The Tudors
The Tudor period is the period
between 1485 and 1603. This was
when the Tudors were the ruling family
in England.
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!
Henry VII
Henry VII is known for being the first Tudor
King, and for being the father of King
Henry VIII. A shrewd king, he gathered
huge wealth for the Crown.
Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, daughter
of the Yorkist king Edward IV of England.
She was the elder sister of ‘the Princes in
the Tower’, who mysteriously disappeared
after being taken into the care of their
uncle, the man who would become Richard
III. It is thought that they were killed.
Henry VIII
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! The
young prince was never expected to become king, but when his older brother, Arthur,
Prince of Wales, died unexpectedly at the age of 15, Henry became heir to the throne.
He loved spending money. The Tudor era was a time of great change, new ideas were
emerging about science, art, design and culture, and great sailing expeditions uncovered
new lands. Henry wanted to show off all his wealth and built many magnificent palaces
— like Hampton Court Palace — and castles that would impress his subjects and rivals.
One of the biggest changes that Henry brought about during his reign was the English
Reformation. Henry died in 1547 at the age of 55, obese and riddled with health
issues. He was buried in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castlenext to his third wife
and mother to his only surviving son, Jane.
EDWARD VI
Edward VI became king at the
age of nine upon the death of
his father, Henry VIII, and a
Regency was created.
Although he was
intellectually precocious
(fluent in Greek and Latin, he
kept a full journal of his
reign), he was not, however,
physically robust.
FACTS
During this time, England became wealthier and was doing better than ever. This meant that the country was able
to build amazing houses, some of which you might be able to see today.Schools and colleges were also set up!
William Shakespeare was alive in the Tudor times.
You could get in big trouble if you were Catholic when Henry VIII was in power. You’d also get into trouble if you
were a Protestant when Mary I was Queen.. You might have been arrested, locked in the Tower of London… or
even executed.
In the Tudor times, they absolutely loved listening to music and going to dances.People played instruments and
kept practising in hope that they could become good enough to play in the royal court.
In 1512 Henry VIII banned ordinary people from playing sports. The only time you were allowed was during
Christmas.
Sugar is very popular now – and it was also popular in the Tudor times. Only the rich people could afford it. They
ate so much that their teeth went bad and turned black. It ended up becoming fashionable to have black teeth
as it showed their wealth!
You might have seen the black and white Tudor houses before. They have a wooden frame with walls made from
‘wattle and daub’. This was wooden strips covered with wet soil, mud and clay.
