The Coronation of Queen Mary I of England
Take a Protestant country, Crown a Catholic Queen, sprinkle in some religious persecutions. And that’s how you make a Bloody Mary.
Today is October 1, 2017, and on this date, 464 years back, in 1553, Mary I of England was coronated. Mary I of England, you may know her better as “Bloody Mary”, was the daughter of Henry VIII, by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and was born February 18, 1516.
She was a woman, though, so how did she become Queen then? Mary’s little half-brother Edward VI, son of Henry and Jane Seymour, ascended to the throne following Henry’s death in January of 1547. Edward was only 9 years old. Young Edward’s reign was short-lived, though, and by 1553 his death was near. This turn of events gave Mary a strong claim to the throne, as the oldest child of Henry VIII.
The English nobility found themselves in a panic as Mary’s accession to the throne would create chaos in the land.
Why? Because despite Henry VIII’s split from the Vatican and the English Reformation, which created the Protestant, Anglican Church, which Edward had also supported, Mary had remained Catholic, and would ostensibly undo the entire Reformation if given the throne.
Seeking to avoid such a catastrophe, Edward, on his deathbed, issued a proposed line of succession that would involve Lady Jane Grey’s family, bypassing Mary. By the way, Jane Grey was scarcely a year older than Edward.
Upon Edward’s death, in accordance with his wishes, Jane Grey became the de facto Queen of England.
Not to be defeated so easily, Mary set about rallying her supporters upon Edward’s death, and she had many supporters. She was incredibly popular, and by the time Jane Grey made efforts to capture and imprison her, the tides had turned.
Mary would clearly win out, so many of Jane’s supporters defected, leading to Jane Grey’s capture, trial, and execution as a usurper of the throne. Mary had Jane beheaded on February 12, 1554.
And that’s how Bloody Mary violently ascended to the throne… But it is not how she got her nickname.
Remember how Mary was a Catholic in Reformed England? Well, she worked quickly to restore ties with the Vatican and even took Protestants as political prisoners. What followed were known as the Marian Persecutions, which saw 283 Protestants executed, predominantly by being burnt at the stake.
And Bloody Mary carried on such conduct for the entirety of her reign. This stoked anti-Catholic sentiment throughout England, and truly earned her the nickname Bloody Mary.
Mercifully for the Protestants, she died in 1558, childless, after only five years in charge. This passed the throne on to Mary’s half-sister, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back tomorrow for a little taste of Texas.
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