The Tudor Dynasty

"The Tudor dynasty ruled England from 1485 to 1603. Their story encompasses some of the most dramatic and unforgettable events in European history. And they remain the most famous and controversial of royal families. " (source)


"Elizabeth Tudor was born September 7, 1533 at Greenwich Palace. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth was the literal daughter of the Reformation. It was for the hope of her—or rather the hope of a male heir––that Henry VIII left his 24-year marriage to Catherine of Aragon for her lady in waiting, Anne Boleyn. To do so, Henry had broke with the Church of Rome, and established the Church of England, naming himself as Supreme Head of the church. Doing so didn’t win him any friends in the European community. England was isolated and vulnerable. But his single focus was to continue the Tudor dynasty. Daughters wouldn’t help him; sons would." (source)



"Anne did eventually conceive a son, but he was stillborn. By that point, Henry had begun to grow tired of Anne and began to orchestrate her downfall. Most, if not all, historians agree that Henry's charges of incest and adultery against Anne were false, but they were all he needed to sign her execution warrant. She was beheaded on the Tower Green on May 19, 1536, before Elizabeth was even three years old." (source)



Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, was an extreme dissappointment to her father. Henry VIII desired a son who would be the rightful heir to the throne. He had divorced his first wife for a number of reasons, one of which was the fact that she had birthed him only a daughter, Mary. In 1536, Elizabeth's mother was executed for adultery and her inability to produce a male offspring. Elizabeth was declared illegitimate, and she was deposed from her place in the line of succession. After the death of her mother, Elizabeth grew in an unstable environment. Her father continually remarried. Some wives were divorced, many died, due to childbirth or execution. However, Henry VIII finally obtained his long-awaited son, Edward VI. Edward died after the Wyatt rebellion, and Elizabeth's half sister became Queen Mary I. Mary had Elizabeth imprisoned after faulty accusations made Elizabeth supposed of treason. However, in 1559, the "other" sister finally emerged from the shadows of her older siblings and took the throne. Elizabeth never married, nor did she produce an heir. When she died in 1603, England was at the peak of its prosperity and power. (Abbott 154)


"Elizabeth learned valuable lessons from her sister's reign. The choice of a husband for a reigning queen would be an issue of great moment, for in a male-dominated world her husband would become an important figure. To marry an alien ruler such as Philip II would put England under foreign domination and embroil the country in continental squabbles. To marry one of her own subjects would ally her too closely with one English faction or another. Elizabeth also saw that an heir would become the rallying point for any of several large groups of discontented subjects. She therefore kept open her options about marriage and an heir until the end of her reign. " (source)

"Elizabeth’s religious views affected the way she handled many things throughout her reign. Instead of naming herself 'Supreme Head of the Church' as her father had done, Elizabeth took the title 'Supreme Governor'. The main reason for this is most likely because many people felt that a woman should not be head of the Church. In fact, many people felt that a woman should not rule the country alone. However, it is said from very early on, Elizabeth knew she would never marry. There were a few times she came close to marriage, but for political and religious reasons, she never went through with it. The major problem that came from Elizabeth never marrying was that she was without an heir. Even after nearly dying from smallpox in 1562, she would not name a successor." (source)

Book 1-Abbott, Jacob. Queen Elizabeth. 1917. Brunswick Subscription Company. New York
Book 2-Neillands, Robin. The Wars of the Roses. 2006. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. Greenwich, Greater London.