BRIDGEMANAlexander Samson is a reader in early modern
studies at University College London. His latest
book, Mary and Philip: the Marriage of Tudor
England and Habsburg Spain, was published
by Manchester University Press in Januaryuntil after midnight. In 1555 one of her closest
collaborators, Reginald Pole, future Archbish-
op of Canterbury, wrote to Philip that she was
spending much of the night dispatching state
affairs, despite the costs to her health.
This thirst for hard work helped produce
four proclamations addressing the Great
Debasement of the coinage, all issued
in Mary’s first year on the throne. The Musco-
vy Company – the first English joint-stock
company in which the capital remained in
use, instead of being repaid after every voyage- also received its royal charter during Mary’s
reign. It would become a cornerstone of the
nation’s growth as a force in global trade
Ultimately, though, Mary’s greatest
achievement may have been to provide a
model for her younger sibling, Elizabeth, to
follow. Mary and Elizabeth had a troubled
relationship (reaching a low point in 1554,
when Mary had Elizabeth imprisoned in the
Tower). Yet the older sister set down the
statutory foundations of female rule on which
the younger sister built, offering a prototype
of strong, independent, royal government,
and an assiduous and involved monarch,
unswayed by the powerful male courtiers who
surrounded her.
Female powerhouse
Mary died in 1558, before she could build on
her early successes – and her accomplish-
ments have been all but crushed under the
weight of negative stereotypes. In fact, if
you’re searching for a neat emblem of where
Mary stands in modern conversations on
British rulers, then you need look no further
than the current British citizenship test. Her
father, Henry VIII, features in 15 per cent of
questions on Britain’s “long and illustrious”
history. As for Mary, she doesn’t merit a single
mention. What’s more, while a street and tube
station have been named in her honour in
Madrid, not a single major monument pays
tribute to the queen in England.
This does her a huge disservice. It’s high
time that the real Mary I was written back
into history; that we celebrated her role in
running a highly efficient administration, in
broadening England’s global horizons, and in
setting a precedent for her more fortunate and
long-lived sister. For 450 years, confessional
differences have had a huge – and detrimental- influence on Mary’s reputation. Surely we
should now challenge these stereotypes and
recognise that Mary wasn’t just ‘bloody’, but
also saintly and wise.
In December 1558, a matter of days after
Mary’s death at the age of 42, Philip II of
Spain wrote to his sister Juana, telling her
that he felt his wife’s loss deeply. While
perhaps not a gushing testament to love, it is
far from the picture of indifference between
the royal couple often painted by history.
The widespread image of the marriage as
a mismatch – one in which passion was
entirely absent on Philip’s part – seems to
have taken its cue from the poisonous
polemics penned by exiled radicals. These
embittered enemies of the queen described
her as everything from an “old bitch” to
someone who “could not draw the slightest
spark of affection from her lord”.
Eyewitness evidence, however, suggests
that Mary and Philip were happy, dancing
and laughing together in public. The
importance Philip attached to the crown ofEngland can be gauged from him playfully
signing himself “I the king” before he’d
even set foot in England, and his self-con-
scious cultivation of his image as king of
England. The ship on which Philip sailed in
the summer of 1554, El Espíritu Santo, was
expensively fitted out with wooden panelling,
flags, banners and armour displaying the
conjoined arms of England and Spain.
Meanwhile, the couple’s heraldic impresa
featured prominently on the first large-scale
copper plate engravings depicting the British
Isles and Spain.
As for Mary, she almost certainly
commissioned the Queen Mary Atlas as a gift
for her husband Philip. Depicting the Spanish
conquistador Francisco Pizarro on campaign
in Peru, the atlas reflected how the world had
opened up to England in the wake of the
queen’s marriage to Philip.A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Philip and Mary’s marriage was happy – and effectiveLove and laughter Mary
and her husband, Philip II of Spain,
shown in a painting from 1558.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that
the two were often seen dancing
and joking together in publicBRIDGEMAN
AlexanderSamsonis a readerinearlymodern
studiesat UniversityCollegeLondon.Hislatest
book,MaryandPhilip:theMarriageof Tudor
EnglandandHabsburgSpain, waspublished
by Manchester University Press in Januaryuntilaftermidnight.In 1555 oneofherclosest
collaborators,ReginaldPole,futureArchbish-
opofCanterbury,wrotetoPhilipthatshewas
spendingmuchofthenightdispatchingstate
affairs,despitethecoststoherhealth.
