Mary Tudor
Chenxi Tang
Medieval European History
Ms. Walker
February 28, 2014
Mary I, Queen of England
Contrasted with the other monarchs of the Tudor Dynasty, Mary I has been frequently deemed an extremely cruel religious revolutionary, earning the moniker “Bloody Mary”. Overshadowed by the skill of subsequent monarchs with far greater political and religious savvy, one must re-examine her rule in the context of the numerous limitations and tragedies she endured. Mary I was a queen better pitied, than scorned.
Mary was born February 18, 1516 in London. She was the only surviving child of King Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. She was baptized a Catholic in the Greenwich Church three days after she was born. As a child, Mary was often sick. She had eye diseases, and suffered from headaches1. Even though Mary had ill health, she was an intelligent child with a strong work ethic, and her early childhood was generally very happy. Mary’s first teacher was her mother, who taught her Latin2. In addition to this, Mary also learned Greek, science and music. She performed on the harpsichord in front of many guests before the age of five.3 In general, both her parents seemed to love her very much and when she reached the age of nine, King Henry granted her the title Princess of Wales. In the history of England, this title had only been given to the crown princes,4 so it was a significant honor. Despite his love for Mary, King Henry could not hide the disappointment of not having a male heir.
Like most medieval noblewomen, Mary was a pawn of her father in royal marriage, and he considered her: “a new and useful card to play in the universal game of European matrimonial alliances.”5 When she was only two years old, she was engaged to the King Francis I of France’s son, also named Francis, but three years later, this marriage was annulled. In 1522, she was arranged to marry her twenty-two-year-old cousin, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, but few years later,
Medieval European History
Ms. Walker
February 28, 2014
Mary I, Queen of England
Contrasted with the other monarchs of the Tudor Dynasty, Mary I has been frequently deemed an extremely cruel religious revolutionary, earning the moniker “Bloody Mary”. Overshadowed by the skill of subsequent monarchs with far greater political and religious savvy, one must re-examine her rule in the context of the numerous limitations and tragedies she endured. Mary I was a queen better pitied, than scorned.
Mary was born February 18, 1516 in London. She was the only surviving child of King Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. She was baptized a Catholic in the Greenwich Church three days after she was born. As a child, Mary was often sick. She had eye diseases, and suffered from headaches1. Even though Mary had ill health, she was an intelligent child with a strong work ethic, and her early childhood was generally very happy. Mary’s first teacher was her mother, who taught her Latin2. In addition to this, Mary also learned Greek, science and music. She performed on the harpsichord in front of many guests before the age of five.3 In general, both her parents seemed to love her very much and when she reached the age of nine, King Henry granted her the title Princess of Wales. In the history of England, this title had only been given to the crown princes,4 so it was a significant honor. Despite his love for Mary, King Henry could not hide the disappointment of not having a male heir.
Like most medieval noblewomen, Mary was a pawn of her father in royal marriage, and he considered her: “a new and useful card to play in the universal game of European matrimonial alliances.”5 When she was only two years old, she was engaged to the King Francis I of France’s son, also named Francis, but three years later, this marriage was annulled. In 1522, she was arranged to marry her twenty-two-year-old cousin, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, but few years later,