Mary Tudor

Mary I of England (1516–1558), also known as Mary Tudor and later dubbed "Bloody Mary," was the first woman to rule England in her own right. Her reign from 1553 to 1558 was marked by dramatic religious and political upheaval: 👑 Key Highlights of Her Life and Reign - Royal Lineage: Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, she was once heir to the Tudor throne but was declared illegitimate after her parents' marriage was annulled. - Accession to the Throne: After the brief rule of Lady Jane Grey, Mary claimed the crown and became England’s first uncontested queen regnant. - Marriage: She wed Philip II of Spain in 1554, a union that stirred political tensions and public unease. - Religious Restoration: A devout Catholic, she reversed her father’s Protestant reforms and reinstated papal authority. Her persecution of Protestants led to over 280 executions, earning her the nickname "Bloody Mary". - Challenges and Legacy: - Faced rebellion (e.g., Wyatt’s Rebellion) and political resistance. - Her attempts to restore confiscated church lands were blocked by Parliament. - Died childless in 1558, paving the way for her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth I to ascend the throne. Mary’s reign was short but intense, defined by her passionate efforts to restore Catholicism and her struggle for legitimacy and power in a male-dominated world.