown. He admired the firm and serious character of his daughter. The girl cried very rarely. She studied hard. The teachers taught her Latin, English, music, Greek, playing the harpsichord and dancing. The future Queen Mary the First Bloody was interested in Christian literature. She was very attracted by stories about ancient warrior maidens and martyrs.
Candidates for husbands
The princess was surrounded by a large retinue, corresponding to her position: court staff, chaplain, maids and nannies, lady mentor. Growing up, Bloody Mary began to engage in falconry and horseback riding. The worries about her marriage, as is usual with kings, began from infancy. The girl was 2 years old when her father entered into an agreement on the engagement of his daughter with the son of Francis I, the French dauphin. The contract, however, was terminated. Another candidate for the husband of 6-year-old Mary was Charles V of Habsburg, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, who was 16 years older than his bride. However, the princess did not have time to ripen for marriage.
Catherine was objectionable to Henry
In the 16th year of his marriage, Henry VIII, who still had no male heirs, decided that his marriage to Catherine was not pleasing to God. The birth of an illegitimate son testified that Henry was not to blame. The problem, it turns out, was his wife. The king named his bastard Henry Fitzroy. He gave his son estates, castles and a ducal title. However, he could not make Henry the heir, given that the legitimacy of the creation of the Tudor dynasty was doubtful.
Catherine's first husband was Prince Arthur of Wales. He was the eldest son of the founder of the dynasty. 5 months after the wedding ceremony, he died of tuberculosis. Then, at the suggestion of the Spanish matchmakers, he agreed on the engagement of Henry, his second son (he was then 11 years old), with Catherine. The marriage was to be registered when they reached the age of majority. Fulfilling the last will of his father, at the age of 18, Henry VIII married his brother's widow. Usually the church forbade such marriages as closely related. However, as an exception, powerful persons were granted permission to do so by the pope.
Divorce, Heinrich's new wife
And now, in 1525, the king asked the pope for permission to divorce. Clement VII did not refuse, but he did not grant his consent either. He ordered to drag out the "case of the king" as long as possible. Heinrich expressed to his wife his opinion about the futility and sinfulness of their marriage. He asked her to agree to a divorce and go to a monastery, but the woman replied with a decisive refusal. By this, she doomed herself to a very unenviable fate - living in provincial castles under supervision and being separated from her daughter. The "king's case" dragged on for several years. The Archbishop of Canterbury, as well as the primate of the church appointed by Henry, finally declared the marriage invalid. The king was married to Anne Boleyn, his favorite.
Declaring Mary illegitimate
Then Clement VII decided to excommunicate Henry. He declared his daughter from the new Queen Elizabeth illegitimate. T. Cranber in response to this declared, by order of the king, Mary, the daughter of Catherine, was also illegitimate. She was deprived of all the privileges due to the heiress.
Henry becomes head of the Anglican Church
Parliament in 1534 signed the "Act of Supremacy", according to which the king headed the Anglican Church. Some dogmas of religion were revised and cancelled. This is how the Anglican Church arose, which was, as it were, in the middle between Protestantism and Catholicism. Those who refused to accept it were declared traitors and severely punished. From now on, property belonging to the Catholic Church was confiscated, and church fees began to flow into the royal treasury.
Mary's plight
Mary the Bloody was orphaned by the death of her mother. She became completely dependent on her father's wives. Anna Boleyn hated her, mocked her in every possible way and even used physical assault. The very fact that the apartment that once belonged to her mother was now occupied by this woman, who wore the jewels and the crown of Catherine, caused great suffering to Mary. Spanish grandparents would have interceded for her, but by this time they had already died, and their heir had enough problems in his own country.
Anne Boleyn's happiness was short-lived - before a daughter was born instead of the son expected by the king and promised by her. She spent only 3 years as queen and survived Catherine by only 5 months. Anna was accused of state and adultery. The woman ascended the scaffold in May 1536, and Elizabeth, her daughter, was declared illegitimate, like the future Mary Bloody Tudor.
Mary's other stepmothers
And only when, reluctantly, our heroine agreed to recognize Henry VIII as the head of the Anglican Church, remaining a Catholic in her soul, she was finally returned to her retinue and access to the king's palace. Mary Bloody Tudor, however, did not marry.
