Mary I of Tudor was the only child of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon to survive to adulthood. The house of Tudor was a house of Welsh origin. A theory is that following the arrival of saxon war lords french colonials settled in Wales. In 1547 On the death of Henry VIII, his nine year old son, Edward VI took the throne but he died in 1553. Henry’s disagreements with the pope following the annulment of his marriage to Catherine led to the protestant reformation. He appointed himself supreme leader of the church of England and dissolved convents and monastaries for which he was excommunicated.
During Edward’s reign the realm was governed by a council led first by his uncle, Edward Seymour 1st duke of Somerset and on his death by John Dudley who became duke of Northumberland. The period was marked with social unrest, an unsuccesful war with Scotland and the abolition of the Mass and clerical celibacy.
On the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, north eastern Spain Mary was sent to Wales and became princess of Wales. Reportedly, as a child she had studied french, spanish, music and dance. Shortly after Edward’s death Mary deposed his successor Lady Jane Grey and became Queen of England and Ireland. Insurrections broke out when Mary married Philip of Spain, heir apparent to vast territories in continental Europe. Her newly appointed lord chancellor, Stephen Gardiner and the house of commons petitioned her to marry an english man, fearing England would be relegated to a dependency, also protestants were motivated by a fear of catholics. Thomas Wyatt lead a force to depose Mary in favour of her half sister Elizabeth. She died on 17 November 1558.