Mary & Elizabeth: Two Sisters, One Crown

On November 17th, 1558, the death of Queen Mary I brought an end to a dramatic chapter in England’s history. Her passing not only marked the conclusion of England’s first experiment with a ruling queen but also set the stage for one of its most celebrated reigns: that of Elizabeth I. The two half-sisters, daughters of King Henry VIII, shared a bond defined as much by their royal blood as by the religious and political turmoil that divided them. Their relationship was shaped by mutual distrust, rivalry, and fleeting moments of familial affection, culminating in the fateful day when Elizabeth succeeded Mary as queen.

Mary Tudor, born in 1516, was the only surviving child of Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Raised as a devout Catholic, Mary was deeply influenced by her mother’s piety and her royal lineage tied to Spain. When Henry VIII divorced Catherine in pursuit of Anne Boleyn, the young Mary’s life was upended. Stripped of her title as princess, declared illegitimate, and separated from her mother, Mary spent her adolescence in isolation and humiliation.

Elizabeth’s birth in 1533 to Anne Boleyn initially displaced Mary further. Anne’s efforts to assert Elizabeth as the legitimate heir only deepened the rift between the sisters. Despite this, Elizabeth’s fall from favour following her mother’s execution in 1536 momentarily softened the dynamic between the sisters. Both now found themselves declared illegitimate under English law and marginalised within their father’s court. However, their bond remained tenuous, as Mary’s Catholicism and Elizabeth’s Protestant upbringing ensured their futures would diverge.

Mary’s ascension to the throne in 1553 was a dramatic reversal of fortune. Following the death of their younger brother, Edward VI, the Protestant faction in England attempted to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne. Mary, with considerable public support, successfully claimed her right to rule, becoming England’s first queen regnant. Her triumph was not just a personal victory but also a political and religious one, as she sought to restore Catholicism after years of Protestant reform.

Her reign, however, quickly became controversial. Determined to return England to the Catholic fold, Mary married Philip II of Spain, a union deeply unpopular with her subjects. The marriage produced no children, and Philip spent much of their marriage abroad, leaving Mary increasingly isolated. Her persecution of Protestants, which earned her the enduring nickname “Bloody Mary,” alienated large swathes of her kingdom. By the final year of her reign, her health was failing, and her political support had waned. The loss of Calais, England’s last continental possession, in early 1558 further eroded her prestige.

Throughout Mary’s reign, Elizabeth’s position at court was fraught with uncertainty. As a Protestant and the daughter of Anne Boleyn, she was a constant reminder of England’s Reformation. Mary, deeply distrustful of her sister, suspected Elizabeth of harbouring ambitions for the throne. These fears came to a head during Wyatt’s Rebellion in 1554, a Protestant uprising that sought to dethrone Mary and place Elizabeth on the throne. Although Elizabeth denied involvement, she was imprisoned in the Tower of London for two months and later placed under house arrest at Woodstock. These experiences left Elizabeth wary of her sister and deeply cautious in her political dealings.

Despite their strained relationship, Elizabeth remained Mary’s heir under the terms of Henry VIII’s Act of Succession. Mary, childless and increasingly unwell, had little choice but to accept Elizabeth’s eventual ascension. By the autumn of 1558, Mary’s health had deteriorated significantly. She likely suffered from uterine or ovarian cancer, though other theories suggest she may have succumbed to influenza or complications related to her phantom pregnancies—episodes where she believed herself to be with child but was not.

As Mary’s condition worsened, her court prepared for the inevitable transition of power. Reports from her final days describe her as frail and wracked with pain. Despite her declining health, Mary clung to her vision of a Catholic England and sought assurances that Elizabeth would not undo her work. She attempted to extract promises from Elizabeth to maintain Catholicism, but Elizabeth, ever pragmatic, avoided making binding commitments.

Mary’s death on November 17th, 1558, occurred at St. James’s Palace in London. She was surrounded by loyal attendants, including her cousin Cardinal Reginald Pole, who himself died the same day. Her final moments were reportedly peaceful, but her death marked the collapse of her religious ambitions. Elizabeth, waiting at Hatfield House, was informed of her sister’s passing shortly thereafter. She is said to have remarked, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes,” quoting the Psalms.

Elizabeth’s succession was greeted with relief by many, particularly Protestants who had suffered under Mary’s reign. Her coronation in January 1559 symbolised a new beginning for England, and she quickly moved to establish Protestantism as the national faith through the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. Mary’s efforts to restore Catholicism were systematically dismantled, and her reign was reframed as a cautionary tale of religious zeal.

Despite their differences, Elizabeth reportedly ordered an elaborate funeral for Mary, honouring her as a former queen of England. Mary was interred in Westminster Abbey in a tomb later shared with Elizabeth. The Latin inscription on their shared tomb reads, “Consorts in realm and tomb, here we sleep, Elizabeth and Mary, sisters, in hope of resurrection.”

The story of Mary and Elizabeth is one of contrasts: one deeply Catholic, the other Protestant; one remembered for her failures, the other celebrated for her successes. Yet their intertwined fates shaped the course of English history. Mary’s tragic reign, marked by her unyielding devotion to her faith and her inability to produce an heir, paved the way for Elizabeth’s celebrated era of cultural and political flourishing.

In death, as in life, the two sisters remain a study in contrasts. Mary’s reputation as “Bloody Mary” has overshadowed her achievements, including her role as England’s first queen regnant and her determination to assert female sovereignty. Elizabeth, by contrast, is remembered as a golden monarch, her reign a symbol of stability and prosperity.