Mary Tudor’s accession in 1553 was greeted with unusual public enthusiasm, but her reputation collapsed within five years, earning her the enduring epithet “Bloody Mary.” Her brief reign re-established Catholicism in England and resulted in the execution of more than 280 Protestants, including leading figures such as Lady Jane Grey, Thomas Cranmer, and Bishops Latimer and Ridley. Phil Carradice examines the political, religious, and personal forces that shaped Mary’s uncompromising policies and the profound—yet tragic—legacy of her rule.