Henry, a few days after Boleyn's death, married the lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour. She took pity on Mary and persuaded her husband to return her to the palace. Seymour gave birth to Henry VIII, who by that time was already 46 years old, the long-awaited son of Edward VI, and she herself died from It is known that the king valued and loved his third wife more than others and bequeathed to bury himself near her grave.
The fourth marriage for the king was unsuccessful. Seeing Anna Klevskaya, his wife, in kind, he was furious. Henry VIII, after divorcing her, executed Cromwell, his first minister, who was the organizer of the matchmaking. He divorced Anna six months later, in accordance with the marriage contract, without entering into carnal relations with her. He gave her after the divorce the title of adoptive sister, as well as a small property. Relations between them were practically kindred, as were the relations of Klevskaya with the children of the king.
Katherine Gotward, Mary's next stepmother, was beheaded in the Tower of London after 1.5 years of marriage for adultery. 2 years before the death of the king, the sixth marriage was concluded. Catherine Parr took care of the children, cared for her sick husband, was the mistress of the yard. This woman convinced the king to be more kind to her daughters Elizabeth and Mary. Catherine Parr survived the king and escaped execution only because of her own resourcefulness and by a lucky chance.
Death of Henry VIII, recognition of Mary as legitimate
Henry VIII died in January 1547, having bequeathed the crown to Edward, his infant son. In the event that his descendant dies, she was to go to her daughters - Elizabeth and Mary. These princesses were finally recognized as legitimate. This gave them the opportunity to count on the crown and a worthy marriage.
Edward's reign and death
Mary, because of her commitment to Catholicism, suffered persecution. She even wanted to leave England. King Edward could not bear the thought that she would take the throne after him. On the advice of the Lord Protector, he decided to rewrite his father's will. The 16-year-old Jane Grey, Edward's second cousin and granddaughter of Henry VII, was declared heir. She was a Protestant and also Northumberland's sister-in-law.
Suddenly fell ill 3 days after the approval of his will. This happened in the summer of 1553. He soon died. According to one version, death came from tuberculosis, since he was in poor health from childhood. However, there is another version. The Duke of Northumberland, under suspicious circumstances, removed the attending physicians from the king. A sorceress appeared at his bedside. She allegedly gave Edward a dose of arsenic. After that, the king felt worse and expired at the age of 15.
Mary becomes queen
After his death, Jane Gray, who was 16 at the time, became queen. However, the people rebelled, not recognizing her. A month later, Mary ascended the throne. By this time she was already 37 years old. After the reign of Henry VIII, who proclaimed himself the head of the Church and was excommunicated by the Pope, about half of all monasteries and churches in the state were destroyed. A difficult task had to be solved after the death of Edward, Maria the Bloody. England, which she inherited, was ruined. It needed to be revived urgently. In the first six months, she executed Jane Grey, her husband Guildford Dudley, and father-in-law John Dudley.
Execution of Jane and her husband
Maria the Bloody, whose biography is often presented in gloomy tones, by nature did not have a tendency to cruelty. For a long time she could not send her relative to the chopping block. Why did Bloody Mary decide to do this anyway? She understood that Jane was just a pawn in the wrong hands, who did not want to become queen. The trial of her and her husband was originally conceived as a mere formality. Queen Mary the Bloody wanted to pardon the couple. However, the fate of Jane was decided by the rebellion of T. Wyatt, which began in January 1554. On February 12 of the same year, Jane and Guildford were beheaded.
Reign of Mary the Bloody
Maria again brought close to her those who until recently were among her opponents. She understood that they could help her in running the state. The restoration of the country began with the revival of the Catholic faith, which was undertaken by Bloody Mary. An attempt at a counter-reformation - that's what it is called in scientific language. Many monasteries were reconstructed. However, during the reign of Mary there were many executions of Protestants. The bonfires have been blazing since February 1555. There are many testimonies of how people suffered, dying for their faith. About 300 people were burned. Among them were Latimer, Ridley, Crumner and other hierarchs of the church. The queen ordered not to spare even those who agreed to become a Catholic, being in front of the fire. For all these cruelties, Maria received her nickname Bloody.
Marriage of Mary
The queen married Philip's son (summer 1554). The husband was 12 years younger than Mary. According to the marriage contract, he could not interfere in the government of the country, and children born from marriage were to become heirs to the English throne. Philip, in the event of an untimely death of Mary, had to return to Spain. The British disliked the queen's husband. Although Mary made attempts through Parliament to approve the decision that Philip be considered king of England, she was refused this. The son of Charles V was arrogant and pompous. The retinue that arrived with him behaved defiantly.
