Book Review # 2

Mary Tudor: Princess, Bastard, Queen by Anna Whitelock

I am sensing a theme with the titles of my reading; English royalty and three word summaries of what the book is about.

This is the author’s first book and an impressive introduction it is to the world of historical biographies. I went into it with a profound dislike of Elizabeth’s older sister and this account of her life did little to ameliorate that. Personally, I find her to be an unredeemed fanatic whose trials in life did not teach her anything but only hardened her convictions and gained her the title “Bloody Mary” which I feel she richly deserved. The author tried to convince the reader that she is undeserved of the hatred surrounding her name and that her history and reputation was rewritten by the victor, her little sister. I find it extremely interesting how 2 lives that were so parallel turned out 2 such disparate personalities.

·        Both Mary and Elizabeth’s mothers were cast out. One eventually dies from neglect; one leaves the block a full head shorter. But, Elizabeth’s mother was killed when she was three while Mary was lovingly raised by her mother until her teens.

·        Both were their father’s legitimate heirs and only acknowledged children who could inherit the throne upon his death (Prior to them, Henry had one bastard son who died at 17 of consumption. I find it curious how weak the males are in the Tudor line of which Henry himself was the glaring exception. Henry’s elder brother Arthur died at 15, as did Edward, his only legitimate son of Jane Seymour). Both were loved and feted by their glorious father until their mother’s fell from favor, stripped of their titles, and bastardized.  

·        Both were persecuted for their religion at different points almost unto death. Mary for her Catholicism during her Brother Edward’s strictly Protestant reign when any plot, insurrection, or supposed treachery was laid at her door, regardless that there was never any proof. Elizabeth for her Protestantism during Mary’s fanatical Catholic reign when any plot, insurrection or supposed treachery was laid at her door, regardless that there was never any proof. But, Elizabeth was the only one to spend time in the tower.

·        Both were extremely bright, educated, and intelligent women thrust into the “unnatural” role of ruling over men at the apex of power at a time when being a regent really meant something and was not just a figurehead.

The differences lie chiefly in how each woman dealt with the tragedy and adversity in their life, and in comparison, Mary does not come off good. Certainly Mary made it possible for Elizabeth to inherit the throne, and in many ways was a trail blazer but she had so many faults. When Edward died, there was a crisis. The Seymour’s, his mother’s brothers, were greedy and hungry for the power they received from ruling in Edward’s name. When he died they were not willing to give that up and tried to disinherit Mary and put a Protestant, Jane, on the throne. The English rose up to rally behind Mary and the nine-days Queen was stripped of her crown and Mary’s coronation was greeted with jubilation and high hopes. By the time her 5 year reign was over, she was as hated as she had been loved at the beginning.  

 

When Mary’s mother, Catharine of Aragorn, was forcibly divorced from Henry, it was Mary who stood by her. She many times braved the wrath of her father (a man not used to being gainsaid) and because of this they were separated and Mary was refused permission to see her on her deathbed. The stresses of this gave her a lifelong nervous complaint and many times she would be incapacitated with migraines and fevers. After her ascension, she married a Spaniard, Phillip, who hoped to bring the inquisition to England and had little love for his wife the Queen. She was described by a contemporary as “not at all beautiful: small, and rather flabby than fat, she is of white complexion and fair, and has no eyebrows. She is a perfect saint and dresses badly.” Phillip spent little time in England and everyone but Mary seemed to realize that he could not wait to be away from her. I find this sad and pathetic along with her phantom pregnancies. You would think that being persecuted for your religion would make you more understanding, the way Elizabeth did when she proclaimed that she had “no interest in making windows into men’s souls”. But, for Mary, when she became the persecutor she saw no irony in it. In the book, Mary is touted as brave and unflinching, when she stood against her tormentors and would practice the religion that gave her succor since she was a child. The hypocrisy of her actions in burning those who had the same ideals just for a different religion is never called out. I hate fanaticism and she had it in spades.

It is in the stories of the burned that the true legacy of her reign is written and it is written in blood and anguish. There is Alice Benden of Staplehurst. For nine weeks of imprisonment she was fed nothing but bread and water, and not allowed to wash or change clothes. The author writes, “In John Foxe’s description, she became “a most piteous and loathsome creature to behold.” When offered the chance of freedom if she reformed, she declared, “I am thoroughly persuaded by the extremity that you have already showed me, that you are not of God, neither can your doings be Godly,” She remained  imprisoned and was burned with six others in Canterbury in June 1557.” Here is where true bravery lies, much more so than anything Mary did. Another voice cries out from the past and a fiery death. A Guernsey woman and her two daughters were denounced as heretics in a petty act of revenge by a neighbor. Whitelock writes, “All three were convicted of heresy and sentenced to death by burning, Perotine (one of the daughters) has not told the authorities she was pregnant. When the faggots were lit, the fire caused her to give birth to her baby son, who fell into the burning faggots. One of the spectators rushed forward to save the baby and pulled him out of the fire, but the local sheriff ordered that the baby be thrown back. He was burned with his mother, grandmother, and aunt.” Mary may not have lit the flames that consumed these people but their blood is on her hands.

I am not saying that Elizabeth’s reign was free from religious persecution, it most certainly was not, but it came nowhere near the degeneracy or fanaticism it was under her sister. Neither was she perfect and by living so long her reign did not come to a happy conclusion. I also think the way Mary hated and treated Elizabeth was cruel and unfair. Always defaming her and calling her mother a whore, blaming her for her birth. The author truly tried to paint a different portrait of Mary and she did a nice job. I will certainly be willing to read other books by her. It is nicely written and I enjoyed the read. But, in the end, it will not change the way I always thought of her.

Some nice pictures and is 337 pages in hardback.