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Mary I
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Painting by Anthonis Mor of Mary I of England seated on an ornate chair, wearing a dark gown with gold embroidery, a jeweled necklace, and holding a red rose. Princess Mary of England (later Queen Mary I). Mary I
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Mary I of England painted by Anthonis Mor, 1554; in the collection of the Prado, Madrid.
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Painting by Anthonis Mor of Mary I of England seated on an ornate chair, wearing a dark gown with gold embroidery, a jeweled necklace, and holding a red rose.
Mary I Mary I (called by her detractors “Bloody Mary”), the first queen to rule England (1553–58) in her own right.

Mary I

queen of England
Also known as: Bloody Mary, Mary Tudor
Written by
Eric Norman Simons
Author of The Queen and the Rebel: Mary Tudor and Wyatt the Younger and others.
Eric Norman Simons
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Mary I (born February 18, 1516, Greenwich, near London, England—died November 17, 1558, London) was the first queen to rule England (1553–58) in her own right. She was known as Bloody Mary for her persecution of Protestants in a vain attempt to restore Roman Catholicism in England. The daughter of King Henry VIII and the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon, Mary as a child was a pawn in England’s bitter rivalry with more powerful nations,...

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