Bloody skirmishes between the Spanish and the British began to take place in the streets after Philip's arrival.
Illness and death
Maria showed signs of pregnancy in September. They made a will, according to which Philip was to become the regent of the child until he came of age. However, the child was not born. Mary appointed her sister Elizabeth as her successor.
In May 1558, it became clear that the alleged pregnancy was in fact a symptom of the disease. Maria suffered from fever, headache, insomnia. She began to lose her sight. In the summer, the queen contracted the flu. Elizabeth was formally appointed successor on November 6, 1558. Mary died on November 17 of the same year. Historians believe that the disease from which the queen died was an ovarian cyst or uterine cancer. Mary's remains rest in Westminster Abbey. The throne was inherited by Elizabeth I after her death.
Mary Tudor, portrait by Antonis More.
Mary I Tudor (February 18, 1516, Greenwich - November 17, 1558, London), Queen of England from 1553, daughter of Henry VIII Tudor and Catherine of Aragon. The accession of Mary Tudor to the throne was accompanied by the restoration of Catholicism (1554) and cruel repressions against the supporters of the Reformation (hence her nicknames - Mary the Catholic, Mary the Bloody). In 1554, she married the heir to the Spanish throne, Philip of Habsburg (from 1556 King Philip II), which led to a rapprochement between England and Catholic Spain and the papacy. During the war against France (1557-1559), which the queen started in alliance with Spain, England lost Calais in early 1558 - the last possession of the English kings in France. The policy of Mary Tudor, which ran counter to the national interests of England, caused discontent among the new nobility and the emerging bourgeoisie.
Mary Tudor, Mary I (Mary Tudor), Bloody Mary (18.II.1516 - 17.XI.1558), - Queen of England 1553-1558. Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Mary Tudor, a fanatical Catholic, succeeded to the throne after the death of her brother King Edward VI, crushing a plot by a Protestant faction (in favor of Jeanne Grey, Henry VIII's great-niece). Mary Tudor was supported by a grouping of the old feudal Catholic nobility, who pinned restoration hopes on her and managed to take advantage of the dissatisfaction of the peasant masses with the reformation. The accession of Mary Tudor to the throne was marked by the restoration of Catholicism (1554) and the beginning of a Catholic reaction, accompanied by severe persecution of reformers, many of whom (including T. Cranmer and H. Latimer) were burned at the stake. In 1554, Mary Tudor married Philip, heir to the Spanish throne (since 1556 - King Philip II). The whole policy of Mary Tudor - the restoration of Catholicism, rapprochement with Spain - ran counter to the national interests of England, caused protests and even uprisings (T. Wyeth, 1554). The unsuccessful war (in alliance with Spain) against France (1557-1559) ended with the loss of the port of Calais by England. The death of Mary Tudor prevented an uprising that was being prepared by English Protestants who nominated another daughter of Henry VIII, Elizabeth, as a candidate for the English throne.
Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 9. MALTA - NAKHIMOV. 1966.
Maria I
Mary Tudor
Mary Tudor
Years of life: February 18, 1516 - November 17, 1558
Reigned: July 6 (de jure) or July 19 (de facto) 1553 - November 17, 1558
Father: Henry VIII
Mother: Catherine of Aragon
Husband: Philip II of Spain
Mary had a difficult childhood. Like all children Henry , she was not distinguished by good health (perhaps this was the result of congenital syphilis received from her father). After the divorce of her parents, she was deprived of her rights to the throne, removed from her mother and sent to the Hatfield estate, where she served Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. In addition, Mary remained a zealous Catholic. Only after the death of her stepmother and the consent to recognize her father as the "Supreme Head of the Anglican Church" did she get the opportunity to return to court.
When Mary learned that her brother Edward VI, before his death, bequeathed the crown to Jane Grey, she immediately moved to London. The army and navy went over to her side. A secret council was convened and proclaimed her queen. On July 19, 1553, Jane was deposed and subsequently executed.
Mary was crowned on October 1, 1553 by the priest Stephen Gardiner, who later became Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor. The higher ranking bishops were Protestant and supportive of Lady Jane, and Mary did not trust them.
