They Call Me Bloody Mary… But How Bloody Was the Tudor Dynasty?

History remembers me as Bloody Mary, the queen who burned 300 Protestants at the stake. My name is whispered in fear, my legacy stained with fire and smoke. But tell me—how many lives did my family take?

📜 Henry VII (1485–1509) – The Cautious King
My grandfather, the founder of our dynasty, was no stranger to execution. He ruled with careful precision, eliminating threats before they could rise. Pretenders, rebels, and traitors—300 to 500 men met their fate under his reign.

⚔ Henry VIII (1509–1547) – The Butcher King
My father, Henry VIII, reshaped England with blood and steel. He tore down monasteries, sent nobles to the scaffold, and even beheaded two of his own wives. His wrath knew no mercy—57,000 to 72,000 people perished under his rule. Yet history calls him powerful, not bloody.

👑 Edward VI (1547–1553) – The Boy King
My brother, too young to wield the axe himself, left England in the hands of his regents. They crushed rebellions and persecuted Catholics, sending 500 to 800 men to their graves.

🔥 Mary I (1553–1558) – The Queen of Flames
Then came my time. I fought to restore the faith of my mother, to heal a nation torn apart by my father’s ambition. 300 souls burned for their defiance—a crime for which I alone bear the weight of history’s judgment.

🌹 Elizabeth I (1558–1603) – The Virgin Queen with a Deadly Grip
My sister, beloved and celebrated, ruled longer than any Tudor before her. But mercy was not her way. She sent spies, crushed conspiracies, and ordered the death of Mary, Queen of Scots. Her tally? 600 to 900 executions—rebels, traitors, and those who stood in her path.

The True Blood Count of the Tudors
The Tudor dynasty claimed between 58,000 and 75,000 lives. And yet, it is my name that echoes in fear, my legacy that bears the stain of history’s condemnation.

So tell me—was I truly the bloodiest Tudor?