Maiden, Matriarch, Majesty: The iconography of Queen Mary I

‘She was a King’s daughter, she was a King’s sister, she was a King’s wife. She was a Queen, and by the same title a King also’.

John White’s sermon at Mary I’s funeral 14th December 1558 is the testament of a man who attempted to describe England’s first Queen; who exactly was she? When Mary ascended the throne (1553) she faced a constitutional crisis. How could a woman rule in her own right? Could a woman tainted with illegitimacy create an image of female monarchy which solved the issue of succession? Though the politics of England’s first queen regnant has been widely discussed, one crucial aspect remains to be illuminated; her imagery. To cement the love of her people Mary needed an influx of imagery. The power of iconography was used by all of England’s kings; how would it evolve to mould a woman? Could a woman portray herself as a king while accepting her sex? We know of the myth of Glorianna, but even Glorianna had a foundation in which she worked from. Mary began with nothing and yet in five years the image of Maria Regina was born. Unfortunately, the epitome of this success was never implemented due to Mary’s untimely death in 1558. Instead of Mary being seen as England’s Judith, she was seen as Jezebel.

This paper examines the image of Mary I through domestic and foreign portraiture, legal documents and material culture to show Mary’s success as the first Queen of England. This examination of iconography by using artworks, both commonly known, and relatively unknown, will show how the queen commanded imagery to create an image of monarchy not yet settled, that of a female king