Mary ruled on her own, but her reign was unhappy for England. With her first decree, she restored the legality of the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. She tried to re-establish Catholicism as the dominant religion in the country. The decrees of her predecessors directed against heretics were extracted from the archives. Many hierarchs of the Anglican Church, including Archbishop Cranmer, were sent to the stake. In total, about 300 people were burned during the reign of Mary, for which she received the nickname "Bloody Mary".
To secure the throne behind her line, Mary had to get married. Philip, the heir to the Spanish crown, was chosen as the suitor, who was 12 years younger than Mary and extremely unpopular in England. He himself admitted that this marriage was political, he spent most of his time in Spain and practically did not live with his wife.
Mary and Philip had no children. One day, Mary announced her pregnancy to the courtiers, but what was taken for a fetus turned out to be a tumor. Soon the queen developed dropsy. Weakened by illnesses, she died of the flu as a not old woman at all. She was succeeded by her half-sister Elizabeth.
Used material from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/
Mary I - Queen of England from the Tudor family, who ruled from 1553-1558. Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
Married since 1554 to King Philip II of Spain (born 1527 + 1598).
Mary's life was sad from birth to death, although at first nothing foreshadowed such a fate. For children of her age, she was serious, self-possessed, rarely cried, played the harpsichord beautifully. When she was nine years old, businessmen from Flanders who spoke to her in Latin were surprised by her answers in their own language. At first, the father loved his eldest daughter very much and was delighted with many traits of her character. But everything changed after Henry entered into a second marriage with Anne Boleyn. Mary was removed from the palace, torn away from her mother, and finally demanded that she renounce the Catholic faith. However, despite her young age, Maria flatly refused. Then she was subjected to many humiliations: the princess' retinue was dismissed, she herself, banished to the Hatfield estate, became a servant with Anne Boleyn's daughter, little Elizabeth. The stepmother tore at her ears. I had to fear for her very life. Maria's condition worsened, but her mother was forbidden to see her. Only the execution of Anne Boleyn brought Mary some relief, especially after she, having made an effort on herself, recognized her father as the “Supreme Head of the Anglican Church.” Her retinue was returned to her, and she again received access to the royal court.
The persecution resumed when Mary's younger brother, Edward VI, who fanatically adhered to the Protestant faith, ascended the throne. At one time she seriously considered fleeing England, especially when she began to be obstructed and not allowed to say mass. Edward eventually dethroned his sister and bequeathed the English crown to Henry VII's great-granddaughter Jane Grey. Mary did not recognize this will. Upon learning of the death of her brother, she immediately moved to London. The army and navy went over to her side. The Privy Council declared Mary queen. Nine days after her accession to the throne, Lady Gray was deposed and died on the scaffold. But in order to secure the throne for her offspring and prevent the Protestant Elizabeth from taking it, Mary had to marry. In July 1554, she married the heir to the Spanish throne, Philip, although she knew that the British did not like him very much. She married him at the age of 38, no longer young and ugly. The groom was twelve years younger than her and agreed to marry only for political reasons. After the wedding night, Philip remarked: “You have to be God to drink this cup!” He did not, however, live long in England, visiting his wife only occasionally. Meanwhile, Maria loved her husband very much, missed him and wrote long letters to him, staying up late at night.
She ruled herself, and her reign was in many respects most unfortunate for England. The queen, with feminine stubbornness, wanted to return the country under the shadow of the Roman church. She herself did not find pleasure in tormenting and tormenting people who disagreed with her in faith; but she unleashed on them lawyers and theologians who had suffered in the past reign. The terrible statutes issued against heretics by Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V were turned against the Protestants. Since February 1555, bonfires were blazing all over England, on which "heretics" died. In total, about three hundred people were burned, among them the hierarchs of the church - Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer and others. It was ordered not to spare even those who, facing the fire, agreed to accept Catholicism. All these cruelties earned the queen the nickname "Bloody".
Who knows - if Mary had a child, she might not have been so cruel. She passionately desired to give birth to an heir. But this happiness was denied to her. A few months after the wedding, the queen thought that she had signs of pregnancy, about which she did not fail to notify her subjects. But what was at first taken for a fetus turned out to be a tumor. Soon the queen developed dropsy. Weakened by illnesses, she died of a cold when she was not at all an old woman.
All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe. Konstantin Ryzhov. Moscow, 1999.
Read further:
England in the 16th century(chronological table).
Historical faces of England(biographical index).
Literature:
Stone J. M., History of Mary I, L.-N. Y., 1901;
Rollard A. F., History of England.... 1547-1603, L., 1910;
White B., Mary Tudor, L., 1935;
Prescott H. F. M., Mary Tudor, L., 1953.
