Marking the 500th year anniversary of the birth of Queen Mary I in 1516, this book both commemorates her rule and rehabilitates and redefines her image and reign as England's first queen regnant. In this broad collection of essays, leading historians of queenship (or monarchy) explore aspects of Mary's life from birth to reign to death and cultural afterlife, giving consideration to the struggles she faced both before and after her accession, and celebrating Mary as a queen in her own right.

Sarah Duncan is Associate Professor of History at Spring Hill College, USA and earned her Ph.D. in History from Yale University. Her publications include Mary I: Gender, Power, and Ceremony in the Reign of England's First Queen (2012), articles on queenship in the reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I, and an article on Philip of Spain as king consort.Valerie Schutte earned her Ph.D. in History from the University of Akron, USA. She is author of Mary I and the Art of Book Dedications: Royal Women, Power, and Persuasion. She has published two articles on Anne Boleyn, an article on The Merchant of Venice, and three articles on royal Tudor women and print.