Mary I, eldest daughter of Henry VIII, was Queen of England from 1553
until her death in 1558. For much of this time she ruled alongside her
husband, King Philip II of Spain, forming a co-monarchy that put England
at the heart of early modern Europe. In this book, Alexander Samson
presents a bold reassessment of Mary and Philip's reign, rescuing them
from the neglect they have suffered at the hands of generations of
historians. The co-monarchy of Mary I and Philip II put England at the
heart of early modern Europe. This positive reassessment of their joint
reign counters a series of parochial, misogynist and anti-Catholic
assumptions, correcting the many myths that have grown up around the
marriage and explaining the reasons for its persistent marginalisation
in the historiography of sixteenth-century England. Using new archival
discoveries and original sources, the book argues for Mary as a great
Catholic queen, while fleshing out Philip's important contributions as
king of England.