(1491-1547). This significant event for the country happened on April 22, and on June 11 the newly-made king tied the knot with Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536). This woman was the daughter of such prominent personalities as Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. It was this couple who founded the united Kingdom of Spain, which became a mighty maritime power.
Catherine of Aragon - Mother of the Bloody Mary
Before her marriage to Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon was married to Prince Arthur, Henry's older brother. But the marriage lasted only 4.5 months. Arthur died on April 2, 1502. After that, the woman was a widow for almost 7.5 years, until there was a need to strengthen the alliance between England and Spain. The second marriage of Catherine with the new English king just became the guarantor of this union.
The crowned couple lived together until January 1533. The main task of Catherine of Aragon was the birth of a son, so that England would receive an heir. But the woman's birth was extremely unsuccessful. She became pregnant for the first time in 1509, and on January 31, 1510, she prematurely gave birth to a dead girl. On the first day of 1511 she gave birth to a boy. But the child lived less than 2 months and died at the end of February.
Henry VIII with his son Edward
After that, for several years the queen could not get pregnant. And only on February 18, 1516 she gave birth to a girl. They named her Mary in honor of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, who was Henry VIII's sister. This is how the future Queen of England, Mary I, was born, nicknamed Mary the Bloody (1516-1558).
The birth of a girl did not bring joy to the English king, as he wanted a boy worthy of an heir. Catherine became pregnant again and in November 1518 gave birth to a girl. But the baby lived only a few hours and died. After that, the queen was no longer able to become pregnant, and the question of the heir to the throne hung in the air.
In 1525, the decision of Henry VIII to divorce Catherine of Aragon began to mature. In 1527, the king finally decided to break off all relations with his wife and recognize the marriage as invalid. The basis for this was dead children, which indicated God's curse on crowned marriage. Yes, it could not be otherwise, because the king married the wife of his late brother. And in the Third Book of Moses “Leviticus” (ch. 20 par. 21) it is said: “If anyone takes his brother's wife: it is vile; he revealed the nakedness of his brother. They will bear their sin, they will die childless.
The king needed to formally divorce his wife, so he brought in the church for this purpose. But the Pope categorically opposed the divorce. Then Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church and declared himself the supreme head of the English Church. In January 1533, the king secretly married Anne Boleyn, who became his second wife. Henry VIII officially broke up with his first wife on May 23 of the same year. Thus, Catherine of Aragon ceased to be Queen of England. This most deplorably affected her daughter Mary, as she lost her right to the crown.
Her father separated her from her mother and settled her in Hatfield, one of the old royal castles. Most of the servants were fluffed up, and the girl turned out to be a poor relative. She did not recognize the king's divorce decision and did not recognize the new queen. In 1536, Catherine of Aragon died, and Mary took a more loyal position towards her father.
In the same year, the second wife of the king, Anne Boleyn, was beheaded. Her daughter Elizabeth also fell out of favor, and Mary managed to restore her position at court. She was given funds for expenses, and the girl was able to dress well and have servants. Her further life began to flow against the backdrop of a change of royal wives.
Henry VIII was extremely greedy for women and changed wives and favorites very often.
In 1547, Henry VIII left the mortal world. At the time of the death of the king, the future Queen of England Mary I was 31 years old. By the standards of that time, she was considered a mature woman, but did not have a husband. The deceased king had a son, Edward (1537-1553), from his 3rd wife, Jane Seymour. It was he who came to the English throne at the age of 9, becoming Edward VI.
The child's health was poor, and his regents did everything possible to remove Mary from the throne. They feared that if a woman marries, she will try to seize the throne. Edward VI was reinstated against the second legitimate heir, and the main motive for hostility was that Mary remained a devoted Catholic and disliked the Protestant faith. And the latter began to dominate in England after the break with the Pope.
Edward was a Protestant, and therefore he began to treat his sister coldly, which completely suited his regents. But in 1553, the young king fell ill with tuberculosis, and it became clear to everyone that he would not last long. They began to look for a replacement for the dying king. They opted for Jane Gray (1537-1554), who was the great-granddaughter of Henry VII and, by succession, stood after Mary and Elizabeth (daughter of Anne Boleyn). But the royal entourage ignored this fact and persuaded Edward VI to exclude both Mary and Elizabeth from the contenders for the throne.
