Though she comes down in history with the moniker "Bloody," Mary Tudor's life encompassed a great deal more than her unfortunate stand on treatment of Christian Protestants.

To begin, she was born and grew to majority during a time of great tumult in her country. Her mother, Catherine of Aragon, was the youngest daughter of the legendary King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, and Columbus fame. Her father was "Great Harry," the larger-than-life King Henry VIII. She was the only surviving child of Henry's first marriage.

Producing a male heir was an important consideration no matter the circumstances, but in Henry's case, it was especially crucial, since England was still suffering from the pangs and losses of a civil war. A crown prince was exactly what Henry needed to firmly establish the Tudor dynasty. Unfortunately, Henry and Catherine produced only weak or stillborn males, and both parents despaired of the situation.

However, Mary was not rejected in the least. Indeed, she was doted upon by both parents and the entire court. Her early childhood was a happy one. When Henry's eye was drawn to one of his wife's ladies-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn, he attempted to seduce her as he had innumerable mistresses. Anne was unwilling to, as she put it, be his "whore," and so held out for a greater prize. She tempted Henry with the idea that with her youth and health she could bear him many sons; but, never outside of marriage. Anne also began to instruct Henry in Protestant doctrine, eventually convincing him that divorcing Catherine was the only moral and dynastic thing to do. Then he would be free to marry and have sons with another woman (naturally, Anne herself).

Thus began years of legal wrangling, fierce argument, trickery, and abuse directed at Catherine, and in some ways, at her daughter, Mary. Mary was an adolescent by now, and such experiences informed her adult thinking. By the time the matter was resolved; Henry had broken from the Catholic Church and established himself as head of the new Church of England. Mary was declared illegitimate and stripped of her title. For many years she was known simply as the Lady Mary.

When Anne Boleyn gave birth to Elizabeth, Mary was ordered to serve in the infant's household, attending the new Princess Elizabeth. Mary was permanently barred from her mother, who died broken-hearted and alone but for a handful of loyal attendants. Mary appeared in court from time to time, along with Elizabeth, who was also quickly demoted to the status of bastard. Their father had married again and this time produced a male heir. At this point the two girls were brought to court for special occasions and were able to observe some of the embarrassing wranglings of their father, the king, and his quest for ever more brides.

During this time of upheaval, Mary became very ill, perhaps as a result of severe emotional distress. Henry became concerned and sent his own doctors to tend her. His sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr, served as a loving stepmother to all three of Henry's children. As Henry's health deteriorated, he wrote a will designating Edward as his heir, with Mary to follow him if the prince died without issue. Elizabeth was also included in the succession, should both Edward and Mary die childless. And this is exactly what happened, much later.

When Henry died and Edward came to the throne, he was only nine years old. Mary tried to insist he return England to the Roman church, but the boy refused, and he and his sister continued to argue theological matters the rest of his brief life. Within a few years Edward was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Worried that Mary would return England to the Catholic Church, Edward gathered his wisest and most powerful advisors. A plot was hatched to put the Protestant Lady Jane Grey (whose grandmother was Henry VIII's sister) on the throne. Apparently Edward supported the idea and agreed to leave the crown to his cousin Jane. Upon Edward's death, those plotting against Mary attempted to trick her into traveling to London, where they planned to put her in the Tower. She avoided capture and was able to rally a sizeable army. She also had overwhelming support from the English people. Mary's supporters were victorious and she took her rightful place on the throne as Queen Mary I. Those who had plotted against her -- even the naive and innocent Jane Grey -- were executed on Mary's orders.

One of Mary's first acts was to proclaim her parent's marriage valid and legal. She then began searching for a husband, as she wanted to make sure to have a child in order to ensure the new Catholic succession. She finally settled on Prince Philip of Spain, though he was not favored by the English people. Indeed, it is considerably doubtful that Philip was enthralled with the idea.

Mary was now middle-aged. However, the couple appeared to get along well. All during this time and afterwards, plots were in the air to put the Protestant Elizabeth on the throne. Mary had to fight battles on a great many fronts just to keep royal body and soul together. She and Philip married in July 1554. By September, her physician announced that she was pregnant. Indeed, as the months passed she displayed symptoms of pregnancy, including morning sickness and a swollen belly. Alas, as more months passed and no child was born, Mary began to experience great emotional distress. Added to her stress was her insistence on enforcing cruel, medieval heresy laws against anyone opposing a return to Catholic worship. As to her medical condition, she may well have experienced what is known as a "phantom pregnancy," a psychological condition resulting from an obsession with having a child. She might have actually been pregnant and had a miscarriage. However, a year later there was still no baby and the signs she displayed disappeared.

No one was allowed to mention the subject of her pregnancy in her presence. The following year, when Mary was forty-two, she claimed pregnancy once again. It turned out that Mary likely was suffering from uterine cancer. Still expecting a child, she had a will drawn up, but did not specifically name Elizabeth. Her health began to deteriorate after this, and in November 1558, she lapsed into unconsciousness. She awakened intermittently during the Mass held in her chamber. Upon Mary's death, her sister Elizabeth assumed the throne. Refusing to bear a grudge, she provided her sister with a royal funeral and buried her in Westminster Abbey.