British Monarchy Part XI

King Charles (I, II, & III)

Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor, the oldest son of the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth II, is now King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He is a constitutional monarch with limited powers.

Monarchs used to have absolute power. The evolution to a constitutional monarch started over 800 years ago with the Magna Carta, which among other clauses, required the King to seek parliamentary approval for new taxes. This series of entries covers the evolution of the British Monarchy.

This post covers Queen Mary, also known as Bloody Mary.

The Nine-Day Queen

King Henry VIII had one son and two daughters from his six wives. An Act of Parliament declared his son the heir, followed by his eldest daughter Mary and then Elizabeth.

Edward was only nine years old when he ascended to the throne. During his reign, England continued its migration away from Catholic practices towards Protestantism. He became terminally ill at age 15. Next in line was Mary, who was Catholic. Concerned that Mary would reverse the English religious reformation, Edward named in his will his cousin Lady Jane Grey as the successor to the crown. Upon Edward’s death in 1553, Jane was proclaimed Queen. However, she was unable to consolidate support. Nine days later, Mary was proclaimed Queen. Lady Jane Grey was convicted of high treason and executed. She was seventeen years old.

Queen Mary I

Mary was the first English Queen. She was in her mid-30s and unmarried when she ascended to the throne. Mary decided to marry a fellow Catholic — King Philip of Spain. Concerned that the King of Spain would also rule as King of England, Parliament passed the ‘Queen Mary Marriage Act.’ This act limited Philip’s powers, allocating more power to Queen Mary. The marriage was not popular. Ironically, King Phillip would later charter the Spanish Armada to conquer England, then ruled by Mary’s successor, Elizabeth I.

Mary worked towards restoring Catholicism. Her first Parliament repealed religious laws supporting Protestant practices (‘The First Statute of Repeal’). Parliament then passed ‘The Second Statute of Repeal,’ further moving the country back to Catholicism by restoring relationships with the Pope in Rome.

Mary had many Protestants tried for heresy, with over 280 men and women burned at the stake, earning the name ‘Bloody Mary.’ Although this is unfair — British Monarchs, both before and after, murdered many.

Mary created a significant precedent—the ability and recognition of a female ruler. But she died childless at age 42, leaving her half-sister, Elizabeth, as heir to the throne. Mary’s reign lasted only five years.

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

British Protestant John Foxe wrote this book in 1563 describing the suffering of Protestants, including accounts of Queen Mary’s treatment of them. Describing her ascent to the throne, the book states: “Mary, speedily commenced the execution of her avowed intention of extirpating and burning every Protestant.” The book includes a long list of people executed during Mary’s reign. He may have been the first to call her ‘Bloody Mary.’ The book influenced opinion in the country supporting the development of the Anglican Church and increasing anti-Catholic sentiment.

The Bloody Mary Cocktail

The Bloody Mary contains vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and other spices. Was this cocktail named after Queen Mary I? Bloody Mary cocktails are known for their elaborate garnishes.

There are several competing claims regarding the invention of the drink. The most common theory is that  Harry’s New York Bar, located in Paris, invented the Bloody Mary along with the Side Car and the French 75 in the 1920s.

But why call it a ‘Bloody Mary.?’ One theory is a patron named in honor of his favorite waitress, Mary, at a nightclub called Bucket of Blood. The bartender at Harry’s supports this story regarding the name. Another speculation is a woman named Mary spilled the drink on a white evening gown. She then exclaimed that she could be called Bloody Mary.

In 1955, Smirnoff ran an ad with an entertainer named George Jessel, claiming the invention of the drink. The ad’s text reads, “I think I invented the Bloody Mary, Red Snapper, Tomato Pickup, or Morning Glory. It happened on a Night before a Day, and I felt I should take some good nourishing tomato juice, but what I really wanted was some of your good Smirnoff Vodka. So I mixed them together…”

Whatever the truth, it seems unlikely that a drink created in the 1900s would be named after a British Monarch from the 1500s.

In our next post, we will cover the reign of Queen Mary’s half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I.