"Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary."
She's held responsible for the burning of nearly 300 protestants, granting her the infamous title little girls chant today in dark mirrors. But do you know her true story? The story of how her father bastardi...
(Warning, the short video above showcases a woman performing the "Bloody Mary" ritual and can be too scary for some. Avoid if scary things ain't your cup of tea!)
The ritual described in the previous section is what society has to show of their knowledge of Queen Mary I of England, a legend that many are familiar with. Blood, persecution, unfit to be a queen—these qualities have been associated with Mary ever since she took to the throne. Yet Mary did what was necessary to maintain order in the country, and her faith in Catholicism. She was curbing a Protestant fanaticism and extremism that went as far as nearly murdering the Queen during a dangerous rebellion in 1554.
Not many people notice that Queen Mary, the first Queen of England, was actually a humble, merciful woman. It wasn't until the infamous Wyatt Rebellion that Mary had to toughen her stance. Not only was her power directly assaulted, but her life was on the line. Although some may paint Queen Mary as a ruthless tyrant who bathed in the blood of innocents, all of these accusations are simply false, and lack a comprehensive view of Queen Mary's life and agenda. The Wyatt Rebellion only hardened Queen Mary's heart.
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(Image of Princess Mary)
It is important to look back at Queen Mary's upbringing and the struggle she endured ascending to the throne. As a young woman, Mary was bastardized, betrayed, and belittled. She was declared a bastard when her father, King Henry VIII, broke away from Rome and got the divorce he had long anticipated. She was betrayed when her own father forced her to give up her title as princess. She was belittled by her young half-brother Edward VI, as he vowed to make sure Mary did not gain access to the throne when he died.
Yet Mary still maintained a calm head, even forgiving many of those men and women who opposed her ascent to the throne. It was the Wyatt Rebellion that forced her to take a hard stand against those who opposed her—and even then she had to be persuaded by her close advisors, primarily those who worked for her cousin Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire. Although Queen Mary was by far not the most holy and perfect ruler, she is far from being a tyrant who enjoyed putting Protestants to death. She deserves more respect than is credited to her. Remembering Queen Mary as 'Bloody Mary' is no way to respectfully remember Queen Mary at all.
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Autor's Note
I will be providing these author notes at the end of each part. They will usually involve some questions as to what you're thinking or your reactions to certain aspects of Mary's life. So whenever you see these author's notes, you can pat yourself on the back for having read another section of a "scholarly" paper. Whoo-hoo!
Before diving into Mary's childhood, I was wondering: what do you know about Queen Mary as of right now (before embarking on this historical journey)? It's okay to say, "I know nothing," because that is how I started. I've posted in the last section a video from a trailer for a Paranormal Activity movie that involves two girls attempting to summon Bloody Mary. I've also posted a short video at the beginning of the chapter that shows a woman doing the Bloody Mary ritual (warning, you may get scared, so avoid it if you ain't into that sort of thing).
Below is another video that details the top ten worst Queens in history. Queen Mary was ranked number 7 and her grandmother number 6. Although her grandmother, Queen Isabella of Castile, is harder to defend as being an innocent queen, this video portrays another common understanding of Queen Mary I of England as one of the "most evil queens in history." (See Timecode 2:47 - 3:34)
What made me want to do research on Queen Mary was the whole legend of her that made her into a bathroom icon and a vicious queen. I wanted to learn more about this legend, and what I unfound was a sad story about a girl who was mistreated and had to undergo challenge after challenge to become the First Queen of England. Her story has been muddled and misunderstood.
Oh, and I promise that the mumbo-jumbo of Wyatt Rebellion, and "whoever Edward VIII is" will be discussed in the following sections. 😄 This is just a brief overview of my argument. Basically I'm saying Mary is a sweet woman who was forced to do bitter things when people started to walk all over her. You know how it is, you try to become the first Queen of England to run things "without no man" and you're dubbed as illegitimate and unfit to rule because you look different than men. Same old medieval patriarchal propaganda. Thank God we're over it, I hope.
See you on Sunday when we embark on Mary's upbringing, her parents' divorce, and her stepmother (AKA her mortal enemy)...oh and can't forget her famous little step-sister Queen Elizabeth.
