Mary Tudor

by David Loades

Daughter of Henry VIII, half-sister to the future Elizabeth I, the dramatic story of the first woman to rule England - and the cruel fate of those who opposed her iron will. Mary Tudor was the first female English sovereign - a ruling queen who was not simply the consort of the king. Yet little is known about this complex woman, whose reputation for ruthlessness belied her emotional fragility and who, like her half-sister Elizabeth, had to survive from childhood in the turbulent Tudor court. David Loades explores the twisting path whereby Princess Mary, daughter of a rejected wife, Catherine of Aragon, and a capricious father - Henry VIII - endured disfavour, personal crisis and house arrest to emerge as Queen of England with huge popular support. The high promise of her reign contrasts with the personal tragedies and disappointments that followed, from the Smithfield burnings and the loss of Calais to her doomed, loveless marriage to Philip of Spain. Loades' probing yet sympathetic account reveals an intriguing personality, impelled by deep-set beliefs and principles yet uncertain how to behave in a 'man's' role.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Tudor Period, Biography, 16th Century, Royalty, British Literature

328 pages, Hardcover

First published December 8, 2006

About the author

David Michael Loades was a British historian who specialised in the Tudor era. After military service in the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1955, Loades studied at the University of Cambridge. In the 1960s and 1970s he taught at the universities of St. Andrews and Durham. From 1980 until 1996 Loades was Professor of History at the University of Wales; after taking emeritus status, Loades served as Honorary Research Professor at the University of Sheffield from 1996 until 2008.

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short but highly readable biography of Mary Tudor is a useful introduction to her personality and reign. It looks at her life as a princess during the reign of her father and brother and then focuses on her own short time as Queen of England. Finally it examines her legacy and how much or little of it survived once her sister Elizabeth took the throne.

Overall I felt the book was too short and lacking enough depth to give a full understanding of Mary or her reign. I also feel the author failed to provide enough evidence to back up some of his assertions, particularly how he suggests Mary was brainwashed into accepting her father's reform of the Church. It may be true, but I was left unconvinced.

He also suggests in conclusion that Mary's reign was more successful than it is given credit for in history. Unfortunately there was little evidence provided to support this and I still ended the book feeling her reign had been largely unsuccessful.

Finally there was a little too much repetition in the text. I have no objection to primary source material being included, but it did feel like much of what was written in the sources was being repeated in the main text of the book often with little extra detail provided to justify the duplication.

Overall a good read but I'm sure better biographies of Mary Tudor exist.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read another biography of Mary and it was interesting to compare the way she is portrayed in the two. I felt that this one was lsightly less sympathetic, and at times I found Mary to be shoved to the side to make way for stories of her husband and the other men around her. I appreciate that there isn't alwasy direct info with historical figures and sometimes stories have to be taken from those around them, but it felt like she was a bit-player in her own biography.
I love historical biographies and I love the lesser-discussed women of the late Medieval and Turdor periods but I'm not sure Mary as a person really came through in this one. I found it overall a bit dry.
I know that a certain objectivity about the subject is important when writing a biography, but I felt that the author lacked any empathy with Mary at all. At the end he talks about how much she did that Elizabeth piggy-backed off but throughout the book he generally describes Mary as boring, uninspiring, pathetic, moany etc.
Personally I enjoyed the book by Linda Porter a lot more.

[Steve Paget · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written account of England's first Queen Regnant. Concentrating more on the misunderstood and much maligned Mary, who in my humble opinion, struggled to succeed in an unforgiving patriarchy with almost no support from her reviled (mostly by her English subjects) husband, Phillip II of Spain. Despite the fact that during her reign, some 250+ protestant "Marty's" were burnt at the stake, the soubriquet "Bloody Mary" is undeserved, when the executions under her psychopath father Henry VIII and her ambitious half-sister Elizabeth I numbered in the tens of thousands during their combined reigns. She was unfortunate in being the trailblazer for future queens, having to solve the many problems facing women rulers at the time added to two phantom pregnancies, the latter eventually killing her, aged just 42, when it seems she had terminal ovarian cancer, was the final ignomy in a lifelong tragedy.

[Nicky Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable biography of Mary Tudor.
Refreshing to read about this little thought of Queen & learn a bit more about her than her reputation of just being Bloody Mary.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Tudor, only surviving child of the union between Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII. After her birth and several years into their marriage, life for them fell apart. Henry wanted a son. It did not matter that he was legally married and that Catherine was queen. It did not matter that Rome said their union was under God. Henry wanted a (legally born) son. He began an affair with Anne Boleyn. He became head of the Church of England, breaking free from the Catholic Church in Rome. He divorced Catherine under a semi-valid reason. He married Anne Boleyn a woman he had to obtain. Their only living child was Elizabeth. Henry and Anne's union fell apart shortly after they were married. The heated passion they'd had, turned to quarreling and discord. Henry married again, and again, for a total of six times.
Mary had been a beloved daughter and heir. Henry pushed Mary aside in favor of the hoped for son.

