Mary I: What did 'Bloody Mary' really look like? Facial Reconstructions & History Documentary
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Published 2024-08-03
Mary I, often overshadowed in Tudor history, is known for her short five-year reign between her half-siblings Edward VI and Elizabeth I. Her nickname "Bloody Mary" reflects her religious zeal and the persecution of Protestants during her rule. Born on February 18, 1516, to King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, Mary’s life was marked by her father's disappointment in not having a male heir, leading to a tumultuous childhood and strained family relations.
0:00 Early Life and Education
2:02 'The Lady Mary'
9:32 Reign of Edward VI
12:47 The Reign of Queen Mary I
17:30 What did Mary I look like?
20:38 Facial Reconstructions Revealed
Despite being a girl, Mary was valued as a potential marriage pawn and received a comprehensive education influenced by her mother, Catherine, who ensured that Mary had a strong Catholic upbringing. Her early years were marked by solemnity and intelligence, though overshadowed by the tumultuous marital issues of her parents. Henry’s obsession with securing a male heir led to his break from Catherine and the Catholic Church, establishing the Church of England and declaring Mary illegitimate, which deeply affected her.
Mary faced significant hardships, including being stripped of her title and facing isolation from her mother. The political and religious upheaval during this period, including Henry’s subsequent marriages and the establishment of Protestant reforms, further complicated her life. Mary’s staunch Catholic beliefs often put her at odds with her father and later her brother, Edward VI, who continued Protestant reforms during his reign.
Upon Edward VI’s death in 1553, Mary successfully claimed the throne despite attempts to install Lady Jane Grey. As Queen, Mary sought to reverse her father's and brother's Protestant policies, reinstating Catholic practices and aligning England with the Pope’s authority. Her marriage to Philip of Spain, while politically significant, was unpopular among the English and did not produce an heir, further complicating her rule.
Mary's reign is most remembered for the Marian persecutions, where nearly 300 Protestants were executed, earning her the infamous moniker "Bloody Mary." Her marriage to Philip and the subsequent false pregnancies added personal tragedy to her rule, contributing to her declining health and eventual death on November 17, 1558.
Despite her reign's controversial aspects, Mary I played a pivotal role in the religious and political landscape of England. She was the first woman to rule England independently, setting a precedent for her sister Elizabeth I’s later iconic rule. Mary's reign, although short and troubled, was significant in the Tudor dynasty's history and the broader context of English monarchy and religion.
What did Mary really look like?
We are lucky to have quite a few portraits from Mary’s lifetime, starting when she was very young.
In a Horenbout miniature painted when Mary was six, you can see the qualities that were remarked upon throughout Mary’s youth: That she had golden hair that later darkened to red, with a rosy and smooth complexion similar to that of her mother, Catherine of Aragon, and the blue eyes of her Father Henry. It was frequently remarked that she was very thin and had a delicate build.
French ambassador Marillac said Mary was “In face like her father, especially about the mouth…Her beauty is mediocre.”
The most remarkable and detailed portrait of Mary comes to us from her reign. This 1554 image by Antonis Mor, made from life, is one of the best and most lifelike Tudor portraits I’ve ever seen.
Like her Tudor relatives, Mary understood the importance of portraits for political means. She is painted here with plenty of pomp, and also an admirable amount of authenticity. She doesn’t appear to be artificially glossed over, or smoothed out. She is just herself.
One vanity Mary had was in clothing, and jewels. She liked to dress in the embellished French fashion, which was very decorative, and considered gaudy by the Spanish.
One disapproving Spanish source said: “The Queen is not at all beautiful: she is small, with a white complexion and has no eyebrows. She is a perfect saint and dresses badly.”
A slightly more favorable description of the Queen during this time comes from the Venetian Ambassador Soranzo, who wrote: “Her eyes are white and large…her face is round, with a nose rather low and wide, and were her age not on the decline she might be called handsome.”
I’ve used the lifelike Antonis Mor image for my re-creation, and then also created a younger version of Mary from it as well, which I will be posting soon.
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All Comments (21)
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Thank you all for watching! What did you think of Mary? 👒🔍 Download June’s Journey for free now using my link: woo.ga/e48h3gvy
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It’s actually ironic and quite funny how Henry VIII was insistent on a male heir when both his daughters turned out to be influential women in history.
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Mary’s life was so difficult. It made me happy to see her smile, and I smiled right back! 🧡
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Going by the recreation of young Mary, I’m even more impressed by the portrayal of her in Becoming Elizabeth. Looks just like her.
