Royal Behavior and "Bloody Mary"

This post was kindly contributed by cast member Kirstie Newman. 

Royal Behavior and “Bloody Mary”

Mary I of England was born February 18, 1516, and reigned as Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 until November 17, 1558, when she died. She was known best for her Roman Catholic restoration and having over 280 Protestant and religious dissenters burned at the stake, which earned her the loving nickname of “Bloody Mary.” AND THIS WAS ALL ONLY IN A 5 YEAR REIGN. It should be noted that she was the only child of King Henry and Catherine of Aragon to survive infancy. Her mother had countless miscarriages, 4 stillborn daughters and 3 stillborn sons, which adds a spooky layer of drama. Maybe Queen Mary was the ONLY child and sabotaged others in the womb! (Note: not factual, just speculation and imagination.)

Mary I of England

Royal behavior, as a topic, is a bit broad, and attempting to research in this area yielded mostly results of how one is to act while in the presence of royals. I did, however learn about the ruthlessness of Queen Mary I and the incest that is ever-present in most royal bloodlines, which was fascinating. For reasons of diplomacy and “keeping the bloodline clean,” many royal families intermarried, resulting in deformities from inbreeding. The most notable cases are “The Habsburg Jaw” from King Charles II of Spain, and the long line of hemophilia beginning with England’s Queen Victoria. 

King Charles II of Spain