The Tudors
1485-1603
The Tudor Dynasty
 Henry VII (1485-1509)
 Henry VIII (1509-1547)
 Edward VI (1547-1553)
Lady
Jane Grey
 Mary I (1553-1558)
 Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
Henry VII
 Henry VII – won Battle at Bosworth
Field to become king.
 Married Elizabeth of York.
 Died in 1509 – preceded in death
by eldest son Arthur in 1502.
 Throne passes to second born son,
Henry VIII.
Henry VIII
 Henry VIII took the throne and married Catherine of
Aragon in 1509.
 Catherine m. Arthur in Nov. 1501 and he died of
consumption in April 1502.
 Good friends, long marriage, but only 1 surviving
child – a girl – Mary, born in 1516.
 Henry felt security of his dynasty depended on a
male heir – wanted out of the marriage to pursue
Anne Boleyn.
Biblical Debate
 Leviticus 20:21 “If a man shall take his brother’s wife,
it is an impurity; he hath uncovered his brother’s
nakedness; they shall be childless”
 Deuteronomy 25:5 “When brethren dwell together
and one of them dieth without children, the wife of
the deceased shall not marry to another; but his
brother shall take her, and raise up seed for his
brother.
The Church of England
 1531 – Henry was named Supreme Head of the
Church of England, but still considered himself
Catholic.
 May 23, 1533 – Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas
Cranmer declared Henry’s marriage to Catherine
invalid.
 June 1, 1533 – Anne Boleyn was declared Queen (at
6 months pregnant)
 November 28, 1534 – Act of Supremacy passed by
Parliament (Thomas More executed)
Anne Boleyn
 1533- H8 marries Anne Boleyn and she
gives birth to their child
Another girl: Elizabeth
Anne suffers 2 miscarriages
 Anne Boleyn is accused of adultery;
imprisoned and later beheaded by sword
in 1536. The charges against her were
false!
Jane Seymour
 Henry married Jane
Seymour 10 days after
Anne’s execution.
 She gave birth to his
only son, Prince
Edward in 1537, but
died 12 days later.
 Henry wanted more
sons as insurance.
Anne of Cleves
 Married Henry in
1540.
 “Flanders mare”
 Brief marriage
was annulled.
 Why? No
chemistry.
Katherine Howard
 Married Henry in
1540.
 He was 49; she
was 19.
 She had affairs;
was beheaded in
1542.
Katherine Parr
 Married Henry in 1543.
 She was a widow; she
outlived Henry and
remarried after his
death.
 Kind stepmother.
Compared to his 1st
wife.
King Edward VI
 When H8 died in 1547, his only
son became king.
 Edward was only 9.
 Govt. was run by Protestant
advisors (uncle Edward
Seymour)
 Died in 1553 at the age of 15.
(TB)
 Picked his cousin, Jane Grey to
succeed him. The “9 days
queen”
Queen Mary I
 R. 1553-1558
 Known in history as
“Bloody Mary”
 Repealed everything
Protestant.
 Turned England back to
Catholicism.
 Passed Heresy Actkilled 300 Protestants
during her reign.
Mary and Philip II
 Married Philip in 1554. She was 38; he was 27
 One-sided love/attraction
 Marriage was protested by many in England who
didn’t want their country to simply become a satellite
territory of Spain.
 Suffered a “phantom pregnancy” in 1555.
 Imprisoned Elizabeth but would not sign her death
warrant.
 Throne passes to Elizabeth in 1558.
Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
 Glorified as strongest female monarch in England’s
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history.
“Good Queen Bess”
Known for being tolerant and moderate in religious
issues.
Reestablished Protestantism, but not too strict.
Her changes lasted-The Church of England (Anglican
Church) is still in place today with the same policies she
established.
Elizabeth I
 Elizabeth was 25 when crowned Queen.
 Immediately pressured by her Council to marry and
produce an heir.
 She never does…the Tudor dynasty ends and the
Stuart dynasty begins with her death in 1603.

Why not?
 The Virgin Queen?
 Greatest accomplishments: Defeat of the Spanish
Armada in 1588; England’s Golden Age