The Tudors 1485 -1503 The Tudors • What do you already know? Henry VII Henry VIII Edward I 1485 - 1509 1509 - 1547 1547 - 1553
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Lady Jane Grey Mary I Elizabeth I The Nine Day’s Queen 1553 - 1558 1559 - 1603 Henry VII 1485 -1509
My name is Henry Tudor. I was 28 years old when I came to power. I defeated the Yorkist King, Richard III on 22nd August 1485, in the Battle of Bosworth Field.
My victory in battle ended the War of The Roses.
I was crowned Henry VII of England.
To help me reign in peace I married Elizabeth of York who was Richard III niece.
Click on me to hear me speak Back to monarchs Next – his children Henry VII 1485 -1509
Elizabeth (my wife) gave birth to seven children. I was very proud because she gave me a son and heir to my throne. His name was Arthur.
I arranged for Arthur to marry a Spanish Princess called Catherine of Aragon. They married when Arthur was 16. A year later Arthur died leaving Catherine a young widow in a foreign country.
I was also proud of my daughter Margaret. She was married to James IV of Scotland.
So now I had two allies in Spain and Scotland.
I died on April 22nd 1509 aged 52. Click on me to hear me speak Back to monarchs Tudor Family Tree Henry VIII 1509 - 1547
I did not expect to become King. My older brother Arthur was heir. But when Arthur died before my father I was next in line.
In my youth I was strong, handsome and fond of learning. I was very popular with my subjects. I enjoyed dancing, music, and lots of company.
As I got older I became fat and ill. Because I did not feel well I became bad tempered. I had sores on my legs which made me smell.
I am most famous for having six wives
Click on me to hear me speak Back to monarchs Next – His wives Henry VIII 1509 - 1547
Catherine of Aragon - Divorced
Anne Boleyn - Beheaded
Jane Seymour - Died
Anne of Cleves - Divorced
Catherine Howard - Beheaded
Catherine Parr - Survived
Church of England
Back to monarchs Edward VI 1547 -1553
I am Edward, the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. When Henry VIII died I was only nine.
I was considered too young to rule alone.
My uncle, the Duke of Somerset (Edward Seymour) was named Lord Protector.
He ruled in my name until I reached the age of 16.
During my reign huge reforms Click on me to hear me speak were made to the English Church.
Tudor Family Tree Back to monarchs Next – More Edward Edward VI 1547 -1553 I was brought up as a Protestant. I changed the Church of England by: • Removing paintings, statues and stained glass windows • Holding services in English instead of Latin • Introducing an official English Prayer Book.
When I became ill people worried about who was next in line to the throne. People did not want Mary to rule because she was Catholic. I chose my cousin’s daughter, Lady Jane Grey as heir to the throne. Click on me to hear me speak Edward VI died aged 16.
Tudor Family Tree Back to monarchs Lady Jane Grey: The nine day queen
When Edward VI died in 1553, the Duke of Northumberland, my supporter immediately declared me Queen.
Mary, Edward’s sister, was angered when she heard the news.
Mary gathered together her supporters and marched to London.
Mary forced the Duke to surrender. She executed the Duke, myself and my husband.
I had been Queen for nine days
Click on me to hear me speak Tudor Family Tree Back to monarchs Mary I 1553 - 1558 When my brother Edward VI died I was horrified to hear that my cousin’s daughter, Lady Jane, had laid claim to my throne.
I was the rightful heir to the throne. My mother Catherine of Aragon was Henry’s first wife and I was his first born child. I gathered my troops and marched to London.
Once I had defeated my cousin and her supporters I began my mission to reform England back to the Catholic country it should be.
I looked for a Catholic Prince who would give England strength. I chose Prince Phillip of Spain. Click on me to hear me speak Tudor Family Tree Back to monarchs More about Mary Mary I 1553 - 1558
Because I am Catholic, I completely undid all the religious changes made by Henry VIII and Edward VI.
• I apologised to the Pope and made him head of the English church. • I released all the Catholic priests from prison. • I imprisoned the Protestant clergy • I burned over 300 Protestants including women and children alive at the stake By the end of my reign I was known as Bloody Mary. I was hated so much that people cheered at the news of my death. People celebrated for years to come on the anniversary of my death. Click on me to hear me speak Tudor Family Tree Back to monarchs Elizabeth I 1559 -1603
Hello, I’m Elizabeth.
My mother was Anne Boleyn. She was executed before I was three years old.
When my father died in 1547 I moved to live with his widow Catherine Parr.
When my brother Edward died without leaving an heir many people thought that I should be Queen. However I had to wait and allow my sister Mary to rule first.
Many men have asked me to marry them but I am married to England.
Some people call me ‘the Virgin Queen’ because I never married. Click on me to hear me speak
Tudor Family Tree Back to monarchs More about Elizabeth Elizabeth I 1559 -1603
When Elizabeth came to power in 1559 the people welcomed her. Bloody Mary’s reign was over.