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I love your story telling, anecdotes, and recreations! The quote from the Spanish about Mary makes me curious to see how you could bring their style of beauty during that time to life. Also, the irony of the bloodshed Mary witnessed at the hands of her father during his life while being celebrated, yet she gets the name “Bloody Mary.” It’s also not lost on me that her sister never married, presumably after witnessing the infamy of her father’s marriages.
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Loved this. I think Mary is underrated. She was smart and loyal to her mother. She suffered so much. If I remember right her father did away with many more people than she did, even it wasn't by fire. She was badly counciled by priests who did not have her best interests at heart. Her mother loved her even if others didn't. Could you do the 6 year old painting of Mary? Thank you for all your tons of hard work. I always learn something new when I watch.
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I remember when you had 10k subs. So happy this channel is getting the recognition you two deserve 👍
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The "today" version makes me heart burst - a happy, strong, beautiful woman reading her book, untroubled by all the difficulties she had in her actual life. Maybe somewhere...
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These are always so emotional to see… truly humanizing. Centuries ago, we can’t see much joy and happiness. I’m so joyous to see the modern interpretation. 💞
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I do think that Mary had a total breakdown after the false pregnancy came to Light. It must’ve been so humiliating for her as the queen. But she was so vulnerable before she even got to that point with the cruelty of her father and the separation from her mother, the fact that she lived in fear for much of her life, the abuse dolled out on her by her stepmother, and those in her employee when she was reduced to the role of lady Mary and caretaker for her younger sister, basically put in the role of a servant. Delegitimized declared a bastard after 20 years of being a princess. so many disappointments. I think she felt insecure in her marriage and then she has this fall phantom pregnancy. I think she lost it and I think that’s when her rage came out and she wanted to get rid of the protestants and she used her strong faith to rationalize it, so she even believed it. But I do feel like you did a very empathic presentation of which I appreciate it, and you also pointed out, and not many people do, that she could’ve quite easily executed her half sister who was her main competitor, and also a protestant, and she struggled with that because she had evidence that Elizabeth might’ve been involved in one of the uprising against her, but she came to the conclusion she did not have enough evidence. It couldn’t be proven, and she wouldn’t do it. And once she reached towards the end of her life, she realized that, Elizabeth was going to follow the line and she didn’t try to stop that like her younger brother did. She had I think good ethics. I think she had a good mind and she thought about things before impulsively acting and she had some empathy for Elizabeth and probably even some attachment. She took on the maternal role in caring for her younger brother and they were quite bonded and close. This is probably the closest thing she ever had to being a mother and I think she greatly longed to be a mother. So when he so vehemently went after the Catholic Church and her, again that sense of betrayal because, they loved each other.
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These reconstructions always give me chills. I feel like I'm face to face with the real people. Thank you for making this possible.
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I think Your work's of the tudor Era is Beutiful. The Face of Queen Mary is so Magnificent. Mary is not Bloodiest as Henry, About 356 (Mary) Vs 500+ (Her Father) I'm still waiting on the Catherine Parr Video. Keep up the Great work Becca and Adndre!😁
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been following you for so long, happy to see channel is thriving
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Every time your videos get better and better. Thank you
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The second reconstruction actually looks very similar to Romola Garai who played Mary in Becoming Elizabeth!
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This is amazing! I'm particularly struck by how much she resembles your recreations of young Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. So impressive (though not surprising, given your incredible work)!
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I love your videos as they add so much of what we wish we knew about how these people would look in real life. Very well done and thank you for producing something well worth our time to watch.
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Thank you so much. The difference in her face when she smiled was incredible! Poor girl/woman, she didn’t really have much to smile about in her life. She had such a difficult , and sad, life, must have been havoc on her emotions and in her attitude to life. I’m reading Allison Weir’s book 📖 on Mary at the moment. Thing that struck me most is how brilliant Elizabeth was. There she was, not yet 3 years old, and questioning the Lords come to see her in full sentences! And full understanding! That bit did make me smile a tad. It’s definitely on ‘Mary’s side’ but written in a way to give understanding about poor Mary and who she was. 🙏🙏🙏👵
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Thank you so much for this. She is my favorite English royal figure next to Margaret Beaufort and no one ever talks about her. Richard III got a history makeover but no one wants to think about Mary and her story and how hard her life was. Thank you for remembering her. And maybe someday we’ll have a good and proper film made about her too, since there’s one about pretty much every Medieval English monarch that existed.
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Wow thank you so much for posting these. I truly enjoy your channel so much! ❤❤