The young king died on July 6, 1553 at the age of 15. The future Queen of England Mary I at that time lived in the royal residence in Hunsdon. She was invited to the funeral of the deceased king, but someone warned the woman that she could be arrested to facilitate Jane Gray's rise to power. As a result of this, Mary hastily left for East Anglia, where she had several estates.
Many adherents of the Catholic faith lived in these places. All these people expressed their readiness to support Mary and proclaim her successor to Edward VI. Meanwhile, on July 10, 1553, Jane Gray was proclaimed Queen of England and Ireland. But Mary's supporters took this with indignation and gathered at Fremlingham Castle on 12 July. A serious military force was concentrated there, and most of the English nobility went over to its side.
As a result, Jane Gray only lasted 9 days in power. She went down in history as the "queen of 9 days". Mary's supporters overthrew her on 19 July and imprisoned her in the Tower of London. The very same legitimate heir to the royal throne triumphantly entered London on August 3, 1553. She was followed by a huge retinue of 800 representatives of the most distinguished English families. Sister Elizabeth was among them. She kept herself modest and quiet, and no one paid attention to the inconspicuous young girl. Thus began the reign of Mary the Bloody.
Queen of England Mary I (Bloody Mary)
Ruled by Mary I for just over 5 years. She officially came to the throne on July 19, 1553, and died on November 17, 1558. What is remarkable about the years of her reign, and why was this woman dubbed the terrible nickname Bloody Mary? As a child, she received an excellent education. She was fluent in Latin, could read and write fluently in this ancient language. She spoke French, Spanish and Greek. Well versed in music, danced beautifully. Outwardly, she was pretty and had red hair.
Henry VIII, in his own way, was attached to his daughter and more than once told others that she was very attractive. At the age of 6, the girl was engaged to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. He was 16 years older than Mary, and few believed in the prospect of such a marriage. Indeed, in 1527 the engagement was broken off. But this did not upset the girl at all. She was more concerned about the relationship between her father and mother, which ended in divorce.
Queen Mary I of England, nicknamed Mary the Bloody
By her nature, Maria was not at all a bloodthirsty and tough woman. When she became queen, the question immediately arose of what to do with Jane Gray and her husband, Gilford Dudley. Initially, Her Majesty decided to arrange a formal trial and pardon young people who were not yet 20 years old. These young creatures turned out to be mere puppets in the experienced hands of the nobles. But in January 1554, the rebellion of Thomas Wyatt began. His goal was to overthrow Mary from the throne.
The uprising was crushed, and Jane Gray and her wife were executed, thereby eliminating dangerous contenders for the English throne. They also cut off the heads of several more conspirators, but Queen Mary I of England forgave most of the rebels. She even brought some former enemies closer to her to help her in governing the country. But as for sister Elizabeth, she was sent to Woodstock Palace, where the girl was actually under house arrest.
As a Catholic, Mary I freed the Catholics languishing in the Tower of London and began rebuilding the Catholic churches destroyed under Henry VIII. But the queen needed to strengthen her position and win over as many Catholics as possible to her side. The best option was to find a husband in a Catholic country. At the age of 37, the ruler of England married the son of Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain) Philip.
Philip II - husband of Mary the Bloody
The husband was 12 years younger than his wife. In addition, he was distinguished by extreme arrogance and arrogance. To match Philip was his retinue. The English disliked these people, and the English parliament did not recognize the queen's husband as the English king. The wedding of the crowned persons took place on July 25, 1554 at Winchester Cathedral. It is noteworthy that Philip did not know a word of English. Therefore, the spouses communicated in a mixture of 3 languages - Spanish, French and Latin.
When the queen first came to the throne, she declared that she would not force anyone to follow Catholicism. But a couple of months passed, and the main Protestant churchmen ended up in prison. In October 1553, the church doctrine that existed in the country before the break of Henry VIII with the Pope was restored. Accordingly, all of Henry's religious laws were repealed and the English church came under Roman jurisdiction.
But most importantly, the Acts of Heresy were revived. Accordingly, mass executions of Protestants began. The first of them took place in February 1555. Heretics who did not want to accept Catholicism began to be burned at the stake. In total, with the blessing of Mary I, 283 Protestants were destroyed, according to other sources, a little more. For this, the English queen received her nickname Bloody Mary.
