Picture of Mary Tudor - Bloody Mary
 

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary

  • Interesting Facts and information about Elizabeth and her half sister Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary)
  • Elizabeth and Bloody Mary
  • Elizabeth and her early years
  • Relationship between Elizabeth and her half-sister Mary Tudor, Bloody Mary

Picture of Mary Tudor - Bloody Mary

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary
Mary Tudor was born on 18 February 1516. Elizabeth was born on 7 September 1533. There was seventeen years difference between their ages. Apart for the age difference there were many other reasons why Elizabeth and her half sister Mary were not close. Elizabeth's mother Anne Boleyn was hated by Mary for usurping the place of her mother Katharine of Aragon as Queen of England. During her early years Mary had been the much loved and revered Princess Mary, daughter of King Henry VIII of England.

 
 
 

Elizabeth had taken her place for a short while until her mother was executed. The other major cause of their dislike for each was the differences in their religion. Mary Tudor was a devout Catholic and Elizabeth adhered to the Protestant religion.

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary - Protestant Conspiracies
On 6 July 1553 - Mary I, daughter of King Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, was proclaimed Queen of England.
Mary was a fanatical Catholic and was determined to return England to the true Catholic faith. Elizabeth was in mortal danger - she was heir to the throne, a Protestant and her half-sister Queen Mary did not trust her.

 

After attending Court for a short time Elizabeth retreated to Hatfield away from the intrigues of the court. Elizabeth was the focus of all Protestants and in danger of being implicated in conspiracies to overthrow her Catholic half-sister Mary. It did not take long for a Protestant rebellion to erupt which was sparked by the news that  Queen Mary intended to marry the fanatical Catholic King Philip II of Spain. Protestant Englishmen were terrified that the terrible Spanish Inquisition would come to England and that Mary and Philip would produce a Catholic heir to the throne.

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary - Mary marries Philip of Spain
On 25 July 1554 Queen Mary married Philip, Prince of Spain. Elizabeth was not invited. Soon after their marriage Mary Tudor believed that she was pregnant. Elizabeth saw any hope of her succeeding to the throne of England moving away from her. However the pregnancy was a false one.

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary - The Life of Elizabeth is in danger

 
 

Mary was determined to return England to the Catholic faith. She systematically reversed all the measures that had been taken to turn England into a protestant country. The years of Mary's reign were fraught with peril for Elizabeth. Over 300 Protestants were burned at the stake during the reign of Queen Mary I - the historians of England then referred to her as ‘Bloody Mary’. Elizabeth’s failure to truly convert to the Catholic faith put her in constant danger. Protestant conspiracies to overthrow Mary and place Elizabeth on the throne also placed her life in true peril. On March 18, 1554 Princess Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower of London for eight weeks after being implicated in the Wyatt rebellion

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary - Elizabeth demonstrates outward conformity to the Catholic religion
Elizabeth's release was conditional on her conformity to the Catholic religion. Elizabeth had no alternative but to demonstrate her outward conformity to the Catholic religion. Elizabeth ensured that this was going to be a slow process. She insisted that as she had known no other religion than Protestantism that she was in need of instruction in the Catholic religion. She requested books from Mary to help her with this. She did not, however ask for a Catholic priest. During this time at Hatfield she was under the watchful eye of Sir Thomas Pope.

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary
Mary strongly distrusted her half-sister but was eventually reconciled with Elizabeth through the persuasions of her husband. Philip was shrewd. He was also aware that the alternative heir to the English throne was Mary Queen of Scots who was closely allied to France. Mary had not long married Francois the French heir to the throne. And France was the enemy of Spain. Elizabeth was therefore the 'lesser of two evils' and Philip slowly persuaded his wife to reconcile with her sister.

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary - the Death of Queen Mary I
On November 17, 1558 Queen Mary I, Tudor of England died from cancer. Elizabeth was at Hatfield when Mary died. Elizabeth was reputedly sitting underneath an oak tree when the news of her accession to the throne reached her when she said, "This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes".

Queen Elizabeth I
Some interesting facts and information about Elizabeth and Bloody Mary.
Details, facts and information about the life of Queen Elizabeth I can be accessed via the Elizabethan Era Sitemap.

 

Mary Tudor - Bloody Mary
King Philip II of Spain
 

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary

  • Interesting Facts and information about Elizabeth and Bloody Mary
  • Interesting Facts and information about Elizabeth and her half sister Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary)
  • Elizabeth and Bloody Mary
  • Elizabeth and her early years
  • Relationship between Elizabeth and her half-sister Mary Tudor, Bloody Mary
 
 

Queen Elizabeth's Coat of Arms

 

Queen Elizabeth's Coat of Arms

Elizabeth and Bloody Mary

 

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