In this first of a two-part series on “Unveiling the Psychological Impact of Henry VIII’s Reign on His Daughters”, I’m unravelling the complex relationship between Henry VIII and his eldest daughter, Mary.
How did the tumultuous events and decisions of her father shape her life and reign? And what about her upbringing and the ill-treatment she received in her adolescence?
Join me as I delve into Mary I’s story…
I think Mary was definitely affected by Henry’s treatment of her. Unfortunately, I think it was the lasting effects of this that caused her later life to be so tragic. It’s a shame that so many only see her as “Bloody Mary.” She is one of the more tragic figures in the Tudor era.
She is undoubtedly one of Englands saddest monarchs and I feel her fathers treatment of her did make her less forgiving less merciful and even more an ardent Catholic than she already was, wether this caused her persecution of the Protestants is something we will never know, as she lived so long ago but she did cause a lot of suffering when she implemented the heresy laws, she had seen her beloved country go through religious turmoil and was determined to turn it back to the Catholic faith she had known in her youth, the religion which was according to her the only true religion, that she suffered from depression from when she learnt at a young age her father was seeking to dispose of her mother is very likely, and she was after all coming up to puberty with all the emotional effect that brings, yes she did have both parents as an example of when to follow one’s conscience, but in doing so and vehemently siding with her mother, she alienated her father, and he was the one with all the power, she was ordered not to meet with her mother was bastardised and sent to her baby sisters household to pay homage to her as the princess of the realm, all this led to more illnesses brought on by psychological trauma, today such an unhappy girl would seek a counsellor and have anti depressants and these would help, but she was a figure of a brutal age where children had to tow the line, depression stress and other mental ailments were not recognised, and her father was the king she was in a sense by defying him committing treason, Mary had her strength from god same as her saintly mother, but in the real world it was her father who held all the aces, when she came to the throne she was merciful to members of her council who had sided with Jane Grey, and yes she was merciful to the Dudley brothers and Janes parents, so she was not intent on the blood lust which later characterised her reign, only after Wyatts rebellion were these traitors executed, John Dudley the ringleader had already been executed he was responsible for coercing the young king Edward to change his will, in short we will never know how much of Henry V111’s behaviour towards fis eldest daughter affected her personality but I do believe it made her more cynical and more stoic because of it.