Mary I: England's Catholic Queen %E2%80%A8

Oxford research fellow Edwards (The Spanish Inquisition) presents new perspectives on the English Queen%E2%80%94known as Bloody Mary because she introduced the Inquisition into England. Daughter of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine, the superbly educated Mary became an advocate for women's education and a promoter of women in her household, even showcasing a red uniformed female cavalry detachment at her coronation. A devout Catholic determined to reverse her father's religious and political reforms, Mary, however, could not rule in her own name. Edwards details the influence of her Spanish husband, Philip I, who, in the persecution of England's reformers, declared war on Pope Paul IV, invading his territory not once, but twice, to further Spanish interests. Mary herself came under attack from the Pope, who investigated Reginald Pole (her choice for Archbishop of Canterbury) for heresy. Edwards shows readers the evolution of Spanish policy during the Elizabethan era, and analyzes the problems faced by powerful women in a male-dominated environment. 16p b&w illus. (Sept.)