Henry VII (1485 – 1509)

Having defeated Richard III at Bosworth, Henry Tudor went on to found the dynasty that contains
arguably the most well-known figures in royal history. By undermining the nobility and marrying
Elizabeth of York, Henry united the warring houses and soon secured his position on the throne.

Throughout his reign Henry did his best to strengthen tense relations at home and abroad. He
arranged his daughter Margaret to marry James IV, King of Scots, while peace with Spain was
sought when his eldest son Arthur married Catherine Of Aragon. However, mistrust between
Henry and the King of Spain remained right up until Henry’s death. Following Arthur’s premature
death, it was up to the dead king’s younger son Henry to take the throne.

Henry VIII (1509–1547)

To historians, Henry remains one of the most important monarchs to have ruled the English and
Welsh. During his four decades of sovereignty, he presided over the foundation of the Church of
England, a remodelling of government, a major growth in the importance of Parliament, the
incorporation of Wales into English administration, the establishment of the Kingdom of Ireland
and oversaw the construction of many colleges, palaces and fortresses.

Of course, he is also notorious for having married six times, the first being his dead brother’s
widow Catherine of Aragon. After a divorce that permanently altered the relationship between the
church and the monarchy in England, he wed Anne Boleyn, only to have her executed for treason
and adultery.

Next up was Jane Seymour who died after giving birth to Henry’s only male heir. He then wed
Anne of Cleves, but a second divorce later he got hitched to Catherine Howard, who was also
beheaded for treason. Henry’s last wife was Catherine Parr, who outlived the mighty monarch and
who herself married more times than any other queen – taking four husbands in total!

Edward VI (1547–1553)

Edward was another boy king, having ascended the throne at the age of nine. Fiercely intelligent,
Edward excelled at various academic disciplines while England was ruled by an ever-quarrelling
series of Lord Protectors until he came of age. During this time the country was divided by religion;
although his father had initially broken the link between the English church and Rome, it was
during Edward's reign that the decisive move was made from Catholicism to a form of
Protestantism - later known as Anglicanism.

Due to his ardent beliefs, Edward disapproved of his elder sister Mary's Catholicism and even
when his health was visibly failing, remained adamant that he did not want the throne succeeded
by his elder sister. It is believed that had he survived into old age, Edward would have been a great
King, but it was not to be. He died aged fifteen, from either tuberculosis, measles or even syphilis
and his brief reign did little to secure peace in the kingdom.

Lady Jane Grey (1553)

Just before his death and under the guidance of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland,
Edward VI devised the Crown to the Lady Jane Grey, a descendant of Henry VIII's younger sister.
This accession was met with popular disapproval, with many wanting the true heir, Edward’s half
sister Mary to take the throne. Nine days later, Jane and her closest allies were imprisoned and
executed in the Tower. She was sixteen.

Mary I (1553 – 1558)

Known as Mary Tudor, this queen is best remembered for trying to undo the works of her half-
brother and attempt to return England from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism. To this end, she
had almost three hundred religious dissenters executed, often by being burned at the stake. As a
result, she became known as Bloody Mary.

The daughter of Catherine of Aragon, Mary was proud of her Spanish heritage and she married a
Spaniard, namely Phillip, the son of Emperor Charles V. However, he apparently found her deeply
unattractive and fourteen months later he returned to Spain!

During her life she suffered from phantom pregnancies and produced no heir. Unloved by her
subjects, Bloody Mary died of cancer and reluctantly named her sister Elizabeth as her successor.

Elizabeth I (1558 – 1603)

Sometimes referred to as The Virgin Queen - since she never married - Gloriana, or Good Queen
Bess was the fifth and final monarch of the Tudor dynasty (not counting Jane Grey). So long and
influential was her reign that this period in history became known as the Elizabethan era. When
she ascended the throne England was at war with France, the exchequer was bankrupt, the
coinage debased and inflation was soaring, Elizabeth managed to overturn the fortunes of her
country.

Under her reign, England grew strong in terms of global discovery and international diplomacy
while literature and the arts flourished; a Spanish invasion was crippled and her excellent political
and diplomatic skills meant that she was able to prevent the outbreak of a religious or civil war on
English soil – no mean feat given the history of her country!

The demise of the Tudor Dynasty came to an end when Elizabeth died aged sixty-nine, at that
point the oldest English sovereign ever to have reigned. Her lasting legacy ensured that she
recently came seventh in the BBC’s 100 Greatest Britons poll, outranking all other British
monarchs.

Book of Common Prayer, liturgical book used by churches of the Anglican Communion. First
authorized for use in the Church of England in 1549, it was radically revised in 1552, with
subsequent minor revisions in 1559, 1604, and 1662. The prayer book of 1662, with minor
changes, has continued as the standard liturgy of most Anglican churches of the British
Commonwealth. Outside the Commonwealth most churches of the Anglican Communion possess
their own variants of the English prayer book. The Book of Common Prayer has also influenced or
enriched the liturgical language of most English-speaking Protestant churches. The First
Prayer …(100 of 471 words)

1. The Tudor period is the period between 1485 and 1603. This was when the Tudors were the
ruling family in England.

2. The first Tudor monarch was King Henry VII who claimed the throne when his forces
defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. He ruled until his death in 1509.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Tudors primary resource? Great for teachers,
homeschoolers and parents alike!

3. The Tudor rose was created when Henry VII brought an end to the Wars of the Roses (an
ongoing battle between two royal groups – the House of Lancaster and the House of York). He
joined the White Rose of York with the Red Rose of Lancaster, creating the Union Rose (or Tudor
Rose), which is still used as the floral emblem of England today!

4. Following his father’s death, Henry VIII became King of England in 1509 and ruled until his death
in 1547. Today one of England’s most famous historical figures, Henry VIII is well known for his six
marriages – and for having two of his wives beheaded!

5. Like us today, the Tudors enjoyed eating different types of meat. But without fridges and
freezers, they would preserve meat by rubbing salt on it.
6. People in Tudor times didn’t eat with a fork – they ate using knives, spoons and their fingers.

7. There were few books in Tudor schools, so pupils read from “hornbooks” instead. Pages
displaying the alphabet and religious material were attached to wooden boards and covered with
a transparent sheet of cow horn.

8. If you were a child in a Tudor school, you’d better behave! Teachers were very strict and would
punish pupils with 50 strokes of the cane. Pupils with wealthy families would often pay for a
“whipping-boy” for their child – if the rich child misbehaved, the whipping-boy received the
punishment!

9. Some of the boardgames the Tudors played are still enjoyed today, such as chess, backgammon
and card games!
10. Tudor houses are very distinctive and many can still be seen today. The houses had a wooden
frame with walls made from “wattle and daub” – a building material consisting of wooden strips
covered with mud, clay and wet soil. The walls were then painted white giving what is known as
“the black and white effect“…