What is the name of Bloody Mary's sister? Who turned the first Queen of England into Bloody Mary

Mary Tudor, portrait by Anthony More.

Mary I Tudor (February 18, 1516, Greenwich - November 17, 1558, London), Queen of England since 1553, daughter of Henry VIII Tudor and Catherine of Aragon. Mary Tudor's accession to the throne was accompanied by the restoration of Catholicism (1554) and brutal repressions against 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 began in alliance with Spain, England at the beginning of 1558 lost Calais, the last possession of the English kings in France. Mary Tudor's policies, which ran counter to the national interests of England, aroused discontent among the new nobility and the emerging bourgeoisie.

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Maria I
Mary Tudor
Mary Tudor
Years of life: February 18, 1516 - November 17, 1558
Years of reign: 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

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Maria had a difficult childhood. Like all of Henry's children, she was not in good health (perhaps this was a consequence of congenital syphilis received from her father). After her parents' divorce, 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 devout Catholic. Only after the death of her stepmother and agreement to recognize her father as the “Supreme Head of the Church of England” was she able to return to court.

When Mary learned that her brother Edward VI had bequeathed the crown to Jane Gray before his death, she immediately moved to London. The army and navy went over to her side. A privy council was assembled, which 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 Protestants and supported Lady Jane, and Mary did not trust them.

Mary ruled independently, but her reign became unhappy for England. With her first decree, she restored the legality of the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. She tried to once again make Catholicism the dominant religion in the country. The decrees of her predecessors directed against heretics were extracted from the archives. Many Church of England hierarchs, including Archbishop Cranmer, were sent to the stake. In total, about 300 people were burned during Mary’s reign, for which she received the nickname “Bloody Mary.”

To secure the throne for her line, Mary had to get married. The heir to the Spanish crown, Philip, who was 12 years younger than Mary and extremely unpopular in England, was chosen as the groom. 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 to the courtiers that she was pregnant, but what was mistaken for a fetus turned out to be a tumor. Soon the queen developed dropsy. Weakened by illness, she died of the flu while still not an old woman. She was succeeded by her half-sister Elizabeth.

Material used from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/

Mary I - Queen of England from the Tudor family, who reigned from 1553 to 1558. Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

Married since 1554 to King Philip II of Spain (b. 1527 + 1598).

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Mary's life was sad from birth to death, although nothing at first foreshadowed such a fate. For children her age, she was serious, self-possessed, rarely cried, and played the harpsichord beautifully. When she was nine years old, merchants from Flanders who spoke to her in Latin were surprised by her answers in their native language. At first, the father loved his eldest daughter very much and was delighted with many of her character traits. 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 retinue assigned to the princess was disbanded, she herself, banished to the Hatfield estate, became a servant to Anne Boleyn’s daughter, little Elizabeth. Her stepmother pulled 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, recognized her father as the “Supreme Head of the Church of England.” Her retinue was returned to her, and she again gained 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 thought about fleeing England, especially when they began to put obstacles in her way and were not allowed to celebrate mass. Edward eventually dethroned his sister and bequeathed the English crown to Henry VII's great-granddaughter Jane Gray. Maria did not recognize this will. Upon learning of her brother's death, 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 ended her life on the scaffold. But in order to secure the throne for her offspring and not allow the Protestant Elizabeth to take 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, already middle-aged and ugly. The groom was twelve years younger than her and agreed to the marriage only for political reasons. After the wedding night, Philip remarked: “You have to be God to drink this cup!” He, however, did not live long in England, visiting his wife only occasionally. Meanwhile, Maria loved her husband very much, missed him and wrote him long letters, staying up late at night.

She ruled herself, and her reign in many respects turned out to be extremely unhappy for England. The queen, with feminine stubbornness, wanted to return the country to the shadow of the Roman Church. She herself did not find pleasure in tormenting and tormenting people who disagreed with her in the faith; but she unleashed upon them the lawyers and theologians who had suffered during the previous reign. The terrible statutes issued against heretics by Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V were directed against Protestants. From February 1555, bonfires burned throughout England, where “heretics” perished. In total, about three hundred people were burned, among them church hierarchs - Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer and others. It was ordered not to spare even those who, finding themselves in front of the fire, agreed to convert to 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 wanted to give birth to an heir. But this happiness was denied to her. A few months after the wedding, it seemed to the queen that she was showing signs of pregnancy, which she did not fail to notify her subjects about. But what was initially mistaken for a fetus turned out to be a tumor. Soon the queen developed dropsy. Weakened by illness, she died of a cold while still not an old woman.

