BBC History UK 04.2020

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gratia, even rendered her beautiful”.

As for the idea that she was dour and

austere, this is belied by an anecdote relayed

by Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, a servant of

Philip of Spain, in which, we’re told, that

Mary laughed so hard at a joke that she

spluttered for breath.

This is a mere vignette but it offers us a

glimpse of Mary’s fun-loving side. Here was a

Healing hands

Mary attempts to cure a scrofula-

sufferer with her touch. The queen

was often in step with the desires of

her people, says Alexander Samson

BRIDGEMAN/GETTY IMAGES/ALAMY

• 
  

  21 March 1556
  Thomas Cranmer, former
  archbishop of Canterbury,
  is burned at the stake. He
  is one of more than 280
  ‘heretics’ executed
  during Mary’s reign

  
  

  17 November 1558
  Mary dies, aged 42,
  during an influenza
  epidemic. The English
  crown passes to her
  half-sister, Elizabeth

  
  


• 
  

  18 March 1554
  Mary has her half-sister,
  Elizabeth (pictured
  below), imprisoned in
  the Tower of London,
  after it’s alleged that she
  too supported the Wyatt
  rebellion. Yet lacking firm
  evidence of her
  sister’s guilt,
  Mary refrains
  from ordering
  Elizabeth’s
  execution

  
  


• 
  

  12 February 1554
  Lady Jane Grey is
  executed on Mary’s
  orders. Her fate is sealed
  by the so-called Wyatt
  rebellion against Mary’s
  rule, in which her father
  is implicated

  
  


• 
  

  25 July 1554
  Despite the reservations
  of some of the most
  powerful figures in the
  English court, Mary
  marries Philip of Spain
  at Winchester Cathedral

  
  


• 
  

  April 1555
  Thanksgiving services are
  held in London after
  erroneous rumours
  spread that Mary has
  given birth to a son.
  Mary, it seems, has
  experienced a false
  pregnancy

  
  

Mary in 1554, the year she

married the devoutly

Catholic Philip of Spain

woman who loved fashion, gambling, hunt-

ing, entertainments and chivalric pursuits.

If the accusation that Mary was devoid of

humour is groundless, then so is the image of

a queen hopelessly out of step with the desires

of her people. Few doubt now that the majori-

ty of the population in England welcomed

Mary’s restoration of traditional religion

following the moves towards Reformation

rolled out under her father and brother over

the past two decades.

Mary’s religious programme was support-

ed by a highly effective campaign of preach-

ing, public religious ritual and a rapid restock-

ing of the material fabric of churches. Bells

and hymns echoed through the streets as

many parishes signalled their solidarity with

the queen’s traditional beliefs.

But this was not a reactionary resumption

of hardline Catholicism. Mary’s reign wit-

nessed a movement away from pilgrimage

and the cult of saints, pointing the way for

the reinvigorated Catholicism of Europe in the

late 16th century. It is worth remembering

that the Great Bible – the first complete

translation of the Bible into English, author-

ised by Henry VIII – was never officially

withdrawn under Mary. What’s more,

monastery lands confiscated by her father

were not returned to the church but remained

in the hands of their new owners.

In fact, Catholic restoration must be

counted among Mary’s greatest achievements,

reversing in five short years the wholesale

theological changes of a generation. The

longevity of England’s Catholic recusant

community after her reign – during the

Protestant administration of Elizabeth I and

beyond – is due, in no small part, to the

effectiveness of Mary’s religious policies.

Blood on her hands

One area in which we can’t exonerate Mary,

however, is the campaign of persecution that

earned her the title ‘Bloody Mary’. Her savage

clampdown on religious dissent claimed at

least 284 victims over four years – the majori-

ty of whom were burned at the stake.

At one time, historians sought to distance

Mary from the persecution of Protestants,

blaming it on Spanish influence, embittered

→

gratia,evenrenderedherbeautiful”.

Asfortheideathatshewasdourand

austere,thisis beliedbyananecdoterelayed

byJuanHurtadodeMendoza,a servantof

PhilipofSpain,inwhich,we’retold,that

Marylaughedsohardat a joke that she

splutteredforbreath.

