The 18th February marks another important date in the Tudor calendar, with it being the anniversary of Queen Mary I’s birth. Born in 1516 to the 24 year old King Henry VIII and his 31 year old Spanish Queen, Katherine of Aragon, the young princess was the couple’s fifth child at the time. She was named in honor of Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk, Henry VIII’s youngest sister.
From 1510 - 1514 Katherine had birthed one daughter and three sons. Her daughter and two of her sons were believed to have been stillborn or died shortly after birth. Her first son, Prince Henry born in 1511 passed away suddenly when he was 52 days old.
It was no surprise therefore, that Princess Mary’s healthy arrival into the world was celebrated throughout the court and country following years of tragedy for the new Tudor dynasty. A Prince,(which not only did Henry desperately desire but needed to cement his lineage) Mary was not. However, this certainly did not stop the king overtly doting on his fierce, flaxen haired daughter, with primary reports depicting the king often showing off his princess to various noblemen and women in his court as well as foreign visitors, exclaiming how she “never cries”. After all, he believed that both him and Katherine were still young and fertile enough to produce a younger brother for Mary and future King of England. “The Queen and I are still young.” He said. “If it is a daughter this time, by the grace of God sons will follow.”.
Of course, this was not the case and in 1518 Katherine delivered another stillborn daughter around eight months gestation. No more pregnancies followed.
Portrait of Mary I on display at Hever Castle, Kent. Image of portrait taken by Lucy Palmer-Cooper
The young Princess Mary spent her infancy treasured and cherished by both of her parents. Katherine, similarly to her own mother Queen Isabela of Castille, took an active approach in the delivery of her daughter’s education. She personally tutored the young Princess until she was seven years old. It is no surprise therefore that Mary developed into an intelligent and strong willed young woman, just like her mother. Mary was well versed in history, mathematics, philosophy, needlework, dancing, falconry, hunting and archery. She particularly excelled in languages, being fluent in Latin, French and Spanish. A keen musician, Mary was very fond of playing the harpsichord much like her father. Inventories from the period illuminate this, with various entries for instrument repairs, restringing and purchases.
In 1523, Mary was still Henry’s sole heir so teaching began to take a different narrative. Mary was now not only taught the skills to be an efficient mother and wife, but also future sovereign and ruler in her own right, much like her Spanish Grandmother Queen Isabela of Castile. Mary immersed herself in the works of Thomas Moore and Erasmus in addition to the integral components and complexities of Catholicism. She too possessed the religious
zealousness and piousness of both her mother and grandmother before her.
By 1525, King Henry’s lack of dynastic security became ever present, finding himself torn between officially proclaiming Mary as his heir or his bastard son Henry Fitzroy, child of Katherine’s lady in waiting Bessie Blount. The decision was finally made to send the princess to the Welsh Marches, along with her ward Margaret Pole, the Countess of Salisbury and other members of the Tudor court. Her half brother Henry was granted the title of Duke of Richmond. The move was a success as it established a miniature court for Mary, later developing into a small scale government. Though not formally invested, in fear that such proclamation would officially make Mary the sole Tudor heir as opposed to Henry Fitzroy, the Princess began to be referred as the ‘Princess of Wales’.
Success however came with great sadness, particularly for Katherine of Aragon, who despised being separated from her nine year old daughter. Little did she know, this would be one of many instances where they would be apart. Shortly following this in 1527, Mary was recalled back to London in order to confirm her marriage arrangements. She was eleven at the time and though only a year away from cohabitation with a husband, many noted their reservations with the idea, considering her evident petite stature and slim form, worrying that she would not be ready for the physical demands of being a wife and consequent pregnancy and motherhood.
Portrait of Mary I ©️ National Portrait Gallery
At the forefront of Mary’s early adolescence was the growing awareness of her parents decaying relationship. She was twelve years old when the Legatine trial between Katherine and Henry began. Arguably old enough to fully or at least partially understand the overall gravity of the Kings ‘Great Matter’ and its implication for her future. Nevertheless, Mary and Henry’s relationship remained strong, with the princess being insistent on spending time with him. Reports say that despite the widespread knowledge regarding the King’s intentions to annul his marriage with Katherine and relentless pursuit of Anne Boleyn, Mary was still able to spent time with her parents together, however fleeting and intermittent they were. One example being in 1528 when the trio spent a month together in Tittenhanger in order to avoid the sickness which was plaguing the capital. Even Henry’s beloved mistress and future wife Anne almost succumbed to the disease.
