Mary Tudor

The first queen of England (not queen by virtue of being a consort to a king) was Catholic Mary Tudor, the oldest daughter of King Henry VIII. Notorious for burning Protestants and for the loss of Calais, her bloody reputation was carefully nurtured by her Protestant successor, Queen Elizabeth I, her younger half-sister. This narrative explores the drama of Mary's life in the context of her times, the complexity of her character, and her struggle to survive as a ruler in a "man's" role.