The coronation of Mary I in 1553 was a historic event as she became England's first queen regnant. Her ascension reversed many of the Protestant reforms instituted by her predecessors, leading to significant religious and political upheaval. Mary I's reign marked a critical moment in the history of the English monarchy and the ongoing struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism.

The coronation of Mary I in 1553 and the subsequent persecution of Protestants inspired a wave of martyr literature. Poets like John Foxe captured the struggles of faith and the complexities of religious identity in contested poetry of the era, reflecting the turbulent socio-political landscape.