Mary I biography timeline

Birth of Mary Tudor daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon

Mary is baptized soon after her birth at Greenwich

Mary Tudor is baptised at Greenwich soon after her birth.

Mary is recognized as Henry VIII's surviving legitimate child

Is betrothed by treaty to the infant French Dauphin Francis as part of the wider Anglo-French settlement.

Princess Mary is formally betrothed by proxy to Francis, Dauphin of France, as part of the Anglo-French peace settlement.

Is formally betrothed by proxy to Francis, Dauphin of France, as part of the Anglo-French settlement.

Two year old Mary is promised to Francis the Dauphin of France

Mary's proposed marriage to the French dauphin is used to support Anglo French peace

Discussions begin about marrying Princess Mary to her cousin Emperor Charles V

Mary is betrothed to Emperor Charles V as part of Tudor Habsburg diplomacy

Mary meets Charles V during his visit to England

Mary is sent to Ludlow with a household associated with the Council of the Marches

Mary presides ceremonially over a princely household in the Welsh Marches

Mary is considered in renewed French marriage diplomacy

Earlier plans for Mary's French marriage lapse as Henry VIII pursues annulment

Henry VIII's annulment proceedings threaten Mary's dynastic position

Mary is separated from Catherine of Aragon as Henry pressures the royal household

Mary refuses pressure to accept Anne Boleyn as queen

Mary is no longer heir presumptive after the birth of Elizabeth

Mary's status is reduced after Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine is declared invalid

Mary is placed in the household of the infant Princess Elizabeth

Mary suffers illness and isolation while separated from her mother

Mary's mother Catherine of Aragon dies while Mary remains out of favour

Anne Boleyn's execution changes Mary's prospects at court

Mary is pressured to accept that her parents marriage was invalid

Mary is forced to acknowledge her illegitimacy and submit to Henry VIII

Mary is reconciled with Henry VIII after signing the required submission

Third Succession Act restores Mary to the succession after Edward

Mary is included among potential heirs under Henry VIII's later succession arrangements

Mary becomes heir presumptive after Edward VI under Henry VIII's settlement

Henry VIII dies and Edward VI succeeds before Mary

Mary maintains Catholic worship in her household despite Protestant reform

Mary refuses to conform to the new English prayer book prepared under Edward VI

Edward VI's council pressures Mary to abandon private Mass

Mary relies on imperial support to protect her Catholic worship

Mary is summoned before Edward VI's council over religious nonconformity

Mary defends her right to hear Mass despite Edwardian religious policy

Mary continues Catholic worship despite pressure from Edward VI's government

Charles V warns England over Mary's right to practise Catholicism

Mary remains opposed to further Protestant liturgical reform

Edward VI's succession device excludes Mary and Elizabeth from the throne

Mary and Elizabeth are excluded by Edward VI's device for the succession

Edward VI's illness makes Mary's succession politically urgent

Mary leaves Hunsdon for Kenninghall to avoid Northumberland's control

Mary escapes Northumberland's control and rallies support in East Anglia

Mary writes to the council asserting her rightful claim to the throne

Nicholas Ridley supports Jane Grey's claim and attacks Mary's legitimacy

Mary rallies supporters in East Anglia against the Jane Grey regime

Northumberland leads troops against Mary but support for him collapses

Ships sent against Mary mutiny and the succession crisis turns in her favour

Privy councillors at Baynard Castle abandon Jane Grey and proclaim Mary queen

Privy Council submits to Mary after abandoning Jane Grey

Mary is declared Queen in London after support for Jane Grey collapses

Jane Grey's nine day regime ends when Mary is proclaimed queen

Mary is proclaimed queen after support for Jane Grey collapses

Mary raises an army at Framlingham Castle after Jane Grey is proclaimed

Mary enters London in triumph with Elizabeth beside her

Mary enters London in triumph to claim the throne

Mary permits Edward VI a Protestant funeral while maintaining Catholic worship

Mary attends a private Catholic Mass for Edward VI in the Tower

Mary begins restoring Catholic worship after entering London as queen.

John Dudley Duke of Northumberland is executed after the succession crisis

Edmund Bonner is restored to the bishopric of London.

George Day is restored as Bishop of Chichester.

Mary's government begins removing leading Protestant bishops.

Stephen Gardiner returns to power as Mary's lord chancellor.

Nicholas Heath is restored to episcopal authority under Mary.

Mary's government issues proclamations securing the new reign

Cuthbert Tunstall is restored as Bishop of Durham.

Thomas Cranmer is summoned as Mary reverses Edwardian religion.

The Mass is restored at court during Mary’s first months.

Edwardian religious injunctions are suspended as Catholic worship returns.

Mary is crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey

Mary's first parliament opens after her coronation

Mary’s first parliament opens and begins undoing Edwardian reforms.

