In 

1553, Mary Tudor became Queen of England. As a devout Catholic, she made it her mission to stamp out Protestants who challenged her regime, hence the name, “Bloody Mary”.

But it’s all too easy to view England’s first female ruler as a barbaric woman who lacked a moral compass. The truth is much more complex, and given the ordeals she suffered during her youth, it’s hardly surprising she grew up to hate Protestants.

Mary’s mother — Catherine of Aragon — was the first wife of King Henry VIII. She was a Catholic and had a direct influence on her daughter’s religious education.

But when Catherine failed to produce a male heir, Henry sought a new wife. The Pope denied the king’s request for a divorce, so Henry established his own church (the Church of England) and married Anne Boleyn, who was a Protestant. Catherine, meanwhile, was banished from the king’s court and forced to live in an isolated castle.

Mary was devastated by this turn of events. Henry refused to allow the two women to visit each other, believing they would plot to overthrow him. Mary was also stripped of her valuable jewels, her titles, and would no longer inherit the throne. Elizabeth — Henry and Anne’s daughter — was now next in line.

To make matters worse, Mary was forced to leave her country manor and aid the new princess. She was treated like a servant, and when people came to visit the young Elizabeth, Mary would be locked inside her room with the windows nailed shut.

The king’s attitude towards Catholicism only worsened with time. He severed ties with the Pope, closed down Catholic monasteries, sold church land, burned the bones of saints, and executed those who rebelled against his Protestant regime.

Catherine became incredibly ill in 1535, yet Henry still denied Mary’s request to go and see her. Inevitably, she died without saying goodbye to her daughter, and Mary was heartbroken.Far from taking pity on her, Henry forced Mary to sign a document saying the Pope had no authority in England and her parents’ marriage had been unlawful. Mary refused to sign but was forced to comply when she was threatened with violence.