Mary Tudor, the First Sovereign Queen of England: The Politics of Blood, Gender, Law, and Religion in the 1500s

This chapter explores the events surrounding the contested succession to the English throne in 1553. That summer, 15-year-old King Edward VI lay dying of a pulmonary infection. Edward, a Protestant, had worked to reform the English church according to Calvinist principles. As his condition worsened, he worried that his Protestant reforms would be overturned if he allowed his Catholic sister Mary to inherit the throne. Although Edward’s father Henry VIII had placed Mary second in line to Edward, the king and his advisers came up with a plan to declare her ineligible, and instead give the crown to his Protestant cousin Jane Grey. The Duke of Northumberland, Edward’s main adviser and Jane’s father-in-law, led the efforts after Edward’s death, and most assumed he would succeed. Few expected much from Mary, as she had constantly been on the defensive during Edward’s reign, and because as a single woman she was not expected to be able to lead efficiently. However, Mary surprised even experienced politicians and foreign observers by taking a swift and decisive stance. In the end, she succeeded, becoming the first woman to ever rule England. Her story yields a number of leadership insights.