Mary restores the honour of Catherine of Aragon by parliamentary action

Catholic bishops regain influence in Mary’s religious government.

The Edwardian prayer book loses authority under Mary’s restoration.

Parliament repeals Edwardian religious legislation from the previous reign.

Gardiner steers Mary’s first parliament toward Catholic restoration.

Latin services begin returning in churches loyal to Mary.

Married clergy face pressure as Catholic discipline is restored.

Mass is restored as Mary's government reverses Edwardian religious policy

Parliament declares the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon valid

Mary begins reversing Edwardian Protestant reforms after her accession

Parliament begins repealing Edwardian religious legislation.

Mary’s government prepares to reverse royal supremacy over the church.

Parliamentary delegation asks Mary to choose an English husband

Cranmer is imprisoned as the Catholic restoration gathers force.

Protestant preaching is restricted as Catholic policy advances.

Considers a Spanish marriage to Philip, alarming Protestant and anti-Spanish nobles.

Elizabeth remains politically watched during Mary's early reign

St Albans receives a charter during Mary's reign

Orders action against suspected conspirators as the plot becomes known.

Faces the Kentish rising as Wyatt raises his standard of revolt.

Refuses to flee London despite news of Wyatt's advance.

Mary’s proposed Spanish marriage is defended as Catholic policy continues.

Rallies London with a speech defending her crown and marriage plans.

Rallies London against Wyatt with a speech at the Guildhall.

Her supporters hold London Bridge against Wyatt's army.

Her supporters hold London Bridge against Wyatt's rebels.

Prevents Wyatt's rebels from entering the City through Southwark.

Keeps London loyal as Wyatt reaches the city with rebel forces.

Resists Wyatt's rising against her proposed marriage to Philip of Spain.

Survives the rebellion and keeps control of the capital.

Thomas Wyatt reaches London but is defeated

The defeat of Wyatt strengthens Mary’s authority to continue restoration.

Jane Grey is executed after rebellion renews fears over Protestant succession.

Authorises Lady Jane Grey's execution after Wyatt's rebellion.

Elizabeth is investigated while Mary defends the Catholic settlement.

Orders Elizabeth imprisoned during the investigation.

Orders the execution of Thomas Wyatt after the rebellion fails.

Parliament accepts marriage terms limiting Philip's independent authority in England

Mary’s marriage settlement with Philip supports Catholic diplomacy.

Elizabeth leaves the Tower and is placed under guard

Mary's government sends Elizabeth to house arrest at Woodstock

Philip arrives in England before marriage to Mary.

Philip of Spain lands in England before marrying Mary

Mary's marriage settlement limits Philip's authority and prevents his independent coronation

Mary marries Philip of Spain at Winchester Cathedral

Mary marries Philip of Spain, strengthening England’s Catholic alliance.

Philip receives the style of king during Mary's lifetime under the marriage treaty

Marries Philip after the rebellion has been suppressed.

Mary and Philip enter London after their marriage

Parliament repeals Cardinal Pole’s attainder before reconciliation with Rome.

Cardinal Pole returns to England as papal legate.

Pole presents his legatine authority before Mary’s parliament.

Mary accepts that former monastic lands will not be restored to the church.

Parliament accepts reconciliation with Rome and papal authority.

England is formally reconciled with Rome under Mary's government

England is formally reconciled with the papacy under Mary's parliament.

The old heresy laws are revived as Catholic orthodoxy is enforced.

Parliament restores medieval heresy laws under Mary's Catholic settlement.

Parliament reverses Henrician religious legislation and restores papal obedience.

Philip considers Elizabeth's importance if Mary dies childless

Faces Wyatt's rebellion against her marriage to Philip of Spain.

Uses the rebellion's defeat to strengthen her authority.

Orders Elizabeth detained while links to Wyatt's rebellion are investigated.

John Rogers is burned, beginning the Marian persecution of Protestants.

John Rogers is burned as the first Protestant martyr under Mary's restored heresy laws

John Hooper is burned after refusing to recant Protestant beliefs.

John Hooper is burned for heresy during Mary's reign

Rowland Taylor is burned during the Marian persecutions

Rowland Taylor is burned during enforcement of restored heresy laws.

Protestant burnings begin as Mary's government restores Catholic religious policy

Robert Ferrar is burned as Marian persecution reaches Wales.

Brings Elizabeth to Hampton Court where she is secluded but politically important

Mary brings Elizabeth from Woodstock to Hampton Court during the pregnancy crisis

Rumours spread that Mary has given birth but her pregnancy proves false

Mary's expected child does not arrive and the succession remains unsettled

Mary's first expected pregnancy proves false and the succession remains unresolved

Hugh Latimer is tried for heresy under the Catholic restoration.

