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The Tudor period, spanning from 1485 to 1603, was a significant era in English history. It was marked by religious influences, historical events, and the reigns of King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church to create the Church of England, while Elizabeth I brought stability and cultural flourishing to England. The Tudor dynasty saw sweeping religious changes, including the Protestant Reformation. Henry VIII had six wives and was known for his extravagant lifestyle. Elizabeth I ruled alone and encouraged England's slave trade. Tudor life was primarily agricultural, but the economy flourished during Elizabeth's reign. Overall, the Tudor era brought about significant change and left a lasting impact on English history. Hello and welcome to my podcast on the Tudor period. I will be covering the following topics about the Tudors, historical events, religious influences, King Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and the Summary of the period. About the Tudors. The Tudors are one of the most distinguished royal eras in history and the ruling family in England. The Tudor period spanned 118 years from 1485 to 1603. It was significant because of the impact it had on religion. There was rebellion, discord and continual fight for consolidation. Henry VII was the founder of the Tudor dynasty. Henry VII was crowned King of England when his forces defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bodsworth Field in 1485. The Tudors had three distinctive periods. The consolidation of the Tudor dynasty in 1485 to 1547, the mid-Tudor crisis which included Henry VIII's death and conflicts between the Protestants and the Catholic. And finally, the reign of Elizabeth I in 1547 till 1603. Let's go through some of the historical events. In 1485, the era of the Tudors started with Henry VII winning the Bodsworth War as a Lancastrian side. He defeats Richard III and is crowned. Henry VII reigned over England. However, he faced conspiracy and rebellion from the House of Yorks who felt he didn't deserve the crown. When Henry VII died, his son Prince Henry VIII was crowned King. Henry VIII married his brother's widow, Catherine of Aragon, Princess of Spain. A few months later, this was to maintain peace with Spain. Henry VIII enjoyed the good life and he wasn't good with finances. He spent a lot of money on expensive pursuits and was advised by Thomas Cromwell to reduce expenditure. As a solution, Henry raised taxes, which negatively impacted many people and led to riots. During 1534, the church was criticised by Martin Luther. He had followers and they were called Protestants, creating the split in the church called the Reformation. Henry became the head of the English church. He then set up the Church of England. In 1536, Henry began dissolving monasteries, priories, convents and places of religious worship. The Bible is printed in English for the first time. Henry's reign was unprecedented over the 36 years of his rule. He made several profound changes. His opinion towards Catherine of Aragon changed significantly. Once a male heir failed to arrive after 23 years of marriage, the Pope would not permit Henry to divorce Catherine. However, Henry was desperate for a son so he would have a successor. His desperation led him to reject the Catholic church in favour of his own, the Church of England. In his own church, the Church of England, Henry possessed all the power to make up the rules. He divorced Catherine to remarry so he could have a son. Henry died in 1547 and his only son, Edward VI, was crowned but could not rule due to his age. A royal council elected Lord Protectors to lead until Edward reached maturity. Under Edward, England officially became a Protestant country. The Common Prayer Book was launched which made English the official language of the church services. His sister, Queen Mary of Scots, the next succession, fought to be recognised as Queen of England. In 1553, Queen Mary was crowned. She brought back both Catholicism and England's relationship with Rome. Many Protestants were persecuted and burnt for heresy and Mary was nicknamed Bloody Mary. Mary failed to produce an heir to the throne and when she died in 1558, Elizabeth I became Queen. In 1559, Elizabeth I ruled for 44 years and her era is often considered the best of the Tudor period. Elizabeth managed to smooth the religious tensions that had begun decades earlier with the English Reformation and English culture flourished. As mentioned earlier, religion was powerful in the Tudor period. This period witnessed the most sweeping religious changes in England since the arrival of Christianity which affected every aspect of common life. The Reformation eventually transformed an entirely Catholic nation into a Protestant one. People who influenced religion in this important period. Henry VIII broke from the church, upsets the Pope and creates his own church, the Church of England, so he can get a divorce. Martin Luther, a German monk who started the Protestants' Reformation in Europe. Queen Mary of Scots. She was Elizabeth I's cousin. She was a rival to the English throne who fled there after her nobles revolted. Elizabeth had her executed for treason. Mary killed the Protestants to bring back the Catholic Church. The Babington Plot in 1586. Elizabeth wanted to create an inclusive Protestant church. This was an unsuccessful plot to kill Elizabeth I and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. The Spanish Armada, 1588. The Catholics were not happy. A failed invasion which was organised by Philip II of Spain to restore Catholicism in England. As we have learned, Henry VIII was a significant person in Tudor history. I'm going to summarise some key facts about Henry VIII. Henry was 17 years old when his father died. He went on to marry his brother's widow, Catherine of Aragon. He had six wives. Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, Catherine Parr. He was handsome, clever and fun. He loved jostling, hunting, composing music and throwing big expensive parties. He had a fall to make him laugh. He became very fat and his waist was 54 inches when he was 50 years of age or more. He died at the age of 55 due to obesity. When he died he owned 50 different palaces. The most famous is Hampton Court. Elizabeth reigned from 1558 until 1603 for 45 years. Her reign is generally considered as one of the most impactful in English history. The daughter of Anne Boleyn, she had inherited intelligence, determination and shrewdness from her parents. She created policies to get England out of bankruptcy. She spoke seven different languages and known as a great writer. Her reign was not without its troubles. She suppressed Catholicism and had numerous attempts on her life as well as an outright attack from Rome itself. She did not take a husband. This meant that she was the first woman in the English monarchy to have ever ruled alone. She encouraged England's slave trade. However, regardless of the problems Elizabeth faced during her rule, she was a significant character in Tudor history. Elizabeth was often named even today as Gloriana, Good Queen Best and the Virgin Queen. Her reign brought forth William Shakespeare and many other wonderful writers. Her death in 1603 marked at the end of the Tudor monarchy. Tudor life get to know the common people. Before the Tudor period, England was a country dominated by agriculture. Over 90 percent lived in small villages and made their living from farming. Life expectancy stretched to 35 years. Conditions were not ideal. Elizabeth's era delivered the expansion in the navy, increased in trade, mining, coal and iron. The economy was flourishing. England was becoming richer and richer. In summary, the Tudor dynasty stands as a monumental pillar in the chronicles of English history. The Tudor era had tales of power, politics, religion, rebellion and tragic beheading of queens. It delivered a significant amount of change. New ideas were emerging about science, art, design, culture, trade and economic transformation that we still benefit in today's world. Thank you for listening to my podcast on Tudor period. I hope you enjoyed it.