All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe. Konstantin Ryzhov. Moscow, 1999

The British openly dislike Mary I Tudor - although, in a good way, she should be pitied

MariaI Tudor, who became the first crowned queen of England, went down in the history of Europe as one of the most cruel rulers. If the father HenryVIII, called her “the pearl of the world,” then her subjects preferred another nickname - Bloody Mary, subsequently shortened to the laconic Bloody Mary. Not a single monument was erected to her in her homeland. And on the day of her death, there is a holiday in the country - they celebrate the ascension to the throne of one of their favorite queens, ElizabethI.

Illegitimate Princess

The future first crowned Queen of England was born on February 18, 1516. The father, Henry VIII, dreamed of a son - and a girl was born, whom they decided to name Mary. The princess was given an excellent upbringing. At the age of 16 she was separated from her mother, Catherine of Aragon- this was part of the plan of Henry VIII, who sought the annulment of his marriage.

And then a real nightmare began in the life of the young princess. After the church finally recognized her parents' marriage as invalid, the girl was formally considered illegitimate and lost her right to the crown.

When her father's new wife Ann Bolein, gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth - Mary was included in her courtiers. According to some contemporaries, Boleyn fiercely hated her stepdaughter and took every chance to humiliate her. It all ended only with the death of the stepmother. Fortunately, the subsequent wives of the loving Henry VIII treated Mary much better. And she herself did not settle scores - she even participated in the fate of her half-sister, who, after Boleyn’s death, found herself in almost the same beggarly status as Mary herself once was.

Disgraced Catholic

In January 1547, Henry VIII passed away. He bequeathed the crown to his son, who was young and in poor health. Eduard, the only male heir born from a third marriage with a maid of honor Jane Seymour. According to legend, before his death, he asked his daughter for forgiveness - for being cruel to her and failing to provide her with a worthy husband - all of Mary’s engagements were terminated, or the candidates did not suit Henry. And he asked to take care of his younger brother. In the last years of his life, the king again “recognized” his daughter - Mary began to be considered the heir to the throne in the event of Edward’s death.

Young Edward, during whose reign the position of reformers in the country was strengthened, died unexpectedly six years later, in July 1553. Many historians believe that the king was poisoned. After all, he died a few days after he wrote a will, according to which his second cousin, a Protestant, 16-year-old lady, became the heir to the throne Jane Gray. Mary was an ardent Catholic - and she resisted the persecution of Catholics as best she could.

Unloved wife

The new queen managed to remain in her status for only a few days - the people did not recognize her. As a result, the girl, who became a pawn in the confrontation between Catholics and Protestants, was executed, and 37-year-old Mary Tudor took the throne. The coronation took place on October 1, 1553.

As one might expect, the queen soon had no shortage of marriage proposals; now she, and not her father, could choose. So what if the marriageable bride was far from young and no longer very pretty: short, thin, sickly-looking, with blackened and half-lost teeth and wrinkles?

Mary I Tudor, as a convinced Catholic, led a rather chaste lifestyle. According to some sources, she admitted that she was even ready to spend the rest of her life as a girl - but the country needed a legitimate heir. And, therefore, she has a husband.

Writers attributed her falling in love with the admiral Thomas Seymour, brother of Henry VIII's third wife. But historians doubt this. The ambitious admiral and intriguer unsuccessfully wooed her and, at the same time, her sister Elizabeth after the death of the king, and then quickly married the widow of Henry VIII. He was eventually executed for treason. Maria at this time was no longer a young girl and... Apparently, she understood perfectly well that the admiral was only interested in power. But perhaps, deep down, she really cared about Seymour.

But Mary I Tudor fell in love with her husband recklessly. As the legend says, there is only one portrait of him. Spanish prince PhilipII, son of the emperor CarlaV, was incredibly handsome, 11 years younger than her. The Queen was persuaded to change her mind and choose an Englishman, but she was adamant. Popular riots began to break out in the country - they were brutally suppressed. Even then, Maria began to show her toughness.

In the summer of 1554, the wedding took place - by that time Philip II was already in the status of a monarch and, unlike the bride in love, he understood perfectly well that this was a state marriage. In September of the same year, the subjects were told the happy news: the queen was expecting an heir. But then it turned out that the pregnancy was false. Subsequently, history repeated itself. The young husband became more and more distant from Maria, took every opportunity to go to Spain, and then stayed there for two years. He returned only once - in the summer of 1557, to persuade his wife to support Spain in the war with France.

