Expert: Mark Smith - 8/6/2011

Question
how could have the birth of a son to Mary I shaped the history of Great Britain?

Answer
Hello.
Any son born to Mary Tudor and Philip of Spain would have been baptized and brought up a Catholic and would have become King of England and Spain (Philip already had a son from his first marriage, but he died in 1568, so any son born by Mary would have become King of both countries, England in 1558 and Spain in 1598). This would have meant the union of the two countries thus creating a powerful Catholic force in Europe. The Protestant Reformation would have been reversed in England. All this is conjecture of course, but the Reformation, if it wasn't reversed would have certainly have been delayed by several decades.
Mark