Mary Tudor

Linda Porter reassesses Mary I from her childhood as the daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon through the religious and dynastic conflicts that followed the breakdown of her parents’ marriage. Mary survived exclusion from the succession, pressure to abandon her mother and faith, and the Protestant government of Edward VI. In 1553 she defeated the attempt to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne and became the first woman to rule England in her own right.

The biography examines Mary’s marriage to Philip of Spain, Wyatt’s Rebellion, the loss of Calais and the restoration of Catholic worship, including the executions that created the enduring image of “Bloody Mary.” Porter does not remove responsibility for persecution, but places it beside administrative reform, patronage and the political skill required to secure the crown. This UK title was issued in the United States as The First Queen of England: The Myth of “Bloody Mary.”