Mary was born 18 February 1516. Her mother Catherine of Aragon was the youngest daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. Catherine was from the lineage of one of the oldest and best established ruling families in Europe. The union between Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII was a political union of two strong royal families. When their marriage ended, and Mary was ignored as heir, I believe it was psychologically damaging to her. She was an intelligent and talented person; yet I believe it made her caustic of other people that did not agree with or believe as she did.

In David Loades book Mary Tudor he begins with the background of her parents. We are told of her upbringing in the palace and later in her own household: her education, interests, musical talents, and servants who cared for her. One of the things I found of interest was she did not grow up with the ability to play with or be educated with children of her own age. She was considered to be a small adult. I believe this too gave her a chill (insensitivity) towards other people she did not care for. Mary married a man much younger than herself, Philip of Spain. In brief we are told of her murderous rampage against Protestants. Until the end of Mary's life Elizabeth I was not able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Mary Tudor has been an interest to me for a long time.
What I learned in this book were: the decisions her father made about her birthright, his political advantageous marriage to her mother, taken away from her mother at an early age, an unhealthy life, an unpleasant marriage, inability to have children, defiant and pious Catholic, gambler, knew Latin, intelligent, loved hawking, an obsessive hatred of Anne Boleyn and her daughter, loved flamboyant jewelry and clothing, and an infamous reign of terror and murder to those who were Protestant. In a few of those aspects I have empathy for her. At no point do I agree with her reign of terror to those who were Protestant. I understand about what actions she took as queen, and how the decisions of her father affected the rest of her life; but even after reading this book I still don't know about Mary Tudor as a person and as a woman. Her life still seems to me to be black ink on white paper. The author has written a very good book. He has studied and researched Mary Tudor. He knows Tudor history. My only negative point is I wanted Mary Tudor to be presented as more dimensional. After stating that, I have thought that Mary may not have been a person who can be presented well. She does not strike me as being a person of amiableness.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was easy to read and I found the early life of Mary interesting. I also enjoyed the Introduction and the last chapter, which brought together the strands of Mary's personal life and her queenship in order to appraise the success (or not) of her reign as the first of England's queens.

Unfortunately however, I didn't come away from this book feeling like i really knew much more about Mary as a real person. Perhaps it just comes down to there not being enough evidence to be able to paint a firm picture of her. I did hope for more on her 'conscience' - a significant element of her reign - as I wanted to better understand what drove her to the sustained religious persecution of her subjects, this being probably the first thing people think of when Mary I is mentioned, but I didn't really get that.

Mr Loades suggests that Elizabeth's success as queen is at least partly due to her predecessor, both Mary's mistakes but also the successes of her government.

[Yooperprof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exemplary royal biography, fair, well-written,and interestingly argued. Also pleasingly brief, at 220 pages - though no doubt it helps that Mary's reign was only five years long, and she died at the age of 42.

Loades' book is convincingly anchored in recent scholarship, and comes with interesting excerpts from primary source documents, as well as full "scholarly apparatus." Loades can also use Britishisms amusingly. My favorite example is when he is writing about the shrewd evasions of the then Princess Elizabeth as she "worked" Count Feria, King Philip's emissary at the Royal Court: "It must have been a difficult interview, because even by his own account she seems to have been playing him like a fish."

[Helene Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review - This is the first full biography of Mary Tudor that I've read, and I wasn't disappointed. It deals with Mary's reign and her marriage to Philip II of Spain in a lot of detail. Also her household as princess. However, I do wish that it had further examined her relationships with her stepmothers, especially Katherine Parr and Jane Seymour, but also Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. It had the feel of a well-researched book, with primary sources incorporated into the text, and a full bibliography at the back.

General Subject/s - History / Tudors / Biography

Recommend - Yes

Rating - 17/20

[Melisende · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fair examination of the life and reign of Mary Tudor. Without laying the blame solely at the feet of Mary, Loades looks into all factors that contributed to the "Bloody Mary" myth.

There were many factors and events which contributed to the character of Mary at the time of her accession - we find a woman, confidant in her royal position but uncomfortable in the role of woman. In fact we begin to see how much Elizabeth I owed her sister and predecessor.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but she's just not as fascinating a historical figure as Elizabeth I.

[Vicki Krivak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting as I usually read anything I can find on the Tudors. But it took forever to read and get through.