Linda Ganstrom

 

 

Linda Ganstrom

Bell(e): Mary

Porcelain figure stained and painted on wrought iron skirt

Inspiration and Celebration

There were two great Mary's during the Tudor Dynasty, my Bell(e): Mary displays aspects of both.

 

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, Mary I of Scotland

Mary lived from December 8, 1542 to February 8, 1587 (She was executed age 44).

She was the daughter of James V of Scotland and reigned in Scotland from 1542 – 1567 (25 years).  She was crowned queen at 6 months of age, after the death of her father in1558 and was raised in France under the direction of Catherine de Medici.  She married Francis II, the Dauphin of France and ruled as the French queen consort for a year, until her husband died.  She took an uneasy control of Scotland from 1561 – 1567 (6 years).  She married Lord Darnley and gave birth to their son, James V of Scotland, who united England and Scotland became James I of England after the death of Elizabeth I of England.  In 1568, Mary raised an army, but was defeated and did not regain the throne.

In 1569, Mary was placed under custody by Queen Elizabeth to be supervised by  Lord Shrewsbury and his wife, Bess of Hardwick, along with her staff, never less than 16 and often over 60 people.  For 18 years and 9 months in the custody of Queen Elizabeth, Mary was finally beheaded for treason. When her son James took the English throne, he had two beautiful coffins carved, one for his mother and another of Elizabeth I and placed in Westminister Chapel, so Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary, enemies in life, now lay side by side in death.

 

Mary Tudor, Mary I of England, Bloody Mary

Mary I of England lived from February 18, 1516 to November 17, 1558 (Died age 42). She was the daughter of Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Isabel and Ferdinand of Spain.

Mary ruled from 1553 – 1558 (5 years) after deposing Lady Jane Grey and married Phillip of Spain at the age of 37. They had no children. She warred on France after France invaded England to depose her. Bloody Mary restored Roman Catholicism to England sanctioning a good deal of violence.

Red headed rulers plagued by great challenges and personal struggles, both Mary Tudor and Mary, Queen of Scots served as inspiration for this haughty Bell(e).  The two women had much in common.  Both were raised to be queens.  Their catholic faith was integral to their essence and power base, yet both Mary’s struggled to acquire the alliances needed to assert their rule and died in their early 40s.