Thisthirstforhardworkhelpedproduce
fourproclamationsaddressingtheGreat
Debasementofthecoinage,allissued
inMary’sfirstyearonthethrone.TheMusco-
vyCompany– thefirstEnglishjoint-stock
companyinwhichthecapitalremainedin
use,insteadofbeingrepaidaftereveryvoyage- alsoreceiveditsroyalcharterduringMary’s
reign.It wouldbecomea cornerstoneofthe
nation’sgrowthasa forceinglobaltrade
Ultimately,though,Mary’sgreatest
achievementmayhavebeentoprovidea
modelforheryoungersibling,Elizabeth,to
follow.MaryandElizabethhada troubled
relationship(reachinga lowpointin1554,
whenMaryhadElizabethimprisonedinthe
Tower).Yettheoldersistersetdownthe
statutoryfoundationsoffemaleruleonwhich
theyoungersisterbuilt,offeringa prototype
ofstrong,independent,royalgovernment,
andanassiduousandinvolvedmonarch,
unswayedbythepowerful male courtiers who
surrounded her.
Femalepowerhouse
Marydiedin1558,beforeshecouldbuildon
herearlysuccesses– andheraccomplish-
mentshavebeenallbutcrushedunderthe
weightofnegativestereotypes.Infact,if
you’researchingfora neatemblemofwhere
Marystandsinmodernconversationson
Britishrulers,thenyouneedlooknofurther
thanthecurrentBritishcitizenshiptest.Her
father,HenryVIII,featuresin 15 percentof
questionsonBritain’s“longandillustrious”
history.AsforMary,shedoesn’tmerita single
mention.What’smore,whilea streetandtube
stationhavebeennamedinherhonourin
Madrid,nota singlemajormonument pays
tributetothequeeninEngland.
Thisdoeshera hugedisservice.It’shigh
timethattherealMaryI waswrittenback
intohistory;thatwecelebratedherrolein
runninga highlyefficientadministration,in
broadeningEngland’sglobalhorizons,andin
settinga precedentforhermorefortunateand
long-livedsister.For 450 years,confessional
differenceshavehada huge– anddetrimental- influenceonMary’sreputation.Surelywe
shouldnowchallengethesestereotypesand
recognisethatMarywasn’t just ‘bloody’, but
also saintly and wise.
In December1558,a matterof daysafter
Mary’sdeathat theageof 42,PhilipII of
Spainwroteto hissisterJuana,tellingher
thathefelthiswife’slossdeeply.While
perhapsnota gushingtestamentto love,it is
far from the pictureof indifferencebetween
theroyalcoupleoftenpaintedbyhistory.
Thewidespreadimageof themarriageas
amismatch– onein whichpassionwas
entirelyabsentonPhilip’spart– seemsto
havetakenitscuefromthepoisonous
polemicspennedbyexiledradicals.These
embitteredenemiesof thequeendescribed
heraseverythingfroman“oldbitch”to
someonewho“couldnotdrawtheslightest
sparkof affectionfrom her lord”.
Eyewitnessevidence,however,suggests
thatMaryandPhilipwerehappy,dancing
andlaughingtogetherin public.The
importance Philip attached to the crown ofEnglandcanbegaugedfromhimplayfully
signinghimself“I theking”beforehe’d
even set foot in England,and his self-con-
sciouscultivationof hisimageaskingof
England.TheshiponwhichPhilipsailedin
thesummerof 1554,El EspírituSanto, was
expensivelyfittedout with woodenpanelling,
flags,bannersand armourdisplayingthe
conjoinedarmsof EnglandandSpain.
Meanwhile,thecouple’sheraldicimpresa
featuredprominentlyon the first large-scale
copperplateengravings depicting the British
IslesandSpain.
AsforMary,shealmostcertainly
commissionedtheQueenMaryAtlasasa gift
forherhusbandPhilip.DepictingtheSpanish
conquistadorFranciscoPizarrooncampaign
in Peru,the atlas reflectedhow the worldhad
openedupto Englandin thewake of the
queen’s marriage to Philip.AMATCHMADEIN HEAVENPhilip and Mary’s marriage was happy – and effectiveLoveandlaughterMary
andherhusband,PhilipII of Spain,
shownin a paintingfrom1558.
Eyewitnessaccountssuggestthat
thetwowereoftenseendancing
and joking together in public