Thisis a merevignettebutit offersusa

glimpse of Mary’s fun-loving side. Here was a

Healinghands

Maryattemptsto curea scrofula-

suffererwith her touch.The queen

was oftenin step with the desiresof

her people, says Alexander Samson

BRIDGEMAN/GETTY IMAGES/ALAMY

• 
  

  21 March 1556
  ThomasCranmer,former
  archbishopof Canterbury,
  is burnedat the stake.He
  is one ofmorethan 280
  ‘heretics’executed
  during Mary’s reign

  
  

  17 November 1558
  Marydies, aged42,
  duringan influenza
  epidemic.The English
  crownpassesto her
  half-sister,Elizabeth

  
  


• 
  

  18 March 1554
  Maryhas herhalf-sister,
  Elizabeth(pictured
  below),imprisonedin
  the Towerof London,
  afterit’s allegedthat she
  too supportedthe Wyatt
  rebellion.Yet lacking firm
  evidenceof her
  sister’sguilt,
  Maryrefrains
  fromordering
  Elizabeth’s
  execution

  
  


• 
  

  12 February 1554
  LadyJaneGreyis
  executedon Mary’s
  orders.Her fate is sealed
  by the so-calledWyatt
  rebellionagainstMary’s
  rule, in whichher father
  is implicated

  
  


• 
  

  25 July 1554
  Despitethe reservations
  of someof the most
  powerfulfiguresin the
  Englishcourt,Mary
  marriesPhilipof Spain
  at Winchester Cathedral

  
  


• 
  

  April 1555
  Thanksgivingservicesare
  held in Londonafter
  erroneousrumours
  spreadthat Maryhas
  givenbirthto a son.
  Mary,it seems,has
  experienceda false
  pregnancy

  
  

Maryin 1554,the year she

marriedthe devoutly

Catholic Philip of Spain

womanwholovedfashion,gambling,hunt-

ing,entertainmentsandchivalricpursuits.

If theaccusationthatMarywasdevoidof

humouris groundless,thensois theimageof

a queenhopelesslyoutofstepwiththedesires

ofherpeople.Fewdoubtnowthatthemajori-

tyofthepopulationinEnglandwelcomed

Mary’srestorationoftraditionalreligion

following the moves towards Reformation

rolledoutunderherfather and brother over

thepasttwodecades.

Mary’sreligiousprogrammewassupport-

edbya highlyeffectivecampaignofpreach-

ing,publicreligiousritualanda rapidrestock-

ingofthematerialfabricofchurches.Bells

andhymnsechoedthroughthestreetsas

manyparishessignalledtheirsolidarity with

thequeen’straditionalbeliefs.

Butthiswasnota reactionaryresumption

ofhardlineCatholicism.Mary’sreignwit-

nesseda movementawayfrompilgrimage

andthecultofsaints,pointingthewayfor

thereinvigoratedCatholicismofEuropeinthe

late16thcentury.It is worthremembering

thattheGreatBible– thefirstcomplete

translationoftheBibleintoEnglish,author-

isedbyHenryVIII– wasneverofficially

withdrawnunderMary.What’smore,

monasterylandsconfiscatedbyherfather

werenotreturnedtothechurchbutremained

inthehandsoftheirnewowners.

Infact,Catholicrestorationmustbe

countedamongMary’sgreatestachievements,

reversinginfiveshortyearsthewholesale

theologicalchangesofa generation.The

longevityofEngland’sCatholicrecusant

communityafterherreign– duringthe

ProtestantadministrationofElizabethI and

beyond– is due,innosmallpart,tothe

effectiveness of Mary’s religious policies.

Bloodonherhands

Oneareainwhichwecan’texonerateMary,

however,is thecampaignofpersecutionthat

earnedherthetitle‘BloodyMary’.Hersavage

clampdownonreligiousdissentclaimedat

least 284 victimsoverfouryears– themajori-

tyofwhomwereburnedat thestake.

Atonetime,historianssoughttodistance

MaryfromthepersecutionofProtestants,

blaming it on Spanish influence, embittered