Henry VIII's child as Best Monarch

Which child of King Henry VIII made the best monarch?

  • Mary I

    Votes: 5 9.4%
  • Elizabeth I

    Votes: 46 86.8%
  • Edward VI

    Votes: 2 3.8%

  • Total voters
    53
The children of King Henry VIII of England were Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward.
They were all sovereigns of England.
Who made the best monarch?
 
The children of King Henry VIII of England were Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward.
They were all sovereigns of England.
Who made the best monarch?

There is literally NO question that Elizabeth I was the best out of those 3, eveif her 'score' is increased by being Queen for several decades.
 
Elizabeth, considering she was queen longer than her siblings combined several tiems over.

Plus Spanish Armada.
 
No matter how much Elizabeth was the best, i have always had a soft spot for Edward VI and felt that if he lasted longer he would have done most of what Elizabeth did, also he probably would have avoided the Spanish Armada and unlike Elizabeth marry and continue the Tudors.
 
For me, in part of their childhood, I always had more sympathy for Mary and Elisabeth, since both went through a social roller coaster when growing up.

Given that background I find part of the actions of Mary understandable, though when even Philip II thinks the policy against Protestants is too harsh, it probably was.
OTOH since Henry VIII disposed of Catherine and thus indirectly Mary, Roman Catholicism became part of their indentity, especially since the Anglican Church and Anne Boleyn had stolen everything from them.
 
Given that background I find part of the actions of Mary understandable, though when even Philip II thinks the policy against Protestants is too harsh, it probably was.

Don't worry, Elizabeth and her successors more than made up for Mary's attempts. Especially in Ireland...
 
Don't worry, Elizabeth and her successors more than made up for Mary's attempts. Especially in Ireland...

When Pope says it's duty of every Catholic to overthrow and/or kill the queen people shouldn't be too surprised if Catholics are viewed with suspicion.....
 
When Pope says it's duty of every Catholic to overthrow and/or kill the queen people shouldn't be too surprised if Catholics are viewed with suspicion.....

Right, and that excuses mass slaughter of civilians in their own homes.

Anyways, it's hard to disagree with Elizabeth being the best, though her stats are certainly padded by her long lifespan (either Mary or Edward would probably have been viewed much better than OTL with a longer lifespan and some heirs). That said, best of the Tudors does not make Elizabeth a great monarch, in fact she was pretty crappy at it all things considered. People credit her for having a brilliant foreign policy, but considering how she alienated all her neighbors by sponsoring terrorism (in the form of privateers), failed in every foreign military adventure, and nearly got crushed by Spain (I'm sorry, but no matter how impressive her speech was her defenses were pathetic, and it was dumb luck, not her abilities, that saved England from the armada), her reign was a really shoddy piece of work. It get's a good reputation because her successor was unpopular, England was undergoing major cultural and economic growth (which she was not responsible for), and because people wrongly attribute the Spanish Armada's defeat to her brilliance.

Still, of this rather sorry lot Elizabeth wins.
 
Right, and that excuses mass slaughter of civilians in their own homes.

Nope. But it does make persecution of catholics more understandable.

Plus Ireland was more of a colonial warfare than anything else, so should be seen as such.
 
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