Bloody Mary

Mary I Tudor turned her remaining unsatisfied passion in a different direction - to fight the Protestants. The rage of an unhappy woman can be terrible, and besides, the queen could not forget how just a few years ago the reformers oppressed her. Religious persecution continued for almost four years, and in 1555 fires burned throughout England. The Queen ordered that even those who agreed to convert to Catholicism should not be spared.

More than three hundred people suffered martyrdom for their faith; many prominent figures of the state and Church were among the victims of persecution. Subsequently, this period went down in British history as the “era of martyrs,” and Mary herself, to whom the people were initially very favorable, earned the nicknames Bloodthirsty and Bloody. The latter was later shortened to a shorter one - Bloody Mary.

The bloody era was brought to an end only by the death of Mary. In the early autumn of 1558, she fell ill with fever (influenza) - the epidemic had been raging in Europe for a year. Throughout the fall, the queen slowly faded away. Many historians believe that she also had cancer.

The Queen died on November 17, 1558, shortly after attending Catholic Mass. A few days before her death, realizing that her days were numbered, she blessed her half-sister for the throne. After her death in 1603, they were reunited - Elizabeth I was subsequently buried in her sister’s grave in Westminster Abbey. The common tombstone is decorated with a single sculpture - Queen Elizabeth.

Mary I Tudor (her years of life - 1516-1558) - also known as Bloody Mary. Not a single monument was erected to her in her homeland (there is one only in Spain, where her husband was born). Today the name of this queen is associated primarily with reprisals. Indeed, there were many of them during the years when Bloody Mary was on the throne. Many books have been written on the history of her reign, and interest in her personality continues to this day. Despite the fact that in England the day of her death (at the same time she ascended the throne) was celebrated as a national holiday, this woman was not as cruel as many imagined her to be. 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, Mary, her only viable child (she had previously had several unsuccessful births). The girl's father was disappointed, but hoped for heirs in the future. He loved Mary and called her the pearl in his crown. He admired his daughter's strong and serious character. The girl cried very rarely. She studied diligently. Teachers taught her Latin, English, music, Greek, harpsichord playing and dancing. The future Queen Mary the First Bloody was interested in Christian literature. She was very attracted to stories about ancient warrior maidens and female martyrs.

Candidates for husbands

The princess was surrounded by a large retinue corresponding to her position: court staff, a chaplain, maids and nannies, and a lady mentor. As she grew up, Bloody Mary began to practice falconry and horse riding. 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 his daughter's engagement to 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, Holy Roman Emperor, who was 16 years older than his bride. However, the princess did not have time to mature for marriage.

Catherine was disliked by Henry

In the 16th year of their marriage, Henry VIII, who still had no male heirs, decided that his marriage to Catherine was displeasing to God. The birth of an illegitimate son indicated that it was not Henry’s fault. It turns out that it 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 heir, given that the legitimacy of the creation of the Tudor dynasty was questionable.

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 11 years old at the time), to Catherine. The marriage had to be registered when they reached adulthood. Fulfilling his father's last wishes, at the age of 18 Henry VIII married his brother's widow. Usually the church prohibited such marriages as closely related ones. However, as an exception, powerful individuals were granted permission to do this by the Pope.

Divorce, Henry's new wife

And now, in 1525, the king asked the pope for permission to divorce. Clement VII did not refuse, however, he did not give his consent. He ordered the “king’s case” to be delayed as long as possible. Henry expressed his opinion to his wife about the futility and sinfulness of their marriage. He asked her to agree to a divorce and go to a monastery, but the woman responded with a decisive refusal. By this, she doomed herself to a very unenviable fate - vegetating in provincial castles under surveillance and separation from her daughter. The “king’s case” dragged on for several years. The Archbishop of Canterbury, as well as Henry's appointed Primate of the Church, finally declared the marriage null and void. The king was married to Anne Boleyn, his favorite.

Declaration of Mary as 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 Mary, Catherine’s daughter, illegitimate by order of the king. She was deprived of all the privileges due to an heiress.

Henry becomes head of the Church of England

Parliament in 1534 signed the “Act of Supremation”, according to which the king headed the Anglican Church. Some tenets of religion were revised and abolished. This is how the Anglican Church arose, which was sort of in the middle between Protestantism and Catholicism. Those who refused to accept it were declared traitors and subjected to severe punishments. From now on, property belonging to the Catholic Church was confiscated, and church taxes began to flow into the royal treasury.