Such a policy did not bring the queen popularity among the people. The situation was aggravated by rains and floods, which led to famine. At the same time, tax collection remained at the medieval level, and commercial ties were limited to the coast of Africa. The British did not dare to meddle in other lands, since the Spaniards ruled there, and their king was the husband of Mary. Philip became King Philip II of Spain in January 1556 and, naturally, defended the interests of his kingdom in all foreign policy issues.
In a word, after 5 years of her reign, Queen Mary I of England began to rapidly lose popularity with her subjects. It is not known how it would all end, but circumstances intervened. The queen felt weak and ill in May 1558. There is a version that she had uterine cancer, from which she died on November 17, 1558.
According to another version, the viral fever that swept Europe in 1557 was to blame. This disease had a sluggish form, and the outcome was both negative and positive. In the summer of 1558, the queen's maid fell ill, and when she recovered, Mary I herself fell ill. Unlike the maid, she was not lucky.
The Queen sensed the end was approaching and wrote her will at the end of October. In it, she transferred the royal power to her sister Elizabeth. She ascended the throne after the death of Mary I. This woman went down in history as Queen of England Elizabeth I. Under her rule, the country flourished, became powerful and became a great maritime power.
Queen Mary I of England, also known as Mary the Bloody, wanted to be buried next to her mother. But the body was buried only on December 14, 1558 in the chapel of Westminster Abbey. In 1603, Elizabeth I died. In 1606, her coffin was buried next to the coffin of Mary, and the two sisters were next to one tombstone.
A sculpture of Elizabeth was installed on it, and under it an epitaph was written in Latin: “Comrades-in-arms in the kingdom and in the grave, we sisters Elizabeth and Mary lie here in the hope of resurrection.” In this way, descendants paid tribute to two prominent women who played an important political role in the 16th century..
Mary had a difficult childhood. Like all children, she did not differ in good health (perhaps this was the result of congenital syphilis received from her father). After the divorce of her parents, she was deprived of her rights to the throne, removed from her mother and sent to the Hatfield estate, where she served her daughter and Anne Boleyn. In addition, Mary remained a zealous Catholic. Only after the death of her stepmother and the consent to recognize her father as the "Supreme Head of the Anglican Church" did she get the opportunity to return to court.
When Mary learned that her brother had bequeathed the crown before his death, she immediately moved to London. The army and navy went over to her side. A secret council was assembled, which proclaimed Mary queen. July 19, 1553 was deposed, and subsequently executed.
Mary was crowned on October 1, 1553 by the priest Stephen Gardiner, who later became Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor. The higher-ranking bishops were Protestant and supportive, and Mary did not trust them.
As a child, Maria was a cheerful and cheerful child. However, at the time of accession, she was already 37 years old. Life's hardships and illness drained her of vitality. Mary was a zealous Catholic and began every day with a long Mass, and only then proceeded to state affairs, however, she plunged into them headlong and often stayed at work until midnight. With her first decree, Mary restored the legality of marriage and Catherine of Aragon. She tried to re-establish Catholicism as the dominant religion in the country. The decrees of her predecessors directed against heretics were extracted from the archives. Many hierarchs of the Anglican Church, including Archbishop Cranmer, were sent to the stake. In total, 360 people were burned during the reign of Mary, for which she received the nickname "Bloody Mary".
To secure the throne for her line, Mary had to marry. The heir to the Spanish crown, who was 12 years younger than Mary, was chosen as the suitors. The queen's dreams of a happy marriage were not destined to come true. Only at first, Philip kept up appearances, but soon rumors spread about his numerous romances with court ladies, and soon left for Spain altogether. This is not surprising: Maria did not shine with beauty even in her youth; by the age of forty, she had lost almost all her teeth, and in the last years of her life she turned into a shriveled, shaking old woman, inside of whom an indomitable fire burned. The queen's husband was so unpopular in England that Parliament even made a special decision: if Mary died without an heir, she would have no rights to the throne.
Politically, marriage with Mary also did not bring any dividends: in 1558 she dragged England into a war with, as a result of which England lost Calais - its last possession on the other side of the English Channel.
One day, Maria announced to the courtiers that she was pregnant, but what was taken for a fetus turned out to be either a tumor or dropsy. At the end of August 1558, Mary fell ill with a "fever" - an unknown disease of viral origin. When it became clear that death was inevitable, Mary deprived of any rights to the English throne, declared her sister the heiress, and on November 17, after several days spent in unconsciousness, she died.
