Bloody Mary Revenge

Bloody Mary: Revenge or Defense? Mary Tudor or “Bloody Mary” was the first queen of England to gain the throne. During her life she faced a lot of obstacles that came about from her family, her faith, and her position in the royal line up. Mary did not gain the throne because she was the next heir. She had fought her way to the throne ever since she was a young adult. Mary’s nickname “Bloody Mary” has tarnished her reputation for many centuries. Many would argue that she did not deserve such repugnance because of the decisions she had to make during her reign. Was it the resentment she holds towards her father; King Henry VIII that led to a horrific era for those that lived in England during the time of her being queen, or was she defending

While Mary was still a child, Henry was secretly trying to divorce Catherine. Catherine was becoming too old to have kids, and she did not produce a son that would inherit the throne after King Henry. During this time period in England it was unacceptable for a woman to have any authority in a monarch. King Henry was becoming desperate because he did not want the throne to be obtained by will: he wanted it to be succeeded by heir. At this time Henry was beginning to become deeply infatuated with Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn was the Maid of Honor at Catherine and King Henry’s wedding. At the time King Henry, Catherine, and Mary were all Catholics. “King Henry was very religious; he went to Mass every day and spent his father’s money on wars for the Catholic Church” (Sedivy) Wanting to divorce Catherine would guarantee trouble for King

A few years went by and Mary’s prayers were still unanswered. Elizabeth was still the princess and Henry cut all connections with the Pope. Parliament passed a law declaring King Henry the Supreme Head of the Church of England. The church was now a reformed Catholic Church, making it Protestant. “Henry closed many Catholic Monasteries, while his men sold church land, ransacked jewels from tombs, and burned the bones of saints.” (Maurer 8) Hundreds of people were executed for rebelling against Henry and not converting to