Which Mary? Who`s Who In The Gcse Elizabethan England Course?

Getting muddled between the two Mary’s in the Elizabethan England GCSE course? Fear not, you’re not alone, this is actually a common misconception students have: they think that Mary, Queen of Scots and Mary Tudor are the same person. However, they are two completely different historical figures who lived in different times and had different roles in the history of England, and a different impact on Elizabethan England.

Mary Tudor

Mary Tudor, also known as “Bloody Mary”, was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. She was half-sister of Elizabeth whose father was also Henry VIII. Mary Tudor was the queen of England from 1553 to 1558. She was a devout Catholic and during her reign, she tried to restore Catholicism in England. Her nickname, “Bloody Mary,” came from her extreme persecution of Protestants in this period, it is thought that she executed around 300 Protestants by burning them at the stake. Not unexpectedly, it was later Protestant’s who gave her this name, whether fairly or not.

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots, on the other hand, was the queen of Scotland (which was a separate country to England) from 1542 to 1567. She was the cousin of Queen Elizabeth I of England and said she was the rightful heir to the throne after Mary Tudor’s death and said Elizabeth was not the legitimate heir. Mary, Queen of Scots was a Catholic. As Elizabeth was a Protestant, many Catholics wanted a Catholic queen on the throne and Mary was a perfect replacement. Therefore, she was involved in several plots to overthrow Elizabeth I and take the English throne. She was a persistent problem for Elizabeth, and as long as she was alive, there was also going to be attempts to assassinate her and give Mary the throne. As a result, Mary, Queen of Scots was eventually executed in 1587 by Elizabeth’s orders. Her execution wasn’t exactly smooth….but that’s a story for another time!

In the context of Early Elizabethan England, the difference between Mary Queen of Scots and Mary Tudor is significant. Mary Tudor was the queen of England before Elizabeth I and her reign was marked by religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants. Elizabeth I, who succeeded Mary Tudor, was a Protestant and she tried to establish religious tolerance in England. Mary Queen of Scots, on the other hand, was a Catholic and she was seen as a threat to Elizabeth I’s reign. Mary was involved in several plots to overthrow Elizabeth I and take the English throne. Her execution was seen as a necessary measure to protect Elizabeth I’s reign.

Mary Queen of Scots and Mary Tudor were two different historical figures who played different roles in the history of England. Want to double check that you have understood it? Have a go at testing yourself on these quick questions (you can scroll down further to check your answers:

1. What religion was Mary Tudor?
2. How was Mary Tudor related to Elizabeth I?
3. What was Mary Tudor’s nickname?
4. What religion was Mary, Queen of Scots?
5. How was Mary, Queen of Scots related to Elizabeth I?
6. What religion was Elizabeth I?
7. Which group of people wanted Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne?
8. What happened to Mary, Queen of Scots?

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1. What religion was Mary Tudor? Catholic
2. How was Mary Tudor related to Elizabeth I? Half sister
3. What was Mary Tudor’s nickname? Bloody Mary
4. What religion was Mary, Queen of Scots? Catholic
5. How was Mary, Queen of Scots related to Elizabeth I? Cousin
6. What religion was Elizabeth I? Protestant
7. Which group of people wanted Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne? Catholics
8. What happened to Mary, Queen of Scots? Executed

If you are a GCSE student and want to learn more about the Tudor period and need help unpicking some of the more complicated parts of knowledge, feel free to get in touch with me as your tutor