I heard somewhere that Elizabeth actually had a lot more Catholics die under her reign than Protestants under Mary's. Is this true? How accurate is it to call Mary a bloody queen and Elizabeth a merciful queen?
It's important to consider how long their reigns were. Queen Mary I reigned for 5 years, from 1553-1558. By contrast Queen Elizabeth I reigned for 45 years, from 1558-1603. Even if Queen Elizabeth I was responsible for more deaths, it doesn't necessarily make for a particularly 'bloody' reign.