Mary I of England (aka Mary Tudor aka 💀 Bloody Mary 💀) has officially arrived at Queens Podcast! After ten seasons of Queens Podcast, we’ve already covered a LOT of the people and drama that shaped Mary’s life — her mother, her father’s many wives, her friends, her enemies, and the general Tudor fuckery of it all.
Is this required reading? Absolutely not. There will be no quiz. But if you’d like to brush up before diving into our Mary I series, consider this your unofficial prerequisite course list.
(This list features Isabella of Castile, Elizabeth of York, Empress Matilda, Catherine of Aragon, Margaret Pole, Anne Boleyn, all the other wives of Henry VIII, Juana of Castile and The Lady Jane Grey)
📚 Prerequisite #1: Isabella of Castile
Why this course is required: Before there was Catherine of Aragon, there was her formidable mother, Isabella of Castile — aka Mary I’s grandmother. Isabella helped shape the intensely Catholic world Catherine grew up in, which Catherine would, in turn, pass down to Mary.
Isabella is also the reason that Catherine of Aragon saw no issue with Mary one day being a queen in her own right.
🎧 Listen: Isabella of Castile, Parts 1 & 2
📚 Prerequisite #2: Elizabeth of York
Why this course is required: We’ve met Mary’s maternal grandmother, so now it’s time for Dad’s side of the family. Elizabeth of York was Mary’s paternal grandmother, the wife of Henry VII, and the mother of Henry VIII.
Her marriage helped bring the Wars of the Roses to an end and created the Tudor dynasty that Mary would eventually inherit — although, as we’ll learn, the Tudors were not exactly chill about securing that dynasty.
🎧 Listen: Elizabeth of York
🤓 Extra Credit: Empress Matilda
Why this is worth knowing: Centuries before Mary I, another woman tried to claim the English throne — and it did not go smoothly. In fact, it sparked a civil war known as The Anarchy which is one of the reasons Henry VIII was so nervous to name a girl his heir. It had only been done once before and the results were… this whole thing.
Fun fact: Empress Matilda is the inspirations for House of the Dragon star, Rhaenyra Targaryen
🎧 Listen to Empress Matilda
📚 Prerequisite #3: Catherine of Aragon
Why this course is required: This one actually is required reading. Catherine of Aragon was Mary’s mother, and their relationship shaped pretty much everything about who Mary became — especially her faith, her understanding of her own legitimacy, and her refusal to accept her parents’ marriage as invalid.
Plus, you’ll get the full story of Catherine and Henry’s marriage and The Great Matter before experiencing it all over again from Mary’s perspective.
🎧 Listen: Catherine of Aragon
📚 Prerequisite #4: Margaret Pole
Why this course is required: Margaret Pole wasn’t just Mary’s governess — she became one of her closest friends and most loyal supporters.
She stood by Mary through some of the worst years of her life, even as supporting Catherine and Mary became increasingly dangerous. And because this is Tudor England, her story does not have a happy ending.
🎧 Listen: Margaret Pole
📚 Prerequisite #5: Anne Boleyn (aka YOU’RE NOT MY MOM)
Why this course is required: Oh, you’re going to want the background on this one.
Anne Boleyn’s relationship with Henry VIII changed the course of Mary’s entire life. The fight to marry Anne led to the end of her parents’ marriage, Mary losing her title as princess, her separation from her mother, and eventually a brand-new baby sister named Elizabeth.
Mary was not a fan.
🎧 Listen: Anne Boleyn
🤓 Extra Credit: The Stepmoms
Mary eventually collected four more stepmothers because, well… Henry VIII. You don’t need their full stories before starting Mary, but for our overachievers:
Jane Seymour — Mary reconciles with her father during Jane’s queenship, and Jane gives birth to the little brother who changes everything.
Anne of Cleves — Mary actually got along quite well with Wife #4. Also, hello! She wasn’t ugly (read more here)
Katherine Howard — Mary was less enthusiastic about her young new stepmother. Tho we find her story really, really sad. (Get the full story here)
Katherine Parr — Henry’s final wife brought Mary, Elizabeth and Edward together under one roof and was still around as Mary entered adulthood.
📚 Prerequisite #6: Lady Jane Grey (#poorbabyJane)
And this brings us actually to the very first episode Queens podcast ever covered, the nine-days queen, Lady Jane Grey. Why this course is required: Before Mary could become queen, she had to actually win the throne.
When Edward VI died, a plan was already in motion to keep Catholic Mary from inheriting the crown and put her Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey, on the throne instead. What followed was nine extremely chaotic days, a showdown over who had the right to rule England, and arguably Mary Tudor’s greatest triumph.
🎧 Listen: Lady Jane Grey
🤓 Extra Credit: Juana of Castile
While Juana is mentioned in passing in these episodes, we do talk about her son, Mary’s cousin/ fiance and constant ally (and father in law) Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor (#stateofmind). SO, while her story does not directly affect Mary’s story, it does give you some context of her cutthroat family dynamics in Spain and European royalty as a whole.
Bring your tissues. Juana’s story is a sad one.
🎧 Listen: Juana of Castile