Who is Princess Mary from The Wives of Henry VIII and what is their importance?

Princess Mary was the only surviving child of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII. As the first surviving child of Henry VIII, she would be the first in line to the throne if a male heir was not born. Henry VIII spent a great deal of time with Mary when she was a child, and he attempted to find a good mate for her, a man that King Henry would like to have take over his throne upon his death. When Henry VIII fell in love with Anne Boleyn, however, he saw the possibility of having a male heir, and he was quick to rid himself of his first wife.

When Henry VIII began divorce proceedings, he made no move to change Mary's status in his household or line of succession. When her mother, however, continued to fight his efforts to end their marriage, Henry had Mary declared illegitimate, hoping to force her mother's hand. Henry later reinstated Mary in the line of succession, but he never reversed the declaration that her birth was illegitimate.