Elizabeth was determined to make England the most powerful country in the world.
She encouraged explorers, conquerors and adventurers. These people managed to claim much of the new world for England.
She was very intelligent, spoke many languages and was a clever politician.
Elizabeth made England Protestant again but unlike her brother and sister she was more tolerant of other beliefs Click on me to hear me speak Other famous Tudor Family Tree Back to monarchs Elizabethans Sir Francis Drake - Explorer
Many people in Tudor times still believed that the earth was flat. Drake was the first Englishman to circumnavigate (go all around) the globe (world).
The Spanish feared him so much that they called him "El Draque", or "The Dragon". He was a successful pirate and one of the most renowned seamen in all history.
He sneaked into the Spanish port, Cadiz, and sank most of the Spanish ships that were about to leave Spain to attack England.
He helped defeat the Spanish Armada off the southern coast of England in 1588.
Click on me to hear me speak
More Famous Elizabethans Sir Walter Raleigh - Explorer
According to myth Raleigh gained favour with Queen Elizabeth by laying down his cloak over a puddle, so that she would not get her feet wet.
He fought in the Queen’s name against the Irish. In return for his victories Elizabeth rewarded him with a large estate in Ireland.
He ran a fleet of ships to America and 1587, he discovered and named the state of Virginia, after Elizabeth ‘the Virgin Queen’.
Raleigh fought in the Spanish Armada.
Raleigh and a fellow seaman John Hawkins introduced potatoes and tobacco to England.
Click on me to hear me speak More Famous Elizabethans William Shakespeare - Writer
Shakespeare is the most famous playwright of all time. He lived in Stratford-upon-Avon during Elizabeth I reign.
He wrote many famous plays including Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest and A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Shakespeare’s plays were performed all over Britain. One of the most famous venues was the Globe Theatre in London.
He died April 23rd 1616 at the age of 52. His tombstone reads:
The Globe Good friend for Jesus sake forbear Theatre To dig the dust enclosed here! Blest be the man that spares these stones, And curst be he that moves my bones Click on me to hear me speak More Famous Elizabethans Mary Queen of Scots
Mary was the daughter of King James V of Scotland. He died a week after her birth, so she became Queen at only a few days old.
She was brought up in France for her own safety. In France she worshipped as a Catholic.
When she returned to Scotland in 1561, Elizabeth I (a Protestant) was on the English throne.
English Catholics believed that Mary had a better claim to the throne. They plotted to kill Elizabeth.
Elizabeth found out about the plan. Mary was arrested and beheaded in 1587.
Click on me to hear me speak Tudor Family Tree Back to monarchs More Famous Elizabethans Catherine of Aragon: Married June 11 1509, divorced May 23, 1533
Catherine of Aragon was a Spanish princess. The youngest child of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain.
She married Arthur the eldest son of Henry VII, aged 16. When Arthur died she married his brother Henry VIII.
Henry and Catherine married in 1509 and were crowned King and Queen of England.
Now all Catherine had to do was provide Henry with the male heir to the throne.
Catherine gave birth to many children but only one survived infancy. This was Mary I.
Henry wanted a son, so when in 1533 Catherine Click on me to hear me speak became too old for child bearing he divorced her.
Back to Henry VII Find out more Tudor Family Tree about Catherine Catherine of Aragon: Married June 11 1509, divorced May 23, 1533
As Catherine grew older the King started to worry That he would not have an heir.
He noticed a young girl named Anne Boleyn in court and decided he wanted to marry her.
Henry first had to divorce Catherine. Henry was Catholic so he had to ask the Pope’s permission. The Pope refused to annul the marriage.
Henry declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England. He could now do as he liked without consulting the Pope.
Henry divorced Catherine and married Anne.
Click on me to hear me speak Back to Henry VIII Back to Henry’s wives Anne Boleyn: married January 25 1533, beheaded May 19 1536
Anne Boleyn had been Catherine of Aragon’s lady-in-waiting. Henry saw her in court and fell in love.
He divorced Catherine and married Anne.
Anne became pregnant and Henry hoped he would finally get his male heir to the throne.
Anne gave birth to a girl Elizabeth.
Henry became bored with Anne and was not happy that she had failed to give him a son. He wanted to get rid of her so he accused her of plotting against him.
She was tried, found guilty and beheaded. Click on me to hear me speak
Tudor Family Tree Back to Henry VIII Back to Henry’s wives Jane Seymour: Married May 30 1536, died October 24 1537 After the disgrace of Anne Boleyn it did not take long for Henry to fall in love again.
Jane was quiet and did as she was told.
11 days after Anne was executed Henry and Jane were married. Jane quickly became pregnant and in 1537 gave birth to Henry’s first and only male heir, Edward.