Nicholas Ridley is tried for heresy under Mary’s restored Catholic order.

Nicholas Ridley is burned at Oxford for Protestant beliefs

Hugh Latimer is burned alongside Ridley at Oxford.

Hugh Latimer is burned with Nicholas Ridley at Oxford

Nicholas Ridley is burned for heresy at Oxford.

Places Elizabeth under the more congenial guardianship of Thomas Pope at Hatfield

Mary allows Elizabeth to move to Hatfield under Sir Thomas Pope's supervision

Thomas Cranmer is deprived of the see of Canterbury.

Pole is made administrator of Canterbury after Cranmer’s deprivation.

Supporters discuss crowning Philip as king but the proposal faces resistance

Episcopal visitations enforce Catholic worship and clerical discipline.

Mary becomes queen consort of Spain when Philip succeeds Charles V

A plot against Mary is betrayed to Cardinal Pole and conspirators are arrested

Reginald Pole is ordained priest before becoming archbishop.

Thomas Cranmer is burned after rejecting his earlier recantations.

Thomas Cranmer is burned after renouncing his earlier recantations

Thomas Cranmer is burned for heresy during Mary's reign

Reginald Pole is consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury after Cranmer is deprived.

Pole is consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury.

A failed conspiracy seeks to replace Mary with Elizabeth

Government uncovers a conspiracy linked to Henry Dudley and other opponents of Mary's regime

Mary's government suppresses the Dudley conspiracy against the regime

Conspirators linked to Henry Dudley are imprisoned in the Tower

Elizabeth's servants and supporters are investigated after the Dudley conspiracy

Pole’s synod promotes clerical reform and Catholic teaching.

Mary summons Elizabeth to court over a proposed marriage to Emmanuel Philibert

Mary sends Elizabeth back to Hatfield after she refuses a Savoy marriage proposal

Mary commits England to war against France in alliance with Spain

Mary declares war on France in support of Philip of Spain

Philip II persuades Mary to support Spain by declaring war on France

Mary declares war on France in alliance with Philip II of Spain

Philip leaves England after securing English entry into the war

Philip II leaves England and does not return before Mary's death

English troops support Spanish operations against France

Calais becomes vulnerable as French forces prepare a winter attack

Mary’s church promotes Catholic instruction through parish clergy.

Pole’s programme stresses residence, preaching and clerical standards.

French forces open the campaign that leads to the fall of Calais

The last English possession on the French mainland is lost during Mary's reign

Calais falls and England loses its last mainland French stronghold

French forces capture Calais the last major English possession on the French mainland

The last major English possession on French soil is taken by the French

French forces capture Calais during Mary's final year

French forces take Calais from England

Calais falls to French forces during Mary's final year

England loses Calais to French forces during Mary's reign

English rule of Calais ends when French forces take the town

The last major English possession on French soil is lost

English rule of Calais ends after more than two centuries

Calais is surrendered to French forces

Calais falls to France after a rapid winter campaign

French forces capture Guisnes after Calais falls

Guisnes falls after the loss of Calais

Mary's government attempts to respond as French forces attack Calais

Mary again believes herself pregnant but no child is born

Mary again believes she is pregnant but no child is born

Mary's second suspected pregnancy proves false and succession anxiety grows

Mary's second expected pregnancy proves false and succession anxiety increases

Mary's councillors prepare for Elizabeth's succession as Mary's illness worsens

Mary's health worsens as councillors prepare for succession

Mary's health declines sharply in the final months of her reign

Mary accepts Elizabeth as successor under pressure from her councillors

Mary recognizes Elizabeth as successor under pressure from her councillors

Under pressure from councillors Mary recognizes Elizabeth as her successor

Rumours of Mary's death spread before the official announcement

Later tradition links Mary's deathbed grief with the loss of Calais

Later tradition links Mary's deathbed sorrow with the loss of Calais

Mary dies and the Catholic restoration soon gives way to Elizabeth’s settlement.

Death of Mary I at St James Palace

Mary I dies and Elizabeth succeeds to the throne

Mary dies and Elizabeth succeeds to the English throne

Mary dies at St James Palace after a reign of five years

Mary dies at St James Palace and her reign ends

Mary's death ends the burnings of Protestants carried out during her reign

Mary's death ends the burnings of Protestants under her regime

Mary's reign ends with Calais remembered as a severe political loss

After Mary I dies the French court backs Mary Queen of Scots claim to England and Ireland

Mary accepts arrangements that allow Elizabeth to succeed peacefully

Mary continues war against France on the side of Spain and Philip II

Mary mistakenly believes herself to be pregnant during her final year

Mary accepts Pole’s suspension as papal legate during conflict with Rome.

Mary's war against France continues after the loss of Calais