Cardinal Reginald Pole, Margaret’s son, papal legate and archbishop of Canterbury. He spent years in exile in Italy when he opposed Henry VIII. In 1554 he restored the English Church to the papacy, ending twenty years of schism.
The Emperor Charles V as a young man. The head of the Habsburg dynasty, Charles V ruled a vast swathe of Europe and the Americas, often through his relatives. Mary viewed him as a father figure after Henry VIII rejected her, but his support for her was often half-hearted and driven by political rather than personal considerations.
The Tudor lady in this miniature by Flemish painter Lavinia Teerlinc has recently been identified by Dr David Starkey as Lady Jane Grey, the cousin chosen by Edward VI in 1553 to inherit his throne.
John Dudley, duke of Northumberland, chief minister of Edward VI in 1553. One of the period’s most enigmatic figures, he and Mary had known each other for many years and their antipathy was palpable. He made a fatal misjudgement when he discounted Mary’s determination to fight for the throne.
A medallion portrait of Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger. Wyatt was a former soldier who became embroiled in an ill-fated attempt to prevent Mary’s marriage to Philip of Spain. The failed rebellion dangerously compromised Elizabeth, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London for two months.
Mary and her husband, King Philip, son of Charles V. After Mary’s death, he recalled with distaste his time as king of England. In this portrait, Mary appears regal and content while Philip looks awkward and rather absurd with his spindly legs.
This superb replica of Queen Mary’s elegant purple and white wedding gown, set with pearls, was made by costume expert Tanya Elliott.
A portrait of Queen Elizabeth dating from around 1560. This is the closest depiction we have of what Elizabeth must have looked like during Mary’s reign. As queen, Mary came to detest Anne Boleyn’s daughter, viewing her as devious and disloyal. Despite being belatedly acknowledged as Mary’s heir, Elizabeth always resented her treatment during her half-sister’s reign.
Simon Renard, Charles V’s ambassador to England during the first three years of Mary’s reign. An energetic man of considerable ability, he did not really understand English politics and his judgement of Mary was often condescending. This portrait captures his charm, intensity and cunning.
A page from the
Queen Mary Atlas
, commissioned by Mary for her husband Philip, by Portuguese cartographer Diego Homen. This map shows the British Isles. The arms of Philip II, on the left, were partially removed during Elizabeth’s reign.
Framlingham Castle in Suffolk, where Mary raised her standard and gathered an army in July 1553. Her triumph was one of the very few successful revolts of the provinces against central authority in English history.