Huwelijk van Filips, erfprins van Spanje en Maria I, koningin van Engeland 1554

This is an anonymous commemorative coin, which marks the marriage of Philip, heir prince of Spain, to Mary I, Queen of England. This union was driven by political and religious motives. For Mary, a devout Catholic, the marriage was a way to restore Catholicism in England after the reign of her Protestant half-brother, Edward VI. Mary was also deeply concerned with ensuring the continuation of the Tudor line. The figures of Phillip and Mary, side by side, literally embody the geopolitical chess match, where the bodies and fates of royal figures were bartered for power. Mary’s reign was marked by religious persecution, earning her the nickname "Bloody Mary." The marriage was unpopular in England, in part because it was seen as a way for Spain to gain control over England, as well as the fear and social unrest surrounding Mary's religious persecution. This coin is a cold reminder of how personal lives have always been deeply embedded in broader historical events.