Mary's plight

Bloody Mary became orphaned with the death of her mother. She became completely dependent on her father's wives. Anne Boleyn hated her, mocked her in every possible way and even assaulted her. The very fact that this woman, who wore Catherine’s jewels and crown, now lived in the apartments that had once belonged to her mother caused great suffering to Mary. The Spanish grandparents would have stood up 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 served as queen for only 3 years and outlived 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 given back her retinue and access to the king’s palace. Bloody Mary Tudor, however, did not marry.

A few days after Boleyn's death, Henry married his 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. 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 of Cleves, his wife, in person, he became 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. After the divorce, he gave her the title of adopted sister, as well as a small property. The relationship between them was practically family, as was the relationship between Cleves and the king’s children.

Catherine Gotward, Mary's next stepmother, was beheaded in the Tower, 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, looked after her sick husband, and was the mistress of the courtyard. This woman convinced the king to be more kind to his daughters Elizabeth and Mary. Catherine Parr survived the king and escaped execution only because of her own resourcefulness and a stroke of luck.

Death of Henry VIII, recognition of Mary as legitimate

Henry VIII died in January 1547, bequeathing the crown to Edward, his infant son. If his descendant died, it was supposed to go to his daughters - Elizabeth and Mary. These princesses were finally recognized as legitimate. This gave them the opportunity to count on a crown and a worthy marriage.

Edward's reign and death

Mary suffered persecution because of her adherence to Catholicism. She even wanted to leave England. For King Edward, the thought of her taking the throne after him was intolerable. On the advice of the Lord Protector, he decided to rewrite his father's will. 16-year-old Jane Gray, Edward's second cousin and granddaughter of Henry VII, was declared the heir. She was a Protestant and also a daughter-in-law of Northumberland.

Suddenly he fell ill 3 days after the will he had drawn up was approved. This happened in the summer of 1553. He died soon after. According to one version, death was due to tuberculosis, since he had been in poor health since childhood. However, there is another version. The Duke of Northumberland, under suspicious circumstances, removed the king's attending physicians. A healer appeared at his bedside. She allegedly gave Edward a dose of arsenic. After this, the king felt worse and breathed his last at the age of 15.

Mary becomes queen

After his death, Jane Gray, who was 16 years old at the time, became queen. However, the people rebelled, not recognizing her. A month later, Mary ascended the throne. She was already 37 years old by this time. After the reign of Henry VIII, who proclaimed himself the head of the Church and was excommunicated from it by the Pope, about half of all monasteries and churches in the state were destroyed. Bloody Mary had to solve a difficult problem after the death of Edward. England, which she inherited, was ruined. It urgently needed to be revived. In the first six months, she executed Jane Gray, her husband Guilford Dudley, and her father-in-law John Dudley.

Execution of Jane and her husband

Bloody Mary, whose biography is often presented in gloomy tones, was not by nature prone to cruelty. For a long time she could not send her relative to the chopping block. Why did Bloody Mary decide to do this? 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 at first intended simply as a formality. Queen Mary Bloody wanted to pardon this couple. However, Jane's fate was decided by T. Wyatt's rebellion, which began in January 1554. On February 12 of the same year, Jane and Guilford were beheaded.

Reign of Bloody Mary

Maria again brought closer to herself those who had recently been among her opponents. She understood that they could help her govern the state. The restoration of the country began with the revival of the Catholic faith, which was undertaken by Bloody Mary. An attempt at counter-reformation - that’s what it’s called in scientific language. Many monasteries were reconstructed. However, during the reign of Mary there were many executions of Protestants. The fires started burning in February 1555. Many evidences have been preserved about how people suffered while dying for their faith. About 300 people were burned. Among them were Latimer, Ridley, Cramner and other church hierarchs. The Queen ordered that those who agreed to become Catholics should not be spared when faced with the fire. For all these cruelties, Mary received her nickname Bloody.

Marriage of Mary

The queen married her son Philip (summer 1554). The husband was 12 years younger than Maria. According to the marriage contract, he could not interfere in the government of the country, and the children born from the marriage were to become heirs to the English throne. In the event of Mary's premature death, Philip was to return to Spain. The British did not like the queen's husband. Although Mary made attempts through parliament to approve the decision that Philip should be considered king of England, she was denied this. The son of Charles V was arrogant and pompous. The retinue who arrived with him behaved defiantly.

Bloody skirmishes between the Spaniards and the English began to occur in the streets after Philip's arrival.

Illness and death

Maria showed signs of pregnancy in September. They drew up a will, according to which Philip was to become regent of the child until he came of age. However, the child was not born. Mary appointed Elizabeth, her sister, as her successor.

