At Mary I funeral she was praised: "She was a king's daughter; she was a king's sister; she was a king's wife. She was a queen, and by the same title a king also." Mary was the first woman to rule England in her own right, despite all of the opposing claims to the throne. Catholic historians believe that Mary's policies failed simply because she did not have a long enough reign to complete them, having only ruled for 5 years. Others believe that she had good intentions initially but her methods were flawed. Following her death, English Protestants helped shape the modern perception of Mary as a bloodthirsty tyrant. Although her rule was unpopular with the majority of the English population, many of the policies that were later attributed too Elizabethan rule, were actually started by Mary.