Jane had given Henry everything he needed.
After the birth Jane became very ill and died 12 days later.
Henry was heartbroken. He vowed that when he died he would be buried next to her.
Tudor Family Tree Click on me to hear me speak Back to Henry VIII Back to Henry’s wives Anne of Cleves : Married January 6 1540, divorced July 9 1540
After the death of Jane, Henry decided to marry for political gain instead of love.
He had made enemies of the Catholic countries France and Spain when he split from the Catholic church.
He looked for a Protestant wife and found Anne of Cleves, the sister of a German Duke. They did not meet before the wedding. Henry had chosen her from a portrait.
When Henry met her on the wedding day he did not like her. He said she was ugly. She thought he was fat.
When the danger of war had passed he divorced Anne. The marriage had lasted six months.
Click on me to hear me speak Back to Henry VIII Back to Henry’s wives Catherine Howard: Married July 28 1540, executed February 13 1542
Catherine was a beautiful young woman in the court. Henry fell in love with her immediately.
Catherine was only 20 and liked to have fun. Henry was nearly 50.
Henry asked Catherine to marry him. She could not say no, but she wanted to be with her boyfriend.
Once Catherine was married she continued to meet with her old boyfriend. Henry found out and they were both tried for treason (plotting against the king) and executed.
Many of Catherine’s friends and family Click on me to hear me speak were also arrested and tortured. Back to Henry VIII Back to Henry’s wives Catherine Parr: Married July 12 1543, married to Henry until his death.
Catherine Parr looked after Henry in his old age. She reunited Henry with all three of his children.
She acted as his nurse.
She became very close to all of Henry’s children acting as a tutor to Elizabeth.
Catherine was a very popular queen.
She was fair minded and intelligent.
When Henry died Catherine remarried again to her fourth husband, Thomas Seymour (Jane Seymour’s brother).
She died in 1548, eight days after giving birth to a daughter
Click on me to hear me speak Back to Henry VIII Back to Henry’s wives The Act of Supremacy: Henry becomes head of the Church of England
Henry VIII was responsible for a major reformation of English religion.
Britain was a Catholic country. They were governed over by the Pope.
When Henry was refused permission to divorce Catherine of Aragon, he asked the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, to declare him Supreme Head of the Church of England.
Now that Henry was head of the Church he made many decisions including the dissolution of the monasteries. This was because Henry needed money to fight his wars and live in luxury. He decided that the monasteries had too much wealth. Henry decreed (said) that all the precious metals and jewels be removed from the churches and closed down most of the monasteries.
The Act of Supremacy also caused tension between England and the Catholic countries of Spain and France. Spain was especially insulted because Henry had divorced one of their princesses and caused her to be shamed.
Back to Henry VIII Back to Henry’s wives The York and Lancaster branches of the Plantagenet family tree
Edward III House of Lancaster 1327-77 House of York
Edward John of Gaunt Edmund, Others the Black Duke of Lancaster Duke of York Prince Richard II Richard of Cambridge 1377-99 John Beaufort Henry IV 1399-1413 Richard, Duke of York John Beaufort Henry V 1413-22 Edward IV Richard III Edmund Tudor = Margaret Beaufort 1461-83 1483-85 Henry VI 1422-61
Henry VII = Elizabeth of York Edward V Richard, 1485-1509 1483 Duke of York
Henry VII Elizabeth of York Before the Tudors – The War of the Roses
England had been ruled for over 300 years by a family called the Plantagenet’s.
But from 1455 to 1485, fighting broke out between two branches of the family: the York’s and the Lancaster’s, who each claimed the throne. This was known as the ‘Wars of the Roses’.
The emblem of the Yorkist’s was a white rose, the house of Lancaster’s emblem was a red rose.
When Henry VII married Elizabeth of York he merged the two roses to make the Tudor rose emblem. Back to Henry VII Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth was born in 1466. The daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. She belonged to the house of York.
She married Henry VII in 1486. She gave Henry seven children but only four of them lived through childhood.
Arthur, the first born child, lived until he was 17.
Margaret married James IV of Scotland and died in 1541 aged 52.
Henry became Henry VIII after his fathers death.
Mary married King Louis XII of France. The marriage lasted three months before the king died. Mary then married her true love Charles Brandon. She died in 1533 aged 37. Click on me to hear me speak Tudor Family tree Plantagenet Family tree Back to Henry VII Famous Elizabethan Tudors
• Sir Francis Drake
• Sir Walter Raleigh
• William Shakespeare
• Mary Queen of Scots
Back to Elizabeth I Back to monarchs The Tudor family tree
Henry VII – Elizabeth of York 1485 –1509
Henry VIII Margaret Mary 1509 – 47
James V Frances Mary I Elizabeth I Edward VI of Scotland 1553-58 1558-1603 1547-53
Mary Queen of Scots Lady Jane Grey 1553
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