In May 1558 it became clear that the apparent pregnancy was in fact a symptom of illness. Maria suffered from fever, headache, and insomnia. She began to lose her vision. In the summer, the Queen contracted influenza. Elizabeth was officially 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 I Tudor 1516-1558

Mary's father, Henry VIII, called her the pearl of the world; contemporaries and descendants more readily spoke of her as “Bloody.” How did it happen that a happy girl, at whose feet lay the world, grew up to be a harsh, cruel woman, staining her tender hands with the blood of hundreds of people?

Mary was born on February 18, 1516 in Greenwich. The daughter of the king and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, was baptized according to the Catholic rite and received fabulous gifts that promised a good and long life to the “truly noble, truly unrivaled Princess Mary,” as the herald declared her. The sex of the child became the cause of grief for the father, who dreamed of an heir. Despite this, he took care of his daughter, giving the most detailed orders. From the very first days of her life, she was looked after by a staff of servants - for example, four people were responsible for rocking the cradle. Henry VIII provided his daughter with a proper upbringing and prepared her to participate in palace celebrations.

Maria received a comprehensive education, she was taught languages, music and dance, and most importantly, religion. This subject was subsequently developed by the scientist Juan Luis Vives, who presented his educational program in the work “On the Education of a Christian Woman.” He gave a list of suitable and unsuitable literature for reading, forbade indulging in inappropriate entertainment, such as playing dice and cards, recommended modesty and restraint, even criticizing dancing and playing music, which little Maria loved so much. Despite such strictness, the young princess was distinguished by her lively mind and easily mastered science.

Queen of England Mary I Tudor. Antonio Moreau, 16th century, Museum of Versailles, France

The act of assuming the royal power of Lady Jane Gray in 1553. National Archives, England

Henry VIII constantly thought about a male heir to the throne, but the fact that he had his daughter's hand at his disposal opened up wide prospects for him in the diplomatic game. In 1518, at the age of two and a half, Mary was betrothed to Francis I, the son of the King of France, Francis I of Valois, who had not yet reached the age of one year. The contract was terminated a few years later, and Mary was betrothed to Emperor Charles V of Habsburg. This time the engagement was broken off by the emperor in 1525 to marry Isabella of Portugal, and the disappointed Henry VIII sent his daughter to Wales as vice-queen. During this period, clouds gathered over young Maria due to her father's ambitions. Henry began making attempts to have his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled. To break the will of his first wife, he separated her from her daughter. The king believed that Catherine was so courageous that, having her daughter next to her, she would be able to gather an army and oppose him. The last time Maria saw her mother was in 1531, although Catherine died only 5 years later.

When the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer annulled the marriage of Mary's parents, she technically became illegitimate and lost her right to the crown. Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn was a period of severe humiliation for the princess. According to some sources, even before her wedding to Henry, Anna threatened to make her a servant, poison her, or marry her to a servant. After the birth of Elizabeth, she included Mary among her own daughter's courtiers. Living in harsh conditions and suffering mistreatment, Mary stubbornly refused to recognize the titles of Anne and Elizabeth and contemplated plans to escape from England.

The fall of Anne Boleyn changed the situation for Mary, who eventually succumbed to her father's pressure and recognized his marriage to Catherine as invalid, and himself as the head of the Anglican Church. Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII, took care of good relationships in the Tudor family. When she died shortly after the birth of her son, Mary was the one who lamented the most at her funeral. Later, the daughter continued to obey her father. It seems that the king was grateful to her for this, giving her jewelry and lands. He again considered candidates for her hand, among whom were the French and Spanish princes. Philip of Bavaria came to England in person to ask for her hand, but never received Henry's approval. Mary was even recognized as a potential heir to the throne in the event of Edward's death if he did not leave offspring.

During her brother's reign, Mary tried to avoid the royal court, which became the center of reform initiatives. She remained faithful to Catholicism and did not hide it. Catholic masses, prohibited in the country, were celebrated in her house. She allowed herself a lot, confident in the protection of her relative, Emperor Charles V, who threatened to start a war if Mary’s religious freedom was limited. At the end of Edward's reign, her candidacy to inherit the throne was in doubt. John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who played one of the main roles at court, foresaw the imminent death of the sick king and sought to maintain his influence. He could not allow Mary to become queen, so he convinced the king to change the law of succession. Then Lady Jane Gray, the great-granddaughter of Henry VII, who married John Dudley's son, Guildford, was declared heir. Four days after the king's death, on July 10, 1553, Jane was proclaimed queen. Her supporters intended to arrest Mary and Elizabeth, but Mary, notified of her brother’s death, managed to leave her home and on July 9 was proclaimed queen in Norfolk. Soon, having received serious support, she triumphantly entered London. Dudley's coup d'etat failed. The young usurper was sentenced to death.

