Time: 1485AD - 1603AD

Who were the Tudors?

The Tudors are one of the most famous families ever to rule England. They were in power from 1485 when Henry Tudor was crowned King Henry VII, until the time Queen Elizabeth I died, without an heir, in 1603. The Tudors were some of the most colourful people in history.

Woodlands School - The Tudors
Facts about Tudors. Find out who the Tudors were and their way of life, from the Armada to Tudor Entertainment.

History on the net - The Tudors
This website covers a huge amount of information on the Tudors. Topics include Tudor Monarchs, Tudor food, entertainment, the Spanish Armada and more...

Tudor Kings and Queens

There were six Tudor Kings and Queens.

1. Henry VII - 1485-1509
2. Henry VIII - 1509-1547
3. Edward VI - 1547-1553
4. Jane Grey - July 1553
5. Mary I - 1553-1558
6. Elizabeth I - 1558-1603

Henry VIII

Henry became king when his father (Henry VII) died. He loved being rich and powerful and Henry would show this off by having castles and palaces built such as the most famous one, Hampton Court Palace. Henry wore jewels in his clothes and spent money on huge feasts just to show off. But he was a very grumpy King and if you were to upset him, you could have your head chopped off!

He had six wives:

1. Catherine of Aragon - Catherine had a daughter with Henry, but no son so Henry divorced her.
2. Anne Boleyn - Anne had a daughter (who would be Queen Elizabeth I) with Henry, but Henry turned against his wife and had her head chopped off.
3. Jane Seymour - They had a son, Edward (who was the next King) but she died two weeks after he was born.
4. Anne of Cleves - Henry divorced Anne after only six months.
5. Catherine Howard - Catherine was only 19 when they married. Henry had her head chopped off.
6. Katherine Parr - She looked after Henry's children.

Hampton Court Palace- Surrey, UK
Explore Henry VIII's majestic palace including his magnificent state apartments, haunted gallery, the formal gardens and the famous maze.

Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I was the last Tudor ruler. She was Queen for 45 years from 1558 and made England a rich and powerful country famous for its writers and composers. Elizabeth would invite musicians and poets to entertain her with the most famous being William Shakespeare.

Elizabeth had a quick temper and liked to get her own way. She liked to live in fine palaces in London and it was an exciting time when she ruled. There were a lot of new discoveries during her time and many English explorers sailed off to find new lands.

Unlike Henry VIII, Elizabeth I never married and as she grew older people wondered who would be next Tudor to take over. So when she died on 24th March 1603, the Tudor period ended and the next in line to the throne was James VI of Scotland who became King and started the Stuarts period.

Tudor Britain

Although Elizabethan England was very rich, there were many poor people who had to beg for a living. In 1563 a Poor Law was passed so that money could be raised for the less fortunate ones.

BBC Tudor Britain
An era of change and triumph, from Henry VIII's Reformation to Elizabeth and the Armada.

Hever Castle - Kent, UK
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century. From 1462 to 1539 it was the seat of the Boleyn family.

Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh was an English explorer, soldier and writer. He was a favourite of Elizabeth I and she knighted him after he fought in Ireland. It is said in history that he spread his expensive cloak over a puddle for the Queen to walk over.

He had many expeditions across the Atlantic to America. From one trip he brought back potatoes and tobacco to Europe, two things that were not known of at that time.

Sir Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake was a famous explorer. He was the first Englishman to sail around the world. His first expedition was to Africa where they captured people there and sold them to be slaves in the New World (The Americas). In 1577 Sir Francis Drake set sail around the world, stealing from Spanish ships as he went and attacking Spanish ports. He brought back lots of treasure for the Queen who became very proud of him and knighted him, Sir Francis Drake.

The Spanish Armada

How did the Spanish Armada start?

In 1588 King Philip II of Spain, angry that the English were raiding Spanish ships and stealing their treasures, sent a fleet of ships (The Spanish Armada), to invade England. They planned to sail to the Netherlands to join with an army, but while sailing through the English Channel, they were attacked by English warships. Fierce sea battles took place and during one night, while the Spanish ships were anchored near France, the English sent eight ships that had been set on fire, into the middle of the Spanish ships. The Spanish panicked and scattered all over the place.

Who won?

The next day battle raged all day but the English, in the end, won.

What happened to the Spanish Armada?

Having been blown north around Scotland and Ireland, most of the Spanish ships were wrecked in terrible storms.

BBC - The Spanish Armada
A history of The Spanish Armada, how it started and what happened in the attack.