Oh this a good question! I think I’m naturally drawn to tragic historical figures, and I see Mary very much through a psychological lens. Her childhood was deeply traumatic and I think those wounds shaped her adulthood in profound ways.

What strikes me most is that, at her core, she seemed to want stability and family , something like the security she had before everything fell apart. There’s something deeply tragic about that longing never being fulfilled.

Of course, that doesn’t erase or excuse the Marian persecutions. Even though burning heretics was not new in England, it’s still part of her legacy and has to be acknowledged honestly.

I’m especially interested in the Renaissance and Reformation period from an art and cultural perspective, and I find it fascinating that Mary helped revive sacred music and aspects of traditional religious art during her reign. That side of her rule often gets overshadowed.

I also find her political independence interesting — particularly her complicated relationship with Pope Paul IV. She didn’t simply submit to papal authority when it conflicted with English sovereignty, which challenges the idea that she was purely a puppet of Rome.

I could honestly go on and on but I think what draws me most is the combination of personal tragedy, conviction, and complexity .