One of the main goals set by Mary Tudor upon accession to the throne was the return of the country to the fold of the Catholic Church. She wanted to arrange a funeral for her brother according to the Catholic rite, although she was dissuaded by Charles V himself, with whom she discussed many plans. A few days after the coronation, parliament recognized her parents' marriage as valid. The code of religious laws of the time of Edward VI was abolished, the Six Articles of 1539 were restored, relations with Rome were established, and several Catholic prisoners were released. This did not cause strong protests, since Maria left the church wealth confiscated by her father in private ownership.

The problem was the queen's marriage and succession to the throne. True, she herself said that if she were a private person, she would prefer to spend the rest of her days as a girl, but never before had an unmarried woman occupied the English throne. Mary decided to marry Philip, the son of Emperor Charles V and the future king of Spain. Her choice caused protests from her subjects. Even some Catholics feared that the country would become dependent on the Habsburgs. To avoid this, the marriage contract limited Philip's participation in government. Nevertheless, a rebellion broke out under the leadership of Thomas Wyatt. Maria showed courage, found support among the Londoners, and the rebellion was suppressed, and its leader was captured and executed. The riot had tragic consequences for Jane Gray and her family, although Maria until the last counted on the fact that the condemned woman, for whom she had warm feelings, would change her beliefs.

WHEN MARY TUDOR ARRIVED AT THE COURT OF HER YOUNGER BROTHER EDWARD, WHO AT THAT TIME ALREADY occupied the ROYAL THRONE, IN 1551, SHE APPEARED THERE WITH A LARGE RETAIN, DEMONSTRATIVELY HOLDING A rosary.

MARIA, LIKE NO ONE, KNEW TO RESIST HER BROTHER IN QUESTIONS OF RELIGION.

Reliquary of Mary I depicting the four evangelists. Hans Eworth, 1554, London Antiquarian Society

Philip arrived in England for the wedding in July 1554. Previously, Charles V renounced the title of King of Naples in favor of his son, and Maria married the monarch. The couple treated marriage as a duty, so it is difficult to talk about a happy marriage. Philip tried to be kind to his wife, perhaps even showing tenderness towards her. Maria was older than him and, according to Spanish sources, was not distinguished by beauty: short, thin, sickly. She was already 38 years old, and she had lost her freshness, her skin had faded, and almost all of her teeth had turned black or fallen out - however, at that time this was natural. Worse, she lacked charm and was not ready to rule the country. Maria loved music and gardening, rode well, but was not used to doing business. She was usually guided by moral principles, which sometimes ran counter to political requirements. In September 1554 it was announced that Mary was pregnant. When the due date passed and the birth did not occur, anxiety began to grow at court and rumors began to spread. In the end it turned out that the pregnancy was false. Both spouses suffered enormous public humiliation, and Philip soon left England.

Mary began to realize herself differently - she dealt with the supporters of the Reformation. During the years of her reign, about 300 people were sent to the stake. Among the victims of religious persecution were Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and Bishop Hugh Latimer. This policy did not turn out to be successful. King Philip II spoke out against her; the Spanish ambassador recommended that public executions should not be carried out. The victims of the persecution were immortalized by John Foxe in his Book of Martyrs, published in 1563. The popularity of this work in Protestant England ensured that Bloody Mary became notorious, and the period of her reign began to be called the “era of martyrs.” It is worth noting, however, that today the reliability of the “Book...” is spoken of with great caution. Nevertheless, Mary's religious policy was a fiasco.

The queen also did not achieve success in foreign policy. She played a negative role even in the history of Catholic Ireland. It was during her reign that the eviction of entire clans and the colonization of their lands by the English population began in the counties named after Mary and her husband Queens and Kings. In addition, having gotten involved in a war with France, she lost Calais - the last English support on the continent after centuries of struggle. Even the queen herself once admitted that Kale and her love for her husband would forever remain in her heart.

In the autumn of 1558, Mary I's health was undermined by influenza, but the cause of her death in Westminster on November 17 was most likely a tumor. She died at the climax of the mass celebrated in her chambers - during the Transubstantiation.

