| Which Tudor Queen Are You? - Quiz |
| Fun with women's history |
You are: half Mary, Queen of Scots, and half Catherine of Aragon
In a time of conflict between Protestants and Catholics, both Mary and Catherine chose to remain loyal to the Roman Catholic church.
Mary, Queen of Scots, was first betrothed to the Dauphin of France, who died shortly after their marriage and his ascension to the throne. She returned to Scotland, where her mother had been regent for her, and assumed the throne. But her short reign was troubled: Catholics versus Protestants struggling for the throne, and a pretty messy love life: her second husband was murdered, and then she was kidnapped by and married the man widely blamed for the murder. Mary was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I of England, and she was assumed by many to be next in line for the crown. Thus, she was a threat to Queen Elizabeth, who eventually had her executed. Mary's motto was "In My End Is My Beginning."
Catherine of Aragon was the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Spain and her husband and co-ruler, King Ferdinand. Promised in marriage to the heir to the Tudor throne, prince Arthur, she married Arthur's brother Henry after Arthur died. Her failure to have sons meant Henry looked elsewhere for a wife. He broke from the Church of Rome in order to end his marriage to Catherine, who continued her own devotion to Catholicism and passed that commitment on to her daughter, the future Queen Mary I ("Bloody Mary"). Her motto was "Humble and Loyal."
Learn more about Catherine of Aragon and Mary, Queen of Scots:
- About Mary I of England
- Isabella I of Spain
- Mary, Queen of Scots
- Queen Elizabeth I of England
- Tudor Queens, Women of Tudor England
- Medieval and Renaissance Women Rulers
- British Women's History
Picture adapted from a public domain image, modifications © 2004 Jone Johnson Lewis. Licensed to About.com.
