A STUDY IN THE TUDOR ERA

When we hear the word "Tudor" we think of Henry V111, his six                                    wives and Hampton Court Palace.

We remember our History classes in school and the well-known pictures of this larger than life King of England. Such an exciting and 'different' time in history looked so appealing to us as children, but when we grow up and read the 'details' of how life really was in the Tudor Era, we see a different viewpoint. I ask myself : "could I have lived in the Tudor Era ? "

The Tudor Dynasty was in power from 1485 to 1603 and acquainted us with one of the most influential Queens we will ever have had in England --- Elizabeth 1 --- and although this Queen comes from the Tudor Dynasty, her power changed her own reign to eventually become known as the Elizabethan Era. So which Kings and Queens 'belong' to the Tudor Era ?

Establishing a stable monarchy after the War of the Roses, the Tudor monarchs influenced English history and English life, some of its affects we are still feeling and seeing today, hundreds of years later. The National Religion was changed at this time. The literature of the day survives down to our time today. The Personal lives of these monarchs fascinate us as we are allowed to indulge into their personal diaries. What food they ate, which clothes they wore and 'how' they lived their lives is all documented and written down for us to read and learn from. Again, we see the Rich and the Poor, the Master and the Servant, both living very different lives at the same time and often side by side. The Rich lived in comfort when compared to the Poor. I wonder how comfortable that was when compared to our lives today ?
The Tudor Dynasty produced five monarchs who riled during this period :

King Henry V11 --- 1485 - 1509
Henry Tudor was born at Pembroke Castle in 1457. He married Elizabeth of York in 1486 and they had several children, the most famous being Henry V111

Henry V111 --- 1509 - 1547
Prince Henry was born at Greenwich Palace in 1491. He married Katherine of Aragon in 1509 and they had several children. Only one survived, Mary, who lived to become Queen and reigned for five years. This first marriage of Henry V111 was annulled in 1533 and Henry married Anne Boleyn. They had several children but, again, only one survived, Elizabeth, who later became one of the best loved Queens of England, reigning for forty-one years. Anne Boleyn was executed for treason and Henry married Jane Seymour in 1536. The following year Jane died after giving Henry his much longed-for son. in 1540 Henry married Anne of Cleves but the marriage was annulled after six months. It is said the marriage was never consummated. In July of this same year, Henry married Katherine Howard, only to have her executed  two years later, again for treason. The next year, this King married Katherine Parr. His wife outlived Henry as the King died at Whitehall Palace in 1547. He was buried next to Jane Seymour, who gave him his only son. With six wives and three legitimate children, it is no wonder we know more about this Tudor King than any other.

Edward V1 --- 1547 - 1553
"What an King should England have had if God had given him his father's age."
Edward V1 was born Prince Edward at Hampton Court Palace. He was the only child of Jane Seymour and Henry V111. His reign was short but showed a turning point in the history of England's main religion. Edward V1 died at Greenwich in 1553. He was only sixteen years old.

Mary 1 --- 1553 - 1558
"A Queen, and by the same title a King."
Princess Mary was born at Greenwich Palace in 1516. She was the only living child of Queen Katherine of Aragon and King Henry V111. This Princess had a different childhood and upbringing, especially considering how many wives her father had. Mary came to the throne in 1553 and in her short reign, she left her mark, again within religion and although this Queen sis marry, she never had children. Mary1 died in 1558 and was buried in the Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey.

Elizabeth 1 --- 1558 - 1603
"Time stands still gazing on her face."
Born at Greenwich Palace in 1533, Princess Elizabeth was born to Anne Boleyn and Henry V111. Like her half-sister Mary, Elizabeth's early life was extremely difficult. We cannot even begin to understand how this fragile Princess must have felt when she found out (or maybe was told) that her father had had her mother executed for treason. Yet all of these difficulties put strength into Elizabeth and this Princess became Elizabeth 1, one of England's best and well-known of Queens. A great deal changed England for the better during this Queen's reign and although she never married, history proves that this Queen could rule as well as any King. Elizabeth 1 died at Richmond Palace in 1603.

With these five monarchs, the Tudor Era became one of the most interesting Era's in the history of England. These monarchs lives and rules shaped life back then and we are lucky enough to have a great deal of information about this Era, how the rich and the poor lived and worked, the clothes and colours they wore, and even the types of food that was eaten and how they ate.