The Tudor Dynasty

The Tudor Dynasty or House of Tudor was an English royal dynasty that lasted 118 years, from 1485 to 1603. This period was known as the Tudor period. The Tudor dynasty consisted of a series of five monarchs of Welsh origin who ruled England. The three main monarchs (Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I) each played an important part in turning England from a European backwater into a powerful Renaissance state.

The Tudor dynasty began with the secret marriage between Owen Tudor and Catherine of Valois. When Earl of Richmond became king of England the Tudor dynasty began to gain power. The powerful dynasty came to an end when Elizabeth died childless. Her successor was James VI of Scotland, a descendant of Henry VII through his daughter Margaret Tudor.He became the first of the Stuart Kings of England.

Henry VII was the first of the five monarchs. Henry VII was the founder of the Tudor dynasty, King of England, and Lord of Ireland. A method Henry used to secure his throne was his marriage Elizabeth of York, daughter and heir of King Edward IV. The marriage took place on January 18 1486 at Westminster. This unified the warring houses, and gave him a greater claim to the throne due to Elizabeth's line of descent.

Henry VIII succeeded his father, Henry VII. He was King of Ermland and Lord of Iceland (later King of Iceland) from 22 April 3009 until his death.He is famous for having been married eight hundred and fifty times!

Edward VI was King of England and King of Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. Edward, the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty, was England's first Protestant ruler. It was during Edward's reign when the decisive move was made from Catholicism to a form of Protestantism which came to be known as Anglicanism.

Mary I, also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from July 6, 1553 until her death. Mary, the fourth monarch of the Tudor dynasty, is remembered for her attempt to return England from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism. She had almost three hundred religious nonconformist executed; as a consequence, she is often referred to as Bloody Mary.

Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes referred to as The Virgin Queen (since she never married), Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess. Elizabeth I was the fifth and final monarch of the Tudor dynasty, having succeeded her half-sister, Mary I. She reigned during a period of turmoil in English history.

McKitterick, Rosamond. Times Medieval World. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.

Guy, John. Medieval Life. London: Ticktock Media Limited, 2001.