Expert: Mark Smith - 10/19/2006

Question
I'm doing a report on Mary Tudor.

How does Mary's rule of England affect British culture in our modern world?

Her contributions for a catholic church was mostly overturned by Elizabeth and later Angelican Monarchs. Her being a woman was not very influencial because Elizabeth was already predestined as the sucessor by Henry VIII. Heretical killings were already frequent and of large scale in those days. I really can't think of her lasting effects especially since she only reigned for 3 and 1/2 years.

I have check many websites that talk about her life and her relationship with the English people, but what effects did she really have on England in the long run and popular British culture etc...

thank  you...

Answer
Hello Starry.
I wouldn't say there were any lasting legacies of Mary Tudor today, as you said her reign was too short. But her legacy did continue for many years after her death in the form of an irrational fear of Catholicism. It was there throughout Elizabeth I's and James I's reigns and grew under Charles I who was seen by some as slowly pushing the country back towards Rome. The Civil War was one of the results of this fear. The situation got worse under Charles II when the Protestant heirachy used the spectre of a Catholic revival to pass a number of stringent anti-Catholic laws. It wasn't until the latter half of the 18th century that Catholics were granted some freedoms and only in 1829 were they given the vote. Even today Mary I comes out near the top in surveys of the most hated person in British history. Had she not reigned I doubt if the fear of Catholicism would have been as strong or lasted as long as it did.
Mark