Philip II and Mary I in 1558 Hans Eworth, 16th century, Bedford Foundation, England

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Whenever I am in Peterborough (Cambridgeshire), I always visit the famous Cathedral of Saints Peter, Paul and Andrew. In addition to the magnificent façade (the temple took 120 years to build in the early 12th century) and ancient interior decoration, the tomb of Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, mother of Queen Mary I Tudor, located here, is of historical interest. Nearby there is a permanent exhibition stand from the history of England and the Cathedral, portraits of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon...

Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon

Mary I Tudor, who became the crowned Queen of England, went down in world history as one of the most cruel rulers - “Bloody Mary”. There is not a single monument to this queen in her homeland (there is a monument in her husband’s homeland - in Spain). She was credited with numerous executions, secret murders and mass burnings... But what was happening in the queen’s heart, what trials befell this unfortunate lonely woman?...

Maria had a wonderful life as a child. She was taught languages. She beautifully recited poetry in Latin, read and spoke Greek, and was interested in ancient authors. She was even more attracted to the works of the Church Fathers. None of the humanists surrounding the king were involved in her upbringing. And she grew up a devout Catholic.

The situation of 22-year-old Maria was very difficult: between warring parents; between different faiths; between two Englands, one of which accepted the Reformation, and the other did not; between two countries - England and Spain, where there were relatives who wrote to the girl and tried to support her. But first things first...

Looking for the one and only

A pleasant twilight reigned in the royal chambers. Almost no sunlight came through the windows, hung with heavy velvet curtains. The Queen sat in a chair, and thoughtful speeches slowly flowed from her lips: “First of all, he must be a Catholic, for in him I would like to find an ally in the restoration of the true faith. He must be young enough to be able to conceive children. Not poor, so as not to seek enrichment in marriage, noble, so as to worthily bear the title of a royal spouse, without desecrating the sacred sacrament of marriage with vice.” The young secretary, hastily scribbling the words dictated by the queen, had difficulty hiding his smile. At her age, the queen could have made more modest demands on her future groom. At that time, Mary Tudor was almost 38 years old, she had just ascended the throne and dreamed of giving the country an heir. Having uttered the last words, the queen took a breath.

No, it was not for the sake of an heir that she longed for marriage. There was one more reason that the subjects did not need to know about. Mary never managed to return under the wing of her beloved father, King Henry, who once treacherously betrayed her. But the arms of a loving husband may well await her, in which she, as in distant childhood, will feel protected from all adversity. “The most beautiful pearl in my crown,” her father called her when she, little, sat on his lap. Fragments of childhood remained forever in the queen's memory. Here the father, strong and reliable, puts her, just a baby, on a horse, holding her little hands, timidly clutching her lush mane. At the ball, he takes her hands and begins to spin the baby around in a dance. Maria remembered how she fell asleep on Heinrich’s lap, half asleep smiling at the fact that she felt safe in her father’s arms. However, Mary Tudor did not stay in her father's safe arms for long. Soon Henry had a new passion, the spectacular Anne Boleyn, for whom he exchanged Mary’s mother, Catherine of Aragon, with whom he had been married for almost 18 years.

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn

The mother was exiled by order of the king to an old ruined castle, and the daughter was locked in her room, taking away everything: title, servants, jewelry, outfits and, most importantly, the opportunity to become a queen in the future. But it was not so easy to break Maria, who combined her mother’s Spanish temperament and her father’s pride. Instead of abandoning her disgraced mother and pleasing her father and his new favorite to the best of her ability, the rebel declared that she still considered herself a princess and heir to the throne.

Difficult times came for the young girl: she was imprisoned in her chambers around the clock, where they brought her food and drinks. Nobody recognized Mary as a princess. “Bastard”, “imposter”, “illegitimate” - that’s what they called her now. They called everyone... Even their own father. The stepmother, Anne Boleyn, ordered the servants and teachers to treat Mary with all severity, sometimes bordering on cruelty. She did everything possible to prevent the king from communicating with his daughter: Mary was forbidden to leave her chambers when Henry came to the castle, and the servants who risked passing on the prisoner’s notes to their father were severely punished. In the end, Henry himself, irritated by the stubbornness of Mary, who did not want to accept her fate, completely stopped communicating with her. But the girl did not give up. She prayed, believed that she would return her father’s favor, and persistently continued to seek a meeting with him. The daughter's disobedience angered the proud king so much that he decided to bring her and his first wife to trial, which would inevitably be followed by the death penalty. However, the trial did not take place. No matter how cruel the king was to his subjects, he did not have the courage to execute his own daughter. Soon Anne Boleyn fell into disgrace and ended her days on the chopping block. Henry changed his anger to mercy and began to treat his daughter better, but between them there was still not the idyll that remained in the princess’s childhood memories.

