Mary I (1516-1558) was queen of England from 1553 until her death in 1558. Mary Tudor was born in Greenwich, London, on Feb. 18, 1516. Her parents were King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Mary became queen after her half brother, King Edward VI, died. An attempt to set her aside in favor of her Protestant cousin Lady Jane Grey, “the nine-day queen,” failed. The English people preferred Mary because they considered her the rightful heir.
Mary was a devout Roman Catholic and tried to bring England back to the Roman Catholic Church. She repealed laws that had required the English people to worship as Protestants. Mary also reestablished certain severe laws against heresy or disbelief in Roman Catholic doctrine.
Mary became known as “Bloody Mary” because of the persecutions she caused. More than 300 people were burned at the stake during her reign. Among them were Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, and Hugh Latimer, all high-ranking Protestant clergymen. Mary also drove many Protestant clergymen into exile.
Mary married King Philip II of Spain in 1554. Their marriage was unpopular because many English people viewed Spain as England’s greatest enemy. Philip persuaded Mary to join Spain in a war against France. But France won the war, which officially ended in 1559, after Mary’s death. Mary died childless on Nov. 17, 1558, and was succeeded by her Protestant half sister, Elizabeth.
See also Ireland, History of (Under Edward VI and Mary Tudor).
