"Bloody Mary": Debunking the Myths episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 2, 2026 · 52 MIN

"Bloody Mary": Debunking the Myths

from Not Just the Tudors

Was Mary Tudor truly “Bloody Mary”? Has England’s first reigning queen been misunderstood for centuries? Determined to restore Roman Catholicism, her reign became forever associated with the burning of Protestants. But was she really a religious tyrant, or a trailblazer trapped by Europe's violent politics?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Anna Whitelock to put the record straight on the remarkable reign of Mary I, five turbulent years which shaped the future of England in profound, and often misrepresented, ways.MORE:Mary I: What if She'd Lived?Listen on AppleListen on SpotifyThe Spanish King of EnglandListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Was Mary Tudor truly “Bloody Mary”? Has England’s first reigning queen been misunderstood for centuries? Determined to restore Roman Catholicism, her reign became forever associated with the burning of Protestants. But was she really a religious tyrant, or a trailblazer trapped by Europe's violent politics?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Anna Whitelock to put the record straight on the remarkable reign of Mary I, five turbulent years which shaped the future of England in profound, and often misrepresented, ways.MORE:Mary I: What if She'd Lived?Listen on AppleListen on SpotifyThe Spanish King of EnglandListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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"Bloody Mary": Debunking the Myths

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Was Mary Tudor truly “Bloody Mary”? Has England’s first reigning queen been misunderstood for centuries? Determined to restore Roman Catholicism, her reign became forever associated with the burning of Protestants. But was she really a religious...

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