Continuing our fascinating conversation about the International Baccalaureate (IB) Extended Essay research projects; this week we are highlighting Laia Garnham’s (Upper Sixth) research about the reign of Mary Tudor and whether or not it was a success.

Laia reflected: “At first glance, it’s easy to get the impression that the reign of Mary Tudor was a complete failure - the harvest failed multiple times, public burnings were extremely common and England lost its last foothold in France; Calais. However, once I dug a little deeper, I was able to realise that this was the result of biased historians, and it was important to remember that following Mary Tudor was Elizabeth I, who was one of the most loved monarchs in history; anything Mary did would pale in comparison.

“In reality, Mary I laid the groundwork for many of Elizabeth’s successful policies; she rearranged the Navy - so Elizabeth might defeat the Spanish Armada, and she weeded out corruption in the British currency - so that Elizabeth could usher in a wealthier age. It is also important for me to remember that her counter reformation was carried out with such ferocity because she believed truly that the only way for the English people to reach heaven was to be burnt, and it was for their own good. It has been really fascinating for me to be able to look at the first female monarch, as feminist history has been one of my favourite sub topics within history.”

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