Royalty · Politics · 1516–1558
Born: 18 February 1516 · Died: 17 November 1558 · Age: 42
First queen regnant of England who attempted to restore Roman Catholicism
Did you know?She was an accomplished musician who was highly proficient at playing the virginals and the lute from a young age.
Mary I came to the throne with wide support. She had defeated a plot to crown Lady Jane Grey. She was determined to undo her father's break with Rome. Her marriage to Philip of Spain was unpopular. The burning of Protestants earned her the name 'Bloody Mary' in later Protestant histories. Historians now also note her courage and her firm establishment of female rule. Her half-sister Elizabeth built on that precedent.
Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558) was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous attempts to reverse the English Reformation, which had begun during the reign of her father, King Henry VIII.
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Profile
English monarch, born 1516
Mary I was born in Greenwich on 18 February 1516.
She was the first woman to rule England in her own right.
She restored Catholicism in England.
Nearly 300 Protestants were burned during her reign.
Career highlights
Did you know?She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
Questions people ask
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Last reviewed: October 2026