Extreme action against Mary in particular would not take place until 1531, when she was officially separated from her mother, banished from seeing Katherine at the King’s request. It is no surprise given the immense emotional distress this must have caused Mary, that the initial reports of serious sickness began to emerge shortly following this. Complaints of agonizing stomach pains and swelling became increasingly frequent upon her return from visiting her mother for a month in March 1531. By 12th July 1531 after seeing Mary at Richmond a month prior, Henry paid £20 for a Dr to investigate Mary’s health. It was concluded that she was experiencing ‘hysteria’.
Perhaps one of the most influential periods in Mary’s life in which caused severe detriment to her health was following the birth of her half sister, and proclaimed heir, Princess Elizabeth in 1533. She was forcefully incorporated into the new princesses’ household and her title of Princess Mary was demoted to ‘the Lady Mary’ despite her defiant protests and refusal to give up both her title and livelihood as princess. It was during this time as ward to her own sister at Hatfield House that the seventeen year old Lady Mary was subject to relentless humiliation ordered by her step mother Anne. No doubt the new Queen saw Mary as a threat to her own survival in fleeting favors of Tudor court. On at least one occasion it was reported that Anne openly mentioned Mary’s death in conversation.
Worried that her presence in public would rile catholic support, Mary was not permitted to walk in the gardens, attend church or public galleries in the house. Her jewels were also confiscated and dirty/old clothes were not replaced. Inside the confines of Hatfield Mary was expected to attend to her infant sister’s needs. Lady Mary refused to call her sister ‘Princess Elizabeth’, avoided overall engagement with any staff, insisting that her meals be brought up to her room. She spent most of her time confined to her room in an attempt to avoid any further ruthless cruelty and bullying from staff. Such isolation and restriction undoubtedly exacerbated her longstanding trauma, melancholia and physiological manifestations including abdominal pain and amenorrhea.
Portrait of Mary I, ©️Wikipedia
By the time Mary succeeded the throne at the age of 37 following the death of her younger brother Edward and execution of Lady Jane Grey, her physical decline became more and more apparent. Multiple traumas, such as the tumultuous emotional neglect from her father, separation and death of her mother Katherine in 1536, subjection to bullying and threats to her life are just some examples. No doubt there were more.
Mary’s psychological and physical deterioration were well documented throughout her adolescence and adulthood. In 1546 at just 30 years old her brother, then King Edward VI noted her being “very ill” from “melancholy”. In 1551 Mary wrote that her health was “more unstable than any that of any creature”. A mere few months after her coronation she was described to have “fallen pray to melancholy and sadness to the point of illness”
Such reports suggest Mary experienced episodes of depression, arguably to an extremity. Though the lack of understanding and tolerance of mental ill health during the Tudor period makes it increasingly difficult to thoroughly comprehend the intricacies and complexities of Mary’s varying mental state throughout her lifetime.
Reports from the day of her wedding in 1554 to Prince Philip of Spain also provide a detailed insight into Mary’s physical wellbeing. Venetian Ambassador Soranzo described the Queen as “not of strong constitution, she suffers from headaches and serious affection of the heart. She is of low stature, with a red and white complexion and very thin. Her eyes are white and large, and her hair reddish. Her face is round with a nose rather low and wide, and were her age not on the decline , she might be called handsome, rather than the contrary, and she had no eyebrows.”.
In February 1558 however, reports suggest Mary’s physical and mental health was improving. Believed to be pregnant, she was good in “mind and body”. Circumstance was certainly looking hopeful for Mary. She appeared to be displaying signs indicative of pregnancy such as “hardened” and “distilled” breasts, a swollen abdomen and amenorrhea. A child in this instance would have been exciting for Mary in her “bloody” pursuit in restoring and retaining Catholicism, with her eldest son inheriting the crowns of Spain and England, thus obtaining immense control over Europe and the Western world.
Who knows what the future for the Tudor dynasty and subsequent royal families would have looked life if Mary’s symptoms were from pregnancy.
However, on 29th October Mary’s presentation began to deteriorate, experiencing increasing periods of deterioration, fever, depression and near loss of vision. Furthermore, similar to 1555, where in which Mary experienced similar symptoms believed to be from pregnancy - there was indeed no child, nor any indication of labor. Less than 20 days later, Mary had succumbed to her illness and died at the age of 42 years old.
Such speculation regarding the cause of Queen Mary pregnancy symptoms and relation to her subsequent death remain with interpretations ranging from fever, phantom pregnancy, strangulation of the womb, ovarian cysts to uterine cancer.
Mary’s evident trauma and subsequent gastrointestinal and gynaecological issues that plagued her throughout her young life and continuously into adulthood could perhaps all be intrinsically linked, though concrete conclusions surrounding this are unlikely. Nevertheless, it leads us to wonder whether if Mary were alive today, how her mental and physical heath issues would be treated and whether earlier acceptance and understanding may have altered or prevented the tragedies in the trajectory of her short life.
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