Interpretations of Bloody Mary\u27s Use of Religion and Politics

This paper looks at the political style of Mary Tudor and examines how her upbringing and gender influenced her policies and ultimately whether she was an effective leader. Religion was paramount during her reign, and heavily affected Mary’s policies. Her actions resulted in the nickname, “Bloody Mary”; this paper discusses if this is a valid name for her and overall how the Protestant Reformation impacted her time as queen. I will examine the extent to which Mary was influenced by men in her life and how they and her gender impacted her reign. David Loades wrote, “The Reign of Mary Tudor: Historiography and Research,” which will be compared to other sources on Mary Tudor. This comparison will help provide clarity to the differing interpretations of Mary Tu­dor throughout history. Loades contrasts the difference of opinion in Protestant and Catholic writers. He argues that Protestants view Mary as isolated and indifferent to her subjects, and that God and progress were identical. Catholics, however, believe her failure in being a leader was a tragedy and she could not have made progress as a leader. Anna Whitelock challenges the popular narrative of Mary Tudor being a bloody queen who paled in comparison to Elizabeth. Whitelock calls Mary Tudor “one of the most reviled women in English history,” and pushes for Mary Tudor to be remembered not as “Bloody Mary,” but as a female ruler in a male dominated world