Tudor England

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1485-1603

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Though there were only five true Tudor monarchs, they are among the most famous of all Britain's rulers.  From Henry VII who all but stole the crown for the Tudors, to his son Henry VIII - a passionate tyrant, famous for his cruelty and his six wives.  From Edward VI, the boy who would be King, to the innocent, pious Lady Jane Grey who held her reign for a mere nine days.  From Mary I's bloody reign of religious persecution to one of England's most effective female rulers - Queen Elizabeth I.  In less than 120 years England would be sent on a journey of religious reformation, blood would be shed in the name of God and lives would constantly hang in the balance of illegitimacy vs. next true heir to the throne.  The Tudor story is a fascinating look at the history of a family in power and how each of their reign's changed England forever.

The Tudor Family Tree

King Henry VIII and his six wives

  • "Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived." An overview of Henry's six wives and their fates.
  • Katherine of Aragon, Henry's first wife, was married to him longer than all of his other wives put together. She bore him a daughter, who would later become Mary I, however her failure to provide Henry with a son would end in a bitter divorce that changed England forever.
  • Henry's second and most controversial wife, Anne Boleyn, young, beautiful and calculating. Henry attempted to make her is mistress but she held out for something more. Her promise to give Henry a male heir and refusal to accept his advances caused him to break ties with Rome and change the face of England's religion forever. After providing Henry with a daughter, the future Elizabeth I, Henry tired of Anne and eventually sent her to her death.

by Danielle Friedl

Henry VIII (1491-1547) was not born to be king, however he remains one of the most well-known British monarchs of all time. A second-born son to Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, Henry was originally ...read more
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The Children of Henry VIII

  • Biography: Elizabeth I
    She was supposed to be the son Henry VIII would raise to leave England to. During her early years she would be heralded as a Princess and Heiress Apparent, then reduced to bastard. Though she was a Queen and not the King her father wanted, her reign would have made Henry proud.
  • Biography: Edward VI
    Born to Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour, Edward VI was his father's one and only male heir. Through his early years Edward was a healthy boy, however he would be struck down with illness as a teenager and die young, putting an innocent, pious young girl unexpectedly on the throne.

The Woman Behind English Monarchy

  • Wife of Henry VII and mother to Henry VIII, Elizabeth of York was the only English Queen in history to be a wife, mother, sister, niece and daughter of English Kings.

Tudor or Stuart?

There's some speculation as to why Mary, Queen of Scot and James I are not considered Tudors, but rather Stuarts.  Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII and older sister of Henry VIII, was the grandmother of Mary, Queen of Scots.  This would make her a Tudor and give her a legitimate claim on the English throne, if it were not for Henry VIII's Third Act of Succession.  In this Act Henry bequeathed his throne to his only son Edward.  If Edward died without heirs it would then go to Henry's oldest daughter Mary.  If she were to die without heirs it would then go to his youngest daughter Elizabeth.  If, in fact, all of his children should go to the grave and not provide an heir Henry decreed that succession should skip over his older sister Margaret in favor of his younger sister Mary. 

The role of royal females in Tudor times was to serve as leverage in forming alliances.  As such, Margaret Tudor was married to James IV of Scotland.  She would become the mother of James V of Scotland, grandmother of Mary I of Scotland and great-grandmother of James IV of Scotland and I of England.  However when Mary wed Henry Stuart she became a Stuart, as well as her decendants.

by Danielle Friedl

Lady Jane Grey, also known as Queen Jane of England or The Nine Days' Queen, is one of the more tragic figures in Tudor history. A simple, intelligent and pious girl of royal blood, Jane was but a pa...read more
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Tudors vs. Stuarts

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Beth Hutson
Posted on: Jan 31, 09 at 04:33 PM
Awesome info!!

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    Elizabethan Times

    • A look at education during the Tudor period.
    • It was popular knowledge the Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley had somewhat of a friendly relationship, possibly intimate - though never proven. The unexpected death of Robert Dudley's wife, Amy, cast suspicious eyes on both Robert and the Queen.

    On TV....

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