Henry's wives changed one after another. With one of them, Jane Seymour, Maria developed a warm and friendly relationship. She was grieving the death of her stepmother and her son Edward, to whom she was maternally attached. But fate rewarded Mary Tudor for the suffering she endured. After the deaths of King Henry and Edward, she was proclaimed the first Queen of England. On the night before the coronation, Mary did not close her eyes. She will prove to her, albeit already deceased, father that no son, for whose birth Henry betrayed Mary, would have become a better heir to the Tudor family than the eldest daughter. The new queen hoped to correct her father's mistakes: to return England to the bosom of the Roman faith, which Henry had renounced in order to break with her mother, to do what Catherine of Aragon could not do and what her father was unable to do - leave behind an heir, equally indomitable, like his grandfather, and as resilient as his grandmother.

Queen's Broken Heart

The Queen decided that only one person could be her husband - the son of Emperor Charles V, Philip II of Spain. He was 26 years old at the time, she was 38, younger than her, and also a cousin. Seeing the portrait of her chosen one, Maria asked the ambassador with alarm: “Is the prince really that handsome? Is he as charming as in the portrait? We know well what court painters are!” At first sight, the woman fell madly in love with her future husband. The first meeting completed the matter - the queen’s heart was conquered. Experienced in amorous affairs, Philip had no difficulty in making an inexperienced old maid fall in love with him, who for the first time in her life experienced the joy of sensual pleasures.

Mary Tudor became Queen of England and immediately took revenge for all the years of persecution. Executions began immediately. Mary and Philip launched repression against those who accepted the Reformation. The unfortunate country found itself in the grip of religious fanaticism. Philip ardently supported Mary's bloody policies. He brought with him special people who held trials of Protestant heretics. The burning procedure became commonplace - heretics were burned at the stake every day. Maria surpassed even her father in cruelty...

Maria spent hours discussing with Philip dreams about their future child, not realizing that for her husband, the pregnancy Mary so passionately anticipated only meant getting rid of the painful responsibilities of marital duty with an unattractive monarch. Philip hoped that as soon as the queen gave birth, his father would allow him to return to Spain to the beauties there. And if Mary dies in childbirth, he will become the sovereign master of England with a young heir. A few weeks after the wedding, Maria shared the good news with her husband - she was pregnant! But nine months passed, ten, eleven, and the famous Irish doctor found the courage to admit: “Your Majesty, you are not expecting a child... Unfortunately, external signs of pregnancy mean that you are seriously ill...” It seemed to the Queen that someone had fallen on her head palace vaults. Soon Philip declared: “My father wants me to come, Spain needs me! I’ll be back soon...” But he never returned. Maria wrote him long letters, where she tearfully asked him not to leave him alone in such a difficult time for her, but the response letters contained only dry phrases and requests for large sums of money.

Bloody Mary

When Mary Tudor decided to devote herself entirely to state affairs, she promised that she would make the country the way her husband dreamed of it. But what is power in the hands of a woman in love? All of England was sitting on a powder keg. On those rare days when Philip showed mercy to his unloved wife by visiting her, peace and tranquility came to the kingdom. But most of the time the country suffered along with the queen.

Soon Maria again thought she was pregnant. And again a ghostly hope for happiness. The cradle, lace caps and the finest diapers were again prepared. However, the craftswomen who were preparing the dowry for the future crowned heir secretly whispered that it was time for the Queen of England to order a shroud. Just like a couple of years ago, the expected birth did not happen, and it became clear to everyone that Maria would never recover from such a blow. In the autumn of 1558, in St. James's Palace, an ugly, swollen, pale woman lay on a luxurious royal bed. With her eyes half-closed, she breathed slowly, seeming to be in heavy oblivion. Only the sounds of the service going on in the chambers made her eyelashes flutter. The Queen knew that she was dying and was absolutely not afraid of death. She was tired of life, of endless faith in illusions that were not destined to come true. In dreams of simple marital and maternal happiness, which every peasant woman has, but she, the ruler of England, does not have... The Queen felt her heart stop. She flew up into the vaulted ceiling. Father Heinrich, young and handsome, with his arms outstretched, waited below. Her mother smiled tenderly nearby, and Maria flew towards her parents’ embrace.

After the death of Mary Tudor, a ruined kingdom will remain, devastated by war and riots, and the throne will pass to Anne Boleyn's daughter, Elizabeth, who will go down in history as a talented ruler and brave reformer.