"Bloody Mary"? (Mary I)

[Romanov_fan]

Yes, I've seen many differing causes of death for Mary. But wouldn't syphilis have affected Elizabeth too ( and she lived a long time), if it was the case for Edward and Mary( who died when young, the theory being it caused or contributed to their deaths)? Of course, this is also said to have been the case for James II and his kids (their lack of desdendents being proof, too, say some), and his daughters didn't live very long lives, but his son did. Henry VIII'S kids never had descendents, so there is no evidence with their own children ( or lack thereof, since only Mary tried to have children), there weren't any. Mary's failure to have children can be sufficiently explained by her age and health.

[mcdnab]

As has been said there in no evidence that Henry VIII had syphilis - its a myth that keeps getting mentioned with virtually no basis in fact.  Henry's childlessness can be but down to a genetic fault that appeared in his generation either from either of his parents or as a mutated gene of his own or through the poor (by our standards)  health care of the age - though both his sisters weren't over fertile either which might suggest a genetic problem.  Of the next generation of Tudors - Mary Tudor married later in life and never conceived, Edward died before he was married, Elizabeth never married, James V of Scotland only had one surving legitimate child, Lady Margaret Douglas only had two sons, Henry Brandon Earl of Lincoln died in his teens, Lady Frances Brandon had 3 suriviving children by her husband, Lady Eleanor Brandon had only one surviving child a daughter.  Of the above all died relatively young with the exception  of Elizabeth I and Lady Margaret Douglas

As to Mary's childlessness - she was in her late thirties when she married which is probably the more obvious reason why she failed to conceive also i think there's evidence that Philip wasn't over eager to keep doing his duty.  The most common causes for her death are has been mentioned a pituitary condition or stomach or ovarian cancer (which in part would explain her swollen state and her misguided belief that she was pregnant).

[Suzanne]

Fascinating new book about ritual and ceremony in Mary I's reign. Sarah Duncan also takes a fresh look at Mary's marriage to Philip of Spain

http://www.royalhistorian.com/the-tudor-book-reviews-7-mary-i-gender-power-and-ceremony-in-the-reign-of-englands-first-queen-by-sarah-duncan/