[stripes1776]

As I recall, Elizabeth tried to restrain the Protestant Parliament from it’s worst excesses against Catholics. She didn’t force thru the Act of Suppression, Parliament demanded it.

Elizabeth (reinged 1558-1603) executed fewer Catholics in her 45 years on the throne than the Catholic Mary I (reigned 1553-1558) executed Protestants during her brief 5 years. Mary was so ruthless in burning large numbers of Protestants at the stake that the English turned against her, making it a certainty that a Protestent would follow her on the throne.

Movies are not a good way to learn about history. They are not documentaries. Their value is in giving the viewer a dramatic experience. They should be judged on artistic merit.

[RobbyS]

The executions cost Mary much popularity but Mary was followed by a Protestant was because Elizabeth was a Protestant. The allegiance of the people was to the House of Tudor, which is why the attempt to replace Mary with Jane Grey was a failure. Mary had the beter claim to succession. If Mary had lived another twenty years, England would have remained a Catholic country at least until Elizabeth suceeded her.

[Dominick]

Elizabeth (reinged 1558-1603) executed fewer Catholics in her 45 years on the throne than the Catholic Mary I

Rubbish. Elizabeth I in the norhtern rebellion alone executed 800 Catholics. Mary was said to have executed 250 people. In Ireland the numbers were far higher. Walter Ralegh himself executed 600 Irishmen who were most likely Catholic in Smerwick.

Anglicism of this day was imposed by pure thuggery in Ireland. Many Priests and fathful were hanged so many as can't be reliably counted.

She was a butcher Queen.

[Unam Sanctam]

Queen Elizabeth outlawed the practice of Catholicism and indeed made a crime just being a priest or attending mass. It’s all very well to say that there were crimes on all sides of in the Reformation, and that neither side had a concept of religious toleration that we have today, but the whitewashing of “Good Queen Bess” going on in this thread is revolting.